David Orr uniquely combines a pioneering approach to education, design, community, innovation and practice that has always embodied a whole worldview. His work not only has direct impact but is visionary and therefore inspiring for individuals and groups around the world. The Oberlin Project is innovating through rich collaboration, a response to making the community much more resilient into the future.

He is well known for his efforts in designing the first substantially green building on a U.S. college campus. The Adam Joseph Lewis Center was later named by the U.S. Department of Energy as “One of Thirty Milestone Buildings in the 20th Century,” and by The New York Times as the most interesting of a new generation of college and university buildings.

David Orr is now working to bring together a collaborative venture within the community of Oberlin from schools to private sector. The Oberlin Project joins the many strands of sustainability including urban revitalization, green development, advanced energy technology, sustainable agriculture and forestry, green jobs, arts and education into an integrated response.

The heart of the project is the redevelopment of a 13-acre block designed to catalyze the renewal of the downtown area and initiate a process leading to a prosperous post-fossil fuel powered economy, while improving its facilities and continuing one of the most important educational experiments in the United States.

The investment in construction, renovation, and energy technology is intended to stimulate the expansion of existing businesses and create new enterprises that meet emerging demands for energy services, solar technologies, green products, and locally grown foods and forest products.

David Orr’s approach to sustainability is an essential, rich dialogue on how we integrate responses to crisis and environmental challenge – where there is a role for every voice from industry and science to art and music. The Oberlin Project has already been heralded as having the potential to be an international model for change and development. Mid-project David Orr comes to Schumacher College to discuss the implications of such a cutting edge and innovative approach to a more resilient future.

Schumacher College is proud to be hosting David Orr talking about The Oberlin Project alongside Steven Mayers and Transition Town’s Rob Hopkins in an exploration of urgent collaborative responses to climate change, food security, economics.

The Road Ahead: Building Community in the Long Emergency, June 27 – July 2, 2011
David W. Orr, Stephan Mayer & Rob Hopkins
http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/the-road-ahead-building-community-in-the-long-emergency

To listen to an interview with David Orr about The Oberlin Project at Sustainable Industries http://sustainableindustries.com/podcasts/sustainable-industries-interviews-david-orr

Schumacher College, Dartington is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Are you enjoying being a green builder, but are frustrated about:

• Building code constraints
• Building projects that you don’t value because your clients aren’t willing to think outside the box about what’s possible
• Feeling isolated and alone because you are not getting the connection you want with others who share your values

Are you excited at the idea of:

• Supporting an off the grid ecovillage that is modeling a a new way of life
• Growing in your career as you build critical infrastructure necissary to demonstrate how to live sustainably
• Building friendships with new people who share your values, and support your work in the world

Learn more about the construction we do!

We use a variety of different natural building technologies including:

• Clay plaster
• Adobe floors
• Straw Bale Construction

Get an application:

Go here to get a green building construction career application.

Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Learn about green roofs and how to build them.

24-25 April 2010

www.brightonpermaculture.org.uk

Brighton Permaculture Trust is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Weather the recession: go to work in the garden   

Not so long ago gardens were exclusively for leisure. For lying
around in, pottering in, eating al fresco, barbecues, bonfires, boules
and swingball. But as 2009 progresses the picture is looking very
different. Once a haven of relaxation, gardens are turning into hives
of activity as people all over the UK go to work in the garden.

As the recession points Britain towards a new way of living, people want much more from their green spaces. These days, in addition to a lawn, shrubs and flowers, many people are serious about growing their own produce and keeping chickens, others are bringing their businesses home to their gardens. Just like our ancestors in pre-industrial revolution agrarian communities, we’re returning to our roots. Not so much a nation of shopkeepers, more a nation of smallholders as we spend more time working at home, from home and in our homes!

An amazing 4.2m businesses in the UK employ less than 10 people and in today’s unpredictable economic climate, many small businesses are strengthening their financial position by taking their business home. It is no longer just the self-employed and home-workers who run their businesses from home. Micro businesses are also saying goodbye to rented offices in town centres and taking their staff home with them to a fully functional home office at the bottom of the garden.

Nigel Peters’ business was paying more than £10,000 a year rent for an office that was half an hour’s commute away from his home in Surrey. Last autumn he decided to move back home and contacted InsideOut Buildings who design and build garden offices and, unsurprisingly, run their business from an office in their garden. “InsideOuts’ offices aren’t cheap, but they’re absolutely ideal.” He said. “We wanted an eco-friendly building that we’d be proud to bring clients to, but also a comfortable working environment that would house the business for years to come and that compliments the main house. Staying at home with the dog and the chickens is much better than commuting and we feel we’re doing our bit for the environment by cutting down on commuting and heating bills.’

Lynn Fotheringham, director of InsideOut is seeing a huge increase in this type of enquiry. “One of the key questions for small business owners who want to take their business home is ‘Can I employ people in an office in my own garden?” Lynn explains “The answer is yes, as long as you have the approval of your local planning department. They will assess your plans, taking into consideration things like the nature of your business and the availability of parking spaces. If your garden office is for your own personal use, you might not need planning permission, full stop.”

Patrick Boggan of Tarnside Consulting is currently building an eco-friendly office in his garden, in the beautiful Lyth Valley just outside Kendal. Tarnside is a fundraising and management consultancy that works with charities: a thriving business that already employs four people working inside Patrick’s family home.  He and his family wanted to regain control of their home, which is where InsideOut stepped in. “Despite the fact that Tarnside Consulting is in the Lake District National Park” says Lynn Fotheringham, “Patrick was still given planning permission to house his business in an InsideOut office in the garden. The company’s new office even has a shower room for employees who cycle to work.”

People who already work at home who are desperate to move to a larger house but unable to sell their current home are finding that a good alternative is to build an office in the garden instead. Sally Heneghan of South Wales, who chose a garden office rather than moving, says, “Creating an office was a great deal cheaper – and faster – than moving to a bigger house. The thing that really sold the idea to us was that Inside Out’s garden offices are built to last a lifetime. They’re also beautiful to look at, designed with sensitivity and a genuine appreciation of their surroundings.”

It is wise to bear in mind that taking your business home doesn’t mean you can leave legislation on the doorstep! If you’re planning to bring employees into your office in the garden, buildings with more than 30sq metres of floor space must meet a variety of stringent regulations regarding structural standards, insulation levels, fireproofing, access and facilities for people with restricted physical mobility. But whatever the size, InsideOut’s garden offices are built to the same strict Building Regulations specifications as a new home.

As our life/work values change we all want our gardens to work harder for us. Thankfully building in your garden isn’t as complex as you might think and the results can be stunning. Bringing your work home can be rewarding financially and emotionally – perhaps our ancestors had it right all along!

For more information and hires please contact: -
Lynn Fotheringham
01524 737999    lynn@iobuild.co.uk  www.iobuild.co.uk  InsideOut Garden office Brochure.
Insideout Buildings Ltd. The Green, Over Kellet, Lancashire LA6 1BU.

Following the success of the Greening Events Summit in 2008, the event
is returning this year with a new name, a new venue and a clear focus –
50 practical steps to take back to your organisation to make your
events more sustainable.

The Sustainable Events Summit 2009 takes place on Friday 22 May at One
Wimpole Street, London. With sustainability currently a huge issue in
the events industry, and organisers eager to learn best practice and
implement sustainable measures, this is a timely moment for the summit
to take place.

The aim of the day is to provide delegates with 50 practical actions which they can take back to their organisations. The summit will be chaired by Lucy Siegle, ethical living columnist at the Observer and BBC One Show presenter. Lucy will be ensuring that the event is dynamic, inspirational and encourages practical action.

Delegates at this event will comprise heads of events / event directors across a variety of business sectors; event media and suppliers to the industry. We are targeting around 250 delegates to maximise the value of the day for all attendees.

The Summit will provide an informative day for delegates. We aim to include interactive sessions to add variety and incorporate future technologies. Speakers confirmed so far include:

David Stubbs, Head of Sustainability, LOCOG;
Anne Hayes, Head of Market Development – Sustainability, BSI;
Neil Grange, Sustainable Event Management Consultant, Arup;
Alison Tickell, Director, Julie’s Bicycle.

Other participants include representatives from Wembley Stadium, The Guardian, The Ryder Cup and Virgin Trains.

Last year’s Summit had 200 attendees and once again we want as many attendees as possible to share their experiences and commit to practical action to make the events industry more sustainable. Early Bird tickets are available now at a reduced cost.

To book tickets go to the Summit website at www.sustainableeventssummit.com. For more information call Joelle McNichol from the Summit team on 020 7515 5775 or email Joelle@sustainableeventssummit.com.  

The Sustainable Events Summit is supported by our sustainable host venue, One Wimpole Street, which will be offering a high-tech, interactive experience for delegates as well as a sustainably sourced seasonal menu. Other partners of the event are the Association of Event Venues, the Event Supplier and Services Association, Conference News and Exhibition News.

The Summit will also feature an exhibition space showcasing the latest services and solutions in event sustainability. If your company would like to be featured in the exhibition space get in touch with Joelle on 020 7515 5775.

The Sustainable Events Summit aims to be the catalyst for real change in the events industry. Come along and be part of it.

–ENDS—

Notes to editors:

1. The Sustainable Events Summit is managed by Green Business Events and Seventeen Events.
2. One Wimpole Street is a sustainable venue in central London which was recently accredited to the BS8901 sustainable event management standard.
3. A full list of speakers with biographies will be available shortly on the event website – www.sustainableeventssummit.com.
4. Exhibition stands and limited sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information contact Joelle McNichol on 020 7515 5775 or Joelle@sustainableeventssummit.com.  

Ecobuild, the world’s biggest event dedicated to sustainable design, construction and the built environment, returns to Earls Court between 3 – 5 March 2009.

Along with co-located event, Futurebuild, the UK’s most important event for innovation in construction, Ecobuild 2009 is set to almost double in size over the previous event.

Ecobuild will attract in excess of 30,000 visitors and the exhibition will feature 800 suppliers of sustainable construction products and services, with industry giants such as Saint Gobain and DuPont exhibiting alongside an impressive array of start-ups and grass-roots innovators.
Over 500 of the most highly-regarded speakers will present more than 100 conference and seminar sessions, all free to attend for registered visitors, and the inaugural UK Green Building Council Conference will also take place at Ecobuild in 2009.

The hugely popular Arena returns, providing lively debates, interviews and keynotes covering design, politics, science, philosophy, art and the environment. Hear from Michael Portillo, Matthew Parris, Dan Cruickshank and others, with sessions chaired by James Naughtie, Roger Harrabin and Mark Lawson.

Over a dozen live attractions bring the learning to life at Ecobuild, including Solar City, Cityscape, SUDS, Innovate Offsite and Green Shoots. A wide range of brand new attractions for 2009 include Clad It, Concrete Futures, the Biodiversity Pavilion, Fast Forward Foundations and Renew, which tackles one of the sector’s biggest challenges: sustainable refurbishment of the UK’s existing buildings.

All this is free for registered visitors, along with the LandARK ‘eco-cabin’ for off-grid living, the Green SCIN eco-materials showcase, and the brand-new Precast, Eco Interiors, Stone Zone and Timber Works SME pavilions, and International pavilions from France, Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, USA and Canada.

For more information and to register for your free invitation go to www.ecobuild.co.uk


Ecobuild runs from 3 – 5 March 2009 at London’s Earls Court

Good Energy creates first energy efficient hamper collection

Good Energy, the UK’s leading supplier of 100% renewable electricity, is helping people to give green this Christmas by launching a new range of Christmas hampers packed full of energy saving goods.

Every year at Christmas, people send thousands of hampers to friends and families, but most of these contain food and fine wines. In an attempt to raise environmental awareness, Good Energy decided it was time to change the face of the Christmas hamper world.

The eco-hampers are decorated with materials made from recycled Christmas trees and have been created by the company as a message for people to try to go green in the New Year.

Juliet Davenport, CEO and founder of Good Energy, said: “the Good Energy Shop was launched to help people reduce their carbon footprint through top of the range energy efficient products – and we wanted this to continue into the festive period. Christmas can be a wasteful time, so we wanted to provide a positive alternative. By giving someone one of these hampers as a present, you can finally have a Christmas with a conscience and save money for years to come.”

Available in the range are four very different and stylish eco-hampers that cater for adults, children, students and the entire family. For more information, visit: www.goodenergyshop.co.uk