Blog questions:
Before you read the articles, what would you expect a model green community to be like? After reading the articles, which model community was your favorite and why? Compare and contrast the values of the communities. What was different about them, what was similar? Which one was your favorite and why? Which one did you think was the best?
Reading Assignment:
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would expect a model green community to be a very self sufficient community. They would grow their own food, make their own cleaners and clothes, and use only reusable containers. All energy would come from a completely renewable source. Politically I think the green community would be very liberal. They would be very accepting of people. I honestly picture a bunch of hippies living together. After reading the articles the model green community seems much more structured than I had first imagined. Each community is very spiritual. The Avalon Community mentioned that they have people who specialize in different task then the goods are shared among the people of the community. Each community is self sufficient but they provide a wide range of goods that are shared throughout the community. The specialized jobs honestly surprised me a lot. The system seems a lot like the barter system as far as an economy goes. Each community has something that it prides itself on and that brings the members of the community together. For example the RainSong community prides themselves on the food and the cooking of their food. The Earthaven Ecovillage was very interesting to me in that they have paid for their title to the land and have a very defined plan of what they wish to see. The community wants to grow to have 150 members, the members work the land to help the community be sustainable. They use a consensus decision making process. This reminds me of the only true form of democracy, a town meeting. The smaller community provides a closer community that allows them to become more of a family.
ReplyDeleteI also get a "family feeling" from model communities! Everyone seems to be so tightly knit together, an aspect which I love!
Deletei liked that you picked up on the speciallixed jobs, it is like a barter system but if you think about being sustainable, money isnt needed so that leaves us with relying on eachother to survive.
DeleteI would expect a model green community to be one that has little (if any) impact to the environment. I would expect that it employs a variety of tactics to do this such as the use of clean alternative energy, electric cars, farms with local food, etc. I would expect that it has many of today’s problems solved, so it could really be a “model” for our current communities to strive to be like.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite model community from the list was Earthaven, in Black Mountain, NC. This is because they are interested in “sharing resources with the public.” To communicate ideas, public outreach is needed. Instead of staying in a secluded spot, Earthaven works with the public to promote ideas. I believe that activity like this can have an impact and extend the community’s ideas outward. Most of the communities overall had emphasis on growing food, a rural setting, etc. They all also require work from each member in order to better the whole community. They all seemed to practice some green ideas. The differences included diets (vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian), spiritual practices (common vs. up to individual), and decision making (consensus vs. small group). While these differences existed, I still think most of these communities share similar ideas.
Before reading the articles, I expected a model community to be one that was based around sustainable practices, meaning they would have a very small carbon footprint and environmental impact. They would use a renewable energy source, most likely solar or wind. Also, they would grow their own food and crops for clothing in clean methods. Most importantly, all of their garbage will be composted, and recycled making their waste minimal. My favorite model community is The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee. It has been established for many decades and has strong roots, unlike many that are just being started up. I also like this one the best because they have multiple non profit organizations to help people outside of their community. Most of the communities shared common ideas about sustainable food practices and citizens living in a mutually beneficial relationship. A lot of them talked about each citizen having a job that could contribute to the community and all together help each other. Each of the communities talked about their own form of self sufficiency as well. The main differences were in size and religion. Some were small while others ranged up into hundreds or even thousands. I believe that The Farm also had the best systems set up, most likely because they have been around for so long. The Farm is best known for their midwife program which is unique and something that most places often overlook.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, a green model community is one with environmentally friendly practices that affect its community members in almost every aspect. Local businesses would use sustainable practices and not pollute the environment. The community should encourage recycling, locally grown produce and local businesses. Individuals would have organic gardens and the community should have mass-transit to alleviate the need for many cars. Also, the community should have many outdoor areas with protected nature such as bike paths, rivers and streams for community use. The whole community should be bike-able.
ReplyDeleteSome of the communities focus more on cooperation and community values than green practices. For example, Avalon, FL does practice organic gardening and sustainable agriculture, however they also promote home-schooling and eat most of their meals together as a community. This is not modern sustainability. Viroqua, Wisconsin is not yet a community, but plans on growing only 6-20% of their food. One of the best communities I read was Black Mountain, NC because they not only have a working sustainable community but they also offer workshops in permaculture design, natural building, creating new ecovillages, and herbal medicine. It's important that these communities teach others how to enact these practices too. All of the communities wish to be self-sufficient by they each have different goals. I thought they would be more modern and mostly focused on green practices.
I like the idea that the whole community should be bike-able; it was something I did not think of.
DeleteI would expect a model green community to be a community with 100% green and sustainable practices. I would expect all the members of the community to be really active in global preservation. In this community i would also expect there to be minimal pollution and waste, which businesses support. There would be minimal fossil fuel use. My favorite community was the one in Avalon, Florida. I like that they use all organic and sustainable farming. I also think that the idea of community meals is really unique. Each community focuses on something a little different. Some focus on agriculture, some on food and cooking, some on land practices, some on community involvement and unity, and some on community service. I really like the communities that focus on community involvement and unity. A lot of communities and farms already use organic and sustainable farming so I think that is something really innovative.
ReplyDeleteReview the blog prompts/questions. Answer what was similar and different among them- and specify which community you are speaking about. This seems somewhat vague
DeleteI would assume that a model green community would be taken from a more liberal standpoint. This type of community would be very beneficial to its community though various types of eco friendly models, such as less fuel efficient cars, energy saving buildings, and farms that grow their own then resell it throughout the community. There isn't a right or wrong way in doing any of these practices, the only way it can be measured is how effective is it getting spread through that green community.
ReplyDeleteOne of the model communities that stood out to me was the Earthaven Ecovillage located in Black Mountain, NC. The reason why Earthaven stood out to me was because of not only how close it is located to us, but because of how familiar I have gotten with the state of North Carolina from my family living there. Black Mountain’s program seems very thorough inside and out. At first I questioned how they could include young children and raise them in such a education lacking environment, but then towards the bottom of their summary they have included a home schooling system close to their Ecovillage. To me this place seemed a little bit more put together better than such as the Avalon community which is just starting their entitlement.
I envision a green community as one that places the utmost value on green practices in every aspect of life, from housing, to clothing and consumer goods, to food and transportation. I would expect the political system of the community to incorporate many of the Green Party decision-making practices, such as universal consensus, and have a non-hierarchical system.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the assigned articles, I found that Earth Haven was my personal favorite ecovillage due to its emphasis not only on the aforementioned values in addition to the fact that it also has a focus on being a learning community and active learners of society. I like the fact that Earth Haven is developing a small village-scale economy, and work in small, onsite businesses or nonprofits, have built roads and bridges, community buildings, members' homes, multi-household residences, gardens, constructed wetlands, and off-grid power and water systems. Their community’s holistic approach to sustainable living is both appealing and functional.
Some of the obvious differences between the ecovillages are their locations and the implications location has in terms of what each village can produce in terms of vegetation and crops.
Many of the communities shared very similar beliefs in terms of how the community is run and what its focuses are. Such examples include initiatives for excellence in ecological sustainability and social responsibility, for example: green building, clean power, clustered development, green belts, permaculture, reforestation and restoration, recycling, waste reduction and green waste management, and green education.
Compare and contrast some of the communities. How would Earthhaven comapre to the one in Costa Rica?
DeleteI would expect a model green community to be a community that has a very strong concern for the environment and sustainability in everything that goes on. I would expect practices such as recycling to be prominent and well established, but I would also expect the residents of the community to limit the amount of waste they produce. I think a model community would make caring for the environment easy and more accessible than another community today. I would expect everything to be on a closed loop and very efficient, so as to make the smallest impact on the Earth as possible. One more thing I would expect would be an alternative form of energy that harnesses energy naturally rather than extracting resources from the Earth for power. I think my favorite community was The Farm in Tennessee. It seems more unique than the rest, and I like how so much of their community is focused on helping others. This community seems a lot more globally aware since the others. Every other model community I explored on the site seems self-contained and concerned, with not too many trying to reach out and get involved in international affairs. The Farm is not what I expected of a model community, but I thought it was interesting as it values getting involved in the areas around it and constantly trying to improve everything.
ReplyDeleteThe way the communities differed was very interesting to me. The community in Costa Rica seemed very tourist drive. The description sounded almost like an advertisement to me, whereas Rainsong looks like a very distinct and close-knit community. Rainsong’s style of living seems simple and eclectic, so I think it would take a certain kind of person to live there. Ardhanariswaras focuses more on the religious aspect of a community, and I thought the community decision of the members of Rainsong to be “unschoolers” was intriguing. Earthhaven Ecovillage stands out to me as a community that is actively trying to reduce their impact and spread the word with the resources we have today. They all have the similar characteristic of being small and concerned with the Earth. I think that Earthhaven might be the best, but that may be because it seems to go along with my original idea of what a model community would be like.
Unfortunately, most model communities do not rely solely on an alternative source of power. However, off grid eco-villages do.
DeleteIn my mind a model green community would be one in which everyone does everything possible to contribute to a sustainable society. Efforts would be made to decrease the use of motor vehicles and waste products would be greatly reduced. In a model society recycling and composting would be widespread and I would expect all the members of the society to consume local organic products. The community that I found to be the best was Earth Haven. I found this community to be the best because of the progressive nature of the entire society. Roads have been built within the community and all the people are working in local non-profits and working to produce sustainable energy sources. Each of these communities are similar in that they all share the common goal of working towards being "Green" and are all doing whatever necessary to make that possible in their environment. Differences can be seen in the type of crops being grown due to different locations and climates but the important thing is that even in diverse communities the overall goal of creating a sustainable environment is being worked towards.
ReplyDeleteI would assume a model green community would be one that was very efficient in their ways to decrease their carbon footprint from the normal footprint expected. The model community would be extremely sustainable and innovative in ways that many don't normally use. It is thought that this type of community would be on the more liberal side of the spectrum in the ways they exist and live. They would be beneficial to the community through numerous types of environmentally and economically friendly ideas such as energy saving buildings, less fuel efficient cars, and farms that grow their own crops then resell it throughout the community.
ReplyDeleteThe model community that stood out to me was the Earthaven Ecovillage located in Black Mountain, NC. Besides the fact that it is close in proximity to us but because it seems the most easy to transition into from the life most americans live. The program that Black Mountain offers seems quite thorough inside and out. Reading through the article, I questioned how they could include young children in this lifestyle. They offer homeschooling in the close by Ecovillage, which is close to their home. I don't necessarily agree with homeschooling, as I feel you lose the sense of growth. To me this place seemed a little bit more put together better than such as the Avalon community, this would be the one place I'd feel most comfortable living in compared to the others.
In what ways does homeschooling prohibit personal growth?
DeleteEveryone else you said I agree with!
From Hallie:
ReplyDeleteMy blog page will not work and I am not sure why so I am just emailing you my blog.
i would expect a green model community to be a community full of people who are working hard to make a difference in the "ungreen" ways that people are living, and they are a living model of what leading a "green" life should look like. They will recycle EVERYTHING. They will have virtually no waste, and any food that goes uneaten will be composted. This community will also travel by bike or walking; they will rarely use a car, bus, or any other kind of transportation that is not self generated. The people will grow most all of what they eat, and if they have to buy anything it will be local. I am sure that my favorite community is the Costa Rica ecovillage. First of all, who wouldn't want to travel to Costa Rica, let alone live there!? Secondly, I like the sound of the care free, stress free, worry free environment that is there. I like the idea of eating the local foods and being able to drink fresh water from a mountain stream. It is a perfect community for me because I do not consider myself to be completely "green", but I do like a lot of what this community is offering and I like the sense of closeness they want you to feel with the environment and everyone around you.
The Avalon community was more spiritual based than the others. Anyone was welcome there. The ardhanariswaras community was probably my least favorite. They only wanted to welcome in two-spirited couples. The farm offers education and a peaceful environment to at risk kids. I think that this community is one that should be used for troubled kids as well who deserve and need a second chance. Rainsong is a community that is very small but everyone lives together and socializes together. The birds and bees community is not established but have a few ideas about wanting to live sustainably.
The Rainsong community and the ardhanariswaras community were more alike than the others because they focused on families, and not individuals, or gay couples. (which I didn't like that they almost intentionally left out.) The costa rica ecovillage would be like the birda and bees community in a way because they focus on living sustainably and eating local. The farm was completely different from the rest but i liked their intentions and goals. Of course, the obvious comparison is that they all want the sense of a community to be very apparent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before reading any of the articles, I would like to briefly discuss what I think a model green community would be like. First, the energy needed for transportation in a model green community would be created using sustainable resources to get rid of the old, outdated method: petroleum. Next there would need to be a sustainable agricultural system in the community so that everyone had the food they needed without depleting the soil of much needed nutrients. Also, when it comes to agriculture there needs to be a communal feeling that keeps everyone tied to certain responsibilities for the benefit of the group. My two biggest concerns are energy use for transportation, and agricultural practices so these are the things I would imagine or want to be corrected first. Recycling, waste reduction, and largely, reducing the community carbon footprint are other big issues I feel a model green community would try and work on changing. My preferred choice of the model communities would be the Birds and the Bees Permaculture Village in Viroqua, Wisconsin, United States. This is almost solely because of the openness to the idea of being an omnivore. I want to advocate the importance of being sustainable and ecologically literate, but that doesn’t mean I should be chastised for wanting to eat meat. At the same time, vegans should have the same liberties. The model communities had many similar characteristics while also having many contrasting views. One of the universal concepts throughout all the communities is the “sense of community feeling” that all groups portray. All the members of the individual villages would eat together, and most required contributions to the community in areas such as agriculture, child care or construction. It was interesting to read about villages that are emphasizing sustainable practices to the citizens of their tribe daily. Contrasting views consist of the ideas of education, livestock, and some variance on concepts of human rights. I was a little confused about the village in Hawaii, but I think the village’s morals allow everyone to be equal, specifically referring to, “two-spirited” individuals.
ReplyDeleteto deal with the fact of transportation, once again eco villages are fully sustainable, so esstially there is no need to leave the village, because all of the means to survive are right around you, but as for leaving and visiting friends and family, Ithaca is very close to a bus station, and a local airport so there are alternative means to transportation beside owning a car
DeleteBefore reading the articles I would have expected a model green community to be very tightly knit and feature individuals who preferred cooperation and teamwork over competition and greed. I would also expect a model green community to obviously use sustainable practices, some of which may even seem radical to the outside world. After reading the articles on model green communities I would have to say that the Earthaven community in Black Mountain, North Carolina would probably be my favorite. I think this community would be my favorite because their style of living would make the transition to the community much easier for an outsider and I feel that I could relate/be more comfortable in that community versus many of the others simply because Earthaven is in North Carolina so it’s not too far away from home. Each of the communities has varying attitudes towards food, education, and housing; I expected some differences among the communities on these issues but I was honestly surprised as to how dramatically different the values of the communities were. For example, the RainSong community believes in “unschooling” which basically entails allowing children to learn from the community and their elders instead of formal school while Earthaven takes a more traditional approach of education through public or home school. Another difference is how most communities were built out of simplicity and general responsibility, yet the Costa Rican community sounds more like a timeshare development with mention of staff and amenities.
ReplyDelete