In Innovate or Die, Matson suggests that the goal with intelligent fast failure is to move as quickly as possible from new ideas to new knowledge by making small and manageable mistakes — intelligent failures. By moving quickly, we can determine what works, and what doesn’t, without draining the bank account and energy devoted to developing the idea. With the increasing variability in climate and rapidly changing global marketplace and social fabric, ecopreneurs are creating new business models, products and services that defy common conventions. Some will fail. The key is to keep learning and try to avoid letting your intelligent failures negatively influence your emotions and self-esteem. And by all means, fail falling forward.

Given the widespread interest in producing biodiesel domestically, Matson launched the Green Biodiesel, LLC, a spinoff venture of Matson & Associates Inc., seeking to develop a new biofuel production process that relies entirely on nontoxic materials to produce a clean-burning alternative fuel from renewable resources in the US. One of the problems facing biodiesel producers and users is that the conventional biodiesel production process uses a number of toxic chemicals to convert vegetable oil feedstocks into a usable fuel. Methanol and sodium hydroxide, two toxic industrial chemicals widely used in the transesterfication process to produce biodiesel, are potentially dangerous to humans and the environment. In order for biodiesel to be a truly environmentally friendly fuel, current and future producers need an alternative process that does not use toxic chemicals or produce significant waste products.

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The extension of suburbs further and further out from the core of businesses and services not only consumes acres of land, with its attendant loss of woods, fields, wetlands, farmland, and animal habitat, but it also requires miles of pavement, and the attendant infrastructure (sewers, phone and power lines, etc.) to support the new development. Residents of these displaced communities are forced to rely on cars for more and more of their access to various services and amenities, and very often travel greater distances to work as well as other destinations. This increases both the consumption of fuel resources and the pollution caused from the extra travel.

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Sometimes, some of the greenest solutions come from the simplest of ideas.  Take the cottage community.  What could be simpler than the idea of building houses that are radically smaller in square footage than the national average?  Not everyone wants all that extra space, and many would rather have a smaller home built well than a cheaply made box full of emptiness.

Cottage communities are not yet widely known in planning and development.  Cottage communities are primarily located in the Pacific Northwest, though there are indications of interest, if not actual communities yet built, in other parts of the country.

The individual cottages have a small footprint.  The first cottage community built in Langley WA had half the cottages no bigger than 800 square feet, and the other half no bigger than 700 square feet.  These homes are far smaller than the average size house in the U.S. (which was almost 2,400 square feet in 2004).

Cottages serve a niche community.  Obviously, a family of more than 3 or 4 people would start to feel crowded living the typical American lifestyle in such a space.  But many households have only one or two people, and a 700-800 square foot house is perfectly adequate for them.

Cottages work best where several cottages can be placed near one another.  If you still require a full size lot for every home, a cottage doesn’t really do anything towards reducing sprawl.  But a cottage development typically has twice the number of houses as would normally be permitted.  So a piece of land that could normally accommodate four houses can be developed with eight cottages.  By developing as a community, cottages also benefit from common amenities such as landscaping and shared parking areas.  (The small size of the cottages precludes attaching garages to them.)

While cottages reduce the amount of land needed for development, they also reduce the volume of resources needed in their construction.  It is intuitively obvious that an 800 square foot cottage takes much less material, from studs and shingles to pipes and cupboards, than an average sized 2,400 square foot home.  In addition to all that material saved, the smaller cottages also need fewer resources to keep them heated and cooled.

Cottage communities can break up the texture of an otherwise undifferentiated development, and provide opportunities for other kinds of owners to be added into the housing mix.  While they serve the needs of a limited part of the population, they can contribute to better communities with just a simple idea.

See other related Green Building Elements stories:
Green Communities, Part 1: New Urbanism
Traditional Neighborhood Development and LEED Go Hand in Hand
Living Green in the 21st Century

images via: The Cottage Company

Sheesh. It seems that everybody and their brothers are ethanol experts these days. But what drives me nuts is that when people are talking about ethanol, they don’t seem to know what type of ethanol they’re talking about.

It’s sad because the widespread misinformation and misunderstanding is killing popular opinion for biofuels in general right now and, in particular, mercilessly destroying the good name of the second generation of ethanol — cellulosic ethanol.

The truth of the matter is that cellulosic ethanol will be made from non-food sources (miscanthus, switchgrass, wood waste, and even garbage) that can be grown on marginal land or is already a waste byproduct of society.

The production of cellulosic ethanol could have huge benefits beyond energy independence:

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In the July 7th letter to Johnson, chairmen Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) of the House Government Oversight and Reform Committee and James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee credit an internal EPA memo, which was given to them by activist group Greenpeace, for leading them to explore the EPA’s inadequate enforcement of the Clean Water Act.

The memorandum, which was sent on Mar. 4, 2008 from Granta Y. Nakayama, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, to Benjamin Grumbles, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Water, points out the conflicting ideals of the 1972 Clean Water Act and the 2006 U.S. Supremem Court decision Rapanos v. United States.

While the Act protects wetlands from urban development for water conservation, the court ruling challenges water protection provisions and upholds individual’s rights to build over wetlands.

According to Nakayama’s memo, the fundamental discord between the federal law and Supreme Court decision has led to confusion about federal wetlands protections which has resulted in the agency’s “conscious decision not to pursue enforcement of 300 Clean Water Act violations because of the jurisdictional uncertainty.”

In a Washington Post article printed Tuesday, EPA spokesman Jonathan Shradar responded to the congressional inquiry. “We will be reviewing the new request and will work with the chairmen to provide information on our enforcement program,” Shradar was quoted.

Part of a series of pivitol environmental laws passed in the 1970s, the Clean Water Act was a monumental step forward for the environmental movement and surface water protection in the United States. The recent Rapanos v. United States ruling, however, overturned earlier decisions that stopped two seperate developers from building on their wetland properties due to environmental regulations connected to the CWA.

In the end, the court ruled 5 to 4 in favor of development and left the CWA in limbo.

Photo: EPA

Carbon neutral is gaining popularity these days, but Mantria Corporation is taking it a step further.

“We pledge Mantria Place will be the first carbon negative community in the nation by 2011,” states Troy Wragg, Mantria Corporation Chairman and CEO. “Carbon neutral is simply not good enough given today’s environmental issues. At Mantria, we believe that we must go much further to truly help our planet. Our goal is to be carbon negative.”

Located in Sequatchie County, Tennessee,  Mantria Place will be Tennessee’s largest master planned community weighing it at 5,500 acres. Nearly half of that will be green space in addition to two championship golf courses. A big question looms: can new, luxurious development really be green? With luxuries like two golf courses, how can their carbon footprint make it below par? Mr. Troy Wragg was kind enough to speak with me to answer that very question.

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The future city, Dongtan, is growing out of an island at the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta. The unique Ecocity being built on the island is also a creative way to protect the island’s ecologically sensitive wetland environment from China’s fast-paced development.

What will life in China’s first ecocity look like?

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According to a recent telephone poll by Audubon of Florida, 91 percent of Naples/Ft. Myers residents believe the concerns of wildlife, and not just people, need to be considered when planning for development and growth. Seventy-six percent of those polled added the natural environment is very important to the quality of their life.

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I-3 Update:

After years of political maneuvering and bureaucratic mire, 1.3 million dollars have been allocated to study possible routes for I-3. Even this seemingly small step has not gone without controversy or contention. Paul Broun of Georgia campaigned against I-3 last year and won a seat in the House of Representatives, affirming,”I am totally against I-3. I would like to de-fund the study” on June 29, 2007. Safely elected, today he sings a different tune; he favors the road but not in his home state: ”There are always environmental impacts from a highway, but it would be much less on the South Carolina side than on the Georgia side.” But even before Broun’s turn around, local opposition has been fierce in Georgia.

“In a town hall meeting in Hiawassee on May 24th 2005, 650 people showed up to voice an overwhelming opposition to the project. Then on June 7th in Rabun County, 178 citizens applauded and gave a standing ovation to the Rabun County Commissioner’s unanimous opposition to the proposed interstate through the north Georgia mountains.”

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Still, the “simple actions” approach to sustainability also runs the risk of becoming simplistic, and even moralistic. Many of us are probably guilty of looking aghast at someone when we find out they don’t recycle, or buy their produce from the neighborhood farmers’ market. “It’s so simple,” we tell ourselves. We feel justified, then, in judging others, perhaps harshly, for the actions they don’t take.

In the latest issue of The New Yorker (published today), writer Michael Specter takes a look at the “simple” actions not only taken by individuals and families, but also promoted by the business world to consumers. British supermarket chain Tesco, for instance, has announced it will look for an easy method for identifying the carbon footprint of the products it sells. Walkers crisps (potato chips) already carry such a label. These are steps forward, no doubt, in providing information that consumers want. But, as Specter points out, there’s nothing simple about determining the carbon footprint of a product:

In order to develop the label for Walkers, researchers had to calculate the amount of energy required to plant seeds for the ingredients (sunflower oil and potatoes), as well as to make the fertilizers and pesticides used on those potatoes. Next, they factored in the energy required for diesel tractors to collect the potatoes, then the effects of chopping, cleaning, storing, and bagging them. The packaging and printing processes also emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, as does the petroleum used to deliver those crisps to stores. Finally, the research team assessed the impact of throwing the empty bag in the trash, collecting the garbage in a truck, driving to a landfill, and burying them. In the end, the researchers—from the Carbon Trust—found that seventy-five grams of greenhouse gases are expended in the production of every individual-size bag of potato chips.

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The valleys and gorges through which the river flows are beautiful examples of Appalachia’s rich biodiversity.

“Local researchers have established that the Chattooga River watershed is a unique ecotone for the temperate deciduous forest — a transitional area providing habitats for both northern boreal and southern tropical species in one drainage basin” (Bruce et al., 1995).

Many threatened and endangered species live here, and the well-managed head waters ensure that the river is clean and clear. If you don’t mind giardia, you can even drink the water. Tourists travel hundred or thousands of miles to sample the Chattooga’s rugged wilderness, unique and exciting rapids, and get a taste of Hollywood history: Deliverance was filmed here and is often credited for bringing white water sports into the public eye.

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The movie has helped to bring energy and attention to reforming diamond operations with the goal of reinvesting more diamond money into the infrastructure and economies of these ruined nations. At the New York International Diamond Conference in February earlier this year an idea emerged to apply Fair Trade standards to the diamond industry in Africa as a first step toward reformation. During the conference Ed Zwick, producer of Blood Diamond, issued a passionate calling out of the diamond industry that inspired quick action.

The Rapaport Report, a leading diamond industry publication, wasted no time in working with the government of South Africa, the Fair Trade Labelling Organizations International and private diamond companies in bringing to market the first Fair Trade diamonds. The diamonds were on display last weekend at the Rapaport Fair Trade Conference held in Las Vegas.

Participants in the conference noted this year's marked difference in the industry's acceptance of ethical trade in diamonds and gems, no doubt in part to the influence of Blood Diamond combined with the rapid growth of Fair Trade and increasing consumer awareness.

Eric Braumwart, CEO of Columbia Gem House, a manufacturer of Fair Trade gems, noted how far the concept of ethical jewelry had evolved over the past few years. Recalling the scant interest in such jewelry at previous conferences as little as five years ago, he shared how some retailers had embraced the concept at this year’s JCK show. “This is the first show where we have had retailers walk into our booth and say ‘We’re ready to buy—we want to buy the concept,’ he said.

The South African diamond trade is already much more standardized and benign to the lives of laborers than its West African counterparts making it more easily certified. Now that a model exists in South Africa the work must begin to export Fair Trade certification and its accompanying improvements for diamond mine laborers and basic infrastructure improvements to the countries that desperately need the reform. And we can also hope that Fair Trade's focus on sustainable production will also help this historically dirty and environmentally indifferent business clean up its act.

The technical support offered to Fair Trade producers covers a vast array of programs, all with the end goal of helping producers achieve success. In agricultural produce this support can mean education on sustainable farming practices, help and funds to navigate the way to organic certification, and educational tools to create a successful, democratic co-op. Acording to TransFair USA (PDF), “Fair Trade co-ops often invest in technical training in soil improvement, agroforestry, organic production, composting and environmentally-friendly processing techniques.”

In the craft arena, this means providing important information about consumer market trends and developing products which simultaneously express the culture in which they are produced and appeal to consumers in other communities. The Crafts Center is an organization which provides these resources to artisans and importers. The Crafts Center contributes to economic development through field programs and coordination of an international network dedicated to supporting low-income artisans. They provide an annual trends report and a library of resources covering aspects ranging from how to import to intellectual property rights. They also have item specific resources available to members.

To support Crafts Center, you can offer a donation or become involved in raising consumer awareness through a Crafts Center event in your home, such as a slide-lecture on a cultural preservation project, demonstration by a visiting artisan or a fundraising dinner to help spread the word about the importance of supporting low-income artisans worldwide.

Providing technical support and training to artisans is a key aspect of the Fair Trade relationship as it helps build toward the goals of sustainable production and achieving competitiveness in the open marketplace.

This is the fourth in a series of posts discussing the Fair Trade criteria. Also check out Fair Trade: Transparency, Fair Trade: Fair Wages, Fair Trade: Environment and Fair Trade: Financial Assistance.

While purchasing items on several months’ credit is commonplace in business making an artisan or farmer to wait several months before receiving his/her only income causes undue hardship on producers and their families. Beyond payment for goods, Fair Trade relationships are based on a long-term goal of mutual success. Fair Trade importers are therefore invested in the growth and success of their counterparts, and will frequently give small micro-loans to help with product expansion, capacity building, quality control and funding for certification.

These micro-loans can be integral to the success of small businesses, yet are hard to come by through conventional means. Typical banks shy away from loaning money to assest-less poor, and many charitable organizations are focused only on massive undertakings and will not involve themselves in small loans. Loans and financing are a business necessity that Western operations take for granted when starting up or expanding. Micro-financing has been proven to be a successful development tool. One of the pioneers of micro-financing, the Grameen Bank, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the resulting publicity has brought such micro loans and their high return rate into public awareness.

Kiva was created to help bridge the gap between people with a small amount to loan and those which need it. Kiva is a Swahili word meaning “agreement” or “unity” and their website allows you to enter into this agreement quite easily. What sets Kiva apart is that it allows average-income individuals to lend small amounts (as little as $25). Kiva is a non-profit and supported solely through additional donations, so you’re assured 100% of your loan is in the hands of the person requesting and thus far Kiva has experienced a 100% repayment rate on all business loans. The individual stories and progressive journal entries allow you to personally connect with those you wish to help.

It is through financial assistance rather than blanket charity that small businesses and this poor communities will be able to grow and thrive.

This is the fourth in a series of posts discussing the Fair Trade criteria. Also check out Fair Trade: Transparency, Fair Trade: Fair Wages and Fair Trade: Environment.