Jan 13

We must be more discerning … of ‘Planners’

Management No Comments »

We need to be more discerning of our Urban Planners.

It is absurd that the populace is so discerning of the actions/decisions of the players of professional sports teams, yet pay little or no attention to the planning that shapes our cities and directly affects our lives.

People will scrutinize the decisions of an assistant coach, and study the reams of statistical data of the players … which really has no effect on their daily lives. All the while, a single decision from a junior staffer in the planning department may have serious negative consequences for years/decades/generations to come; and such decisions take place, for the most part, out of sight (and conveniently out of mind).

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Oct 16

Tech’nology … Tech’nique

Management, Optimization, Principles, Sustainability No Comments »

Whereas technology is a physical embodiment of information, technique is a direct application of information (in the form of a service).

For example: a pre-processed food product is a technology, so to speak, while the ability to prepare a meal, ‘just-in-time’ (J.I.T) is a technique.

With the processed food, a frozen prepared dinner, the ‘information’ content is embodied … and takes place in the factory – actually, the ‘high-tech’ technology is behind the scenes.

By comparison, the ‘J.I.T’ preparation of food … the culinary technique is equally ‘high-tech’ in a different way: the knowledge/skills required to prepare and cook a meal is quite sophisticated.

Technique is a form of ‘information technology, and can be very ‘high-tech’.

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Sep 30

Falling Leaves: Nature’s Resource Extraction and Distribution

Biomimicry, Dynamical Systems, Ecological Economics, Management, Optimization, Sustainability No Comments »

With the falling leaves of Autumn, we lament the ‘hassle’ of getting rid of the yard ‘waste’.

But these falling leaves contain the nutrients and fibrous ‘bio-mass’ to condition the soil.

Think about it … the natural cycle of the falling leaves of the deciduous trees (of the temperate regions), is the natural method of resource extraction and distribution. The tree ‘takes up’ various mineral/nutrients from deep below the ground, and with each season grows a new crown of foliage … which is later dropped onto the surface of the ground.

How elegant! No mechanical motorized equipment or machinery required. No harsh petroleum fueled chemical-industrial manufacturing facility involved.

To be sure, this is chemistry. Natural chemistry: the chemical exchange between the soil and roots, through the tree and fueled by the solar energy.

The end result, is that the chemical/mineral nutrients that were once deep in the ground are placed on the surface to replenish the top layer of soil – made available to the many shallow rooted plants.

And we don’t have to do anything. Except appreciate it.

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Sep 28

Urban Agriculture: Optimization, Part 4 Making best use of what we already have.

Management, Optimization, Principles, Urban Agriculture, Urban Transformation No Comments »

Urban Agriculture is a primary example of Maximizing Optimization/Utilization (Max. O/U) and minimizing waste/pollution/cost.

Indeed, agriculture on it’s own is such an Optimal process from which civilization has evolved … agriculture and the permanent settlements of towns/cities are interdependent and mutually co-supportive.

In fact, through our shared history we progressed individually, and together as a society, since there was a corresponding improvement in productivity with each new agricultural technique/technology development/refinement.

For instance, from a small scratch plow to the use of the mould-board on a heavy plow (for use in heavy, wet clay soils); collared yoke harnesses for draught animals, which in turn allowed the switch from oxen to faster horses; iron tipped implements; etc.

The increased productivity allowed the time/health/opportunity for us, as a society, to ‘free-up’ human labour (and land area) for other endeavours … arts, culture … constructing better, more durable buildings.

This aspect of arts, culture and the construction of durable buildings (especially cathedrals) gave rise to the urbanized civilization as we know it.

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Sep 27

It’s Autumn. Leave the leaves … (as many as possible).

Biomimicry, Garden, Management, Optimization, Sustainability No Comments »

It’s Autumn. The ‘Fall’ season.

The plants of the temperate regions have evolved, naturally, to drop their leaves. Doing so, the fallen leaves return the nutrients and fibrous ‘bio-mass’ to the top layer of soil.

And what do we do?

We rake up … worse, nowadays, we blow or vacuum!! … the leaves to be discarded as ‘yard waste’.

It is this mindset … and our actions … this is the true ‘waste’.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any choice. We must have some leaf collection. What we can do, though, is mulch as much/best as possible on our own properties … leaving as many of the leaves in place, as is possible.

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Sep 26

Urban Farming in Detroit: Transformation in Action!

Garden, Management, Sustainability, Urban Agriculture, Urban Transformation No Comments »

This (Sept 26, ‘09) Toronto Star article about Urban Farming is Detroit is very informative and encouraging.

And this earlier article (April 3/’09) from CleanTech.com details the same Urban Farming project and principals.

Large tracts of the inner city of Detroit are vacant and the remaining residents have been taking action to make use of the available space to grow food – a vital endeavour, literally, as there are no grocery chain stores anywhere within the city limits!

Now, a larger scale urban farming enterprise is being promoted by private corporate interests to operate on 2023 hectares (in 120 hectare ‘plots’ or ‘pods’).  Continue reading »

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Sep 22

A ‘Red Light’ … to more Traffic Signals.

Dynamical Systems, Management, Optimization, Urban Transformation No Comments »

With the installation of each new ‘Traffic Signal’, the possibility of synchronizing the signals becomes increasingly difficult; at some point, the number of traffic signals, and their ‘pressure sensing’ makes it impossible to synchronize.

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Intelligent traffic systems!?!

The ‘Intelligence’ is embodied in (the brains of) ALL of the road users. The traffic signals serve to remove the need for people to be ‘think’ … the only ‘thinking’ involved is what has been encoded into the computer control.

This is very low-level Intelligence.

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Any traffic signal that is wrongfully installed (that should not have been installed), calls into question how many other traffic signals have been wrongfully installed.

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Sep 19

Beyond ‘Sustainability’ … toward a ‘Thriving’ society!

Biomimicry, Management, Optimization, Principles, Sustainability, Urban Transformation No Comments »

There is increasing ‘talk’, lately, on ’sustainability’.

In recent years, and becoming ever more prevalent month by month, a sustainable society  … or, simply, sustainability … has become almost commonplace. That, in itself, is an accomplishment.

And, to be sure, I, myself, use the term and have a Category under the name.

‘Sustainable’, though, just doesn’t arouse the emotions or excitement. It’s better than ‘unsustainable’, that’s for sure. But, we can have a sustainable society that is uninspiring and dull – a life of bare existence … how is that anything to look forward to?

Furthermore, in our affluent nations, many people are living unhappy lives or, at least, are unhappy/unfulfilled in some aspect of their lives. Even if we could ’sustain’ our highly impactful society, we would we want to continue with lifestyles that leave so many people feeling so ‘empty’?

Shouldn’t we be striving for something more? Something better than just ‘Sustainable’?

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Sep 18

Offsets of a different kind.

Carbon Offsetting/Trading, Ecological Economics, Management, Optimization, Sustainability, Urban Transformation No Comments »

Most (carbon) Offsets enterprises are designed around carbon mitigation through tree-planting and other similar projects.

Perhaps it’s time to consider more direct offsets: social offsetting.

Since so many (most) of our problems – petro use; pollution; CO2; traffic congestion, etc. – is a direct result of our current behaviours, then, it is vital to develop/establish new behaviours/habits/etc. to move toward sustainability and the further goal of a truly thriving society. This is possibly an important tool in Urban Transformation, in a social sense.

We can promote (even reward) the good actions we need and want through some sort of ‘Behavioural Offsets’.

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Sep 17

Nature as the Exemplar of Business: Optimization Part 3

Biomimicry, Dynamical Systems, Ecological Economics, Management, Optimization, Principles, Sustainability No Comments »

Nature – Life – is the ultimate in ‘Optimization/Utilization Maximization’ … making the best use of resources.

Nature is the exemplar of ‘Zero Waste’: there is no waste in nature … the ‘by-products’ of one process become a  feedstock (or resource) for another, etc.

Nature, then, is the ultimate model for business. After all, Nature is the ultimate in ‘busy-ness’, with exquisitely refined organization and processes at all scales of dynamical systems from the chemical reactions on a micro level, to macro ‘food cycles’, etc. This is what gives Life it’s resilience.

Imagine the (improved) quality of products and services, and how much less waste would have been generated over the years/decades had business, and economics for that matter, had a deep respect for nature and sought to learn and emulate the lessons nature provides.

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Sep 15

Rocky Mountain Institute: An organization of Abundance

Biomimicry, Dynamical Systems, Ecological Economics, Management, Optimization, Sustainability, Urban Transformation No Comments »

The Rocky Mountain Institute is a success story of proactive “entrepreneurial … think-and-do-tank”. They are leading-edge in their thinking (and doing).

Based on the principles of Natural Capitalism, their focus is on energy and resource efficiency with regards to our ‘built environment’ and transportation. Their ‘market-oriented’ approach recognizes the need for solid business fundamentals.

Whole-systems thinking is a common thread woven throughout their fields of expertise.

Their library offers a range of articles (PDF) as well a complimentary PDF copy of the complete book, Winning the Oil Endgame, in which their scientific and statistical rigor complements the creativity in presenting real-world solutions. Glance through, at the very least.

In a few weeks, the Rocky Mountain Institute will be holding RMI: 2009 Reinventing Fire – From Ideas to Solutions … a two-day symposium held in San Francisco, to discuss the most challenging questions of our time.

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Sep 14

Driving your way to a mastery of optimization.

Biomimicry, Ecological Economics, Management, Optimization, Sustainability No Comments »

Driving a motor vehicle …

Make it a goal to accelerate ONLY as much as needed to get through the next ’stage’ … the next ’stop’ sign, or traffic signal, etc. without having to use the brakes any more than necessary (if at all) – accelerate only as much as necessary to allow gravity (and friction) to bring the car/vehicle to a stop, ‘naturally’.

This is what I’ve been doing since I began driving over 20 years ago. It seemed a sensible thing to do. Recently, it has become popular under the term of ‘hyper-miling’.

In fact, make it a point to minimize the ‘use’ or ‘touch’ any of the controls – accelerator; brakes; steering.

And, Continue reading »

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Sep 13

Stop ‘tampering’ in the garden … and in business, economics, etc.

Dynamical Systems, Ecological Economics, Garden, Management, Optimization No Comments »

Are you new to gardening?

Far too many people actually do too much, in terms of making ‘adjustments’ – ‘fixing’ problems, etc. without really understanding the situation.

Whether with food gardens, or purely aesthetic flower/landscape gardens, I have seen people ‘doing things’ mostly for the sake of ‘doing’ … ‘puttering in the garden’, to make themselves feel as though they’ve accomplished something.

Watering, for instance: I’ve watched people water the garden with the hose – just enough to wet the dry surface to become a rich brown colour, as though they’re painting the ground. And, of course, the earthy aroma is satisfying. But, actually, such ‘light waterings’ are counter-productive Continue reading »

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