SUSTAINABILITY:- The ability to carry, bear, maintain, nurture, back, help,
establish or ratify.
Thus we see sustainability as a quality which both conserves
resources while at the same time maintains the capacity of a community to
live and work in a prosperous healthy environment.
The central focus of our mission is education. We call it 3E
Education; that is education directed towards the elucidation and
demonstration of the interrelationships which exist between the ways in
which we extract, convert and consume Energy and their impacts on our
physical Environment (both outdoor and indoor) and the Economic prosperity
of our State. Examples of 3E interrelationships are:-
1. The burning of fossil fuels and global warming.
2. Electrical energy from nuclear fuels and the NIMBY waste disposal problem.
3. Super insulation and tight construction for energy conservation in buildings and "Sick House Syndrome".
4. Purchase of sports cars and large utility vehicles and our balance of payments situation and the vulnerability of our "strategic interests" in the Gulf.
5. The distinction between capital (unsustainable) and income (sustainable) energy sources and the place that energy
from the sun (both direct and indirect) holds in this equation.
6. The place of taxes, rebates and monetary incentives in moving from unsustainable to sustainable energy use and
practices.
7. How the development and use of Minnesota's own indigenous renewable energy resources (wind, biomass and
solar) can profoundly improve both our environment (reduced emissions and waste) and our economy (reduced $ leaving the State and the creation of new jobs within the State).
Observation of the living styles of people in Minnesota shows
clearly that we have a long way to go in helping them understand these
issues. Our project intends to address these educational needs head on and
to do so on two fronts. First by elucidation; i.e. the preparation of
curricula, courses and training materials for students and teachers. These
will be made available both as hard copy and on the INTERNET and we will
align them as far as is possible with the Greenprint Statewide Plan for
Environmental Education in Minnesota and with the State's Profile of
Learning/Graduation Standards. CREED intends to partner with Hamline
University's Center for Global Environmental Education (CGEE) who have done
pioneering work for elementary school children and teachers with their
"Rivers of Life" Project. See their web site at:-
http://cgee.hamline.edu/rivers/
Secondly, we plan the process of education to continue and
expand through the use of sustainable energy demonstrations. This will
ultimately include the design and construction of an energy efficient
building similar to the one already built by our sister organization
Zukunftswerkstatt Saar e.V. in Germany, as well as the demonstration of a
whole range of energy efficient devices and systems, conservation
techniques and practices and the technologies for the conversion of energy
from renewable energy sources. When a site has been found and site
planning and land use issues have been addressed, designs for
demonstrations and support facilities will consider the use of and impact
on water, land and air. Water considerations include the possible use of a
closed-loop cycle, capturing rain water, a biological wetland gray water
system, and landscaping to include natural landscapes such as prairies,
native plants and grasses. The building design will incorporate both
energy and water conservation. Construction materials will be selected
that are locally produced and/or recycled. Non-toxic materials, production
processes and a ventilation system will be used to ensure safe and healthy
indoor air quality and environment. The design will allow maximum
flexibility of use, minimize maintenance and incorporate renewable energy
to reduce long-term operating costs. CREED proposes to partner with Whole
Builders Cooperative, a Minneapolis architectural firm at the pioneering
edge of sustainable building design and construction practices for this
part of their mission.
It is important to note the synergism which exists between
the elucidation and demonstration parts of our mission. Elucidation
instruction is necessary in order to explain and present the facts.
Demonstration instruction on the other hand consolidates the facts and
explanations by showing that they really work. It is our sincere hope that
the ultimate implementation of demonstrations at a suitable site will
strengthen and exemplify for the general public the sustainability aspects
of 3E education.
Last Updated August 31, 2004