Using Ecosystem based design to enhance our Sustainability Outcomes

Transcription

1 Using Ecosystem based design to enhance our Sustainability Outcomes Dr Wendy Seabrook Hill Top Farm - working with nature

2 GOOD DESIGN THINKING REGENERATIVE SYSTEMS

3 Heat Heat Soil Organisms feeding on organic matter in soil (leaves, sticks, animal and plant tissues, etc) Carnivores Nutrients in organic material Heat Heat Natural resources recycled back into the food chain in simple forms (nutrients) plants can absorb Herbivores Primary Producers (plants) Sun Energy in organic material

4 HEALTHY NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS PRODUCTIVE SELF-MAINTAINING RESILIENT SUSTAINABLE

5 "Healthy natural ecosystems are our models of Best Practice. They do not need anyone to spread mulch and fertilisers, control pollution, dispose of waste, weed or mow. Natural ecosystems take care of these processes themselves

6 Renewable Energy Renewable NR Embodied energy in living organisms and organic material HEALTHY NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS Renewable NR Embodied Energy in living organism & organic material

7 Renewable Energy Non-renewable Energy Embodied Energy in manufactured goods Embodied Energy in humans ($) Embodied Energy in manufactured goods Embodied Energy in humans ($) Renewable NR CITY Renewable NR Non-renewable NR in manufactured goods Natural resources in waste and pollution Non-renewable NR Embodied energy in waste and pollution

8 INPUTS HUMAN MODIFIED ECOSYSTEMS OUTPUTS

9 The Ecosystem model enables us to: assess the sustainability of our systems see how the types and relative quantities of our inputs and outputs differ from healthy natural ecosystems - our models of Best Practice guesstimate, estimate or actually measure the quantities of these inputs and outputs and their environmental footprint look at the gap between where we are now and where we want to be using healthy natural ecosystems as our models of Best Practice use a Gap Analysis to highlight priorities or points of leverage for improving our systems prioritise Permaculture and other sustainability design tools and resources that can help us monitor and evaluate our progress in creating more regenerative systems INPUTS ECOSYSTEM OUTPUTS

10 Design your system to: avoid inputs of non-renewable natural resources and energy reduce your inputs of renewable resources reduce your inputs of energy embodied in materials you bring into your system produce no waste or pollution increase inputs of renewable energy and capture of wild natural resources

11 Hill Top Farm Working with nature

12 Renewable Energy Embodied energy in waste and pollution Non-renewable Energy Embodied Energy in manufactured goods Embodied Energy in humans ($) Renewable NR Hill Top Farm 2009 Embodied Energy in produce Embodied Energy in humans Renewable NR in produce Non-renewable NR Non-renewable NR in waste and pollution

13 Renewable Energy Renewable Energy Embodied energy in waste and pollution Non-renewable Energy Embodied Energy in manufactured goods Embodied Energy - humans ($) Hill Top Farm 2015 Embodied energy in produce Embodied Energy in humans Renewable NR Renewable NR in produce Non-renewable NR Non-renewable NR in waste and pollution

14 SLASHING AND MOWING GAS -COOK TOP FARMSTAY CABIN FARM VEHICLE Less shopping trips! NON- RENEWABLE ENERGY BALING AND MULCHING ELECTRICITY WHIPPA SNIPPER Multi-functional trees along fence lines to reduce grass

15 Still using pelleted chook poo in bananas, but have legumes, biomass accumulators, compost toilet, cattle and poultry as other sources of fertiliser FOOD FERTILISERS RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCES FENCE POSTS ORGANIC PESTICIDES

16 SOLAR PANELS SOLAR HOT WATER BIOMASS ACCUMULATORS RENEWABLE ENERGY VEGETATION STACKING IN OUR ORCHARD, BANANAS AND POULTRY FOOD FORESTS FUNCTIONAL BIODIVERSITY THROUGH BENEFICIAL CONNECTIONS PERENNIAL GROUND COVERS

17 Scenario Small holding with pigs, chickens, ducks and turkeys in fixed yards and a separate veggie garden Embodied Energy in humans ($) Renewable NR Non-renewable NR Humans busy buying feed, feeding animals, cleaning yards, making and spreading compost, and working off the farm to pay all the feed and Vet bills Permaculture makeover Embodied Energy in humans ($) Renewable NR Non-renewable NR Humans not so busy. Poultry and pigs in situ composting with their shit and scratching around! Non-human biological energy!

18 How would the ecosystem models for these household systems differ? From Material World: A Global Family Portrait, by Peter Menzel

19 Summary By looking at our ecosystem from outside we can easily: gauge how well our system is performing environmentally, socially and financially use the types and quantities of inputs and outputs to prioritise actions, improving the performance of our systems monitor and evaluate our progress in creating more regenerative systems PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLES, TOOLS AND PRACTICES

20 Wild natural resource inputs and outputs Hill Top Farm

21 Wild Energy inputs and outputs Hill Top Farm

22 Using Ecosystem based design to enhance our Sustainability Outcomes Dr Wendy Seabrook Hill Top Farm - working with nature

23 Renewable resources DURABLE RECYCLEABLE Renewable resources Non- Renewable resources BIODEGRADABLE RE-USE Waste and Pollution Nonrenewable resources TOXIC NON- BIODEGRADABLE Waste and pollution