ECO-Tipping point: “Sustainable Community”
Some problems are easily noticed and some aren’t. Humans are very adaptable and, therefore, can adapt to living with an unsolved problem in hand. Not realizing something is a problem is, to great extent, dangerous. It may affect oneself and, worse, others. The concept of “self-sufficiency” has been over-looked, because society is heavily dependent on governments and organizations to keep peace and make sure that food is on everyone’s tables. As long as that is still possible, society will forever be dependent on the “minority”(governments and organizations). The problem is that society is too dependent on external forces to govern it. If it is able to move away from that dependency and move towards self-sufficiency, hopefully people will see that value of natural resources and as result improve the environment and society.
I propose to solve this problem by constructing a “sustainable community”. The project will be broken down into three phases:
Phase 1: Sustainable homes and smart grid systems.
· Design and construct zero energy houses and connect them to a smart grid system, so that energy can be shared through out the whole community.
· The focus is to localize electricity production by utilizing PV systems on the roof of each house and building in the community.
· Will also serve as a platform for phase 2 to grow
Phase 2: Infrastructure lay out.
· Community sized wastewater treatment system, recycling system and organic farming will be introduced.
· The goal is to move toward genuine self-sufficiency
Phase 3: Plan B
· Begin education program to train young environmental leaders.
· Start a Green Business Consulting company
o Purpose is to lobby and help expand green business networks through out South-East Asia.
o The focus is to incentivize the next generation of businessmen to consider green business as a choice.
Learning the history of the idea of sustainability development in Thailand will be vital. Understanding why attempts to create such a community have failed will perhaps complete one more piece o f the puzzle. From knowing the steps that have been taking, one can plan what steps can or should be taken next.
Undoubtedly, there will be forces that are against the movement. However, there is a Thai fisherman’s saying that says, “Life is like the ocean, there are times when the is calm and times when it is fierce. Nonetheless, in times of rough sea, keep the engine running and hold the steering wheel steady.” Phase 1 will concentrate on completing a preview to show the public and potential investors the viability of the project. The project itself, serves as a very powerful symbol. It shows that we can move away from the tendency to depend on external forces to govern society. The project can ask for extra funds from various organizations at this point.
Phase 2 will concentrate on moving the community towards total self-sufficiency. This involves the installation of wastewater treatment systems and recycling systems, so that resources can be re-used. Treated water can have different grades. For example, grade A for drinking, grade B for bathing and grade C for plantation. Solid waste can be composted and/or recycled.
Phase 3 focuses on educating potential young environmental leaders through experiential learning. They will observe the problems related to the environment in the Pattaya area and find solutions to them, by using the 3 pillars of experiential learning: project-based, field tripe based and reflection based learning. This phase will also involve the start of a Green Business Consultancy company, which will lobby green businesses around South-East Asia to enable them to collaborate in projects and to find activity for the companies. As a result, hopefully, it will incentivize future generations of businessmen to consider green business as their choice.
1. Social memory. Learning from the past can be a particularly valuable resource because it offers choices that have stood the test of time.
2. A powerful symbol. A respected leader or champion for a cause, a site or landmark sacred to the community, or a compelling idea becomes a symbol for the entire effort, consolidating community commitment and mobilizing community action.
3. Overcoming social obstacles. In today’s complex society, powerful obstacles often stand in the way of positive change. For example: demands for people’s time and attention that compete with contributing to the community; dysfunctional dependence on the status quo; governments, organizations, or individuals that feel threatened by innovation; people who attempt to take over valuable resources after their restoration. Local autonomy can help to withstand social obstacles that emanate from outside a community.
Rapid results. Quick "payback" helps to mobilize community commitment. Once positive results begin cascading through a system, normal social, economic, and political processes can take it from there.
4. Transforming waste into resources. What appears to be “waste”—such as degraded land, abandoned buildings, garbage, sewage, or marginalized people—is mobilized and transformed into valued social or material capital.
Co-adaption between social system and ecosystem. The restoration that we see in success stories occurs when human society and the environment fit and function together as a healthy and sustainable whole. At the core is a “social commons” that is explicitly tailored to managing a community’s social and environmental capital.
I propose to solve this problem by constructing a “sustainable community”. The project will be broken down into three phases:
Phase 1: Sustainable homes and smart grid systems.
· Design and construct zero energy houses and connect them to a smart grid system, so that energy can be shared through out the whole community.
· The focus is to localize electricity production by utilizing PV systems on the roof of each house and building in the community.
· Will also serve as a platform for phase 2 to grow
Phase 2: Infrastructure lay out.
· Community sized wastewater treatment system, recycling system and organic farming will be introduced.
· The goal is to move toward genuine self-sufficiency
Phase 3: Plan B
· Begin education program to train young environmental leaders.
· Start a Green Business Consulting company
o Purpose is to lobby and help expand green business networks through out South-East Asia.
o The focus is to incentivize the next generation of businessmen to consider green business as a choice.
Learning the history of the idea of sustainability development in Thailand will be vital. Understanding why attempts to create such a community have failed will perhaps complete one more piece o f the puzzle. From knowing the steps that have been taking, one can plan what steps can or should be taken next.
Undoubtedly, there will be forces that are against the movement. However, there is a Thai fisherman’s saying that says, “Life is like the ocean, there are times when the is calm and times when it is fierce. Nonetheless, in times of rough sea, keep the engine running and hold the steering wheel steady.” Phase 1 will concentrate on completing a preview to show the public and potential investors the viability of the project. The project itself, serves as a very powerful symbol. It shows that we can move away from the tendency to depend on external forces to govern society. The project can ask for extra funds from various organizations at this point.
Phase 2 will concentrate on moving the community towards total self-sufficiency. This involves the installation of wastewater treatment systems and recycling systems, so that resources can be re-used. Treated water can have different grades. For example, grade A for drinking, grade B for bathing and grade C for plantation. Solid waste can be composted and/or recycled.
Phase 3 focuses on educating potential young environmental leaders through experiential learning. They will observe the problems related to the environment in the Pattaya area and find solutions to them, by using the 3 pillars of experiential learning: project-based, field tripe based and reflection based learning. This phase will also involve the start of a Green Business Consultancy company, which will lobby green businesses around South-East Asia to enable them to collaborate in projects and to find activity for the companies. As a result, hopefully, it will incentivize future generations of businessmen to consider green business as their choice.
1. Social memory. Learning from the past can be a particularly valuable resource because it offers choices that have stood the test of time.
2. A powerful symbol. A respected leader or champion for a cause, a site or landmark sacred to the community, or a compelling idea becomes a symbol for the entire effort, consolidating community commitment and mobilizing community action.
3. Overcoming social obstacles. In today’s complex society, powerful obstacles often stand in the way of positive change. For example: demands for people’s time and attention that compete with contributing to the community; dysfunctional dependence on the status quo; governments, organizations, or individuals that feel threatened by innovation; people who attempt to take over valuable resources after their restoration. Local autonomy can help to withstand social obstacles that emanate from outside a community.
Rapid results. Quick "payback" helps to mobilize community commitment. Once positive results begin cascading through a system, normal social, economic, and political processes can take it from there.
4. Transforming waste into resources. What appears to be “waste”—such as degraded land, abandoned buildings, garbage, sewage, or marginalized people—is mobilized and transformed into valued social or material capital.
Co-adaption between social system and ecosystem. The restoration that we see in success stories occurs when human society and the environment fit and function together as a healthy and sustainable whole. At the core is a “social commons” that is explicitly tailored to managing a community’s social and environmental capital.