The ultimate gated community?

Baghdad's Green Zone occupies what used to be the presidential compound in the heart of the Iraqi capital city. Established in April 2003, the five square mile area provides more than just security to the military personnel, diplomats and politicians working in Iraq. But the full complement benefits is not limited to high concrete blast walls and barbed wire check points. Rajiv Chandrasekaren describes in his 2006 book, Imperial Life in the Emerald City, not only a modern hospital that is fully outfitted with 350 physicians staffing five state-of-the art operating suites and an independent, hardened powerplant, generating electricity 24/7 but other over-the-top perks such as a half dozen bars, a disco and a shopping mall. All that, in a war-torn environment where the daytime temperatures are known to routinely exceed 110 degrees.

As if that were not enough of an engineering feat, now plans for luxury hotels, golf courses and a skateboard park (no kidding!) are in the works according to an article in the Guardian. It all sounds pretty nice, that is if it weren't for that whole war thing...

Meanwhile, (coincindentally?) in the United States it's becoming more and more common for people to take up residence in planned, protected communities also. Gated communities (or contract cities, as they are sometimes known) provide housing for about 7 million people (or 6%) of the population in the U.S., where access is controlled by some means, such as an entry code, key card or security guard, according to Setha Low in her book, Behind the Gates: Life, Security, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America. But security is just one of the benefits touted by promoters of this emerging lifestyle. The real emphasis is on luxury, recreation and convenience.

One contract city, Sandy Springs, Georgia, was actually built by C2HM Hill, the same corporation that developed a large part of the Baghdad Green Zone infrastructure - it's just one of several state-side projects they are involved in. Also provided, in addition to building and maintenance, are services typically thought of a municipal based, like public safety and security.

Now, contractors are beginning to integrate renewable energy into these gated communities. A company called PsomasFMC made a presentation to the California Contract Cities Association last year on the services they can provide in the area of turnkey solar systems at virtually no cost and where design, installation, maintenance and even financing are part of the package.

But not everyone is exited about this development. Advocates monitoring what they perceive a growing economic divide and union representatives are most vocal about they consider an alarming trend.

So, is this the future of the modern American community - at least for those who can afford it? In an article, Security: Power to the People, published in the March 2006 issue of FastCompany Magazine, John Robb's forecast was pessimistic at best:

...Security will become a function of where you live and whom you work for, much as health care is allocated already. Wealthy individuals and multinational corporations will be the first to bail out of our collective system, opting instead to hire private military companies, such as Blackwater and Triple Canopy, to protect their homes and facilities and establish a protective perimeter around daily life. Parallel transportation networks...will cater to this group, leapfrogging its members from one secure, well-appointed lily pad to the next. Members of the middle class will follow, taking matters into their own hands by forming suburban collectives to share the costs of security--as they do now with education--and shore up delivery of critical services. These "armored suburbs" will deploy and maintain backup generators and communications links; they will be patrolled by civilian police auxiliaries that have received corporate training and boast their own state-of-the-art emergency-response systems. As for those without the means to build their own defense, they will have to make do with the remains of the national system. They will gravitate to America's cities, where they will be subject to ubiquitous surveillance and marginal or nonexistent services. For the poor, there will be no other refuge."

But, for those people with enough in their budget anyway, there is an option out there where they can reside in a community with priorities based on sustainable design, redundant infrastructure and an emphasis on design - Renewable, Reliable and Remarkable

It's gotta be more than ho-hum(mer)

"Nothing - I mean nothing - will make you a believer in distributed solar power faster than having responsibility for trucking fuel across Iraq", pointed out Tom Friedman in his latest version of Hot, Flat and Crowded. Mr Friedman keenly observed that if the U.S. Army's attempt to out-green al-Qaeda is successful, it could be the push that is needed to make renewable resources more than just a radical idea whose time has yet to come. But recent military projects, such as the 14 thousand acre, 500 megawatt solar energy farm at Fort Irwin California, could certainly indicate a turn toward that direction. But, it's going to take more than that to make the leap to mainstream.

Arnold Schwartzenegger is given credit for bringing the Hummer
over to the civilian world from the military, but it wasn't done so without adding a health dose of comfort and a softer sense of style. Whether the Hummer appeals to your tastes or not is another story. But the innefficiencies built into the vehicle were difficult to overlook for too long - even for the Governator. So in 2004, GM developed a hydrogen powered version for Arnold with a claimed zero emissions. In theory this is a perfect Green Zone Solution: renewable resources (hydrogen), combined with solid reliability (military design) with a level of comfort and design that is appealing (to me, anyway). But there are problems with the Hydrogen Hummer, namely a lack of infrastructure to support refueling and an undisclosed price point that is likely unaffordable for most - but it's a start.

An announcement was in February of this year that the Army will be receiving $3.6 billion of the recent stimulus package that will be dedicated toward new green energy projects like portable wind stations, more efficient vehicles and trash-powered generators. Perhaps as the military continues to break new ground in renewable energy research and builds equipment that is expected to perform at high standards in harsh environments, the private sector can continue to look for opportunities to make the products available and (eventually) more affordable -  Renewable, Reliable and Remarkable.

What's the dam problem?

There's been quite a buzz lately about the benefits of retrofitting dams so that they can produce hydroelectric power -a renewable resource. Conversely, some have considered the vulnerabilities dams have created by a systemic failure to maintain the aging infrastructure leaving communities downstream susceptable to flash flooding should the structure fail suddenly. Still other unanticipated problems are suspected in the construction of mega dams that reach deep into the earth for support.

Meanwhile, dams (the structures themselves, the buildings near them and the recreation areas created around them) are often beautiful and timeless settings for homes, businesses and parks around the country. Is there a GreenZoneSolution for getting dams to produce electricity without creating the potential of community-wide problems while still providing a pleasing environment to be in? - yes, we want it all!

According to a story last week in Green, Inc, only 3% of the nation's 80,000 dams are equipped to generate power. There is a movement afloat to begin retrofitting some of those to provide a source of renewable electricity. The story profiles one project in Ohio that, when completed, will produce 350 megawatts, enough to power 350,000 homes. While, on the surface, this seems to be an excellent solution to a major problem facing the U.S., one of the more difficult challenges, particularly in the Southwest, is going to be finding the water to spin all those turbines. According the joint report produced in 2007, "the single most important constraint for additional hydropower development is available water." This issue is closely related, of course, but outside the scope of this post and will be looked at separately.

But, how many of the dams in the United States have been properly maintained over the years since they were built? An accident at a major dam in Russia just last week that claimed the lives of 64 workers inside the facility, highlighted the potential damage that could develop, (in terms of devestation downstream and loss of electricity) a community may have to deal with when a structure is compromised, even partially. Although one terrorist group did claim to cause the incident, the problem with the dam is being attributed to failure of an aging infrastructure.

The Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky was completed in 1950. Like many other dams, it was built with multiple purposes in mind: generation of electricity, storage of potable water, flood control and creation of a recreation area. All of those functions have been done very well over the years. However, in 1968 seepage problems at the foundation of the dam were noted and continued to develop until in 2007, despite multiple efforts to make permanent repairs, the Army Corps of Engineers placed the dam under a 'high risk' for failure designation, along with Center Hill Dam in Tennessee, both of which are two major dams upstream from Nashville, Tennessee. Popular Mechanics Magazine named the Wolf Creek Dam one of its Top 5 Disasters Waiting to Happen.

But just because a dam is newly built doesn't mean it is necessarily safe. According to a story at the Discovery Channel, construction of a recently completed mega-dam may have actually triggered China's devastating earthquake last year, some government officials and scientists are claiming, pitting them against others who insist it was a natural disaster. Pressure on a fault line caused by water amassed in Zipingpu dam's reservoir in the southwestern province of Sichuan may have caused the disaster that killed and left missing 87,000 people, some Chinese researchers say.

So where is the GreenZoneSolution? Build new infrastructure but create natural hazards? Fail to maintain existing systems and create technological catastrophes? According to a story in the Boston Globe, Harvard entrepreneur, John Grady, may have found the balance. He bought and has restored a dam and associated building along the Nashua River in Ayer, Massachusetts that he has retrofitted with modern turbines. His business, Ice House Partners, now benefits directly from the electricity that is produced on site. Lots of work and money have gone into this project and there have been many administrative hurdles to negotiate throughout the process. Although not perfect, (the area where the structure is built is considered a High Risk for Flood by the NFIP) the Ice House represents a nice blend of old and new solutions to a problem that is only getting more complex with an approach that is both creative and has a sense of good design. A sort of Back to the Future that is Renewable, Reliable and Remarkable.
See more photos Ice House Hydroelectric Plant

Get by with a little Help...

The GreenZoneSolution is not exclusively dedicated to mega-projects focused on infrastructure and making change on a large scale. This whole thing is a work in progress and baby steps count too. For those of you who are not ready to sell your SUV and start biking to work just quite yet, here are a couple of very practical products.

According to their website, Help Remedies was created to make solving simple health issues simple. We find the best solution there is, and take away everything else. By stripping away some of the complexity and fear mongering of the health industry, we hope to make medicine friendlier and more accessible, and in doing so empower people to make their own health decisions.

Band Aids and first aid essentials are packaged in molded paper pulp and a bio plastic made primarily of corn and use these materials because "they are interesting to look at, and they are compostable—which means one day, they might become part of a large tree". There is a real time video image actually counting down the amount of time it is taking to breakdown one of there packages. At the time of this post it was 12 days, 19 hours, 38 minutes and 17 seconds. See what the package looks like now.

  I especially appreciate the compassionate message that goes along with each the bandage - see below...

In the same vein...
The iconic and ubiquitous first aid kit from Johnson & Johnson recently underwent a remodel where designer, Harry Allen, reduced the amount of material used in the box by using a thinner plastic but strength was not compromised because of the innovative shape. "The resulting design puts the user first. It stands on end for ease of storage; the built in handle provides grab and go efficiency while maintaining the smallest possible profile; the color scheme is an eye-catching red and white and the red cross is brought back front and center."

Theses are great ideas that can be implemented today for the same person who is considering purchasing CF lightbulbs as replacements for incandescent that have burnt out and represents a small example of an innovative solution that is at the intersection of sustainability, reliability and good design.

I haven't tried them yet, have you? Let us know how they compare to the traditional products by posting a comment below.

Consider the cactus

Cacti are amazing... They thrive in the harshest environments on earth using the least amount of resources imaginable and at the same time are stunning displays of beauty. Scientifically, the cactus is considered a succulent (or CAM) plant, simply meaning that they have the ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide in very extreme conditions such as high temperatures and intense sunlight while still retaining water. They protect themselves from predators using an ornate system of thorns. They live for as long as 300 years. And they produce conspicuous and spectacular flowers in an otherwise stark landscape.

According to Wikipedia, biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is an ancient concept recently returning to scientific thought that examines nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements— and emulates or takes inspiration from them to solve human problems sustainably.

How can ideas based on biomimicry be used to promote a healthy, safe and secure lifestyle in a renewable, reliable and remarkable way?

Welcome to The GreenZoneSolution

During September of 2005, parts of the City of New Orleans were underwater and brought to levels of destruction so devastating that some sections have yet to recover from, even today. Clearly the damage done in the hours, days, weeks, months and years following Katrina's landfall was not simply the result of a powerful storm hitting the city, but compounded by the cumulative result of years of neglect to the critical infrastructure of the levy system surrounding it, in addition to more socially based influences.

Now, as the people of New Orleans continue to rebuild their city in a new, real-world experiment that is rapidly changing, both literally and figuratively, where are the opportunities to create a community that is more resilient to both the next monumental storm and the more sustained scenarios of compromised infrastructure, global warming and diminishing nonrenewable resources? How can other communities learn from people of New Orleans and begin to change the way they approach building communities and retrofitting structures to be more efficient, more self-reliant while at the same time be more aesthetically pleasing and anticipate the user's needs?

The GreenZoneSolution will focus on examining the natural connections between renewable resources and disaster mitigation and why good design is a critical element in moving forward toward a healthy, safe and secure future.