Amory Lovins talks at UCSD, Monday, Feb. 28
AMORY LOVINS
Co-Founder, Rocky Mountain Institute
Co-Author, Natural Capitalism, Winning the Oil Endgame
FEBRUARY 28, 2005
9:30 10:30 Integrative Design for Radical Energy Efficiency
Location: School of Engineering, EBU2 RM. 479
11:00 12:15 Green Buildings for Fun and Profit
Location: Eucalyptus Point Room B
2:30 3:30 Natural Capitalism A Campus-Wide Public Talk
Location: The Meridian Room Eleanor Roosevelt College
4:00 5:30 Roundtable Discussion, Topic: Sustainability and Education
Location: The Meridian Room Eleanor Roosevelt College
Panel members: Amory Lovins, Sol Penner, Mark Thiemens, Peter Cowhey.
Moderator: Lisa Shaffer
Discussion Sponsored by Scripps Institution of OceanographyFor more information, contact:Lisa Shaffer, Director of Policy Programs and International Relations858-822-2489 lshaffer@ucsd.edu
Co-Founder, Rocky Mountain Institute
Co-Author, Natural Capitalism, Winning the Oil Endgame
FEBRUARY 28, 2005
9:30 10:30 Integrative Design for Radical Energy Efficiency
Location: School of Engineering, EBU2 RM. 479
11:00 12:15 Green Buildings for Fun and Profit
Location: Eucalyptus Point Room B
2:30 3:30 Natural Capitalism A Campus-Wide Public Talk
Location: The Meridian Room Eleanor Roosevelt College
4:00 5:30 Roundtable Discussion, Topic: Sustainability and Education
Location: The Meridian Room Eleanor Roosevelt College
Panel members: Amory Lovins, Sol Penner, Mark Thiemens, Peter Cowhey.
Moderator: Lisa Shaffer
Discussion Sponsored by Scripps Institution of OceanographyFor more information, contact:Lisa Shaffer, Director of Policy Programs and International Relations858-822-2489 lshaffer@ucsd.edu
1 Comments:
The Natural Capitalism talk had a lot to do with this class. I thouth I'd type up my notes and put them up on the blog.
There are 4 kinds of capitalism:
Financial and physical - the current version. Human and nature - often ignored. However, this system is misleading as without life, there is no capitalism of any version (mentioned Costanza et al). Natural capitalism effectively uses all four types, while the current system does not value the most valuable sources of capital.
Historically - tech advances increased labor productivity at time of labor shortages but plenty of resources. Now, the situation is reversed. The principles Lovins suggests to deal with our current situation:
1) Increased resource productivity
2) Use biomimicry - reduce waste by using it
3) Shift economy from one-way production of goods to to continuous flow of production
4) Reinvest in natural capital
Some examples of natural capitalism:
Cars use only 1% of the energy going into them to move. The other 99% is wasted in heat, friction, etc.
Hypercar - Auto prototype the RMI is working on. Made of fiber that is is half the weight of regular cars, 5x stronger and safer. Built a midsize 5-person uncompromised SUV that gets 114 mpg on fuel cells, a little less on gas. Can plug into the grid while parked and generate energy. Could speed transition to hydrogen economy. It's been put in the public domain to keep on entity from having the advantage. Learn more at rmi.org search hypercar.
Village Homes in Davis - built greenways between houses. Greenways were effective drainage swales and saved the cost of pipes. Savings were invested in parks and other amenities, including an organic almond orchard. Sales of almonds helped pay for maintainance. The shade from trees in the greenways helped cool the development, resulting in less a/c use.
Interface - carpetmaker in Atlanta.
Uses solenium to make carpets - it's better quality material, costs 35% less, lasts 4x longer. Instead of selling flooring, leases a floor covering service. That way, it's cheaper to the customer, and any added efficiency is reaped by Interface. Carpet is in form of tiles, so tiles with the most wear (about 1/5) can be replaced without having to throw away the whole thing. This also saves the productivity of the customers who do not have to expend energy and resources moving everything out to recarpet. Interface is also starting to use corn husks in carpets, thereby reinvesting in rural human capital.
Similarly, Dow provides a dissolving service, rather than selling a solvent. Can reuse same solvent 100x, so costs less for Dow, makes less waste and customer pays only for what they need.
Shindler sells elevating service, not elevators because people do not want elevators, but only to be elevated. Enticement for company to make and power elevators efficiently.
Carrier sells cooling service, not a/c
Edwin Lyn(?) said that invention is nothing more than a sudden cessation of stupidity.
What's notable about these "inventions" is that they save money, but even if they cost exactly the same, they should be used anyway because they work better. Hospitals want healing, schools want learning and stores want to sell. If simple innovations such as letting in daylight helps to reach those goals, then it makes sense to implement them. So much the better if they save money.
Biomimicry
Bioneers see nature as a mentor. In the experience of life, designs evolved to survive, those that are not efficient died long ago. Spiders make silk stronger than steel that we only know how to replicate with enormous blast furnaces and smelters. Abalone assembles shell in seawater that is 2x stronger than ceramic used in missile nosecones.
The ideal economic system would have the values of its customers, designs from nature and discipline from the marketplace.
Unwanted Production
Energy=product+waste. Call the waste "unwanted production" to emphasize the fact that waste is the production of a product that no one wants and costs money to dispose of. Design out the waste and energy will equal more product (greater efficiency). This is the shift from the making of products to the facilitating of a continuous flow of energy.
Universities
Universities have great leadership opportunities. However, they don't always teach what they intend (limitless supply of paper) so should be aware.
Lovins brought up the self-correcting market by suggesting that companies that are currently part of the problem of ineffiency and waste will not be a problem as others will invest in natural capital and be far more productive and profitable.
Capitalism has not ever really been tried.
By sarah palmer, at 12:11 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home