Sustainability on Arthur Nørve

Degrowth

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:38:00 +0100

Degrowth is an economic discipline critical of growth and GDP driven development.

Jevons paradox - the Jevons effect

A feedback effect of sorts that increases usage of a resource because of increased technological ability or efficiency of extraction and use.

Increased efficiency → falling cost → more use

More fuel efficient cars → more travelling
Cheaper elecricity → more use
More energy efficient devices → more devices

Resource depletion

Resource depletion - Wikipedia

Sustainable Clothes

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 22:43:52 +0200

General considerations

Microplastics are everywhere: use washbag to reduce pollution
Choose natural materials with as low impact as possible
Take well care of clothes
Repair as needed
Wash less

Clothes, heat and comfort

Using thin and modern weaves of wool can allow colder interior temperatures in winter without sacrificing comfort, sex appeal or practicality.

Insulation: First the Body, Then the Home - LOW←TECH MAGAZINE

Washing clothes

To reduce the deterioration of clothes over time reducing the amount of times the piece is washed is essential. Washing by machine wears a lot on the materials.

Renewables

Sun, 15 May 2022 17:37:08 +0200

Questions

From Why renewables can’t save the planet

What are classified as renewables?
What are the feasable alternatives today?
What are potential alternatives?
Physically impoosed limits on energy extraction?

Why renewables can’t save the planet

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 11:32:01 +0100

📺 Why renewables can’t save the planet - M. Shellenberger | TED

Energy from rooftop solar panels is twice as costly as that from solar farms
Windfarms and solar require vast areas and pose a serious risk to wildlifes
Renewable pushes in the US and Germany caused price increases
Nuclear is safer than classic renewables as per science
Nuclear has less material-throughput than classic renewables

How to Thrive in the Next Economy

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 15:46:35 +0100

A brilliant, eye-opening book that really got me interested in ecology, climate solutions and soft-solutions to urban planning, architecture and infrastructure.

After reading this book I read Ishmael, which really drove the point home for me.

Concepts

Indonesian Subak - water temple system
Replace lawns with cultivatable land with healthy soil
Urban pollinator pathways
Rewilding the cities
20 species of agricultural plants provide 90% of all our food
E-bikes might have a smaller footprint than pedal-only when the food intake of the rider is taken into account
Care credit system based on volunteering
The precariat - ‘poor’ citizens in unsecure situations in the North

Critique

However full and rich this book is in stories, examples, hypotheses and claims, it is not very empirical.

Sustainable Food

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 18:29:08 +0200

My Principles

Prepare only what you eat
Eat only what you need
Buy foods that are responsably produced
Avoid carbon intensive foods most of the time

Also, this really goes hand in hand with general healthy eating

Chart: The Carbon Footprint of the Food Supply Chain

Specifics

High carbon foods (Buy and eat very rarely)

Beef (Beef from dairy herds is significantly better than beef from beef herds)
Lamb
Cheese
Chocolate
Coffee
Prawns

Lower carbon foods (Ok)

Olive oil
Fish
Eggs
Rice
Milk
Nuts
Potato (The most carbon intensive vegetable 2.9kg co2e/kg)
Vegetables in general
Fruit
Lentils
Beans

Notable facts

The type of food is much more important for the total emissions than transport, packaging etc.
We should strive to avoid high carbon foods, but cheese/chocolate are “better” high carbon options than beef simply because we tend to eat less of theese than beef once we eat them.

Coffee

Espresso: 0.28kg - 0.06kg (depending on growth and farming)
Latte: 0.55kg - 0. 33kg

Source: Coffee: here’s the carbon cost of your daily cup – and how to make it climate-friendly

Everyday Sustainability

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 22:57:15 +0200

General principles

TODO: Write more

Wendell Berry’s criteria for tool replacement

The new tool should be cheaper than the one it replaces.
It should be at least as small in scale as the one it replaces.
It should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better than the one it replaces.
It should use less energy than the one it replaces.
If possible, it should use some form of solar energy, such as that of the body.
It should be repairable by a person of ordinary intelligence, provided that he or she has the necessary tools.
It should be purchasable and repairable as near to home as possible.
It should come from a small, privately-owned shop or store that will take it back for maintenance and repair.
It should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists, and this includes family and community relationships.

from Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer - Wendell Berry

First encountered in this post on grinding your coffee by hand: Endorsement: Grinding Your Coffee by Hand - Submitted For Your Perusal