Klein & Fein Design

Sustainability... it's all about life-style choices...
"The best way to predict your future... is to create it." (author unknown)
"$2-Buck Market" Neighbourhood Produce Swap! Check out our market calendar to find out when the next market is for 2012! In the summer of 2010, we launched our $2-Buck Market for neighbours who have gardens to swap their produce for produce that their neighbours have! Produce is put into a "package" that would be "worth" $2. "I'll swap you this bag of plums for that bag of tomatoes." Organic produce is preferred. Neighbours who aren't growing gardens yet ;-) can bring toonies and buy produce from their neighbours. For more information, check out our dedicated website: http://www.2buckmarket.net
This SUSTAINABILITY page is a work in progress as our own checklist to add to of the things we are doing to live more simply and sustainably... We thought we would make a link to it in case others want some ideas or have ideas to share with us!.. Personal: ~ Live simply & beautifully: - recycle/reuse - buy second hand items - thrift stores, garage sales - recreation... "re-creation"... we create our own fun and enjoyment at home and in our neighbourhood - walks, hikes, bike-rides, movie nights, read, write, take up a new hobby... - stop buying things we don't need - turn off the television and tune in to others - design and build our own house - love what we do - ~ Live Healthily (for oneself and the environment): - reduce, reuse, recycle - decrease the demand for energy - we have all taken it for granted - supplement power use by buying green power - reduce power usage - we put a timer on our hot water heater to come on for 2 hours in the early morning hours (non-peak time) - turn lights off, buy LED lighting - we went car free in 2001, ride bikes, take the bus, rent car or car-share (neighbour's) - see links below - bake and cook ourselves - eat vegetarian - compost - buy in bulk (reduce packaging/garbage) - shop and buy local - see links below - grow some food - see links below - share food with others - check out our $2-Buck Market, Neighbourhood Produce Swap: http://www.2buckmarket.net - - OUR House design: ~ Live simply and beautifully: - small footprint - simple design home: for a couple or parents with one child, or couple taking care of aging parent - guestroom: for family and friends visiting or for B&B or to take care of aging parent or for home office - plan "living" rooms - all rooms are used/lived in... including outside areas - create flow from inside to outside - size of windows, spatial layering of windows and doors to view outside - create long sight lines - build a front porch - another living space to view and enjoy your neighbourhood from - back patio - another living space is created - part is under cover for those rainy days or to be cool in summer, part is exposed to full sunlight for warmth in the fall/winter/spring - we plumbed the hot water heater to be solar ready before the code called for it - ~ Sustainable building materials: - overbuild - "building to code" is the bare minimum - build with pride and build to last - we plumbed the hot water heater to be solar ready before the code called for it - reclaim cedar shingles from old house and use under cover on new house - reclaim fir flooring from old house - the 3/4" T&G fir flooring will be used on our stair treads
Our flooring is LEED certified: StoneCraft flooring: "StoneCraft is a revolutionary new resurfacing technology suitable for interior or exterior applications. A unique combination of plastics and concrete, StoneCraft offers unsurpassed durability, chemical resistance, and a new level of freedom in design. This new concept in flooring allows the consumer to decide the colour, design, and texture without the constraints of traditional pre-cast products. StoneCraft may be used on floors, walls, and ceilings, and may be applied over a variety of different substrates. Suitable substrates for flooring applications include: concrete, plywood, and most types of tile."

Our roof decking is FSC certified; Forest Stewardship Council "FSC is an international certification and labeling system that guarantees that the forest products you purchase come from responsibly managed forests and verified recycled sources... FSC certification is a voluntary and market-based mechanism for ensuring that our forests are healthy. Consumer demand for FSC-certified products encourages forest managers and owners to become FSC-certified. Independent third-party auditors conduct all FSC certification audits."
Here is an informative 8 minute video from the FSC Canada website:
"The FSC Story Do you care about forests? Your choice makes a difference. Forests provide the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. Forests also provide us with the wood and paper products we use every day. If you care about our forests, follow Franke James (author, and artist) on her journey into the forest as she explores what each and every one of us can do to ensure that we have healthy forests and strong communities for generations to come. Make a choice. Show you care. Share this story."
- - ~ Sustainable property design: - excavated site ourselves and kept all the topsoil and clay and trees and plants - plant native plant landscaping - plant vegetable gardens - plant fruit trees - plan to chip lumber reclaimed from old house (that can't be used again in other projects) to use for landscaping - use sawdust in garden as mulch (Thomas recalled a sign in the mill shop of Steven's Building Supply in Sidney Nova Scotia that read, "The only scrap in this workshop is sawdust"! I got quite a kick out of that - as he did obviously as he still remembers it from 35 years ago! We have really tried to reduce the scrap on this project... and it made us proud to think that we are even using our sawdust! Here is some good information from Cornell University, Department of Horticulture: "Sawdust is often recommended as a mulch for blueberries, rhododendrons, and other acid-loving evergreens. Sawdust mulch has an acidifying effect on the soil as it decomposes, and like wood chips, it can rob the soil of nitrogen. In addition, sawdust layers are characterized by severe compaction and decomposition over a single growing season. Thus, it is necessary to fluff up and renew sawdust mulch each spring." - -

Other thoughts and links...

"How to build a house (together) and stay together": Many people have asked how many fights we've had - the answer, "none"... we've worked together in joy and love because we have guiding principles for our relationship, thus they carry over in to our building project.

The Carpenter Story: I received this a long time ago via email and thought it very inspiring and therefore saved it. I came across it a while back and of course felt it was very fitting in our situation, literally... and figuratively... "You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, erect a wall. "Life is a do-it-yourself project," someone has said. Your attitudes and the choices you make today, build the "house" you live in tomorrow. Build wisely!" ~Author Unknown~

http://www.ted.com/	TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. The best talks and performances from TED and partners available to the world, for free. More than 700 TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.

	Home is a 2009 documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. "The documentary chronicles the present day state of the Earth, its climate and how we as the dominant species have long-term repercussions on its future. A theme expressed throughout the documentary is that of linkage—how all organisms and the Earth are linked in a "delicate but crucial" natural balance with each other, and how no organism can be self-sufficient. Yann Arthus-Bertrand emphasized on a TED talk that the movie has no copyright: "This film have [sic] no copyright. On the fifth of June, the environmental day, everyone can download the movie on Internet... It is available for schools, cities, NGOs and you. "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/	"In 1989, David Suzuki's award-winning radio series It's a Matter of Survival sounded an alarm of where the planet was heading. Over 17,000 of his shocked fans sent him letters asking for ways to avert the catastrophe. A group of people urged David Suzuki and Tara Cullis to create a new, solutions-based organization. That November, they hosted a gathering with a dozen thinkers and activists on Pender Island, B.C. By the end of the meeting, something significant was afoot. And after many planning meetings, on Sept. 14, 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation was incorporated."

http://earthfuture.com/gardenpath/	Since 1990, The Garden Path Centre has "...been a plant nursery and display garden advocating for organic gardening, greater food self-sufficiency and seed saving. The nursery closed in 2006 to focus on the production of 'Seeds of Victoria' (Certified by PACS 16-533), educational books and programs which support the 'Grow Your Own Food' movement." Carolyn Herriot owns and runs the centre and has written books on organic food and production.

http://www.earthfuture.com/	Earth Future is the website for Guy Dauncey's projects and writings. "Earth Future is provided as a free public service to Planet Earth, to encourage greater love, sustainability and hope for our future. Guy Dauncey is a speaker, author, and organizer who works to develop a positive vision of a sustainable future, and to translate that vision into action."

www.shareorganics.bc.ca	Share Organics - www.shareorganics.bc.ca "Bringing fresh produce from local farms to your table! ... Delivering organic food to your door since 1997... Share Organics is committed to providing our community with a convenient way of receiving reasonably priced, high quality, organic products; and to support and promote local growers in sustainable organic agriculture."

http://www.foodincmovie.com	"In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising - and often shocking truths - about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here."

www.gvcc.bc.ca	"The purpose of the GVCC is to promote, and improve conditions for cycling in Greater Victoria by: Improving cycling education; Facilitating communication between cyclists, government, and other community groups; Improving facilities for bicycle use; Improving the legal climate for cyclists; Encouraging more people to ride bicycles more often; and Developing a cycling information base."

Rules of the Road: www.bikesense.bc.ca	"BikeSense has been written and reviewed by professional cycling skills instructors, cycling advocacy organizations, bicycle trained police officers and provincial authorities responsible for making and interpreting our traffic laws. We'd like to thank all of those who participated in the review and production of the manual. We hope this manual will help make our roads safer for all road-users alike."

http://victoriacarshare.ca	"Mission: The VCSC offers high quality and reliable car sharing services for residents, businesses and organizations throughout Greater Victoria. Through a cooperative model, the organization offers a practical, economical, and convenient alternative to private car ownership. With innovative partnerships, member involvement, and sustainable community development, the organization will achieve its vision."
Return to main page	This Web Site is powered by 100% Wind Energy through iPage!	© 2012 Copyright Klein & Fein Design