ecovillage Denmark - Dyssekilde ecovillage økolandsby

Multiple studies report that ecovillages, appropriate technology villages, and other intentional communities provide high-quality lifestyles while residents use anywhere from half to a quarter as much fossil fuel energy as their counterparts who are not living in ecovillages.[1] Researchers sometimes refer to reducing fossil fuel energy use to one-quarter as much, as making a "Factor Four" improvement.[2]

Although definitions vary widely and there is no specific set of defining standards, ecovillages are typically identified as communities working intentionally to achieve "ecological, economic, and cultural dimensions of sustainability . . . integrated into a holistic sustainable development model that is adapted to local contexts . . ., consiously designed through locally owned participatory processes."[3]

The Post Carbon Institute concludes, "[C]onventional forms of urban planning, design, and governance are poorly suited to our current reality or our collective future."[4] As one ecovillage founder notes, there is growing evidence that "conventional systems are failing" under the ecological pressures of the increasingly unstable global climate and rapidly increasing human populations. Such factors are leading more and more communities to consider and implement plans for sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions.[5] Imminent needs include: learning how to best manage energy use while rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, documenting and cataloging best practices, and sharing successful approaches with many more (eventually all) less than fully-intentional communities.

This ongoing open-source research project aims to collect, categorize, and catalog the best eco-village tools, techniques, and practices for achieving net-zero carbon emissions and long-term environmental and ecological stewardship. The project goal is to identify and report on as many practical ideas and case studies as we can, about energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in ecovillages and other intentional communities around the world. Information is welcome about any and all ecovillage and intentional community practices, describing tools and techniques that are proving successful in reducing fossil fuel energy use.

Use this "New" form to add a project, problem, or research question.[edit | edit source]

The project welcomes your input! Please use the links here to visit the Appropedia web pages and make your successes known and ready to share. You are also invited to leave comments to tell us what problems you are facing and list topics that we can help research for you.

Use this "Events Page" to find upcoming opportunities for Ecovillage learning.[edit | edit source]

Preliminary ideas about categories for practices that enable significantly reduced fossil fuel energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions include:

DESIGN GUIDES AND FRAMEWORKS[edit | edit source]

Concepts and case studies her will be peer reviewed and categorized, with as many ideas as practical incorporated into or referencing preexisting, comprehensive design guides. Here is a preliminary list of such guides and frameworks that are intended to help users identify existing or potential problems, and avoid problems by applying smart designs, whole systems thinking, and solutions that are understood to help avoid potential problems.

RESOURCES[edit | edit source]

FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ABOUT ECOVILLAGES AND INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES[edit | edit source]

READERS: Please suggest any and all ideas for additions to this list of Research Questions and Needs. If implementing particular techniques or practices might require changes in laws, rules, and regulations, please help identify and describe those changes. Where possible, please include examples of governing bodies making the necessary changes.

PROJECT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, COLLABORATORS, CONTRIBUTORS[edit | edit source]

I would like to find a way to list and properly acknowledge the many collaborators and contributors to this work, to give thanks for those who are actively helping with this project. It is a growing list of fabulous people, each bringing their own special talents and interests to this work. Please help me to figure out a mechanism for making it easy for everyone to share basic information about themselves here.

I am Tom Stanton, from Michigan, USA. Until I learn better, I might consider myself to be the founder or initiator of this project. Here is some basic information about myself: User:TomStanton

CONTRIBUTORS[edit | edit source]

  • Anonymous, Cotati, California, USA
  • Francesco Godano, Italy
  • Cassandre Torres, Virginia, USA

Applying the Sustainable Development Goals[edit | edit source]

See below a list of Appropedia Category:Ecovillages and their corresponding SDGs. Please help fill out missing information on the corresponding page.

 SDG
Adelaide community action
Appropriate technology villagesSDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
SDG12 Responsible consumption and production
Brazil community action
British Columbia community action
Building Materials and MethodsSDG13 Climate action
Christie WalkSDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
Cloughjordan Ecovillage
Criticisms of ecovillages
EcoRealitySDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
Ecoaldeas
Ecovillage & Intentional Community Solutions: Food Production
Ecovillage Training Center
EcovillagesSDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
Ecovillages & Intentional Communities Energy and Climate Action Research ProjectSDG07 Affordable and clean energy
SDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
SDG06 Clean water and sanitation
SDG03 Good health and well-being
SDG02 Zero hunger
SDG08 Decent work and economic growth
SDG12 Responsible consumption and production
SDG13 Climate action
SDG15 Life on land
SDG01 No poverty
Ecovillages map
Ecovillaggi
EnergySDG13 Climate action
FinancingSDG13 Climate action
Food SystemsSDG13 Climate action
Governance, Decision-making and Social SystemsSDG13 Climate action
HousingSDG13 Climate action
Israel community action
Japan community action
Landscape ArchitectureSDG13 Climate action
Los Angeles community action
Maine community action
Missouri community action
Monte Cerro Solar Power Village
New York City community action
Oregon community action
Queensland community action
Research Questions and Needs
Resource SharingSDG13 Climate action
Resources New Zealand
Sutton community action
Transportation
Walden Ecovillage
Walden Ecovillage/Ancillary Businesses
Walden Ecovillage/Community
Walden Ecovillage/Ecoversity
Walden Ecovillage/Farm
Walden Ecovillage/Wellness Resort
Wales community action
Waste ManagementSDG13 Climate action
WaterSDG13 Climate action
World Help Training CenterSDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
desa ramah lingkungan
ecovilas
Ökodörfer
Ökodörfer und Lebensgemeinschaften Energie- und Klimaschutzforschungsprojekt
Οικολογικά χωριά & Σκόπιμες Κοινότητες Έργο Έρευνας Δράσης για την Ενέργεια και το Κλίμα

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Global Ecovillage Network, What is an Eco-Village [Webpage, retrieved June 2023], https://ecovillage.org/ecovillages/what-is-an-ecovillage/
  2. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker published a book in 1998 entitled Factor Four: Doubling Wealth, Halving Resource Use - A Report to the Club of Rome. https://www.routledge.com/Factor-Four-Doubling-Wealth-Halving-Resource-Use---A-Report-to-the-Club/Weizsacker/p/book/9781853834066 A follow-up book by von Weizsäcker and co-authors, published in 2009, is entitled Factor Five: Transforming the Global Economy through 80% Improvements in Resource Productivity. See https://ernst.weizsaecker.eu/factor-five-has-been-published/ See also: https://ernst.weizsaecker.eu/topics/factor-four-factor-five/
  3. Joubert, Kosha, and Leila Dregger, 2015, Ecovillage: 1001 ways to heal the planet, Devon, UK: Triarchy Press, preface. ISBN 978-1-909470-75-0. https://ecovillage.org/product/ecovillage-1001-ways-to-heal-the-planet/
  4. Personal Communication. Email from Resilience Newsletter Co-Editor Kristin Sponsler, November 7, 2024.
  5. This statement is from an introduction to "The Ark" ecovillage in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, from founder Marat Omarov, on 24 January, 2024. See also Alexander, Christopher, 2002, The Nature of Order, Volume 2, Part 3. https://www.patternlanguage.com/bookstore/bookshelf.html#0. See also Stanton, 2022, pages 13-14, for a concise summary of Alexander's admonitions in The Nature of Order, v2, Part 3. https://www.academia.edu/89816933/Stanton_Presentation_Full_Set
  6. Joubert, Kosha, and Leila Dregger, 2015, Ecovillage: 1001 ways to heal the planet, Devon, UK: Triarchy Press.. ISBN 978-1-909470-75-0. https://ecovillage.org/product/ecovillage-1001-ways-to-heal-the-planet/ -- This book includes thirty brief case studies about ecovillages in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. Each highlighted action or practice is listed, using identifiers found in the GEN Solution Library.
Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.