2. Energy & EcoTechnology
Module 4 of the PDC+++PDC
+
+
+
We dedicate this Module to the Mother &
Father of Integral Permaculture: Dana
Meadows & Howard Odum, two
original pioneers who helped humanity
make great strides in understanding
systemic thinking, in all four quadrants.
How do we Design good EcoTechnologies? Part 2a
*
Technology is the application of science, so a good basic knowledge of
science is essential if we are to design technologies of any kind.
*
And everything that transforms energy or matter from one form to another is a
technology, so science and technology really are basic for life, and certainly
for designers.
*
In this second part of exploring technology as the application of science, we
delve into the basic science of space elevators, of pathogens & of basic
mechanics & vectors in order to become better designers of water systems,
compost toilets & any built structures, large or small - with lots of examples.
Class
M4.10a
EcoTech

3. M4.10 * How do we Design
GREAT EcoTechnologies?
Space Elevators & Kangaroos
Appropriate technology 2
f) Pathogens & Compost Toilets
G) Basic Mechanics & Power
h) Vectors & Buildings
i) Collective Intelligence Tech
Class
M4.10
EcoTech

4. Space Elevators & Kangaroos
It has been 'proved' that
kangoroos can't jump,
bees can't fly & that
birds can't get enough
energy from their food
to power their search
for food in the first
place.
It has even been 'proved' that life is impossible because
living systems become more & more ordered, whereas
physics implies that all systems become more & more
disordered.
The Science of the Discworld
Terry Pratchett, etc.
But the physics
we're interested in,
includes Eros

5. Space Elevators & Kangaroos
A space elevator is something
outrageously difficult, complex &
expensive to create ...
... that will however make space travel
very cheap, once it has been built
There's nothing permacultural,
probably, about the project in itself
(for the same kinds of reasons eloquently
exposed here by other sci-fi fans >>)
We need 'space elevator
science'
to understand how
kangaroos work
Space elevators are to rockets
what kangoroos are to sacks of
potatoes
as a Metaphor
Think Mythically
BUT ... the concept is actually
VERY permacultural

6. 80/20 rule
MiniMax
Multi-
Function
...
We have a lot
of "space-
elevator"
principles in
permaculture
...
because
Nature is FULL
of great
examples of
this
Space Elevators & Kangaroos

7. More
later ...
on
HT Odum's
take
on Space
Elevators

8. M4.10 * How do we Design
GREAT EcoTechnologies?
Space Elevators & Kangaroos
Appropriate technology 2
f) Pathogens & Compost Toilets
G) Basic Mechanics & Power
h) Vectors & Buildings
i) Collective Intelligence Tech
Class
M4.10
EcoTech

9. Appropriate Tech1
• Ghandian Criteria
• Schumacher
Criteria
• Integral
PermaCulture
Criteria
small-scale,
local & predominantly village-based
technology
does not exploit people (only benefit a
few, put people out of work, etc.)
"Small is Beautiful"
labour-intensive, not energy-intensive
natural resources as Capital (not expendable income)
"enoughness", sustainability, questions GNP
"the aim ought to be to obtain the maximum amount of well being with the
minimum amount of consumption."
9 Ways to Thrive with min. energy &
resource use
BUT open up creative possibilities
about what 'large scale' techs might
also be sustainable
AND especially consider all 'invisibles'

10. Integral
PermaCulture
Criteria

11. 1) subsistence
physical and mental health
food, shelter, work, feed, clothe, rest, work
living environment, social setting
2) protection
care, adaptability, autonomy
social security, health systems, work
co-operate, plan, take care of, help
social environment, dwelling
3) affection
respect, sense of humour, generosity, sensuality
friendships, family, relationships with nature
share, take care of, make love, express emotions
privacy, intimate spaces of togetherness
4) understanding
critical capacity, curiosity, intuition
literature, teachers, policies, educational
analyse, study, meditate, investigate,
schools, families, universities, communities,
5) participation
receptiveness, dedication, sense of humour
responsibilities, duties, work, rights
cooperate, dissent, express opinions
associations, parties, churches, neighbourhoods
Manfred Max-Neef
9 Ways to
ThriveReal Human Needs (Integral)

12. 6) leisure
imagination, tranquility, spontaneity
games, parties, peace of mind, day-dream, remember,
relax, have fun, landscapes, intimate spaces, places to
be alone
7) creation
imagination, boldness, inventiveness, curiosity
abilities, skills, work, techniques, invent, build, design,
work, compose, interpret, spaces for expression,
workshops, audiences
8) identity
sense of belonging, self-esteem, consistency
language, religions, work, customs, values, norms
get to know oneself, grow, commit oneself
places one belongs to, everyday settings
9) freedom
autonomy, passion, self-esteem, open-mindedness
equal rights, dissent, choose, run risks, develop
awareness, anywhere
Real Human Needs (Integral)
Manfred Max-Neef
9 Ways to
Thrive

13. fully take int account
that ULTIMATELY
it is all these needs that our
designs & technologies need to
fulfill ... because
although the 6 Ways to Die are
essential to keep in mind for
survival, it is the rich North
ransacking the poor South that is
mostly causing those deaths.
Integral
PermaCulture
Criteria
for Appropriate
Technologies

14. M4.10 * How do we Design
GREAT EcoTechnologies?
Space Elevators & Kangaroos
Appropriate technology 2
f) Pathogens & Compost Toilets
G) Basic Mechanics & Power
h) Vectors & Buildings
i) Collective Intelligence Tech
Class
M4.10
EcoTech

15. First… we need to be conscious of the fact thatFirst… we need to be conscious of the fact that
if we talk about toiletsif we talk about toilets
(any type of toilet)(any type of toilet)
we’ll necessarily reach (or avoid) topics of thewe’ll necessarily reach (or avoid) topics of the
““dark side" (poo, rotting, death & life, etc.).dark side" (poo, rotting, death & life, etc.).
And this is a very important issueAnd this is a very important issue
we talk about in the class M3.3 Vital Cycleswe talk about in the class M3.3 Vital Cycles
(there’s a little summary here)(there’s a little summary here)

16. cyclecycle
• It’s something very rooted in the
“Taker” culture (that could be precisely why
takers take)
• In essence… the fear of death is
the fear of letting cycles
complete.
• But… if we block the vital
cycles, the system gets sick
• Any vital cycle implies the death
of something,
• even when the death only
happens in our perception.
Fear of death
We ignore theWe ignore the
“Kali” part of the“Kali” part of the
MotherMother
Goddess,Goddess,
including now inincluding now in
Her 'reclaiming’Her 'reclaiming’
class M3.3 Vital Cyclesclass M3.3 Vital Cycles

17. The pagan “Wheel of the Year”The pagan “Wheel of the Year”
and the stories of gods & goddessesand the stories of gods & goddesses
honour in the same way life & deathhonour in the same way life & death
M5 > Designing with mythsM5 > Designing with myths
We’re very well prepared toWe’re very well prepared to
avoid, erase, disinfect, killavoid, erase, disinfect, kill
completely…completely…
…… the same base of nature’sthe same base of nature’s
abundanceabundance
- The other half of the natural- The other half of the natural
cycles, that’s considered “dirty”cycles, that’s considered “dirty”
or “un-favored”:or “un-favored”:
Gaia’s “hidden face”Gaia’s “hidden face”
class M3.3 Vital Cyclesclass M3.3 Vital Cycles

18. Larval Debridement Therapy
A badly infected heel
Larval Therapy
We give this example… it saves her life
(but it is very difficult to find doctors willing to do this )

19. Are we making the
planet better &
more fertile with our
life?
Depends on what
technologies we use
Which Science to Apply?
Psychology
Our bodies (and minds)
INEVITABLY cause
pollution...
or fertility
Which depend on
what mentalities
(mythologies) we
engage

20. "Poo Phobia" affects What we
can see & therefore design
Designed to Maximize Fertility with
Minimum Effort:
• Easy to build (very mini-max)
• Well-integrated with animal systems
(max transformities)
• Adapted to the local culture (by people
very 'close to Nature')
Chicken
Coop
Compost
Toilet in
Canary
Pig
Feeder
toilet

21. ... All poo is somebody’s
food
This is the natural cycle of
poo
like all waste ...
Ecology
There is much brilliant
'space elevator
technology' already
invested in processing our
waste

22. photo by Peter Morgan, Aquamor, Zimbabwe
It is usually diluted
between 1:3 and 1:5
parts urine to water.
Urine contains most of
the nitrogen,
phosphorus and
potassium we release.
These nutrients are
the major components
of chemical fertilizers
Urine

23. There are good
reasons to be
careful around
human poo… (Especially
in high density places)
The fecal-oral route is used by many
parasites
Giardia lamblia
Taenia solium
Psychology & History

24. Giardiasis (Giardia lamblia)
• Very common all over the world
(in developing countries, nearly 33% of
people)
• Transmitted by many mammals
• Very resistant cysts
• Survives for long times in moist,
dark & cold places
Taeniasis (Taenia Sp.)
• Found worldwide, Especially in
cosmopolitan areas
• Many mammals carry: faeces
contain eggs
• If eggs are consumed, larvae
form cysts in tissues
• If cysts are consumed, adults
attach to small intestine
Which Science to Apply? - Pathology

25. Hot compost
Biogas digestors
(with thermophilic
microorganisms)
&
Maintaining 58~71ºC (135~160ºF)
for 3 days
Which Science to Apply? - Pathology
Hot composting is thought to kill most mesophilic pathogens

26. Which Science to Apply? - Pathology
Longer times cold-composting is also safe
Within a few hours the vast
majority of human pathogens
die since they cannot survive
outside the human body.
After one year of
decomposition the only nasty
which can remain is a type of
roundworm (Ascaris
Lumbricoides) egg -
these can survive for up to
10 years.
Parasitic roundworm
infection affects over 1 billion
people worldwide.

27. & the lesser-known science of pooing Ergonomics
Ancient toilets… weren’t so different?
Which Science to Apply? -
Anthropology
In Asia
this is still normal

28. & the lesser-known science of pooing Ergonomics
Which Science to Apply? - Medicine

29. 5. Santa Valentina
Present for
Butterflies
A webinar about Food Science
* the Big Evolutionary Controversies
* Better Food & the Landbase
* How we're kept stupid & sick with
old food myths
For people who contribute 2-3 posts in the
Wiser group! Before end March :)
email us at
nodoespiral@
nodoespiral.ne
t
Present

30. Compost Toilet designed
for a Composting Bin System
Strawbale Compost Toilet
Commercial Compost Toilets

31. IPEC, Pirenopolis
Carousel Compost Toilet in Finland
Solar Letrine in
Bolivia
Rotaloo

32. Design Criteria vary ...
It was designed to Educate & Impress in a
busy PC demonstration Site (where
politicians can go), so it’s:
• Built for max. distance from Poo
• Decorated beautifully
• Many similar toilets around the site
• Very pleasant to visit!
IPEC, Pirenopolis

33. Design Criteria vary ...
located in a humid
Tropics, so
(if pee & water is added
to the mix)
it's important to heat &
dry the poo mix
Space for
storage
underneath
Educational
Use water not
paper

34. M4.10 * How do we Design
GREAT EcoTechnologies?
Space Elevators & Kangaroos
Appropriate technology 2
f) Pathogens & Compost Toilets
G) Basic Mechanics & Power
h) Vectors & Buildings
i) Collective Intelligence Tech
Class
M4.10
EcoTech

35. More
Now ...
on
HT Odum's
take
on Space
Elevators

36. 4th Law of
Thermodynamics
The Maximum
Empower Principle
Odum proposed the Maximum
empower principle as a
corollary of the maximum
power principle,
and considered it to
describe the
propensities of
evolutionary self-
organization.
From Class M4.4
HT Odum proposed some
additional laws of
ThermoDynamics - that
include Life

37. Systems maximize power by:
1) developing storages of high-quality energy,
2) feeding back work from storages to increase inflows,
3) recycling materials as needed,
4) organizing control mechanisms that keep the system
adapted and stable,
5) setting up exchanges for needed materials,
6) Contributing work to the next larger system
4th Law of
Thermodynamics
The Maximum
Empower Principle
M4.4
1)
2)
5)
3) 4)
This is A PART of how the
Economics of Nature (which we
call Eco-Economics) is designed:
a big investment in
intelligence is needed ... in order
to create really resilient systems,
which benefit ALL species.

38. Use Biological Resources
Natural Patterns
Diversity
Natural Succession
observe, observe,
observe
Space Elevators & Ecosystems
Eg. the GaiaSis programme -
designed around the
80/20 principle ...
but people want to 'learn quick' &
so end up 'learning' the 20/80
mentality ... again

39. Space Elevator Economies?
Margrit Kennedy: Interest and Inflation Free Money
A sketch of the
current
machinery
Nature Economies
(EcoEconomy) - The most
important technologies right now

40. Life always generates conditions that
create more life
There’s no control center in the system that
orchestrates the behavior of each part;
being wholly themselves, completely alert
& totally sensitive to changes in the
environment,
the system’s components interconnect to really
form that system, in an emergent process.
Janine Benyus
ciclociclo

41. 6th Santa Valentina
Present for
Butterflies
http://bit.ly/CursoEcoEcono
mía
up to 60% 'discount' in "Permis"
for people who enroll in February- early March
* an innovative EcoEconomics Course
for people who are planning to help change the
economy
¿What have we learnt, specially from Life’s
systems, to design EcoEconomies?

42. CAT's Water Funicular
Centre for Alternative technology, Nr Machynlleth, Pows
It was designed to be 100%
water-powered and
semiautomatic
a water-balanced
cliff railway
one of the steepest at 34°
Max Speed
0,7 m/s
2 cars
Water tank
1600 litres
Capacity
17 per car
But back to Clever Elevators ...

43. M4.10 * How do we Design
GREAT EcoTechnologies?
Space Elevators & Kangaroos
Appropriate technology 2
f) Pathogens & Compost Toilets
G) Basic Mechanics & Power
h) Vectors & Buildings
i) Collective Intelligence Tech
Class
M4.10
EcoTech

44. Class recorded during
the Online Festival
to Celebrate
Evolutionary Love
live from 11th to the 23rd
of February 2013
ongoing & asynchronic
(in our own time)
after that
by
www.presents.nodoespiral.net
Us
Me
All
Life
ReDesigning
Eros
End
of Part3
M
4.10a