Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Press Release - Land to Float an Ark?


Land to Float an Ark?


The Tree Ark Project is a rural, regenerative, sustainable community living project, formed of a group of rural friends from across Norfolk, who share similar environmental concerns, who want to live in a totally self-sustainable manner as a 'show & tell' community.

Many of the group have proven need of the affordable housing which will be provided on site, but finding a Parish site has proven difficult for the group, as they are not from one single parish.

The Tree Ark Project is a NPD, and is not looking for prime development land, as they follow the guidelines of such proven ecological designs as shown by The Permaculture Organisation and Transition Towns.

Founded by Linda Beamish, a consultant for www.eco-designs.net, the community are hoping to arrange a Community Land Trust for the site, to ensure that the affordable eco-homes are kept for the community of the parish in perpetuity.

The plans for any site, will depend upon the size of the plot, and the needs of the existing community or Parish, although the main key proposals remain inherent for any site.

Affordable eco-homes.
Homes will be constructed of earth/clay/straw-bale/timber/stone/lime (all natural building materials to any site), and will be constructed by the group themselves, along with teams of others who wish to learn natural building techniques. (The College of West Anglia Professional Construction team wish to be involved in such a project as an extension of their Sustainability curriculum, and other local natural building schools will be contacted once a site has been located.)
(An offer to film a documentary of the project has already been made by Jacki Hill-Murphy of Pink Ginger Films www.pinkgingerfilms.com )

A large site will aim to provide similar services as showcased by The communities of Findhorn in Scotland, C.A.T in Wales, The Lammas Project, The Hockerton Housing Project, and The Low Carbon Trust of Brighton - which also has an Earthship community centre.

The community will follow the guidelines of The Co-Housing Organisation and offer co-operative housing, which will be constructed by the community themselves, along with students and groups of volunteers and friends. Wherever the community is sited, it will interconnect with the needs of the parish, and ensure that their needs are consensually included, catered & cared for.

An ethical and environmental trade centre will be constructed to provide a cafe (selling organic, locally produced food, cooked freshly on site), internet will be available, and local arts & crafts will be sold.

Visitors to the site will be able to find out about why we need to live sustainably, and be able to find out about the alternative renewable resources which are currently available. (Fairly traded Franchises & co-operatives will also provide site revenue – as proven eco-designs will be available to buy “off the shelf” through Ark's Eco dedicated consultancies, net-profit-4-non-profits.)

Sunday, 10 January 2010

Earth - Financial or Life Asset?

Brief of my full report:


Earth - Financial or Life Asset?


Global Ark Projects is a not-for-profit networking hub, which aims to place funds where they are needed to feed a grassroots response to global environmental change.


It has been formed by people, for people, and especially for children everywhere.


It supports a holistic approach to salvaging our planet home through the exchange of knowledge.



Linda Beamish

Design Consultant, Eco-Designs co uk

and Founder/Chair of www.GlobalArkProjects.com


Where are we?


In spite of Agenda 21, the Brundtland Report 1987, Stockholm 1972, and a raft of environmental and ecological analyses from as far back as the 1950’s and 60’s, nothing has been completely or comprehensively orchestrated to respond to or prevent the suffering of human beings due to climate change. Political responses offer only top-down proposals which are failing to involve the majority of people on this planet.


As a caring parent, trying to provide my children with the opportunity of ‘A’ tomorrow, I know we all have to work together now, to try to rebalance this planet. But I am fortunate. What about all those who have no access to the resources needed to help their own children, now and in the future?


This is not about changing the shopping trends of those who care. We will be directory with a social conscience, generating income through cooperative links; through non-profit distribution supporting Earth regeneration and irrigation, and by supporting people to reclaim affordable and sustainable lives in a rebalanced environment.


We need to further raise awareness of the problems we face in this World and would ask to be introduced to people who care as much as you. What we are proposing requires seed capital to begin, for example, advertising and forging links with a search engine provider. Once operational our project will have a commercially viable income generator for its intended work.


We aim to establish restorative, ecological, sustainable community living projects, providing affordable homes to people who need them most, and who are prepared to work on innovative, restoration and land management programmes and then share their knowledge with others.


Comprehensive, inclusive and cooperative links are proposed, connecting individuals, families and organisations through a virtual hub which will be firmly rooted set at community level where it is needed the most, and where urgent action is needed for maximum effect and benefit for the Earth.


As an evolutionary concept; if the human species were a plant, would it really grow from its flowering head down to its roots? With over 80% of the human plant as its root system, it was inadvisable to remove the Earth’s nutrients from the networking base on which all its life was dependant. This planet has been and is being raped of its resources.


A grass-roots system is needed – a most appropriate term - to spread across all waste and dry land in order to begin healing our planet. As single blades of grass in a desert, we are scorched, but as an interconnected, comprehensive and cooperatively linked network, we can turn the desert green.


We reject corporate and political solutions which promise much and deliver little as our climate changes. We believe that change must begin at the roots – at the level of each individual human being. It is a web of such people, their ideas, projects, energy and synergy that our project is all about. Not power to the people, but powered by the people.


What is Global Ark?


The concept of Global Ark was initiated by a feasibility study to form a sustainable community living project in Norfolk, which continues to be under development. During this study it was noted that a Yale University project has been asking why so few people are living sustainably.


We all know, or think we know, about climate change, and many believe that the State recognises the issues and the need to live sustainably. However, those who are trying to prepare plans and proposals for ecological buildings and sustainable community living projects (SCLPs) which can only be of environmental benefit, still encounter difficulties negotiating innovative and, sometimes, unusual proposals through the traditional consent processes in this country.


Parents the whole planet over are aware through theory or daily reality of the likely impact of climate change for the future of their children, and the millions suffering and dying due to the effects of climate change are already having their ‘Right to Life’ taken away from them.


The global commercial emphasis on profitability is itself unsustainable, and untenable for the planet’s population. Minimising investments and maximising profit whilst seeing nature as an industrial resource is creating an imbalance which we will find hard, if not impossible to rectify.


Although United Nations Agenda 21, 1992, encourages the cooperation and inclusive policies which set to empower those suffering exclusion and deprivation, with specific reference to the role of women in sustainable community projects, the search to date for grant aid to establish Global Ark is proving difficult. How do you establish a track record in order to attract funds when you need funds to establish a track record?


Global Ark and its projects aim to work below the level of the political or corporate – at the individual or small group level. We present no threat to the aims of global idealists, just seek the opportunity to connect those of a like mind around the world who have something to give and who wish to learn from others about living sustainably, and re-learning the skills necessary to reduce our impact on the Earth.


It is the individual multiplied by millions that will save this planet. It is Global Ark’s aim that we play a part in bringing about the networking information exchange culture that will allow this to happen.


Our concept of rural and urban regenerative, sustainable community living projects offers a new model for the future. It is about small scale, individualistic and ecological living with an opportunity to grow through knowledge exchange. We aim to connect the rural and urban with the indigenous. We will use technology – Pandora’s box is open – but to heal, not exploit.


Once financially seeded and established, Global Ark Projects will generate the income needed through the Ark’s environmental and ethical directory and we will redistribute net profits to, amongst other objects:

  • Form further restorative, self-sustainable community living projects - globally

  • Support ‘water for all’ projects

  • Support ‘education for all’ projects

  • Support other third-sector organisations, charities and other NPDs

  • Fund solar and wave powered desalination plants, feasibly providing water wherever possible to:

  • Give a regular supply of clean drinking water to those in need

  • Irrigate as much of the 41% total landmass currently classified as dryland

  • Provide local industry where it is needed most, through sales of refined minerals extracted in desalination (table salt to lithium - itself needed for storage of solar energy)

The work of re-greening our planet incrementally will then have begun.


What now?


The answer lies with you.


Consensually:


If you agree, please join us and tell your own network/s:

Web Address:

http://www.globalarkprojects.com


If you are able to help us in any way, please

Email:

info@globalarkprojects.com


N.B. This document is open for your own use to recopy or print without need to ask for copyright for all those in agreement with the ideas, goal and statement of this document, but the original concept is retained by Global Ark Projects.


This document and its concept must not be used for personal, individual, professional, company, corporate or any governing body's profit, gain or other. Please ensure that accreditation remains with www.globalarkprojects.com, it must not be claimed as your own, and all intellectual property rights are retained by the originator, and protected by and for individual/s forming the original consensual document as shown via email or web-space, and in entirety as referenced in the full report's study of findings as shown on our website/s.