Sustainability Productions Video Series
One Earth is a partner in Sustainability Productions, which provides high quality short films showing vignettes of sustainability in action. The videos in the series to date provide a hands-on perspective on initiatives that cities have taken to reduce their footprint while enhancing quality of life.
For additional information, please contact:
Emmanuel Prinet, EcoSteppingStones Consulting and Co-founder of the One Earth Initiative
Telephone: 604-669-5143
Email: emmanuel@oneearthweb.org
French version of the website, by Benoît Théau, IGAPURA (France): www.les-realisations-du-developpement-durable.org
DVD on BedZED, UK (8 min.; English and French)
BedZED—which stands for Beddington Zero (fossil) Energy Development—is a unique ecological neighbourhood that was created in 2000 in a suburb near London. Its objective is to offer quality housing and amenities while respecting sustainable-development principles and reduced Ecological Footprints: high energy efficiency; low water and energy use; the contribution to urban densification by reclaiming brown fields and not building on rare and precious greenbelts, and the promotion of a variety of rental units and apartments for sale at prices that reflect the wide range of incomes.
DVD on Freiburg-in-Brisgau, Germany (8 min.; English and French)
Over the past 30 years, the German city of Freiburg-in-Brisgau has been working towards improving its environment, with particular emphasis on three sectors: transportation, waste and energy. In the 1990s, two new neighbourhoods were built, Vauban and Reiselfeld, with a strong focus on energy conservation and all-round environmental excellence, as well as social diversity and the cohabitation of different generations. Citizens were actively involved in the creation of their neighbourhoods.
DVD on Malmö, Sweden (8 min.; English and French)
Malmö, a southern Swedish town facing Copenhagen, has been actively working on sustainable-development issues since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. In 1997, it started implementing a Local Agenda 21 programme for sustainability, and the city has tried to promote both social and ecological initiatives. Some of these include an ecological neighbourhood, Bo01, in the Western Harbour, the promotion of green transportation throughout the city such as public transit and bicycles, the promotion of peoples’ health, and the upgrading of Augustenborg, a poor neighbourhood that now boasts a public works building with the largest green roof in Scandinavia, and a healthy and pleasant environment for its citizens.
DVD on Vancouver, Canada (8 min.; English and French)
Vancouver is located on Canada’s West Coast, and is often regarded as the city with the highest quality of life in the world. A great number of its citizens enjoy sports and outdoor leisure activities, which have a positive impact on health. The City has planned much of the downtown core with sustainability principles in mind: high-density, mixed-use neighbourhoods; non-motorized forms of transportation and public transit; etc. The Mayor’s recent initiative, EcoDensity, emphasizes greener living principles for reduced Ecological Footprints; it aims to “create greater density throughout the city, and do it in a way that lowers our impact on the environment; ensures the necessary physical and social amenities; and supports new and different housing types as a way to promote more affordability”. Immigrants coming to live in Vancouver can benefit from a special welcoming program that helps them integrate better and find work. In the Downtown Eastside, various local organizations bring support to those who are disenfranchised.
DVD on the Ecological Footprint—an interview with William Rees, inventor of the Ecological Footprint analysis (13 min.; English and French)
In this interview, Dr. William Rees explains the benefits of using the Ecological Footprint, a tool which measures the total area of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems necessary to support humans. He presents the various components that make up this indicator, and highlights the importance of calculating the Footprint at all levels—from the individual to humanity as a whole. Dr. Rees invites us to think of about the strategies that need to be implemented for us to reduce our individual and collective Footprints. Each of us has a role to play in building “a program for sustainability,” a necessary venture to protect our planet and the vital systems that support life, and to enable future generations to flourish.
DVD on Vorarlberg, Germany (8 min.; English and French)
Vorarlberg is Austria’s smallest province. It is located west of the country, bordering with Germany, Switzerland and Lichtenstein. The
region’s main economic activities include industry, craft industry and tourism. 70 % of the electricity that is consumed here comes from hydropower. The other sources of renewable energy—wood and solar—represent a share of between 10 and 15%. The province, anxious to achieve energy independence, is implementing several ambitious policies. Wood is an important resource in Vorarlberg, and many houses are built using wood. Certain components are prebuilt in a factory, and much effort is put into creating houses that use very little energy. Two-thirds of new houses built in Vorarlberg are either low-energy dwellings or passive homes. Those houses that are so-called “passive” mean that they require less than 15 kWh/m² per year for heating. Since 1993, 600 passive houses have already been built in Vorarlberg. The province has set a goal for itself: to reduce by one third the CO2 emissions in the fields of housing, industry and transportation by the year 2010.
DVD on the Passive House, Austria and Germany (8 min.; English and French)
Thanks to excellent insulation, a passive house’s energy requirements are extremely low. The idea is to design a building with the principle of the thermos in mind; energy consumption must not exceed 15 kWh per m² and per year. In Vorarlberg, Austria, social housing is built using passive house principles. The first three-storey passive building that was built dates back to 1995. In early 2007, a new law came into effect which compels builders of social housing to build in compliance with passive-house norms. It is the only province, and perhaps the only region in the world, where such a law has been passed. There currently exist 10,000 passive houses in the world, 8,000 of which are found in Germany, and 1,500 in Austria. The investments that are required for passive houses are greater than those for a conventional house due to the cost of extra insulation. A detached passive home will cost somewhere between 8 and 10 % more, and 3 to 4 % more for multi-level dwellings. It is also possible to renovate older homes along passive building principles. This is known as a “Factor 10″ approach, as the goal is to divide by 10 the energy used for heating.
For additional information, please contact:
Emmanuel Prinet, EcoSteppingStones Consulting and Co-founder of the One Earth Initiative
Telephone: 604-669-5143
Email: emmanuel@oneearthweb.org
French version of the website, by Benoît Théau, IGAPURA (France): www.les-realisations-du-developpement-durable.org
DVD on BedZED, UK (8 min.; English and French)
BedZED—which stands for Beddington Zero (fossil) Energy Development—is a unique ecological neighbourhood that was created in 2000 in a suburb near London. Its objective is to offer quality housing and amenities while respecting sustainable-development principles and reduced Ecological Footprints: high energy efficiency; low water and energy use; the contribution to urban densification by reclaiming brown fields and not building on rare and precious greenbelts, and the promotion of a variety of rental units and apartments for sale at prices that reflect the wide range of incomes.
DVD on Freiburg-in-Brisgau, Germany (8 min.; English and French)
Over the past 30 years, the German city of Freiburg-in-Brisgau has been working towards improving its environment, with particular emphasis on three sectors: transportation, waste and energy. In the 1990s, two new neighbourhoods were built, Vauban and Reiselfeld, with a strong focus on energy conservation and all-round environmental excellence, as well as social diversity and the cohabitation of different generations. Citizens were actively involved in the creation of their neighbourhoods.
DVD on Malmö, Sweden (8 min.; English and French)
Malmö, a southern Swedish town facing Copenhagen, has been actively working on sustainable-development issues since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. In 1997, it started implementing a Local Agenda 21 programme for sustainability, and the city has tried to promote both social and ecological initiatives. Some of these include an ecological neighbourhood, Bo01, in the Western Harbour, the promotion of green transportation throughout the city such as public transit and bicycles, the promotion of peoples’ health, and the upgrading of Augustenborg, a poor neighbourhood that now boasts a public works building with the largest green roof in Scandinavia, and a healthy and pleasant environment for its citizens.
DVD on Vancouver, Canada (8 min.; English and French)
Vancouver is located on Canada’s West Coast, and is often regarded as the city with the highest quality of life in the world. A great number of its citizens enjoy sports and outdoor leisure activities, which have a positive impact on health. The City has planned much of the downtown core with sustainability principles in mind: high-density, mixed-use neighbourhoods; non-motorized forms of transportation and public transit; etc. The Mayor’s recent initiative, EcoDensity, emphasizes greener living principles for reduced Ecological Footprints; it aims to “create greater density throughout the city, and do it in a way that lowers our impact on the environment; ensures the necessary physical and social amenities; and supports new and different housing types as a way to promote more affordability”. Immigrants coming to live in Vancouver can benefit from a special welcoming program that helps them integrate better and find work. In the Downtown Eastside, various local organizations bring support to those who are disenfranchised.
DVD on the Ecological Footprint—an interview with William Rees, inventor of the Ecological Footprint analysis (13 min.; English and French)
In this interview, Dr. William Rees explains the benefits of using the Ecological Footprint, a tool which measures the total area of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems necessary to support humans. He presents the various components that make up this indicator, and highlights the importance of calculating the Footprint at all levels—from the individual to humanity as a whole. Dr. Rees invites us to think of about the strategies that need to be implemented for us to reduce our individual and collective Footprints. Each of us has a role to play in building “a program for sustainability,” a necessary venture to protect our planet and the vital systems that support life, and to enable future generations to flourish.
DVD on Vorarlberg, Germany (8 min.; English and French)
Vorarlberg is Austria’s smallest province. It is located west of the country, bordering with Germany, Switzerland and Lichtenstein. The
region’s main economic activities include industry, craft industry and tourism. 70 % of the electricity that is consumed here comes from hydropower. The other sources of renewable energy—wood and solar—represent a share of between 10 and 15%. The province, anxious to achieve energy independence, is implementing several ambitious policies. Wood is an important resource in Vorarlberg, and many houses are built using wood. Certain components are prebuilt in a factory, and much effort is put into creating houses that use very little energy. Two-thirds of new houses built in Vorarlberg are either low-energy dwellings or passive homes. Those houses that are so-called “passive” mean that they require less than 15 kWh/m² per year for heating. Since 1993, 600 passive houses have already been built in Vorarlberg. The province has set a goal for itself: to reduce by one third the CO2 emissions in the fields of housing, industry and transportation by the year 2010.
DVD on the Passive House, Austria and Germany (8 min.; English and French)
Thanks to excellent insulation, a passive house’s energy requirements are extremely low. The idea is to design a building with the principle of the thermos in mind; energy consumption must not exceed 15 kWh per m² and per year. In Vorarlberg, Austria, social housing is built using passive house principles. The first three-storey passive building that was built dates back to 1995. In early 2007, a new law came into effect which compels builders of social housing to build in compliance with passive-house norms. It is the only province, and perhaps the only region in the world, where such a law has been passed. There currently exist 10,000 passive houses in the world, 8,000 of which are found in Germany, and 1,500 in Austria. The investments that are required for passive houses are greater than those for a conventional house due to the cost of extra insulation. A detached passive home will cost somewhere between 8 and 10 % more, and 3 to 4 % more for multi-level dwellings. It is also possible to renovate older homes along passive building principles. This is known as a “Factor 10″ approach, as the goal is to divide by 10 the energy used for heating.