ruralisation ecounit course
DESCRIPTION
Folke Günrhers course in how eco-units can be used to crate sustainable townsTRANSCRIPT
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Permaculture in the grand scale
Ruralisation with ecounits
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Cheap energy will soon be a memory of forlorn times
1. Without cheap energy, phosphorus need to be recycled
2. Without cheap energy, supply lines need to be short
3. Without cheap energy, we have to rely on ecosystem services
We are in trouble
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
We are in troubleCheap energy will soon be a
memory of forlorn times
1. Whithout cheap energy, phosphorus need to be recycled
2. Whithout cheap energy, supply lines need to be short (Clausewitz)
3. Whithout cheap energy, we have to rely on ecosystem services
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Therefore, we need a lifeboat
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Extraction horizons of phosphorus
At higher energy price: ?? years
100 – 150 yearsAt current energy price:
Peak phosphorus
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Peak phosphorus is not a problem
• Phosphorus molecules does not wear out !
• The ecounit is designed for phosphorus recycling !
• The main thing is to avoid loss
in an ecounit
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
• a balanced agriculture
• a limited group of people
• a local recycling system
Safe food supply and nutrient recycling requires:
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Balanced agriculture: Animals are fed with
plants growing from their manure
= about 80% recycling of nutrients PO4
Feed Urine
One hectare:
Balanced agriculture
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
.. but 3-4 kg of the phosphorus (20%) is exported as food
The 3-4 kg amounts to the P content of the excrements from 5 persons
PO4
Feed Urine
Food
Urine
= 0,2 ha/pers
One hectare:
Limited group of people
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
.. these nutrients must be returned to close the cycle
With source-separating toilets,
these nutrients can be recycled
PO4
Feed Urine
Food
Urine
PO
4
= 0,2 ha/pers
One hectare:
Local recyclingsystem
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
The eco-unit, a small population maintained by a permaculture
agricultureBalanced agriculture
Providing most of the human foodand all of the animal fodder
Area: 50 ha for 200 inhabitants
•Nutrient reclaim•Landscape diversity•Predator habitat•Lee – planting•Biomass production
Open ditches
Nutrients from the settlement is recycled to agricultural land
Balanced agriculture,aimed at the
support of thelocal population
Small population,about 200,
supported by the
agriculture
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
The eco-unit
Biological greywater treatment plant (wetpark)Clean water is returned to
the households
• High diversity• Perennial plants• Co-operation• Mutualism• Nutrient circulation• On-site consumption• Water export by evaporation
Feed
PO4Food
PO
4
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Economy
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Total energy investment: about 40.000 kWh / 4 pers
Energy delivered to household: about 4.000 kWh/ 4 p.
The energy economy of conventional food production
Energy invested in agriculture: about 4.000 kWh/ 4 p.
Energy invested by middlemen: about 36.000 kWh/ 4 p.
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected] kr
15 000 kr
30 000 kr
60 000 kr Annual consumer cost for food (four person Swedish family)60.000 SEK
Payment to producer, less than 25%
Trade, distribution and processingabout 75% of the total price
Producer cost (fuel, interests etc.)80% of producer payment
Producer salary, about 3.000 SEK (5% of consumer cost)
The economy of conventional food production
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Assume a group of consumers subscribe for food from a local farmer
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
They will drive the industry out of the market by paying the double industrial price (half of the consumer price)
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
15 000
30 000
45 000
60 000
Expenses
Salary
Distribution and trade
Because of the increased food diversity produced, the farmers’s expenses are assumed to increase with 50%
..but the remaining is the farmers salary, which will
increase 400%
The consumer cost for the food decrease with 50%
13.000
18.000
60.000
30.000
12.000
3.000
The economy of ecounit food production
conventional ecounit
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Total energy investment in food : about 8.000 kWh / 4 pers
The energy economy of ecounit food production
Energy invested in (conventional) agriculture: about 4.000 kWh/ 4 p.
Energy invested local management: about 8.000 kWh/ 4 p.
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Let’s hope that the consumers will usetheir saved money to invest in the agriculture…
Cheaper food
Saved money
Lesser energy price vulnerability
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
# The rules are:You can imagine the most ridiculous thingsBut you have to render a statement of the effects
# A scenario is an imagination made by a scientist
The ruralisation scenario
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
The ruralisation scenario – start point
In this scenario, the following is assumed:
4. They decide that, instead of building new houses on the same place as the old ones were torn down, they will build eco-units in the periphery of the town.
At start point, the centre of the municipality has a population of 33 000The periphery: 3 000 1. The city is inhabited by decision-makers who have the
capacity to make far-sighted and strategic decisions
3. Furthermore, they understand that the city is not static, but dynamic. Old houses are torn down and new are built. (The average life-time for a house is supposed to be 60 years, which gives the city a
rate of change of 1,6%)
2. They have the same knowledge of limiting resources, ecology and the rules for long-term survival as you.
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Ruralisation – after 12 years
The town center: 24 000The periphery : 12 000
Groups of four Eco-unitsEach group is inhabited by 800 people
Local parks replacing the old houses
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Ruralisation – after 25 years
The town : 12 000The periphery : 24 000
Reversed ditching:Underground streams are brought to the surfaceCleaner water
Folke Günther http://www.holon.se/folke [email protected]
Ruralisation – after 50 years
The endpoint of the ruralisation process: The municipality : 3 000The periphery : 36 000
Area with 5,600 inhabitants in eco-unitsPopulation density closing to 500/km2
• High diversity• Perennial plants• Co-operation• Mutualism• Nutrient circulation• On-site consumption• Slow change• Water export by evaporationBy changing into a more
resilient and less fuel dependent state, the ecological maturity of the area is considerably increased
May be, the human impact on this area has changed from a parasitic to a supportive type