campus center for appropriate technology newsletter, fall 2008

8/9/2019 Campus Center for Appropriate Technology Newsletter, Fall 2008

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Newsletter of the HSU Campus Center for Appropriate Technology Fall 2008


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The mission of CCAT is:

* to demonstrate appropriate technology in a residential setting* to provide hands-on experiential learning opportunities to

Humboldt State University and the surrounding community.* to collect and disseminate information about appropriate tech-

nology* to examine the ethical and social consequences of technology* and to dispel the myth that living lightly on the earth is dif-

cult or burdensome.

CCAT is dedicated to sustainability and seeks to help others livelikewise.

Our Mission...


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Three ling cabinets have long dominated a corner of CCATs

house- whether it was the upstairs of the former Buck House, the living room

of the Jenkins House, or the newly constructed downstairs CCAT facilities.

Packed tightly with documents, these ling cabinets contain everything

from ancient appropriate technologies to documents on aquaculture from

the 1980s to sales records from the former Java Hut to co-directorsapplications to CCAT. As CCAT has transitioned over the last several years

from one house to the next, the ling system has become somewhat screwy.

There is relevant information everywhere- you just need to look on the

CCAT computer, in the many binders or in the ling cabinets, and then A-

ha! youll nd what you are looking for after an hour of searching!

As we progress and advance, we current CCATers have decided

that while digging through tons of old les is always an exciting process,

wed rather have our information at our ngertips (we are the Google and

Wikipedia generation) to make answering information requests and historical

questions easier. Thus, the sorting has begun. This summer, former Co-

Director Jeff Steuben, former co-director began the General InformationFiling Cabinets, sorting appropriate technology information ranging in

date from 1975 to 1998. Our new Information Request Coordinator Aaron

Parker has boldly picked up where Jeff left off and is diving into the third,

fourth, fth, sixth drawers. The CCAT oriented ling cabinet, containing

everything from the original CCAT master plan to vegan donut recipes

was pilfered this October. After thorough readings and sorting, long-time

Librarian Rosie Records and current Co-Directors Andrea Lanctot and Jess

Huyghebaert have managed to shrink the les to a more manageable drawer

and a half of information. Have no fear- all historically relevant information

was saved, including CCATs original membership card to the North Coast

Co-op and rst master plan! We had quite a good time looking through all

the les. Heres some of our favorites:-Bike safety tips from the 1980s

-Sister CCAT documents from around the world

-Plans for CEET- The Center for Environmental Ethics and

-Technology, CCATs possible revision as a center with housing

for 20 interns and 3 co-directors!

-50 or 60 copies of a sketch of the Buck House

-The CCAT conict folder!

Looking for AT information or some CCAT history? Stop by and check out

our library or the ling cabinets! Ask for help to gure out the system!

-Jess Hyghebaert, CCAT Co-Drector

The A.T. Transfer is the ofcial

newsletter of the Campus Center

for Appropriate Technology, which

is funded by the Associated Stu-

dentsof Humboldt State University.

The views adn content of the A.T.

Transfer are not censored or re-

viewed by the Associated Students

Table of Contents

Co-Edtors: Kristen Pope

Easton Connell

Cover Art: Annie Hehner

Thanks to ourlocal printer,

Digging through History

1461 M Street, Arcata,

(707) 822-2001

[email protected]

Bug Press

staff

mission statement 2

digging through history 3

times are a changin 4

blast from the past 5

ccats 30th anniversary 8

developments at ccat 9

sustainability conference 10

book reviews 11

Thank you so much for supporting CCAT. If youd like to support us further with

a donation, heres your chance! Were raising funds to build a beautiful green-

house at the new CCAT site. To help, please include this slip with your donation

of:

Campus Center for

Appropriate Technology

1 Harpst Street

Arcata, CA 95521

__ $10

__ $20

__ $50

__ $100

_____ Other

Please send your donation to:

CCAT thanks you!


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Times Are A Changin

CCAT: Moving from one crisis to the next since 1978.

CCAT: Moving piles since 2004. CCAT:Transitioning

clay to dirt since 2007. CCAT: Its all about the

sandwiches.

Those are only a few of the mantras that I can

remember from my time here at CCAT. Its been a

year since I started as a co-director? Two years since I

began volunteering? Three since I rst heard of CCAT?

You kidding me? This year alone feels like a lifetime.

Im sure as I grow and move and learn, Ill discover

CCAT is just one of many small pieces of fabric on

my old holey jeans Im always patching up. At this

point though, CCAT is the biggest patch on my life

that I have, and its xed a lot of things. Its been an

incredible learning process. Ive listened more, loved

more, grown more, despaired more, and laughed more

then anywhere else in my life. And maybe it wasnt

always healthy or happy, but damn- I feel like a whole

new person.

Thank you CCAT- thank you all my friends who are

also employees and co-directors, thank you former co-

directors, employees and volunteers for your stories and

your work and your love, thank you HSU for allowingCCAT to continue, even though were the dirty yard at

the corner of campus. Youve given me memories and

experiences more dear then I ever imagined nding out

here in the far out West .

-Jess Huyghebaert

Im Kate Dondero and I will be CCATs newest Co-

Director in January. I am from a beautiful part of rural

northern Nevada called Elko.

CCAT was one among many of the reasons why I

was attracted to Humboldt State. I have always been

interested in alternative technology and CCAT gives

me the perfect opportunity to learn more and help out

the Arcata and HSU community by doing worthwhile

work. One of the main reasons why I wanted to be a

CCAT Co-Director was so I could take the knowledge

that I gain here and apply it to my community back in

Nevada. My hometown does not focus on alternative

or green technology and I would like to help change

that.

There are a few things I would like to bring to CCAT.

I enjoy working in the dirt and I love plants and I would

like to offer whatever small bit of expertise I can. I also

want to bring honey bee hives to CCAT. Its hard to

say what I will bring to CCAT or what it will do for

me at this point. All I can say is that Im eager to live

and work with the other Co-Directors and members of

the CCAT team, and that I hope to bring a warm smile,

curiosity and hard work to our favorite eco-house.

See you in January!

-Kate

A Word From Departing and Incoming Co-Directors


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A Blast From the Past: Old Co-Directors

Pal Stko (1994-95)Since leavingArcata (*sniff*),

Ive lived on both the East and West coasts. Ive

earned my Masters Degree in Computer Science.

Ive been married, divorced and am currently

engaged to a wonderful woman. Ive survivedcancer. Ive adopted my rst dog, Agent Cooper.

Im earning a second Masters Degree on-line in

Library Science from San Jose State University.

I live in Los Angeles and work as a computer

programmer for the libraries at the University of

Southern California. I make the ten mile commute

to and from work via recumbent bicycle (thank

you Bart Orlando, for showing me the light). I keep

a car around for necessary escapes from the city.

Randy Brans (1996) Since being a co-director at

CCAT, Ive spent my entire career in the nonprot

sector. In 2000, I received a Masters degree in

Nonprot Management and Public Policy from

the University of Washington in Seattle. I stayed

in the Seattle area and worked for a number ofissues, including the environment, youth, elderly,

education and human rights. Im currently back in

school at UW, this time getting my Masters degree

in Business Administration, focusing on marketing

and corporate responsibility. Im excited about

the trend towards environmentally and socially

responsible products/businesses and hope to help,

via marketing, to get more mainstream consumers

to support more of these types of businesses. I

feel my time at CCAT was one of the best years

in my life and I would love to hear from anyone

that was associated with CCAT during my tenure.

Clare Mrray (1997) and

Rob Fegener (1996) were

married in 2001 and are

living in Corvallis, Oregon

with their two-year-old

twins Cole & Dylan.

Claire has been working

at the Greenbelt Land

Trust, helping protect open

spaces and enhancing theirnatural resource values.

Rob has been working at

the Institute for Applied

Ecology, helping with

environmental restoration

efforts.

Nna Wllams (1986-87) I live in rural southwestern

Colorado where the Colorado Plateau meets the San Juan

Mountains. I keep busy raising two wonderful children

and working as co-Executive Director for the Montezuma

Land Conservancy, a local land trust based in Cortez that

partners with local landowners to conserve important

private lands. I helped to build a successful non-prot

in a remote part of the state and delight in working withpioneer families who choose to preserve their farms and

ranches as opposed to selling them for development. My

children and I planted a big garden and fruit trees; they

love to sh, hunt, raft, hike, bike, ski and play soccer

in the extraordinary country that surrounds their home.

Scott Terrell (1980-82) As Conservation Administrator

at the Truckee Donner Public Utility District, Ive taken

a leadership role in helping Truckee become the Greenest

Small Town in America by 2010 and an Incandescent (light

bulb)-Free Community. I am a Certied Energy Manager

through the National Association of Energy Engineers(AEE). I received the Regional Sustainability Persons of

the Year Award through the Northern Nevada Architects

Institute of America and previously won an Energy

Manager of the Year Award through AEE. I have over 30

years of personal and professional experience in applying

and educating people about energy and water efciency

and conservation including auditing buildings, renewable

energy, green building and sustainability. I received my

B.S. in Natural Resources Planning and M.A. in Energy

and Environmental Education from HSU and maintain

membership in several professional green organizations.

I also helped stop Truckee Donner PUD from entering

into a 50 year coal contract in December of 2006. I teach

green courses for three colleges now, working on a fourth.

Rob and Claires two-year-old twins, Dylan (left) and

Cole (right).


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Sean Armstrong (1999-

2000) Since I co-directed,

I went on to get teaching

credentials in high schoolscience and English, taught

in a private junior high for a

year and started consulting

for a local developer on how

to incorporate a CSA farm

into a housing development.

I was hired by that developer,

Danco, a year later and have

been working since then

on green building, clean-

up of brownelds and

affordable housing. In about

a year and a half I hope to

have built the rst zero

energy apartment complex

in the United Statesits

already designed and

partially funded and I hope

to receive the remainder

the nancing this spring.

Brooke Radloff (1999-2000) CCAT and I were born the

same year, so I turned 30 this year too! Looking back, I can

see that my co-directorship at CCAT played a signicantrole in gaining skills and experience to kick me off on

my career path. Since I left CCAT, I have acted as co-

director and director of other organizations and non-prots,

both in and out of the sustainability eld. Although my

involvement in the sustainability eld has continued to this

day, my career path has most heavily been in the eld of

communication and conict resolution. I have served as

a mediator, facilitator, and program director. Although it

worked me to the bone, I am always grateful for the rich

experience and learning that I got from being a CCAT

co-director. I am engaged to be married next June to a

wonderful man whom I met while living in Boulder, CO. In

Boulder I was involved with the Integral Institute where Ibegan applying Integral Theory to the eld of Sustainability.

Ozze Gonzalez (1997-98) I graduated from HSU in 2000 with

a BS in Environmental Science. I got married in December of

2000 and moved to Los Angeles where my wife had already

spent a year studying medicine at UCLA. We had our rst child

in 2001 and I began a masters degree program in architecture.

By May of 2005, I had my M.Arch.I professional degree, my

wife had her MD, we had a cozy hillside home in the northeast

hills of LA and two beautiful children to keep us busy. For

three years I practiced architecture both as a solo designer of

custom residences and for a commercial architecture rm. I

provided consultation and design services for clients seeking

a high standard of environmental performance and ecologic

effectiveness. In addition to advocating sustainability in my

workplace and through my practice, I participate in the effort to

move the marketplace towards sustainability. One of the ways I

participate is by delivering seminars on the topics of architecture

and sustainability, urban planning, and the design of specic

technologies used for green design. For example, I am on the

speakers panel for the upcoming national AIA convention and Iwill be delivering a talk on the design applications of Photovoltaic

arrays. Despite our short-term successes in LA, we have recently

moved to the City of Roses and are down-shifting our lives for

the sake of raising our children. My wife works less now than

she ever has, which is full time, and I am a stay-at-home dad.

I spend my days studying for my architecture licensing exams

and searching for ways to make money doing what I love while

leaving me with the exibility to be the best parent I could be.

Steve Sakala (1998) I cant believe its been 10 years! It seems

like I was just putting together the twenty year celebration

with Claire and Ozzie.Now, ten years later the re still burns

and is making a huge difference in the world. After leaving

Humboldt, I spent almost four years living in West Africa

among the subsistence tribe of the Fulani, reaching out to


In January I moved back to the Bay Area to begin a Masters program in Integral Psychology

at John F. Kennedy University (and because my heart is in Northern California). I am

currently living in the East Bay and am working in San Francisco as the Communications

and Projects Manager for the Human Services Management Corporation, a management

company that manages non-prots and membership associations. The most rewarding

and exciting part of my job is that I am developing and managing an Environmental

Responsibility Program to Green the company, which is fun and challenging.

farmers about sustainableagriculture. I returned to the

United States in 2002 and

during the next couple years

I spent the majority of my

time as a political activist. In

January 2006, I was invited

to the Big Island of Hawaii to

start setting up a sustainable

community model. Now almost

three years later I am part

of a collective that is hoping

to open an education center

that focuses on sustainability,self-sufciency, health and

wellness. This will be a uniquemodel for the whole world to take lessons from, addressing

the major political issues of food security and energy. One

of the major lessons I took from CCAT was the need for

models so that people could see the change in action. It

has been my journey to create models and live the change.


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Garrett McSorley (2004) I was a Co-Director my senior year.

I got to live in the Buck House in all its glory, then proceeded

to disassemble and salvage in preparation for the relocation of

the house. What an incredible experience it was to be part of the

planning and design process! With fellow Co-Ds Krysal and

Kendra, and then Jeff and Elizabeth, we were part of a whirlwind of action, knowing that the decisions we made would

signicantly affect the future of CCAT. What I didnt know

at the time was that this was only the beginning of my life in

design and architecture. Not long after graduating I was very

fortunate to get a job with K.Boodjeh Architect in Arcata. I did

drafting, technical coordination, and LEED management for the

new Arcata Community Recycling Center Processing Facility

in Samoa. I also crawled around the old Arcata Mufer shop,

taking measurements and drafting the remodel construction

plans for what would become Cafe Brio on the Plaza In May of

2006, my wife graduated from Nursing school. We got married

at Moonstone Beach, then moved to Oregon and I started a three

year Master of Architecture program at University of Oregon...

all within four weeks. Since then I have been studying, drawing,

and building models late into the night. I have also been

fortunate to earn a Graduate Research Fellowship working in the

Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory here on campus. I get

to interact with professional architects who bring their projects

to ESBL to improve their energy performance. Much of the

work involves daylighting, natural ventilation, climate analysis,

and energy modeling, really cool stuff. I am also involved with

University of Oregons own CCAT. It is called the Center for

the Advancement of Sustainable Living (CASL, pronounced

castle, I have had a hard time mixing up the names). Over

the last couple years we have had worked with universityadministration to secure an old 1920s house on campus. In need

of repair and remodel to accommodate the CASL program, we

have held design charrettes and formed a student design team.

The construction plans are nearly complete, and work should

begin in early 2009. The project includes new bedrooms to

accommodate three Co-Director residential interns, a living

roof, passive solar heating, super insulation, solar water heating

and electricity, rainwater catchment, greywater treatment,

extensive gardens, and everything else that an inspirational

center should have. I will be graduating in the Spring and cant

wait to see what comes next. Thanks CCAT and keep having fun!

Jeffrey M. Adams(2004-05) Since being a Co-director

and graduating the following year, my path has held

uncountable adventures, with stories and insights

awaiting the next rendezvous around the re. I am

currently self-employed doing whole-systems design,

implementation, and education in the Marin Sonomaregion. Through the frame of business I am focusing my

efforts on strengthening the natural connection between

people and place while catalyzing the infrastructure and

capacities needed to make a local ecological economy

the viable option within modern society. From the

school of life I am continuing to build on a strong

foundation supported by my experiences with CCAT,

gleaning lessons and sharpening my awareness of the

mechanisms that make or break positive intentions.

Glenn Howe (2005) I am living in the Bay Area and writing

environmental curriculum for an educational organizationcalled Galileo Educational Services. They reach

thousands of students each summer and so the curriculum

will have a far reaching effect in teaching elementary-

aged children about the importance of stewardship,

especially as related to water and energy conservation. I

will likely be working in one of the Camp Director roles

this coming camp season, and will also continue my

job search for a healthy 3/4 teaching position. Wish me

luck there...it seems that most teaching jobs are time and

a half, at least. Ill nd a place to ght the good ght.

Edde Tanner (2003)I have been farming professionally

in this area for ten years now (before and after CCAT)

and I am now starting my own CSA farm: DeepSeeded

Community Farm in Arcata. I have also recently

written and published a locally-oriented gardening

guide, The Humboldt Kitchen Gardener. I was one

of the grand prize winners of the 2008 Economic Fuel

Competition and I will be teaching a course in organic

gardening through HSU Extended Ed this winter.


Jeffrey Steben (2007-08): Since completing myterm as Co-Director, I entered my nal year at HSU

working to complete my Appropriate Technology

major and GIS minor. I have been working for HSU

Plant Operations as the Energy Management Intern

tracking and analyzing HSUs energy use. I have

also taken on responsibility as the Student HEIF

Manager, helping facilitate the Humboldt Energy

Independence Fund in its second active year. After

graduating, I plan to get a job relating to sustainability

or energy, but dont know exactly what that will be.


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Pictures from CCATs 30th Anniversary Celebration

Gary gets passionate about

compost.

Paper making?

Annie solar cooker stuff

Yet another great thing about pedal

power - no training wheels.CCAT friends and family got together to celebrate with a birthday feast in

the _______ Forum.

Natural paint stuff?

People of all ages enjoyed playing with the

bubbles.

The 30th Anniversary Celebration featured a rousing set from local

bluegrass group Compost Mountain Boys.


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Solar Thermal Grant Submitted to HEIF

By Laura Hughes

In mid-November, CCAT submitteda proposal to HEIF (HSU EnergyIndependence Fund) to implement our

Solar Thermal Project. HEIFs mission

is to reduce the environmental impact ofenergy use at Humboldt State University

through student-driven projects. CCATs

proposed project involves the installation

of two evacuated tube panels on the roof

to showcase solar technologies while

providing heat and hot water to the CCAT

building and reducing energy usage. The

project will be used as an educational

opportunity for students and the community

through project implementation and

installation, data monitoring and analysis

and an educational interpretive display.

The solar energy captured by the panels

will be stored in the existing solar-specic

hot water heater system, the Phoenix,

which is co-red by natural gas as a backup.

Although CCAT is equipped with radiant

oor heating and a specialized water heater,

the system lacks an essential component

the solar panels that provide clean and

renewable thermal energy. Without them,

we are dependent on natural gas to heat

our water. We are applying for funds to

By Jess Hyghebaert

and Andrea Lanctot

During CCATs transition from our

old site to our new site, the orginal

greenhouse that made the Buck House

famous as a solar passively heated home

was dismantled. Our old greenhouse

supplied co-directors, CCAT employees,

and volunteers with an abundance of foodand a structure to test passive solar heating

technologies. Now that we are settling into

our new location, we are looking to rebuild

the greenhouse! The greenhouse will serve

as a heating source, a space for increased

food production, a learning center for

tours and workshops, and a place for new

innovative CCAT projects. A greenhouse

on the CCAT grounds will not only supply

CCAT with more resources but will supply

more resources to our students and our

complete the system, including including

the purchase of two evacuated tube panels,

a metering and data logging system, and a

permanent interpretive display.

The data logging system will record

the total energy captured by the panels

and allow for efciency tracking. Studentinvolvement will be integral to the

monitoring portion, eventually making the

data publically available on the internet.

This will also integrate with University

curriculum, including ENGR 308

(Technology and the Environment), which

analyzes data sets to compare products or

effectiveness over time.

Other learning opportunities include

a free public workshop planned around

panel installation. Students and the wider

community will be invited to join CCAT

while the panels are put in place to engagewith the project, learn the benets of solar

thermal heat generation, and how solar

thermal panels can be installed at home.

Additionally, Natural Resources Planning

and Interpretation students will be involved

in the development and creation of the

projects interpretive display.

The solar thermal project furthers

CCATs mission to demonstrate these

technologies and share information with

students and community members through

tours, workshops, classes and other

events. Further, our work promotes the

accessibility and applicability of appropriate

technologies for energy independence in

everyday living. CCAT is hopeful that the

Solar Thermal Project will be approved thisyear, and if so, we may start the project as

early as Spring 2009. For more details o

information regarding this project, please

contact CCAT. To learn more about HEIF

you can visit their website: http://www

humboldt.edu/~heif/

Co-Directors Jess Huyghebaert, Andrea

Lanctot, and Robert Zandi are partnering to

complete this project under the advisory o

Lonny Grafman, ERE Department Lecturer

We have also collaborated with graduate

student Peter Johnstone and Professor Arne

Jacobson on the system metering designCommunity partners and consultants

include Tim Moxon and others from Plant

Operations, the contractor responsible

for installing the panels and leading the

informational workshop, as well as a

Schatz Energy Research Center engineer

responsible for training the CCAT studen

engineering technician and webmaster

Former CCAT Co-Director Jeff Steuben

and CCAT Grantwriter Laura Hughes have

also helped.

community.

The design of the greenhouse has been

created by students in multiple classes and

continues to evolve as we come closer to

actual implementation. The greenhouse

project has already given students experience

with numerous hands-on elements of

design but the implemetation of the design

will open up so many oppurtunities tostudents from across disciplines. Our

greenhouse will demonstrate appropriate

greenhouse design for our area and supply

our community with a model for building

their own.

Our current plan is for a 663-square-foot

greenhouse, built onto the bottom half of

the new CCAT house. From conversations

weve had with multiple professors, project

managers and folks in the construction

world, the estimated cost of the greenhouse

is about $15,000. This is a rough estimate

of the cost, but fairly accurate as a total, as

materials may be donated, or material price

may uctuate. Currently, our fundraising

and saving efforts have created a fund of

almost $8,000 for the greenhouse but we

need your help to make our greenhouse

a reality. Any gift, no matter how small

will help us achieve our dream of a newgreenhouse! The money that you gift to

CCAT for our greenhouse will create a

healthy, appropriate, accessible greenhouse

useful for new learning opportunities, food

production, seed saving, workshops, an

tours.

Our funding goal is to reach $15,000 by

Spring 2009 so that we can start construction

during the summer. Help us reach our goa

and rebuild CCATs famous greenhouse!

Help CCAT Increase On-Site Food Production


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With so many activities going on,

there were many highlights, points

of interest and inspiration! One of

the most interesting observations

was Chicos Zero-Waste Challenge-

students committed to carrying their

trash for two weeks, where any waste

they produced that could not be

composted or recycled was placed in

a bag.. Most participants wore their

trash bag at the hip, and certainly

attracted alot of attention to the

amount of trash we generate!

CCAT co-directors Andrea Lanctot

and Jess Huyghebaert presented

Saturday afternoon, moderated by

former co-director Jocelyn Orr,

discussing how to create your owndemonstration home or sustainable

movement on your campus. CCATs

history, structure, and technologies

were all covered before the co-

directors delved into lessons learned

from CCATs experience and the

problems CCAT still struggles with.

Several members of the audience

were from HSU and said they were

glad to have attended as they were

surprised by how little they knew

about CCAT! Other audience membersspoke of inspiration and wanting to

go back to organizations they had left

to ensure continuance.

By: Nate Chase

During the relocation of CCAT andthe Buck House, much of CCATs

physical infrastructure was lost. CCAT

has been working hard to re-establish

the gardens, grey water system,

compost system and many other

appropriate technologies. One such

element integral to the CCAT grounds

is a tool shed and workshop. Known as

the Cabin, CCAT is designing and

Cabin Tool Shed Coming in Spring

By: Jess Hyghebaert

On Nov. 6-9, CSU Chico hostedtheir fourth annual This Way toSustainability Conference. CCAT was

in attendance, along with many other

groups from the HSU area, including theCampus Recycling Program, Natural

Resources Club, Green Campus,

Associated Students, Power Vote,

the Coalition, HSUs Sustainability

Coordinator, and the new Sustainable

Committee from the College of the

Redwoods.

Starting Thursday, the conference

stretched over the entire weekend,

lled with keynote speakers, over 100

workshops and tours, and ending witha student convergence on Sunday.

Chico State worked hard to make the

conference green, with little paper

waste, serving local and organic

meals whenever possible, providing

recycling and compost throughout and

eliminating single use condiments and

dish ware.

HSU students were hosted by Chico

students and met a wide array of folks

involved in similar sustainability

actions. As Tall Chief Comet, HSUsSustainability Coordinator, noted, it

was very validating to know others are

doing the same work we are, working

towards the same goals.

CCAT Heads to Chico for Sustainability Conference

Andy Keller, creator of the Chico

Bag, created this display to demon-

strate the need for reusable bags.

The piece moved throughout the con- fernce; this photo was taken Nov. 7

in front of Green Business - Inside

the Chico Bag Company workshop.

(Photo: Andrea Lanctot)

planning to building a tool shed this

coming spring.Timber Framing will be the backbone

of the cabin. Timber framing is centred

around a few large posts and beam

being the structure of the building.

Conventional framing carries loads

spread over many small 24 post and

beams. The open spaces between posts

will be a canvas for CCAT to show

alternative building techniques. Such

alternative wall cavities like stuffed

straw and wool, straw bale, earth shipand rammed earth will be demonstrated

in the Cabin. The cabin will be 1218

feet and sit on the existing patio. On the

south-west side a large barn door wil

provide the cabin with an open space

feeling so working in the cabin will be

like working outside. The cabin will be

wheelchair accessible from the CCAT

driveway.


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The CCAT Library has these (and hundreds of other) books you can check out!

Cadillac Desertby Marc ReisnerReview by Connie Wong

Cadillac Desert is a history andexamination of the water needed tosustain Americas West. It also begs thequestion of water viability and sustainability

for the West in the future, and what this

means for the desert civilizations that have

been constructed out of water.

Marc Reisner begins with the notion of

manifest destiny and its important role in the rst settlers

ideological imaginations of the American West as a place of

fertility, devoid of natural obstacles. We read later in the book that

the manifest destiny is a beautiful Aphrodite-like dream fueled

by erce corruption, exploitation, distortions, hydro-thievery and

political turmoil. This brawling of politicians, agro-business, US

Congress, and the Army Corps of Engineers has produced failed

water projects, such as the St. Francis Dam, which is considered

one of the worst civil disasters in American History.

Cadillac Desert is a reminder to the contemporary American

readers that desert society built out of scarce water resources is

like a house built out of sand: unsustainable.

Four Arguments for the Elimination of Televisionby Jerry Mander,Review by Nick Nelson

The elimination of television: its difcult to imagine, so

pervasive has the technology become in our society. Jerry

Mander (yes, that is his real name) made that case in this work,

published over 30 years ago.

Mander draws on his 15 years in the advertising industry,

extensive interviews, and the surprisingly

minimal body of established work on

his chosen subject. From these sources

he makes four well-developed, thought-

provoking arguments, grounded in

common sense. Unencumbered by a mass

of technical jargon, readers can simply take

in one mans thoughts and interpretations

and make of them what they will.

The four arguments themselves may

come as no great surprise to many readers.

It is the details that were sensational: the precise number of specialeffects necessary to keep people from growing bored and walking

away, the lack of scientic research into the effects of exposure

to a narrow range of wavelengths for prolonged periods of time,

the simple fact that television can permanently implant images

into millions of minds simultaneously, just to name a few. I found

myself comparing Manders anecdotes to my own experience,

and discovering in many cases a feeling of disconcerting truth.

Relatively soon, there will no longer be a generation that

remembers a time when there was no such thing as a television.

This technology denes how we live today, and as such it is our

obligation to understand it and to judge it accordingly.

Throw away your television and read this book instead.

Earthship: Volumes 1, 2, and 3, How to Build Your

Ownby Michael Reynolds,Review by Azad Zandi

S

ome people want to live in a castle, on

a boat, or in a trailer, but what aboutliving in the Earth? This is an exciting

and appropriate way of living lightly on

the earth! By using the natural earthen

materials from your area and diverted

materials from the waste stream, you can

build your own house, and cheap at that!

This series of how-to books focuses on natural building that

combines the recycling, reusing materials, and reducing the waste

stream. Some topics included are: location, solar gain, design,

structure, greenhouse incorporation, and nishes ... not to mention

awesome pictures, displaying projects, diagrams, and actual homes

that have been built. No doubt, you should check it out!

Farm Conveniences and How to Make Them: Classic

American Labor-Saving DevicesReview by Jess Huyghebaert

Our world has evolved into technologiesand processes that leave us far removedfrom what we can create and x ourselves.

Weve outsourced our food, clothing, homes,

furniture, education to other folks and lost

touch with our own ingenuity and creativity.

Farm Conveniences is a dictionary of x-its

for your home and land, everything from building boats to how to

prevent cattle from throwing the fence, from dressing beef to crop

preparationFor those interested in homesteading, wishing to join the back-

to-the-land movement, or who are simply intrigued by building

things with their own hands, this is a great book to browse

through. Perhaps a better, simpler method of construction has

been developed since 1900, but sometimes its good to back up on

the technology highway, and remember where we came from and

what we started with.

Natural Capitalismby Paul HawkenReview by Matthew Peters

This book is all about achieving a new

ecological economy through the process

of incorporating the perceived value of anobject, organism or natural service into the

capitalist business model. Accounting for

natural capital involves internalizing those

costs that nature pays or provides; and this

in turn, says the author, will bind human economic activity to the

natural world more completely.

The ideas of the book are predicated on the belief that the

commodication and valuation of nature are the best ways to

preserve the natural world. The author has literary style and lots

of background knowledge; the book is very well researched.

Bibliophile Paradise


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Nonprot Org.

US Postage Paid

Permit No. 78

Arcata, CA 95521

ENVS 480 ORGANiC GARDENiNG

Starts in March (8 weeks, 2 hours a week) Limit 4 studentsThis internship will involve learning hands-on the science ofsmall scale food production, without the use of chemicals.Facilitated by CCAT gardeners, interns will research,study work with soil preparation, plant propagation,garden planning, composting, crop rotations, and more.

ENVS 480 HERBALiSMStarts in March (8 weeks, 2 hours a week) Limit 4 studentsThis internship will study the use of herbs as medicine,and explore the science of cultivating, drying and usingherbs as well as creating herbal remedies. Interns will applyknowledge while exploring CCATs herb gardens, propagating,identifying, and harvesting herbs on seasonal basis.

ENGR 280 SuSTAiNABLE TECHNOLOGiESStarts in March (8 weeks, 2 hours a week) Limit 15 studentsThis eight-week eld site series will feature tours of a range oftechnologies and their applications in the community. Potentialtopics include green building, community agriculture, graywater systems, alternative energy, biodiesel as a fuel, and more.

Not long ago, CCAT was small, hidden in a corner of campus. As CCAT grew, we started offering building technology classesand spreading knowledge about appropriate technology and sustainable living. During our transition period in the Jenkins house,we started to offer many more lecture and hands-on classes. Now on a permanent site, there is much to design and build! Nextsemester we will bring back the CCAT tradition of small hands-on internships focusing on CCAT technologies, grounds, andgardens. Student interns will work closely with CCAT Co-Directors and employees to implement exciting projects at CCAT.

ENGR 280 LOST ARTS OF LiViNGStarts in March (8 weeks, 2 hours a week) Limit 12 studentsAn eight week series of experiential and exploratoryworkshops covering skills, crafts, and natural patterns thatare no longer commonly practiced. Potential topics includeshelter & re building, natural paints, canning, and more.

ENGR 280 CCAT GREEN DESiGNStarts in January (8 weeks, 2 hours a week) Limit 8 studentsThis eight-week course will cover the fundamentals of sustainablesystems design through reading and discussions of literature,focus projects, and surveys of technologies and systems. Whilethe rain is still pouring, students will help research and design projects that will be implemented during Spring semester.

ENGR 280 CCAT GREEN CONSTRuCTiONStarts in March (8 weeks, 2 hours a week) Limit 4 studentsThis class will provide students with hands-on experience,exploring the design and construction possibilities for thenew CCAT facility and grounds. Students will learn aboutgreen and alternative building materials and methods.

CCAT Spring 2009 Courses Course Descriptions for ENVS and ENGRcourses to be offered through CCAT

campus center for appropriate technology newsletter, fall 2008

Documents