March 04

many of these have been mentioned already like:
-small home
-live close to local community
-if it's yellow ...

some other important things are:
-no automobiles (unless running on biodiesel made from local waste - 1/3 of petroleum usage is by transportation)
-don't fly (high altitude jet engines are VERY bad for global warming and will not get better - 1 flight over 6 hours in length is like driving your car for 1 year)
-use energy efficient light bulbs
-hang your laundry to dry (this is a great energy saver)
-install double paned glass
-use electricity not gas (we have lots of arguably "sustainable" electricity in BC but natural gas never is)
-compost
-use a push mower for your lawn - or get rid of it all together

there are so many things... and please don't just "jump in the car and pop down to [seatle|victoria|whistler]" for no good reason!

• warm enough with no combustion involved for heating
• reliance on occupants/users/uses as part of the heating equation
• properly vented
• small but efficient in size/shape/footprint
• strong construction with great potential for dissembling/resusing/returning to earth
• evident sitting and construction in response to place
• wise location within its community (high enough for protection/low enough for safety/close enough to the broader community)
• explicitly functional (therefore beautiful,but that's just me...)

I would like to see more homes built with solar heating. We need to start going there.

I agree with all these. To add another item... to ensure my property taxes don't continue to increase faster than the rate at which I can pay them! Not to mention the exorbitant initial market prices. Affordable housing is becoming one of the most pressing sustainability issues to our generation. Nevermind making all these theoretically wonderful green renos - I (like most Canadians) can barely afford to pay for the thing as is!

Carefully selected materials and a high EnerGuide rating so the house requires little or no purchased energy.

EnerGuide incentive info is available:
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/home-improvement/service/service.cfm?attr=4#what

I stumbled on what I think makes a home sustainable.

I recently moved closer to where I work and had to adjust to living in a smaller space. You know what? I like it way more than I expected.

Less space is not only less expensive, but forces me to own/buy less "stuff" and keep things simple. Everything in my home has to be more functional and durable. That works for me!

I think a sustainable home is a home within a small, liveable community.
This means that work, groceries, shopping, ect. are all within walking/cycling distance.
A sustainable home should be close to transit for longer trips.
A sustainable home is a small home, no bigger than it needs to be, to save energy needed to heat it.
A sustainable home should bring one closer to nature and our roots. This can be as simple as a park nearby, windows that allow sunshine to warm the place on nice days, a small herb garden, a compost for making soil- or, for the more dedicated, a fruit & vegetable patch.

Just wanted to let everyone know that this is also the topic of the first Sustainability Cafe. If this is a topic of interest to you, please come out to the discussion!

Monday, March 6
6:30 - 8:30 pm

BCIT Campus (CHBA BC, Building NW5)
3700 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby, BC