EnviroMecca
EnviroMecca our healing tool to save humanity.
Imagine, if you will, a lush babylonian tower on the horizon. A symbol of hope and change, glistening with wind turbines, solar panels, and green foliage from the street all the way to the top of the tower 40 stories above. Close your eyes and envision a warm spring day, feeling the warm rays of the morning sun out on the roof gardens four hundred feet abov ...learn more
GROUP DETAILS
Created: Jul 29, 2008
Updated: Nov 27, 2009
Membership: Open
Semi-Private
Group Info
|
|
||||||||||||||||
Areas of Focus
Agricultural Policy | Agricultural Water Conservation and Management | Agroecology | Biological Control | Composting | Farm Ecosystem Management | Gardening | Global Beef Industry | Livestock in Developing Nations | Organic Farming | Permaculture | Precision Farming | Rural Farming Communities | Soil Conservation and Management | Sustainable Agriculture | Sustainable Livestock Husbandry | Acid Rain | Air Quality and Pollution | Indoor Air Quality | Ozone Layer | Amphibians | Animal and Plant Trafficking | Animal Welfare and Rights | Artiodactyls | Bats | Birds | Canids | Cetaceans | Elephants | Endangered Animal Species Protection | Endemic Animal Species Protection | Felids | Fish | Insects | Lagomorphs | Lepidoptera | Marsupials | Mollusks and Crustaceans | Mustelids and Viverrids | Perissodactyls | Pinnipeds | Primates | Raptors | Reptiles | Rodents | Sirenians | Ursids | Wildlife Ecology | Wildlife Habitat Conservation | Wildlife Law and Policy | Wildlife Management | Art and Sculpture | Arts Activism | Arts Education | Arts Therapy | Literature | Performing Arts | Biocultural Diversity | Biodiversity Conservation | Domesticated Animal Diversity | Domesticated Plant Conservation | Seed Conservation | Business Firm and Organization Sustainability | Corporate Ethics | Ecological Economics | Ecosystem Services | Ecotourism | Environmental Accounting | Finance Policies and Institutions | Fiscal Policies, Institutions and Taxation | Green Banking and Insurance | Microcredit | Microfinance | Natural Capitalism | Responsible Business Practices | Socially Responsible Investment | Child and Youth Protection | Child Labor | Children in Armed Conflict | Children's Health | Juvenile Justice | Rights of the Child | Youth Capacity Building | Youth Education and Empowerment | Youth Leadership | Youth Participation | Youth-led Organizations | Communication Training | Nonprofit Law | Organizational Funding | Organizational Governance | Organizational Support and Management | Philanthropy | Social Entrepreneurship | Training for Nonprofits | Coastal and Marine Human Impacts | Coastal and Marine Invasive Species | Coastal and Marine Law and Policy | Coastal and Marine Pollution | Coastal Ecology | Coral Reef Conservation | Mangrove Conservation | Marine Ecology and Conservation | Community Enterprise | Community Participation | Community Resources | Community Service/Volunteerism | Community Training | Dialogue, Deliberation and Consensus-Building | Fundraising | Leadership Training | Conservation and Recreation | Conservation and the Commons | Conservation Area Creation | Conservation Area Protection | Conservation Biology | Conservation Policy | Land Restoration | Land Stewardship | Natural Heritage Conservation | Natural Resource Conservation | Practical Conservation | Wilderness | Cultural Diversity | Cultural Heritage Conservation | Culture and Sustainability | Infectious Diseases | Democracy and Civil Society | Groundwater | Arms Trading | Green Hospital Movement | Biological Development | Water and Energy | Sustainable Urban Environmental Services | Gender Equality | International Humanitarian Law and War Crimes | Water and Sustainable Development | Urban Communications | Technology Transfer | Sustainability and Technology | Life Cycle Assessment | Sustainable Urban Power | Crises and Disaster Aid | Sustainable Materials | Conservation Easements | Food Supply | Indigenous Rights | Fire Ecology | Fair Trade | Light and Noise Pollution | Greenhouse Gases | Environmental Monitoring | Environmental Justice | Environmental Health | Environmental Ethics | Environmental Education | Microbial Ecology | Forest Ecology and Conservation | Land Reform | Alternative Medicine | Male Circumcision | Evolutionary Ecology | Men and Violence | Men's Health | Tropical Moist Forests | Globalization Impacts | Restorative Justice | Disability Equality | Landscape Ecology | Worker Rights | Language Revitalization | Ethnobotany | Crime and Policing | Mycology | River-Lake Ecology and Biodiversity | Cancer | Minerals Law and Policy | Religion and Ecology | Sustainable Minerals Industry | Squatter Communities | Nuclear Disarmament | Weapons | Shrublands | Human Rights and Natural Law | Protected Areas, Individuals, Objects and Property | Temperate and Boreal Needleleaf Forests | Sustainable Building | Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests | Aquarium Trade | World Marine Fisheries | Food Aid | Ecological Change and Emerging Diseases | Tuberculosis | Government Oversight and Reform | Medical Biotechnology | Malaria | Global Governance | Institutional Accountability | Advertising | Global Wood Products Industry | Plantations | Certified Timber Harvesting | Global Food Supply and Sustainability | Informal Economy | Worker Centers | Land Tenure | Women and the Environment | Property Rights | Sustainable Energy Development | Energy Security and Sustainability | Natural Resource Management | Rivers and Creeks | Health Care Access | Lakes and Ponds | Energy Flow in Ecosystems | Electric Power | Public and Government Education | Sparse Trees and Parklands | Rights and Equality of LGBT | Demographics | Global Labor | International Debt | Currency Exchange | Transnational Corporations | Trade Balance | Water Pollution | Hazardous Solid Waste | Global Pollution | Energy Pollution | Chemical Pollution | Tropical Dry Forests | Family Planning | Education, Government and Sustainability | Renewable Energy | Sustainable Fishing | Pollination Ecology | Ecological Footprint | Rural Development | Endangered Plant Species Protection | Conflict Resolution | Literacy | Human Trafficking and Slavery | Affordable Housing | Human Rights and Civil Liberties | Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons, and Migrants | Alternative Fuels | Wetlands | Watershed Management | Water Supply and Conservation | Urban Forestry | Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning | Seniors' Health | Food Literacy | Worker Health and Safety | Public Health | Human Rights Education | Land Use Policy | Land and Naval Mines | Military Disarmament | Law and Policy Reform | Human Rights Protection | Land Trusts and Land Conservation | Biomimicry | Water Quality and Health | Water Law and Policy | Biotechnology | Energy Policy | Health Education | Access To Education | Dams | Sustainable Transportation | Pollution Prevention and Reduction | Prison Reform and Policy | Poverty Alleviation | Inland Aquatic Ecosystems | Human Population Growth and Impacts | Plant Ecology | Petroleum in the Environment | Peace and Peace Building | Indigenous Lands | Aquaculture | Senior Volunteerism and Mentoring | Living Wages | Endemic Plant Species Protection | Mountaintop Removal | Molecular Ecology | Mining and Refining Ores | Social Development | Recycling and Reuse | Vocational Training | Toxic and Hazardous Substances | Appropriate Technology | Sustainable Living | Sustainable Forestry | Sustainable Communities | Sustainability, Religious and Spiritual Issues | Precautionary Principle | Ecolabeling and Certification | Democratic Participation | Soil Ecology | Sanitation | Riparian Ecology and Conservation | Restoration Ecology | Hydrology and the Global Water Cycle | Pollution Remediation | Global Migration | Environmental Law and Policy | Energy Efficiency and Conservation | Natural Resource Education | Sustainability Education | EcoVillages | Environmental Toxicology | Ecopsychology | Environmental Resource Center | Pesticides | Industrial Ecology | Legal Services and Representation | Infrastructure | Ethnic Equality | Nuclear Power | Deserts and Semi-deserts | Urban Ecology | Women's Vocational Training | Women's Civic Participation | Social Justice Education | Local Food Systems | Endocrine Disruptors | Employment | Emissions Trading | Fair Electoral Process | Film | Economic Development | Agroforestry | Green Schools | Water Rights | Information and Communication Technology | Militarism and Violence | Women's Empowerment | Traditional Culture | Sustainable Livelihoods | Tundra | Malnutrition, Diet, Disease, and Education | Women's Economic Development | Women's Education | Women's Rights | Photography | Journalism and the Press | Asthma | Media and Communication | Video | Internet | Radio and Audio | Seniors' Rights and Participation | Publishing | HIV/AIDS | Sustainable Production | Television | Climate Justice | Climate Change | Biological Patents | Hunger and Food Security | Democratic Reform | Green Roofs | Women's Safety from Violence | Female Genital Cutting | Consumption and Green Consumers | Trafficking of Women | Human Rights Monitoring | Distributive and Economic Justice | Waste Management | Good Governance | Urban Revitalization | Fossil Fuels | Forestry Law and Policy | Logging | Grasslands and Savannas | Women's Health | Democracy Education | Indigenous Peoples and Cultures
About
Imagine, if you will, a lush babylonian tower on the horizon. A symbol of hope and change, glistening with wind turbines, solar panels, and green foliage from the street all the way to the top of the tower 40 stories above. Close your eyes and envision a warm spring day, feeling the warm rays of the morning sun out on the roof gardens four hundred feet above the city streets, the smell of peach trees wafting into your nose as you float lazily in the cool chemical-free salt water pool. This is EnviroMecca. It is time for all of us to learn about a new healthier lifestyle.
EnviroMecca is the marriage of two words with powerful meaning. Enviro for environment, is by definition everything around you; living, dead, animal, plant, climate, man-made, your environment is all things that you can see smell and touch around you. Mecca is a gathering place for individuals that share a common interest or belief. Therefore, EnviroMecca is designed to be a place where thousands of individuals can come to teach, learn, and explore the diversities of "green" design and make sustainable social and economic changes in their community. It is a place designed to treat a disease; that disease is the stale mindset that our world has become accustomed to. As a species, we live on this planet with the misconception that we can pillage the Earth's resources with no consequences, and this just simply is not true; this is the purpose behind EnviroMecca - to treat this festering disease with knowledge and one city at a time revolutionize the way people live. work, and play.
The building itself is one of extreme ingenuity. Taking the marriage of design and environmental cohesion to the next level with a minimum level of USGBC Accredited validation of LEED Platinum; with the ultimate goal of "Living Building" classification. That means the use of locally or regionally sourced materials, wind solar and geothermal power, interiors constructed with materials that do not off gas formaldehyde and other toxic fumes. The fact is, if you want to create a place that is for teaching others about every aspect of sustainability, if you have a desire to boost socio-economic sustainability by creating "green" collar jobs, then you yourself must do all that you can do to put your words into.
The Enviro-Mecca structure has 6 major parts (listed in order from below ground to the top): underground parking garage, interactive green technology museum, learning center/conventions space, office space for non-profit organizations, governmental environmental offices, for profit office space, and long /or short term dwelling space.
Underground Parking Structure - The parking structure will be likely 6-8 stories deep, with parking accommodations for the required amount of spaces per code. It is important that the structure not simply meet air-quality requirements per code but surpass them, with exceptional air handling capabilities. With concrete walls, stall paint, etc made with recycled materials and other "green" components.
Interactive Green Technology Museum - The Green Museum is a key element to draw visitors to the building. Located on the ground floor this one or two story museum would hold both permanent and traveling green exhibits. Many exhibits would have an intractability to them, with video, internet, and physical interactivity to them. Open to adults and children alike, it would have something for everyone to peak the imagination and display the breadth of human achievement in sustainable technologies and encourage growth into the future.
Learning Center/Convention Space - This space would be a wide open floor plan, spanning two to three floors, providing ample space for various workshop events. Throughout the year product manufacturers, "green" collar employers, tradesmen, students etcetera will be able to come in and give training seminars, learn an new career, see how to install new products, all at one centralized location. There will also be facilities to screen environmentally focused films and possibly productions. It is the spot where the technology of the museum meets the real-worl nature of the offices about.
"Green" Field Research Facilities - With the focus of EnviroMecca being education and changing the way we think about things, research is
Non-Profit Organizations - Austin has hundreds of non-profit organizations, and over 50 trusts, and the one thing they are lacking is a unified voice. Although they are not all working for the same issues within and around the city, one thing that they can all benefit from is being a unified front. The floors would be divided based on the size of the organization and the most reasonable flow of ideas between NPO's. Each floor, or perhaps pair of floors, would have a team of lawyers that are paid for by the NPO's on those floors, the cost of the lease would be waived by grants and bonds, such that the only cost to the NPO tenants is the cost of utilities. This is one of the key elements of the EnviroMecca as it is the child of Ethic Living, so the companies involved and on what floors will be a a decision made by Ethic Living (as to who of the companies is concerned with sustainability, social reform etc)
Governmental Environmental Offices - This series of levels could be home to the EPA, the office of National Parks, Water conservation, etc and would work together with the non-profits and for profits to make change in governments locally, nationally, and internationally. For to get change one must work with the best vessels to achieve that change.
For Profit Office Space - This is going to be probably 30% of the total square footage and will be the second highest location in the tower. The facilities offered will be like any other office space, only the indoor air quality will be much much better, the lighting, and cross-ventilation will change the way business is done. More productively and with less illness.
Salable Dwelling Units - Either in Hotel or condominium form, the top third to a half of the tower will be in this salable form. In order to generate the profit to finance the Austin EnviroMecca and have reserves to tackle the next EM after that, a large amount of units must be sold. Although it may not be the tallest tower downtown, it will have an exciting landmark quality in the environmental characteristics of the tower. With the added bonus of zero dollar energy bills!
EnviroMecca is the marriage of two words with powerful meaning. Enviro for environment, is by definition everything around you; living, dead, animal, plant, climate, man-made, your environment is all things that you can see smell and touch around you. Mecca is a gathering place for individuals that share a common interest or belief. Therefore, EnviroMecca is designed to be a place where thousands of individuals can come to teach, learn, and explore the diversities of "green" design and make sustainable social and economic changes in their community. It is a place designed to treat a disease; that disease is the stale mindset that our world has become accustomed to. As a species, we live on this planet with the misconception that we can pillage the Earth's resources with no consequences, and this just simply is not true; this is the purpose behind EnviroMecca - to treat this festering disease with knowledge and one city at a time revolutionize the way people live. work, and play.
The building itself is one of extreme ingenuity. Taking the marriage of design and environmental cohesion to the next level with a minimum level of USGBC Accredited validation of LEED Platinum; with the ultimate goal of "Living Building" classification. That means the use of locally or regionally sourced materials, wind solar and geothermal power, interiors constructed with materials that do not off gas formaldehyde and other toxic fumes. The fact is, if you want to create a place that is for teaching others about every aspect of sustainability, if you have a desire to boost socio-economic sustainability by creating "green" collar jobs, then you yourself must do all that you can do to put your words into.
The Enviro-Mecca structure has 6 major parts (listed in order from below ground to the top): underground parking garage, interactive green technology museum, learning center/conventions space, office space for non-profit organizations, governmental environmental offices, for profit office space, and long /or short term dwelling space.
Underground Parking Structure - The parking structure will be likely 6-8 stories deep, with parking accommodations for the required amount of spaces per code. It is important that the structure not simply meet air-quality requirements per code but surpass them, with exceptional air handling capabilities. With concrete walls, stall paint, etc made with recycled materials and other "green" components.
Interactive Green Technology Museum - The Green Museum is a key element to draw visitors to the building. Located on the ground floor this one or two story museum would hold both permanent and traveling green exhibits. Many exhibits would have an intractability to them, with video, internet, and physical interactivity to them. Open to adults and children alike, it would have something for everyone to peak the imagination and display the breadth of human achievement in sustainable technologies and encourage growth into the future.
Learning Center/Convention Space - This space would be a wide open floor plan, spanning two to three floors, providing ample space for various workshop events. Throughout the year product manufacturers, "green" collar employers, tradesmen, students etcetera will be able to come in and give training seminars, learn an new career, see how to install new products, all at one centralized location. There will also be facilities to screen environmentally focused films and possibly productions. It is the spot where the technology of the museum meets the real-worl nature of the offices about.
"Green" Field Research Facilities - With the focus of EnviroMecca being education and changing the way we think about things, research is
Non-Profit Organizations - Austin has hundreds of non-profit organizations, and over 50 trusts, and the one thing they are lacking is a unified voice. Although they are not all working for the same issues within and around the city, one thing that they can all benefit from is being a unified front. The floors would be divided based on the size of the organization and the most reasonable flow of ideas between NPO's. Each floor, or perhaps pair of floors, would have a team of lawyers that are paid for by the NPO's on those floors, the cost of the lease would be waived by grants and bonds, such that the only cost to the NPO tenants is the cost of utilities. This is one of the key elements of the EnviroMecca as it is the child of Ethic Living, so the companies involved and on what floors will be a a decision made by Ethic Living (as to who of the companies is concerned with sustainability, social reform etc)
Governmental Environmental Offices - This series of levels could be home to the EPA, the office of National Parks, Water conservation, etc and would work together with the non-profits and for profits to make change in governments locally, nationally, and internationally. For to get change one must work with the best vessels to achieve that change.
For Profit Office Space - This is going to be probably 30% of the total square footage and will be the second highest location in the tower. The facilities offered will be like any other office space, only the indoor air quality will be much much better, the lighting, and cross-ventilation will change the way business is done. More productively and with less illness.
Salable Dwelling Units - Either in Hotel or condominium form, the top third to a half of the tower will be in this salable form. In order to generate the profit to finance the Austin EnviroMecca and have reserves to tackle the next EM after that, a large amount of units must be sold. Although it may not be the tallest tower downtown, it will have an exciting landmark quality in the environmental characteristics of the tower. With the added bonus of zero dollar energy bills!