Tucson Tortolita Eco Village

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Envision Tucson Sustainable Festival
Envision Tucson Sustainable Festival
October 7

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Beyond Sustainable

When is this eco village going to come out of the ground

Where is the property located

What exactly is an
eco village or this groups concept of it

Are you going to sell houses and or plots of land or
lots

What is “beyond sustainable”

Just like the term Organic has been cooped by well-heeled elitists and big business interests, so has the term and usage of sustainable. To counter this, the wise organic community has proposed, and now often uses the term, “Beyond Organic” to mean ‘getting back to the “spirit” behind the word.’ By this they mean that those who can afford the expensive government certification process have used the word ‘organic’. And also that many compromises with being organic are political in nature and not what the average person means by organic.

Sustainable is also much more a myth that an actuality in practice. For example when we look at the solar industry (which serves a great purpose) and praise its “greenness” we forget to mention that almost all the components used to make the system work are based on extraction industries from the plastic and metals in it to the electricity used to assemble it and even the oil consumed to get the panels and other components to the job site, the energy expended by workmen to come to the site and install it, the advertising to sell the product, the energy in many forms the company that sells and/or installs the system uses at their office, and so on. The final cost of even as green a product as solar systems is far higher and not all that green or likely not really sustainable if you count up all the costs.

So ‘beyond sustainable’ simply takes into account that there are hidden costs and we can try and mitigate them if we don’t get too religious and righteous about what we are doing. For example concrete isn't really green or sustainable taking into all the above as consideration. But on the other hand, a concrete structure built correctly may last for centuries when a much greener built house (if there is such a thing) may have a life expectancy of one tenth that time. So ultimately which is greener or more sustainable...

When is this eco village going to come out of the ground

Our founder and chief motivator died in 2016, so we are working thru leagal issues, but have done considerable work with the county and can sell lots for your developement.

As of January 2013 we have purchased the main site and begun the process of laying out the home sites. So far we have established boundaries with a barbed wire fence, purchased a mobile home as a community resource center and contracted for building plans and hydrological studies. Much work has gone into working with the county to establish our approach to building on the site. We should have a number of homes well under construction in the mid term and be resident by 2017.

Where is the property located

The property is located west of Sandario off Manville Rd on Sassy Dr. The property is 22 acres in size located one mile south of Manville on Sassy.

What exactly is an eco village or this groups concept of it

This is of course a work in progress and it will evolve as we encounter problems and issues and solve for them. But here is a good bit of information taken from Wikipedia along with links that may be useful to you.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eco villages are intentional communities with the goal of becoming more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. Some aim for a population of 50–150 individuals because this size is considered to be the maximum social network according to findings from sociology and anthropology. Larger eco villages of up to 2,000 individuals exist as networks of smaller sub-communities to create an eco village model that allows for social networks within a broader foundation of support. Certain eco villages have grown by the nearby addition of others, not necessarily members, settling on the periphery of the eco village and effectively participating in the eco village community.

Eco village members are united by shared ecological, social-economic and cultural-spiritual values. An eco village is often composed of people who have chosen an alternative to centralized electrical, water, and sewage systems. Many see the breakdown of traditional forms of community, wasteful consumerist lifestyles, the destruction of natural habitat, urban sprawl, factory farming, and over-reliance on fossil fuels, as trends that must be changed to avert ecological disaster. They see small-scale communities with minimal ecological impact as an alternative. However, such communities often cooperate with peer villages in networks of their own (see Global Eco village Network for an example). This model of collective action is similar to that of Ten Thousand Villages, which supports the fair trade of goods worldwide.

In 1991, Robert Gilman set out a definition of an eco village that was to become a standard. Gilman defined an eco village as a: human-scale, full-featured settlement· in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development, and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future.

In recent years, Gilman has stated that he would also add the criterion that an eco village must have multiple centers of initiative

Eco villages are "urban or rural communities ... who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life." Although there is no blueprint for realizing this goal, eco villages may integrate various aspects of ecological design: ecological building, alternative energy, environmentally benign manufacturing or production, permaculture (landscaping designed to mimic nature and to provide the community with food, fiber and fuel), and community building practices. The hindrance of restrictive policies such as zoning and building codes to the development of sustainable housing and infrastructure in urban areas in particular is discussed. It is argued that the eco village movement provides some of the most relevant work and knowledge available for moving into a more sustainable future.

The principles on which eco villages rely can be applied to urban and rural settings, as well as to developing and developed countries. Advocates seek a sustainable lifestyle (for example, of voluntary simplicity) for inhabitants with a minimum of trade outside the local area, or eco region. Many advocates also seek independence from existing infrastructures, although others, particularly in more urban settings, pursue more integration with existing infrastructure. Rural eco villages are usually based on organic farming, permaculture and other approaches which promote ecosystem function and bio diversity. Eco villages, whether urban or rural, tend to integrate community and ecological values within a principle-based approach to sustainability, such as permaculture design.[7]

An eco village usually relies on: "Green" infrastructure capital; autonomous building or clustered housing, to minimize ecological footprint; renewable energy; permaculture;

The goal of most eco villages is to be a sustainable habitat providing for most of its needs on site. However self-sufficiency is not always a goal or desired outcome, specifically since self-sufficiency can conflict with goals to be a change agent for the wider culture and infrastructure. Its organization also usually depends upon some instructional capital or moral codes - a minimal civics sometimes characterized as eco-anarchism: local purchasing so as to support the local economy; local food production and distribution; moral purchasing to avoid objectionable consumption; · consensus decision-making for governance; a choice to respect diversity.

Are you going to sell houses and or plots of land or lots

We will let the marketplace in at our village. By that we mean that all to often some green group gets a wild idea to go live somewhere together and just do it with no thought to consequences or even reasonable long range or sustainable planning. The purpose of this eco village is formed from the concept of “Scientific Shamanism” which says "observe what is and do what works." It is to show that nearly anyone who can afford even a moderate house can live a ‘beyond sustainable green lifestyle” while still participating in the NEW great American Dream Experience for lack of a better term at present.

So it is envisioned that lots will be sold and sustainable homes built on the lots. Additional buildings may be constructed for visitors to rent or lease. We will try to make this a model of what can be done if we put our collective thoughts, love, hope, and dreams together for a positive purpose, which this is. While the majority of the homes will be built by those who opt into this community others may join with us in other aspects of living in an intentional community.

Copyright 2017 Tucson Tortolitas Eco Village