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VIDEO REVIEW
Building Sustainability with The Natural Step: Patsy Northcutt's new, upbeat video provides a truly powerful tool for promoters of sustainability. One of its major accomplishments is its easy-to-understand explanation of The Natural Step principles. It describes--through animations, interviews and commentary--UT-Houston's application of these basic principles to create their Health Science Center, one of the most ecologically-friendly large scale building ever yet constructed. Northcutt recently received her masters degree from New College of Californian's Humanities and Leadership Program in Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community. I served as one of her advisors, and am disposed to reviewing her work favorably. My opinion has been more than reinforced lately. Ian Thiermann, Executive Director of The Video Project: Media for a Safe and Sustainable World, and distributor for "Building Sustainability," asserts that the video is totally different from everything else. "It will hold even executives' attention. It is one of the best presentations of The Natural Step I've seen, and The Natural Step is one of the most important, exciting ideas today. I am amazed by the number of environmentalists who don't know about TNS yet." I recently showed "Building Sustainability" at a general meeting of Sustainable Sonoma County. I was surprised when I heard the audience ooh and aah several times during the viewing. The most impressive story about the video's impact comes from Atlanta, Georgia. Janet Paulk of the 800-member Unitarian Universalist Congregation used "Building Sustainability" to change the way her church will undertake a large renovation and expansion project. The video served as a catalyst for the congregation. Members became thoroughly excited upon viewing it, whereas previously they were only vaguely familiar with the idea of sustainability. It helped create the will that construction should be based on sustainability principles. For example, they required that the architect become educated in sustainable design methods and use them in planning the facility. To date, about half the church's members have seen the video. Furthermore, word of the video spread to Agnes Scott College and Emory University--both Atlanta-area schools--that have borrowed the video for consideration with the large-scale building projects they have planned. Dr. Edward Frost, Senior Minister, described his reaction to "Building Sustainability:" "The organization of the material is masterful, introducing the newcomer to principles of sustainability in such a way as to make embracing them a 'natural step.' We want a building that demonstrates our values, that says to all who enter that this is a place of people who care about each other and about the environment we share. The video spoke clearly and powerfully to us. It left no doubt in anyone's mind that the goal of sustainability is simply the right thing to do." "The video is such a phenomenal educational tool--it really grabs people," declared Ms. Paulk. "Once you see, it you're changed. You look at everything differently."
-- By Ann Hancock, Sustainable Sonoma County
RESOURCES
To order "Building Sustainability" See www.videoproject.com or call
1-800-4-PLANET. |
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