ecoglobe
The ecoglobe is an ecology discovery center, with a diameter of 20 meter. Displays will raise the environmental awareness and ecologic knowledge of the public, thus contributing to informed ecologic policy choices. The exterior will show the continents with their different landscapes, and the atmosphere. The interior will display the balances of the "web of life" on Earth, and the human effects. A adjacent ecocenter will provide a library with study and advisory facilities. Set at a prominent site (in Wellington: Lambton Harbour), the ecoglobe will be a landmark and a major tourist attraction. ecoglobe will be owned and operated by a charitable trust with sufficient funding to guarantee continuity and independence, for the benefit of our whole nation.
1. Introduction 2. ecoglobe and ecoline 3. ecoglobe structure 4. ecoglobe environment topics and displays 5. Integration of the ecoglobe (project) in teaching 6. ecoglobe site in Wellington 7. ecoglobe organisation and funding 8. About the ecoglobe project initiator 9. Project planning and progress chart 10. Annexe: The ecoline project
All major factors of environment quality show continuing negative trends, in spite of all initiatives and efforts. Since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1990 our focus has drifted away from ecologic concerns to economic issues. However, economic success can only be short-lived in a natural environment that is steadily deteriorating. Technological fixes and "future solutions" are no real remedies. People need to become more aware of the ecologic facts and realities, so that they can make informed choices, which lead to a reversal of the environmental trends. For this purpose new approaches to public environmental motivation should be tried. The ’public’ includes the general public as well as opinion leaders. One initiative, ecoglobe, aims at bringing the ecology issue to the foreground again, connecting to persistent public interests. Presently the environment is "hidden", suffering from a lack of funding and prominent visibility. In Wellington, for instance, the ECO umbrella organisation for the 70 New Zealand NGOs (including WWF, Greenpeace), has an Environment Resource Center with a professional librarian. It is located at 126 Vivian St. And WWF is far away from everyday life in the Botanic Gardens. However, societal habits ask for a prominent visibility of the ecology issues. The environment must be accessible in easy language and bold initiatives need public discussion. The ecoglobe ecology discovery center will be visible, accessible, and reach people who currently miss out on realistic eco-information. A second initiative is the creation of an ecoline - environment encouragement net. ecoline and ecoglobe can function independently, but ecoline will logically have its physical workbase in the ecoglobe. The ecoglobe is an ecology awarenes and discovery centre, in the shape of a globe, with a diameter of approximately 15 to 20 meter. The ecoglobe is resting on a circular foundation with a diameter of 3 meter, protruding into the globe to about one third of its height, and into the ground to a depth of about 3 meter. The circular foundation contains the entrance and exit to the globe, by means of helical stairs. The globe is carried on the foundation by means of roller bearings, and it can rotate by means of a circular rack and pinion drive mechanism. The outside of the globe will feature the continents and seas. Supported at a the North Pole, it could also have a transparent outer shell that represents the atmosphere, revolving around the earth. This hull could be made of a transparent double walled layer, that can be filled with different coloured gases, and thus displaying ozone and carbondioxide concentrations. The inner globe has three main levels, each featuring the three biospheres: "underground", "ground level" and "air level". The circular foundation cum entrance can be presented as mounting through the stem of a Kauri tree, giving access to the "ground level", with displays of our urban and countryside life. Along the inner walls of the globe stairs give access to the "underground level" of waters, soils, and inner earth, and to the "air level" of bird life, aircrafts, atmosphere and sun and stars. Each level has exhibits that inform about the various aspects of environmental concern and beauty. The construction materials and equipment of the ecoglobe will demonstrate the most advanced knowledge of low environment-impact building, such as good insulation, construction materials from local, renewable resources, and solar power. Of primary importance is the demonstration of interactive effects of all kinds of (human) activity. People are generally focused on their everyday activities and sometimes narrowly commited to their "truth". The displays will encourage wider outlooks, fostering wisdom that leaves the boundaries of specific (professional) worldviews. The presentation of the factual state of the world, set in a human time frame, will show the individual responsibility and the contributions that every single person can make. The interconnectedness of human and nature is exemplified by the Kauri tree, which will be seen throughout the three levels of the ecoglobe. The circular entrance to the ecoglobe will be integrated in a flat building that contains an ecocenter - environment reading, study and advice center with library facilities. agriculture and food atomic power and related issues biodiversity, forests, wildlife and fisheries climate, ozone, greenhouse gases environment and employment energy, power and minerals population and human well-being nature’s beauty and New Zealand past, present and future and sustainability pollution and wastes time,speed and traffic etc. In the project phase ecoglobe can be integrated into the teaching of schools of architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering. Geography and other departments can provide input in the creation of the displays and the establishment of the ecocenter data files. The ideal place for the ecoglobe is at the corner of Frank Kitts Park, on top of the covered parking, close to the rowing buildings and lagoon. The circular foundation would and the environment center will be in the corner of the existing car park. Only small adaptation of the existing building, such as doors, windows, sanitary facilities and power, are needed to accommodate the ecocenter facilities. The ecoglobe, sitting on the corner of upper Frank Kitts Park, will be visible from all directions, and be a real additional tourist attraction. The ecoglobe has the potential to promote Wellington as the environment City of "clean green New Zealand". This aspect of the ecoglobe coincides with conventional commercial interests, and ecoglobe will be the pride of the Wellingtonians. The construction materials and equipment of ecoglobe will be New Zealand made, thus promoting local workmanship and products. The main structures, for instance, will be made from laminated wood from NZ plantation timber. Present economic structures ask for an absolutely financial independence of an environment agency. Only then the initiative can both survive and present the ecological facts free from political short-term pressures. Therefore ecoglobe must be realised as an charitable trust, with a trust board that has a doubtless unrestricted commitment to a well-balanced and sustainable ecology - the baseline of our life. The trust board will comprise and truly represent people of all parts of society. Suitable people is currently being approached. The Frank Kitts Park site should be leased to the ecoglobe trust for a 50 year period for a fixed rent that can only be adjusted in line with the general index of the costs of living. The ecoglobe, its equipment, the ecocenter will be the exclusive property of the ecology discovery foundation (charitable trust) foundation. The trust will receive the right to use the Trade Mark "ecoglobe" which is currently being registered. The following funding is needed: - for the initial investment (building, equipment), estimated between $ 600,000 and $1,000,000 a construction budget must be elaborated when it can be funded by the trust funds and interested parties - for the operating costs ( 3 staff people and recurring expenses), estimated $ 200,000 per year. The operating costs must be covered by the interest from the trust funds. At a current long term fixed investment rate of 7 percent, the trust funds must amount to $2.9 million, plus $1,00,000 investment in building, giving a total of approximately $3.9 million for the trust funds. Entry will be free, so as to allow every child, woman and man to adventure and experience the New Zealand ecology discovery space of the ecoglobe. Income from touristic articles, such as ecoglobe models and licencing fees, will be supplement to the foundation income, to be used for seminars etc. The trust funds can be raised from all parties in New Zealand society that will benefit from the ecoglobe: the population at large, the local and regional council, the New Zealand tourist board, local and national industries who will be proud to contribute to furthering "sustainability", the existing pro-environment NGOs, the Ministries for the Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Department of Conservation, etc.. Grants can also be expected from various private foundations and the Lottery Grants Board. An ecology discovery foundation new zealand (charitable trust) is being constituted, and a detailed funding scheme is being be worked out.
Helmut Lubbers, independent ecologist and environmental psychologist. From the Netherlands, divorced, 2 adult children, immigrated to New Zealand in 1987. Working and living in the Netherlands till 1968, thereafter in Switzerland and New Zealand. Exclusively committed to work for a well-balanced ecology since 1982. Studies in Arnhem (mechanical engineering), Amsterdam (management), Basel (psychology, economics, ecology) and Hamilton (psychology: MsSocSc with First Class Honours; thesis "Adult Environmental Motivation"). Continuing education in psychotherapy, human communication, journalism. Professional experience: sales management, international sales engineer capital equipment, precision machine tools and instruments, project management, tool setter and operator, staff training, teaching ecology, work in organic farming and horticulture. Non-Government Organisation delegate and journalist at the 1995 Berlin UN Climate conference.
ecoglobe (and ecoline) idea and concept by Helmut E. Lubbers. Copyright © Wellington, 25 July 1997.
Summary The continuing negative trends of all major environment factors, in spite of all initiatives and efforts, leads to the conclusion that a different approach is needed in order to reverse the environmental trends. The ecoline proposal conceives an environment encouragement net, which encourages people to cooperate across socio-economic barriers, to face ecologic realities and elaborate new solutions. ecoline will assists people to meet with trustful understanding on a person-to-person basis. An intensive search in internet and printed media did not reveal a similar initiative. The ecoline network will be initiated using an internet web site (see annexe) plus email and, if possible, the local environment resource center (ECO). After the initial phase the local initiative will gradually become just one node in the network, although it will remain a basic entry point for new people. The investment needed is relatively modest: a workplace with a telephone and fax, a Macintosh computer with printer, and an internet account with web site address and email. The work can be done by volunteers (...................., ...................., ....................). The documentation and texts for the internet web site documents can be built up gradually. The ecoline encouragement net will be largely self-governing and have low recurring expenses (mainly the internet costs, tel/fax, electricity, paper, printer cartridges, maintenance). The workplace can be at the domicile of one of the initiators, in principle anywhere in the world. Starting up ecoline in Wellington would promote ECO, the city, and ‘clean-green’ New Zealand. It could help developing ECO’s resource center to become more visible, at first in the minds of the people but hopefully also physically to a more prominent location in town. The results of ecoline should be observable in different attitudes and behaviour. proposal ecoline aims: To provide an additional way of inspiring people to adjust our economic activities to environmentally sustainable levels (reversing the environmental trends). To create a greater awareness of environmental realities versus scientific fictions and denying behaviours. means: An environment encouragement net (ecoline), primarily for individual people of all ages. In the process of bringing people together, ecoline will enhance the environmental awareness. method: - facilitating personal contacts across all social barriers and prejudices - providing basic environmental information in concise and clear language, accessible and understandable for all - fostering the understanding of eco-systems: the cause-and-effect interactions of seemingly separate issues - helping to understand the relativity of time, speed, and environment (time = speed = money = environment) (Data File sheets, seminars, encounters), - addressing environmental and technological realities of resource availability and "future" solutions (Data File sheets, seminars, encounters), - cooperating with existing environment centers, and working for the establishment of new ones, - using existing motivational techniques from journalism, marketing, public relations and social psychology. ecoline set-up: ecoline environment encouragement net could possibly be set up as a charitable trust. The trust deed should be large enough to cover the recurring expenses from the capital interest. This will guarantee absolute independence in its operations. The board of trustees will be carefully selected and only include people who show understanding of the basic environmental hard facts and trends (not necessarily ‘academics’). |