建筑学英文论文5.docVIP

2008-10-14 ECOS No. 145 Inside ecovillage life Once regarded as little more than hippy communes, ecovillages are attracting a lot of attention as Australians, driven by concerns about climate, sustainability and community, seek a more satisfying lifestyle alternative. But are they for everyone? Rachel Sullivan reports. The first ecovillages started in Sweden in the early 1980s. Initially, members were galvanised by opposition to the use of nuclear energy, but the movement quickly became about finding new ways to live sustainably in the urban environment. The concept spread rapidly across Europe, the UK and the US in the 1980s, and even to Australia, to a lesser extent, most notably at Crystal Waters inQueensland’s Sunshine Coast Hinterland. In the 1990s interest tapered off again, resurfacing recently as concerns about climate change have grown more pressing. According to Dr Vanda Rounsefell, a consultant to the CSIRO who has made an international study of ecovillages, and was on the earliest organising committee for South Australia’s Aldinga Arts EcoVillage, it’s a concept that is seeing broader appeal. ‘While obviously concerns about living a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle are at the heart of many people’s interest, for others it is the desire to live in a community with a supportive social network and a sense of shared purpose thatis the key driving force. ‘Many see the breakdown of traditional forms of community, wasteful consumerdriven lifestyles, natural habitat destruction and overuse of fossil fuels as practices that need to be changed, and the simpler, more environmentally friendly community lifestyle is an attractive alternative,’ she says. Village life Ecovillages are small communities of as few as 150 and as many as 5000 people, living together in a village-style setting. They are structured to provide security and a sense of belonging and shared purpose, and are small enough so that people are able to participate in making decisions that affect