Labels

The Cost of Green: A Few Thoughts on Sustainable Living and the Archival Ecohouse

My elementary school used to have this cool program to incentivize young students to excel and be on their best behavior. It was called the “The Star Program” and it was something my peers and I looked forward to at the end of every school year quarter. 

Students were divided into groups and the group that was on its stellar (pun intended) behavior was given a special reward. Sometimes, we had ice cream and pizza parties, but the best prizes were the mini school trips. It could be a hiking trip, a visit to an animal sanctuary, a Timezone excursion, and much more. 

I acquired some of my coolest childhood memories during these events. One of the most interesting Star Program rewards I had the fortune of experiencing was a day tour of the famous Archival Ecohouse.

A view of the intriguing Archival Ecohouse, renowned for running on green energy and green practices. Photo from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=422118530051922&set=a.422118500051925

A house named after its owner, engineer and Cebu City councilor Nestor Archival, the Archival Ecohouse is a popular tourist attraction in Talamban because of it being an eco-friendly, engineering wonder. True to the owner’s advocacy for environmental sustainability, the building is renowned for being “green”throughout—from the recycled material used in the bricks that make up the house’s foundation to the liberal usage of solar energy to power the building. 

This visit to the Ecohouse became my first introduction to a green economy—a way of life that is, according to the UN Environment Programme, “low carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive.”  This green economy is also inclusive of the practice of slow consumption, a form of product consumption that means viewing and treating object materials as items built to last. This is in opposition to throwaway behavior, a habit (that most people are accustomed to) that describes the practice of frequent disposal and wasteful usage of resources.

An image of the Guadalupe river encroached by shanties and islands of trash. In Cebu City. a lot of drainage lines and waterways are clogged by trash. Photo from https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1766364/cebu/local-news/special-report-70-of-cebu-drainage-clogged-with-trash-2nd-of-3-parts

As I grew up, and as that visit became naught but a distant memory, I observed that some of the processes the Ecohouse observed were also common practices seen elsewhere—usually in rural areas where resources and ready-made goods are scarce and hard to come by. For instance, to minimize costs in farming communities, food waste is typically given to animals as feed. This, along with animal manure, can also be used as compost fertilizer. Manure is also a great source of fuel.

Yet, despite sustainable living showing to be cost-effective and energy-saving in the long term, it usually requires a hefty amount of cash and effort to initially transition into it. Once, a friend and I were talking about solar power. His grandmother happened to be a businesswoman who frequently looked for ways to improve her agribusiness. I, on the other hand, had a geeky father who was constantly looking for solutions to lower our electricity bill. Hearing constant talk about solar panels was something we had in common.

However, when asked about solar panels, my friend said that he disagreed with overt reliance on it. Although he admitted that they were energy-saving, the installation costs were too high. He also did not like that it relied on the changeable climate and weather and that, in two decades' time, the technology would most likely become obsolete, prompting complete replacement.

This tedious transition to greener alternatives is the reason why appropriate circular economy policies—policies that encourage reusing products—should be adopted. It is difficult to shift to greener and more sustainable alternatives when what currently works gives upfront rewards and is the cheaper and more convenient option. Thus, while choosing to live sustainably amidst a bustling urban jungle may be admirable, it is unfortunately a privilege that not all people have.

References:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment