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Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community Content:

3 Introduction: Life within a Living Organism “Peace and survi- 5 Energy Use and Sustainability val of life on earth as we 6 A short History of Fossil Fuel know it are threatened by Consumption human activities that lack a commitment to human 7 The Protection, Conservation and values. Destruction of Restoration of Soil nature and natural resources is the result of ignorance, greed, 9 The Forest as the Matrix of Life and lack of respect for the 12 Permaculture earth’s living things. This lack of re- spect extends even to the earth’s hu- 13 Spiritual Ecology and Geomancy man descendants, the future generations who will in- 14 Cooperation with Animals herit a vastly degraded 15 The ZEGG Vegetable Garden plane if world peace does not become a reality and if destructi- 17 Awareness in the Kitchen and while on of the natural environ- Shopping ment continues at the 18 The Greening of Roofs and Façades present rate”. (Dalai Lama) 19 Water – a Living Substance

21 Waste Water Cleaning and Composter

23 Natural Pond Clarification

24 Compost Toilets

25 Energy Generation from Renewable Resources Imprint: 26 Cars run on Vegetable Oil Publisher and V.i.S.D.P.: Achim Ecker 27 Building and Insulating with Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 89 Plant Fibres D-14806 Belzig E-mail: [email protected] 28 Building with Earth Texts: Achim Ecker (Geomancy: Hermann Haring), 29 Living Buildings with Willows and Photographs: Achim Ecker, Georg Loh- Other Trees mann, ZEGG-Archive; Cover Photo- graph: A. Ecker 30 Mandala Pavilions Layout and typesetting: Hermann 32 Triangular Huts Haring, Burkhard Alexander Pranke English translation: Stefani Ross, Niall 33 Epilogue: There is no Time Glynn to Waste Print: Joost, D-Kronshagen 1. Edition 2004 35 What is ZEGG? Reprint of excerpts with indication of source is permitted and welcomed. Please 36 Literature send specimen copy.

2 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community Life within a Living Organism

or millions of years, life on new markets. Terrorism would best Earth, offers the opportunity for a FEarth has existed in biological be fought by the implementation of unique and diverse community of balance: all species co-exist, and global justice and by fighting po- beings, (…) all substances are returned in a cy- verty and illiteracy. cle back to nature. There is no was- The prevailing patterns of produc- te. The energy of the sun is the only Sustainable development and tion and consumption cause deva- source of energy which is available worldwide justice require, first of station of the environment, exploi- nearly without limitations. The sun all, a new orientation of our lifesty- tation of natural resources and constantly feeds this cycle on the les in the industrialized countries massive extinction of species. The Earth, thereby making it possible as we already consume much more proceeds of the economic develop- for life to exist. than our share. If the entire world’s ment are not spread equally, and population wanted to achieve our the chasm between rich and poor is The ever more obvious climatic standards of living, we would need getting deeper and deeper. Injusti- changes with all of their accompa- several planets just like the Earth in ce, poverty, ignorance and violent nying “natural” catastrophes show order to supply us with the necessa- conflicts are spreading and are us that this balance is now serious- ry raw materials, such as energy, causing incredible suffering. (…) ly threatened by us humans: if we food and natural resources. Politics want to survive, we have to change needs to provide a supportive fra- We now have a choice: we either our ways of thinking, and we have mework for this change of attitude form a global partnership, in order to re-learn to live in harmony with and thinking; but most of all it is to care for the Earth and for each nature. This does not mean a simp- necessary for each and every one of other, or we run the risk of destroy- le movement `back to nature´, but a us to fundamentally change his or ing ourselves and the entire diver- balanced approach both to oursel- her attitude towards the way we use sity of life. Some very decisive ves, and to whatever surrounds us. our shared resources and the pro- changes in our value system, our ducts of this one world. institutions and our way of life are Our planet Earth is a living organ- necessary. We have the knowledge ism. Animals, plants and humans Let me quote from the preamble of and the technology to provide for and the so-called “a-biotic” matter, the Earth-Charta of the B.U.N.D. ourselves, and to reduce negative such as water, winds and rocks, are (a big German environmental or- impacts on the environment. We interconnected. This connected- ganization), dated March 24th, need to focus on the fact that if ba- ness between us humans and the bi- 2000: “We now stand at a critical sic human needs are provided for, osphere, which was seen as a mat- point in the history of the Earth, at human development is centred ter of fact in early cultures, has to- which humanity needs to choose around “being” instead of “ha- day been neglected and disrupted. the way to take into the future. As ving”. Humankind has lost touch with na- the world more and more interla- ture, and can therefore bear to ex- ced and ecologically fragile, the fu- ZEGG (see page 35) has made a ploit her by violently disrupting na- ture holds immense dangers and in- commitment to develop a way of tural cycles and relationships. Pro- credible opportunities. If we want life which does not cause any furt- fit-oriented globalisation, subject to advance, we need to acknowled- her damage to this planet and every life-process to the laws of the ge that, despite or even due to our which contributes to its healing. A market, signifies a new apex in hu- many differences in culture and li- communal way of life and joint use manity’s insanity. The so-called festyles, we are one big family, a of consumer goods are steps in this wars against terrorism are one ex- global community tied together by direction. Within the past years, pression of this disease. They un- a shared fate (…) the ecological work done at ZEGG mask the underlying mechanisms has undergone some changes: star- of capitalism, always on the move Humanity is part of a constantly ting out with a more classical ap- to secure natural resources and evolving Universe. Our home, the proach towards ecology, it has mo-

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 3 ved towards a holistic social ecolo- for the entire region, and much was acknowledged as one of Euro- gy. Social ecology connects the ou- more. As more people decide to pe’s foremost experts on hydraulic ter, visible nature of the biosphere settle here and to contribute their engineering. His inventions on the with the inner nature of human energy, the more attractive the re- improvement of water quality re- beings. Ecology in this sense of the gion seems to become. ceived international recognition. word encompasses the healing of humans as well as healing the pla- This booklet intends to provide an Viktor Schauberger was one of the net. And healing processes take overview of the most important first natural scientists who warned place whenever human activities ecological projects at ZEGG. The- of the possible results of an intensi- begin to harmonize again with the re is still much to do, but we are on ve exploitation of water and fo- `ways´ of life. Any person incapa- our way. My wish is that, with this rests. Together with his son, Walter ble of loving himself, will likewise booklet and its practical examples, Schauberger, he founded the first be incapable of loving his human, ZEGG may serve as a model for ot- Austrian ecology-movement, the plant or animal environment. Whe- her developments, far beyond this “Grüne Front”. From the very be- rever the natural functions of life, region. ginning he was an outspoken oppo- such as vibration, flow, pulsation nent of energy generation from nu- and rhythm are inhibited by either The following contributions provi- clear fission. River restoration, for technological or ideological force, de substantial background infor- which he was at the time the only disruptions or diseases will arise. mation on the topic of sustainabili- proponent, is now being done all

As years went by, more and more people were attracted to the region of Hoher Fläming, the area sur- rounding ZEGG. Meanwhile, the realization of a “Hoher Fläming Sustainable Region”, with local re- cycling of materials has turned into the connecting vision for many people who live here. Many of the things we need in order to live should come from this region; and this region is beginning to change. Since 1991, more than 300 people have settled here, in addition to the 70 odd ZEGG inhabitants, all of them searching for more commu- nal lifestyles and a more sustaina- ble economy. They form a loosely woven network. Knowledge, cul- ture and goods are exchanged, and in their wake friendship and many loving relationships have been ge- nerated. ty. Many thoughts are inspired over the world. His maxim of ob- Community members, newcomers from the work of the Austrian rese- serving and emulating nature now and original residents work toget- archer Viktor Schauberger, whose seems to express a wide range of her in a variety of projects, projects work during the first half of the what is currently done in the realms which in hindsight may turn out to 20th century was far ahead of time. of technology and natural sciences. have been the germ cells of a regi- In his opinion, too, the state of the Many of the impulses Schauberger on `fit for the future´. There is a world and of nature today is the di- set still reverberate today, and there bartering network, a `Free School´, rect and unavoidable consequence is still a wealth of work to examine. organic farming, an Info-Café as a of the ideological and spiritual con- After many years of obscurity, neg- meeting-place for asylum seekers victions of humanity. ligence and suppression, Schauber- and local residents, an alternative ger´s work is finally starting to re- Health Center, an alternative to of- Schauberger was forester, hydrau- ceive the recognition it deserves. ficial Health insurances based on a lic engineer and inventor who, du- solidarity principle, etc. There are ring the 1920’s, developed his view May you enjoy reading this booklet plans also for an encompassing of water as the “Basis of all life”. and draw inspiration from it! concept for sustainable economy As a bio-technician he put his as- tounding insights into practice and Achim Ecker

4 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community ything we do; in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, the generati- Energy Use and on of energy, the selection of buil- ding and insulation materials, and of consumer goods. Sustainability Another cluster of problems we have so far been unable to handle successfully here, concerns trans- port. The calculated permissible emission of CO2 per person, worldwide, is maximally 1.2 me- uring the past fifty years, the kind of world will our children in- tric tonnes. Every delegate who DEarth has lost one quarter of herit, who will experience the re- flew from Germany to the Sum- its arable farm land and one third of sults of our present day activities? mit-Conference on climate control its forests. At the present rate of de- in Johannesburg in 2002, was al- struction, we will live to see the In the course of one year, the cur- ready causing 7t of CO2 emissions, loss of 70% of all coral reefs, ma- rent annual consumption of crude much more than reasonably justifi- king up the habitat of 25% of the oil is 3.5 million tonnes worldwide able. It is clear that rigid rules will marine flora and fauna.” (Hawken (numbers from 2001!); an amount not be of any service, but we need 2000;22) the Earth took one million years to to become aware of the effects we produce. We drill, mine, dig and cause by choosing to spend our ho- We all consist of sunlight and wa- chop as if there was no limit. The lidays on low-budget trips to fara- ter. Radiant heat, visible light and inhabitants of the wealthy coun- way places. ultraviolet light are the sources of tries, – 20% of humanity – consu- most of the life on this planet. me 80% of the natural resources. The regionalization of the material Everything we need for nourish- While Europe is currently slowing cycles will go hand in hand with a ment, heating, building and for our down its consumption and polluti- regionalization of production, and sustenance can be traced back to on, the U.S.A. for example, is not. therefore of work. Forestry and trees and other plants. With their It is evident that we cannot go on in agriculture represent two of the ability to synthesize matter from this way. To live sustainably inclu- most vital activities in rural areas. sunlight, air and water, by absor- des awareness of the fact that on a The objective is to produce, consu- bing CO2 and transforming it into global level we simply cannot use me, share and recycle as much as carbon and oxygen, they generous- more energy than what we can possible on a regional level. This ly provide us with all of our basic catch from the sunlight daily hit- creates the basis for a partial exit requirements. Without this photo- ting the earth. Here at ZEGG, this from the systems destroying the synthesis, we would not be able to is a main consideration in ever- Earth and its inhabitants. Thus we survive. Our future on can develop models for this planet totally de- change, which can be fol- pends on oxygen. If we lowed by others. These continue to cut down new models may also in- trees, we diminish the clude regionally focussed quantity of the water and services, leisure and cul- oxygen available to us. tural programmes. This promotes diversity and in- In everything we do, or terest in each other, inste- refrain from doing today, ad of global uniformity. we need to be aware that nature operates with a Under no circumstances built-in time-lag. It can should these visions lead take 30 to 50 years before to closing off of the regi- we are able to witness the on. “Nothing natural or effects of our present day alive may ever keep its behaviour. Many of the qualities in a closed-off `natural’ disasters we see system, as all natural pro- today, some of which are cesses are open and need devastating, were caused to be able to interact with by human behaviour 30 their environment” (Cal- to 50 years ago. What lum Coats)

5 efore the discovery of fossil extracted from the earth by hu- tions. Finally the single pole, Bfuel, the energy available to mans, these balanced processes charged groundwater, once it has humans was simply what the sun will be interrupted. As a result the lost its surface tension due to the gave us every day. For a long outer layer of the earth will cool lack of carbonaceous material time, the planet’s human popula- down and the atmosphere will be- near the surface, will sink deep tion was relatively stable; in 1000 come colder. into the earth where carbonaceous AD it amounted to 500 million matter will still be found. There it people. At that time, a forest was If these essential oxidation pro- will change its boiling point, an important source of energy and cesses within the earth cease, lar- oxidize early and cause powerful building materials, and was pro- ge amounts of water will amass, eruptions. After great catastro- tected and cared for. first in the atmosphere and later in phes that will come in the form of the earth itself, because the water earthquakes, thunderstorms, hur- Around 900 AD, coal was disco- then can not be rebuilt and refined ricanes, floods etc. all of the vege- vered and was soon widely used. any more. tation of the earth will recede as For the first time humans had a source of stored solar energy which had reached the Earth some 900 million years earlier. A short History The population rose to 1 billion in 1800. In 1850, crude oil was discovered of Fossil Fuel in Rumania, and in 1859 the first North American oil well went into operation. Now there was even more energy available, and Consumption humans learned to use it: for ma- chines, for the production of syn- thetic materials, artificial fertili- sers, and many other applications. The water that will sink into the the ground water sinks deeper and The forests, which had hitherto earth or evaporate into the atmo- the vegetation layer freezes again provided energy, food and buil- sphere will be overloaded with in permanent ice.” ding materials, began to dwindle, oxygen. Without the carbonace- until it was possible to believe ous matter with which it could in- During the past 24 hours, more that they were nothing but plea- teract, it will change its freezing than 70,000 hectares of rain forest sant recreational areas, nice to point. This will completely chan- were destroyed on this planet. 13 look at, but otherwise useless. In ge the general climatic condi- tonnes of toxic chemicals were re- 1930, there were 2 billion people; leased into the in 1960, 3 billion; in 1974, 4; in environment. 1987, 5; and in 1999, there were 6 More than billion inhabitants of this planet. 45,000 people starved to de- In 1933 Viktor Schauberger, in ath, 38,000 of his book “Unserer sinnlos Arbeit” them children. (Our Senseless Toil), wrote: “The More than 130 temperature on earth is a product plant and ani- of balancing processes involving mal species carbonaceous matter in the earth were extingu- (note: Schauberger used “carbo- ished by hu- naceous matter” to mean all or- mans (num- ganic and mineral matter like bers published coal, crude oil, natural gas, mine- in 2001!). And rals etc. excluding oxygen and the trend is up- hydrogen) and the oxygen that ward. penetrates the earth dissolved in rainwater. When all this highly organised carbonaceous mater is Source: http://www.grida.no/db/maps/prod/level3/id_1250.htm

6 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community orldwide, 24 billion tonnes Wof fertile soil annually are washed or blown away, or are sim- The Protection, ply destroyed. This huge mass of material would suffice to cover the entire agricultural surface of the United States. The vast areas threa- Conservation and tened by desolation are estimated to encompass 3,6 billion hectares of land by the UNEP, an expanse equivalent to one quarter of the en- Restoration of tire global land mass. In Africa alo- ne, 900 million hectares are endangered. The root causes are ecological (climatic) as well as so- Healthy Soil cial (Impoverishment)” (see: Der Spiegel, No 15/2000).

Soil is our only source for healthy food/nutrition. In addition to air and deep sand soils, interspersed spark can cause a large-scale fire. and water, it is one of the essential by narrow layers of loam several The prevalent dry eastern winds environmental systems, which to- hundred metres apart. In the fo- and the pine monocultures are also gether make up the basis of life for rests, the humus layer is no more contributing to the dryness. us humans, for the flora and the than 2 centimetres deep. In open fauna. Only due to them is it possi- terrain a thin grassy sod covers n order to improve the water stoing ble to sustain biodiversity, genetic pure sand. The soil is poor in or- capacity and the fertility of the san- and natural resources. Soil is indis- ganisms and in vitality, and only li- dy soils on our property, we have pensable for the production of mited nutrients are available. steadily increased the humus layer food, for the storage of water and by mulching with old straw, leaves energy, as a filter for pollutants and One key problem is the low and hay from the parks and public as a regulator for global amount of rainfall, amounting to gardens of the Belzig municipality, bio-chemical material cycles. The only 500mm per year, together and with cardboard. Mulching improvement and the protection of with the sandy soils and their poor creates a habitat for a multitude of the soil layer therefore are very im- capacity to store water. One or two organisms and fungi, which, portant concerns of the ecological days after a summer rain, there is among other things , make nu- work done at the ZEGG. no trace of water to be seen in the trients available to other plants ground, and there is serious danger through their symbiotic relations- The Hoher Fläming region is cha- of forest fires. The meadows are hip with trees. When you mulch racterised by pure, light coloured, withered and dry, and the smallest you initially draw nutrients, such

Mulching old straw.

7 as nitrogen, from the On some of the mulched soil: the mulch layer areas we also spread the needs them for its own compost from our dry decomposition. But la- toilets, as the nitrogen, ter, the amount of nu- phosphorus, the innu- trients set free is much merable mi- greater than what was cro-organisms, fungi there originally. In or- and compost worms der to remedy this initi- promote decomposition al burden on the soil, of the organic material one can concurrently into humus. Initially we spread a small amount scattered clay dust, of compost. which forms a mineral compound with humus, Leaf mulch is particu- therefore improving its larly beneficial in a fo- ability to retain nutrients rest, as in addition to and water, preventing improving the soil it their loss by leaching suppresses the dreaded into the groundwater. Roth (wood small-reed) (Calama- In the forests on our grostis epigejos) . Leaf grounds we built up mulch also contains so-called Benjes hedges seeds from a host of ot- from brush-wood, pro- her trees, shrubs and viding habitats for hed- flowers, which all con- gehogs, snakes, toads, tribute to transform a amphibians and birds. forest into a mixed fo- The slow decomposition rest, combining a varie- of organic material by ty of fructiferous trees and by improves the with the typical forest Mulching with leaves. soil. These hedges retain plants. Leaf mulch pro- water and slow down vides these seeds with perfect con- her plants, and permeates the soil winds. Birds settle on them and ditions for germination and growth with veins of humus. We use a drop seeds, which can then sprout (cool/damp stratification). mulch mower for cutting, and sub- and grow protected from game. sequently leave the plant material Another valuable means of soil res- on the ground, in order to create a Since we began our soil restoration toration is green manure. This is natural layer of humus. Over a peri- work, vitality has already been the sowing of plants, which, due to od of several years we have sown a considerably improved and a large the nodule bacteria living within large variety of green manure variety of micro-organisms, insects their root systems, are capable of plants, which now propagate them- and fungi may be observed. A very bonding atmospheric nitrogen, the- selves. particular healing dynamic has reby making it available to ecologi- been initiated, which is especially cal cycles. These so-called legumi- In addition to mulching, we have obvious during dry spells. We were nous plants include peas, beans, constructed several raised beds, in able to reduce watering to an abso- lentils, clover, alfalfa (Medicago which we incorporated entire trees, lute minimum, while the vegetati- sativa), lupins (Lupinus polyphyl- wood scraps and cardboard. After a on remains vibrantly green for a los), broom and black locust (Ro- downpour, the decomposing mate- much longer period. binia pseudoacacia) - all members rial is water-saturated like a spon- of the pea family (fabaceae). ge. These raised beds also introdu- While we strive to improve the soil ce welcome contours into an other- in large parts of our land, other are- Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is able to wise extremely flat landscape. as are left untouched as rough pa- extend its root system down to an Their various microclimatic zones sture, forest biotope, etc. We very astounding depth of more than 10 offer habitats to many plants, in- rarely enter these enclaves, leaving metres, enabling it to remain lush sects and animals, all within very them to themselves as much as pos- and green even during the driest of small space. These raised beds sible, so that they remain sanctua- summers. In this way it makes wa- were partially planted, and are still ries for animals on our terrain, ter and minerals from deep levels mulched every year. which is sometimes heavily used. of the ground available to many ot-

8 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community The Forest as Matrix of Life

“Without forest, there is no water. The life of a forest is – just like all depths up to the surface. The level Without water, there is no bread. Life – a unique harmony of conti- of the groundwater is raised and Without bread, there is no life.” nuity and change joined together in spring water may form. A balanced (Viktor Schauberger) one beautiful organism. In a natu- groundwater level is the result of rally mixed forest, nearly every well-adjusted ground temperatu- “Don’t you know that the forests species has its place without any res, a process safeguarded by trees. are the life of the land?” (Babyloni- need to struggle. Contrary to a an inscription) commonly held doctrine, Nature Without trees, life on Earth would involves much more cooperation be inconceivable. And still, every Trees form a forest. The life history than competition. Without symbio- day vast areas are deforested. of a tree is also the life history of sis, there would be no life in any fo- About 120,000 to 150,000 square water. Trees are the highest and no- rest. There would be no forest at kilometres of virgin forest (an area blest plant form, whose giving is all. three times as large as Switzerland) universal and unconditional. is cut down every year. In order to By dropping their leaves and need- protect the remaining primeval fo- Whatever their colour, shape and les, trees share nutrients with smal- rest on the planet, the world’s de- species, there is one trait they sha- ler plants. Trees make salts, mine- mand for wood needs to be met by re: they play a crucial role in the bi- rals and water from deep in the soil plantation forests only. These plan- osphere of planet Earth. They regu- accessible not only to themselves, tations would need to be managed late the climate by raising the hu- but also to other plants, animals, in accordance with ecological prin- midity of the air; they slow down and even agricultural areas. The ciples. wind and mitigate the extremes of roots of a tree permeate the soil to a heat, frost, drought, floods and much greater depth than those of Due to a more favourable legal re- storms. They filter the air, store and any other plant, thereby providing gime, European forests are again purify water, conserve soil fertility with water all plants in and around growing. Worldwide, though, Eu- and inhibit erosion. Trees create a the forest. But by drawing up large ropean demands play a crucial role magnetic field around them. A amounts of water, the tree also in the process of forest destruction. whole forest with its many billion draws warmth from the soil. In ac- The German market is the main trees has an integral part in buil- cordance with the laws of physics, customer for wood and cellulose ding and maintaining the Earth’s this cooling of the upper soil levels from countries such as Indonesia, field of gravity. draws warmer water from greater Brazil, and the Cameroon. Europe-

9 such as this, wood can be harvested What is the value of a tree? on a sound, ecological basis.

During the course of its life, a 100 year-old tree: In 1991, we took on about 4 hecta- res of monocultured forest, mainly • has lifted about 2500 t of water from its roots to its crown – pine and birch. It surrounds our against gravity – and evaporated it; property and its outskirts seamless- • has processed some 18 million cubic metres of air, extracting ly blend with the park-like vegeta- from the carbon-dioxide therein about 2500kg of pure carbon tion on the remaining 10 hectares. (C); On each parcel of land, the pine trees were of nearly the same age. • has photo-chemically converted 9,100kg of CO and 3,700 litres 2 In some places new growth, mainly of H O; 2 of oak (Quercus robur) and black • has stored up some 23 million kilocalories (equivalent to 3,500 locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), had kg of hard pit coal) and has supplied 6,600 kg of oxygen (O2) for arisen. There was also a vibrant un- the respiration of human and beast, ensuring enough air for one der storey, - even some old fruit human being for at least 20 years; trees (apples, pears and sweet cher- • has fixed a mechanical equivalent of heat equal to the calorific ries), mostly hollow. Over the last value of 2,500 tons of coal; 50 years, pine (Pinus sylvestris), birch (Betula pendula) and oak The combustion of 100 litres of petrol consumes 230 kg of O2. That is have moved into the fruit orchard, to say, if a person chooses to breathe for 3 years, or to burn 400 litres and have forced the fruit trees to of petrol or heating oil or 400 kg of coal, then the production through grow higher and higher in the com- photosynthesis of 1 tonne of oxygen is required (Viktor Schauber- petition for light. ger). Since 1993, we have been busy an consumers are responsible for nigra L.), elm (Ulmus glabra creating a forest rich in species. the annual destruction of at least Hudson), yew (Taxus bacata L.), There will be little separation bet- 150 square kilometres of primeval whitty pear (Sorbus forest in the European Russia. Yet domestica), wild Europe is not the worst in terms of service-tree (Sorba global forest destruction. This pla- torminalis) along ce is held by the US. with various wild species of Industrialised, modern forestry re- fruit-tree. gards old, gnarly trees and dead trunks as undesirable breeding pla- At ZEGG, we aim ces for pests, such as the bark beet- to foster mixed fo- le. But their removal and destructi- rest rich in species on destroys the habitat and food and habitats, with supply for a whole range of organ- venerable grandfat- isms. One dead oak tree, for exam- her-trees neighbou- ple, hosts 500 different insects and ring fresh young micro-organisms, all of which are saplings, and with important for speeding up its de- moss-covered dead composition. In Germany, from trunks being swiftly 1,350 to 6,000 native beetles breed returned into the in dead wood; 60% of these insects rich, healthy humus are to be found on the so-called by the insects and Red List, as they are threatened by mushrooms that extinction. Moreover, of the fungi live on them: A fo- that propagate on dead wood, 25% rest providing pro- are considered endangered. tection and food to a wide range of in- The concentration by German habitants, and agroforestry on a few, which at the same profit-yielding species of tree has time depends on led to the near-extinction of fir these tenants. From (abies alba), black poplar (Populus a living organism

10 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community ween orchard and forest, as we are Since 2002, we have two splendid and yew (Taxus baccata). The un- trying to build up a natural, vibrant work horses, which help us to pull der storey has hazel (Corylus avel- sanctuary where humans can visit, trees from the forest. This is the lana), european mountain ash (Sor- harvest and enjoy. We would like most natural way of harvesting bus aucuparia and intermedia), to show that there is no conflict bet- wood. hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha), ween a Nature worth protecting blackberry (Rubus fruticosa ), and the human settlement and use If we include young growth, the raspberry (Rubus Idaeus), red and of its resources, as long as we take ZEGG forest now includes pine black elder (Sambucus racemosa on the responsibility of living in (Pinus sylvestris L.), birch (Betula L. and nigra), currants (Ribes), close harmony with natural cycles. pendula), oak (Quercus robur L.), Oregon grape(Mahonia aquifoli- black locust (Robinia pseudoaca- um), European birdcherry (Prunus In the beginning, we extensively cia), field maple (Acer pseudopla- padus), hips dog rose (rosa canina, interfered with the existent, unna- tanus L.), aspen (Populus tremula), budleia (Budleia davidii), lilac (Sy- tural forest. Pine and birch were cut cherry (Prunus avium), pear (Pyrus ringa vulgaris), Dwarf Garden Ser- down in order to create clearings communis), apple (Malus domesti- viceberry (Amelanchier ovalis) for the seedlings of other trees and ca and sylvestris), prune (Prunus and even, at some sunny outskirts plants. Layers of leaves were domestica), lime tree(Tilia platy- of the forest, sea buckthorn (Hip- brought in as mulch and Benjes phyllos and cordata), fir (Abies pophae rhamnoides). hedges were laid. Dead wood was alba), Canadian oak (Querkus ro- left to rot and more brought in. We bur C.), walnut (Juglans nigra), Through discussion with the pro- believe such interference will no chestnut (Castanea vesca), beech prietors of the surrounding forests, longer be necessary in about ten (Betula pendula), larch (Pinus la- we seek to foster support for ecolo- years. Some areas were left for na- rix), whitty pear (Sorbus domestica gically sound forestry, and to crea- tural succession to take place. L.), wild service-tree (sorbus ter- te a network of producers and con- minalis), ash (Fraxinus excelsior) sumers of regionally grown timber.

t seems that mankind has solution and that is to refo- specific weight the hydrogen Inever learnt that to take rest this planet on a massive then rises into space, while away the trees is to take away scale – now! the oxygen sinks back down. the water. It is the forest co- Worst of all, all that was once ver that is responsible for A further horrific consequen- water has effectively been re- fine-tuning the content of wa- ce is that groundwater is no moved altogether. It has ter vapour in the atmosphere longer recharged; the gone, and gone for good. and for the creation of fresh groundwater table sinks and water itself. Once the forest the supply of nutrients to the This initiates a process, in has been removed, the expo- vegetation from below cea- which the atmosphere is first sed ground heats up rapidly. ses. At the same time, the in- forced to get warmer due to As a result the ground tempe- creased intensity of the overcharge of water va- rature in general is hotter thunderstorms and wind acti- pour, but then, as the water than the falling rain. A hot, vity and the warming of the rises higher, it is dissociated dry ground-surface inhibits ground due to massive defo- and disappears, and the at- infiltration of the soil with restation, raises the water mosphere cools, because the rain water. Until a sufficient vapour levels far higher than amount of heat-retaining wa- number of trees have been normal, even to as much as ter vapour has diminished. planted; not just a billion, but 40 – 80 kilometres above the What follows is a new ice several hundred billions, we planet’s surface Here it rea- age. All this was elaborated will be subjected to the unre- ches altitudes where it is ex- in detail in Viktor Schauber- lenting , merciless cycle of posed to much stronger ger’s writings some 70 years drought, flood, drought, ultra-violet and high-energy ago. flood, particularly in equato- gamma-radiation, which dis- rial and warm temperate zo- sociate the oxygen from the Quoted from: Callum Coats, nes. There is only one hydrogen. Due to its lesser “Living Energies”

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 11 and plants. This also includes so-called pests, the massive occur- Permaculture rence of which always indicates a lack of complexity. If examined more closely, these insects support the healing-processes of the Earth, as they serve to rectify human mis- takes, such as mono-cultures. ermaculture means sustainable “An agriculture set up to feed hu- Pagriculture and is a way to sup- manity long-term needs to meet the We would like to achieve a high le- port, conceive and to construct du- following criteria: it may not use vel of self-sufficiency in the area of rable habitats and systems. These more energy than it creates. It healthy food. To walk through a are intended to secure our perma- needs to conserve the integrity of blooming, green and fertile land- nent and fundamental needs – eco- humans, nature and of landscapes, scape, is in itself already healing to logically, socially and without simply transferring diffi- heart, body and soul. It also gene- economically. As a central aspect culties onto other essential realms rates a space for children to grow before any new design, but also at of life, and it needs to produce qua- up in a variously environment, intervals during later stages of any litatively and quantitatively high which leaves room for discoveries, project, it is necessary to closely yields. In all of this, it is also im- and allows them to experience ani- observe plants, animals and any ot- portant to set limits to the uncon- mals as wild and free, not as depen- her elements involved, in all of trolled explosion of the population dent of humans. They profit from their functions. We also need to in- and of consumerism.” (Rohr, Ja- naturally experiencing diversity clude traditional knowledge into scha: Asking for the roots. Deep and start to understand the natural our work. This serves as a basis for ecology giving directions out of the complementary character of ever- new models, of how living systems crisis. Hagia Chora, Nr.14, 2002) ything around them. can maintain themselves and rege- nerate. Instead of fighting disrup- This is where social experiments, Another important aspect of per- tions, they are utilized as part of the such as communal lifestyles, may maculture is multifunctionality. solution. take on an important role, as they Each element has several allow in-depth recognition and ear- functions, and each function is ta- First of all, permaculture is a me- ly realisation of basic needs, before ken on by a variety of elements. thod of planning, the aim of which they are channelled into a host of Grapevines, rambler roses and ki- is to build functioning systems, and substitute gratifications. wis, for example are trained around to take into consideration the an arbour structure, providing sha- well-being of humanity and of na- The aim of our ecological work is de during hot summers. During the ture. These systems could be gar- to build up stable systems in coope- winter, they drop their leaves and dens, or agricultural operations. ration and partnership with animals allow sunlight to come through. But permaculture is also viable in urban situations, it may be applied in architecture, in community plan- ning, urban planning and the struc- turing of organisations and social institutions, – in short, wherever there are complex contexts, nee- ding to be connected within an open, multifaceted structure.

Permaculture uses modern techno- logies just as much as ancient knowledge: Feng-Shui or geoman- cy, bio-dynamic gardening or me- thods developed by Fukuoka, pas- sive houses and solar plants, barte- ring networks, car-sharing or vege- table boxes. A central role within permaculture is given to the close observation and use of natural cy- cles, and the recycling of all mate- rials, – locally wherever possible. Mushrooms break down dead wood and keep the natural cycles alive.

12 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community During the fall, they provide us with plenty of delicious fruit, and during the summer we delight in their blossoms. On south-facing Spiritual Ecology walls, climbing plants profit from the warmth of the sun, while they shade the building beneath. This preserves the plaster and keeps the and Geomancy house pleasantly cool. On north-fa- cades, we planted evergreen ivy (Hedera helix), protecting the hou- se against heat-loss during the win- ter. he word `Geomancy is derived joyed at the sight of a pristine Tfrom the Greek expression for landscape. Fruit trees and bushes should grow `seeing the Earth , or `perceiving the wherever people pass, so that Earth’. To `see’, in this sense, me- Very early on, during the founding everybody can gather whatever he ans much more than simply looking years of ZEGG we were twice vi- or she needs in passing. The num- at the surface. The geomancer may, sited by the British geomancer, ber of plants should be large for example, feel the vibrations of a Peter Dawkins. His visits were a enough for humans and animals certain location or an area, and may few years apart. He saw an entire alike to take their share. We do not attempt to translate these images system of chacras on our land, have to harvest everything we sow. into definite statements or descrip- which again is part of a much grea- We take what we need, the remain- tions. While doing so, he or she is in ter energetic system of energy cen- der is left for animals, fungi, in- close contact with the Earth. This tres in the Fläming region. To our sects, all joining to maintain a he- type of sensitivity is inherently pre- great surprise, we had intuitively althy biotope. We also plant fruit sent in each one of us, but does re- placed the harmoniously corre- bearing plants specifically for fo- quire practice. sponding facilities on many of the- rest animals. se locations, such as our One research objective set by the restaurant, the reception and the The ecological work at ZEGG is geomancy group established at reed bed waste water treatment. inspired by Sepp Holzer from ZEGG in the spring of 2002 is to un- During his second visit, Dawkins Austria, and by Masanobu Fukuo- derstand the energetic structures of perceived significant improve- ka from Japan. From this knowled- ZEGG and its natural environment, ment in the total energetic conditi- ge, complemented by our own ob- and to modify these wherever ne- on and revitalisation of the servations and intuition, and influ- cessary. What is required in the be- location. enced by local conditions, we crea- ginning is the willingness to take ted our very own body of methods every inner or outer perception seri- Marko Pogagnik, whose visit du- and knowledge. In this approach, ously, to take note of whatever ari- ring our Summer Camp 2002 in- we also integrate plants, which ses when looking at a piece of land spired the foundation of our were not originally native to the or a building, even if your mind dis- Geomancy group, found a spot Fläming-region. We do make sure, cards a certain perception as `uns- very vital to ZEGG, which was though, that no local species is ous- cientific . After a short while, you highly charged with heart energy. ted by our introduced species. Our realise that there is indeed an inner He had noticed two trees in the di- vision is a “multicultural” one, in answer to the questions such as rect vicinity, which had grown which exotic plants may comple- what kind of a feeling characterises around each other as if lost in an ment and enrich the “natives”. This a certain place? Is it pleasant to be embrace. Coincidence? Places is why we decided to plant kiwi here, or does it have `holes in its such as these need care and attenti- (Actinidia deliciosa), figs (Ficus) energetic fabric, which might indi- on in order to recharge and to mo- and medlars (Mespulus germanica) cate that some detrimental event bilise their power, particularly if at appropriate sites. We do not try took place there, or that trees were their meaning has for a long time to eradicate Japanese Bird Cherry cut down for no reason or veins of been neglected. Progagnik, who is (Prunus padus) and Black Locust water were sealed off, so that part of from Slovenia and who first beca- (Robinia pseudoacacia), which are its vitality was inhibited. What is me known as a sculptor, has spent imports and have turned into quite the meaning of a landscape, and of considerable time researching this a plague at some places. We try to the elements characterising it? Each field of knowledge; his healing restrain them within a certain limit, one of us knows the experience of work is now well known to many and otherwise enjoy their various taking a walk in a vibrant mixed fo- people in Europe. Among other qualities and their beauty. rest, and feeling the healing effect activities, he has been busy as an on body and soul, or of feeling over- “energy converter”, reactivating

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 13 energy at sites where it has been Air vitalises the encompassing per structures of the land on which blocked, twisted or buried by hu- landscape. A river kept from vibra- ZEGG has settled, and if so, how man interventions. For this kind of ting naturally by modern river en- can we strengthen them. In the im- work he used to employ energetic gineering, will cause irritation, not mediate neighbourhood of ZEGG, symbols sculpted in stone. These only in the physical sphere. It will there is a medical rehabilitation days he prefers to use the healing, be paralysing to look at, but also, centre with an adjoining thermal heart power of sounds produced by the energies it radiates in other fre- spa, tapping a thermal water re- people singing together. quency ranges will be inhibiting. source deep down in the Earth. The human master, who would for- Maybe the location at which we’ve During the 2002 Summer Camp, ce it into a crippling bed therefore decided to live, is particularly well Progagnik attempted to unblock becomes a victim of is own deeds. suited to receive, to promote and to and cleanse one particular location A vibrant landscape with an unblo- foster new information on healing on our grounds by the “sounding” cked “soul” or essence, will in the social and ecological realms. of 100 people. He advised us to re- strengthen all creatures living in it, We still know so little about the locate an important ceremonial site and vice versa: if we humans re- connections between “Heaven and to a place nearby, in order to spect the diversity of a landscape Earth” - between the spiritual and strengthen its vital-energetic ener- and the characteristics of its “or- the material. This is why Geoman- gies. The geomancy group at gans”, we will strengthen its sacred cy is such an exciting field of re- ZEGG will continue to work on spaces which enable it to exist in search for some of us here at the these issues, in order to find out physical harmony. ZEGG. which sites are best suited to expe- rience inner peace, clear the mind Another interesting geomantic or awaken joy. A natural flow of question is whether there are hea- the energies of Earth, Water and ling powers hidden within the dee-

If, during a particular year, butterfly caterpillars had nibbled off the lea- Cooperation with Animals ves of a plant, it very often turned out to benefit this plant later, when it got drier, as the plant suffered a lot e want to learn how to work to- less evaporation loss. Wgether with the plants and ani- mals around us, no matter how During guided tours through our small they are. If we include them in gardens, people very often deplore our thoughts and considerations, they the fact that they have too many will cooperate with us in the great slugs in their vegetable patch, ex- challenge of healing the Earth. The pecting us to give a patent remedy. following are just a few examples In our view, slugs serve as a regula- from our experience. Since we started ting measure in nature. They “set the to promote a wider biodiversity on table” for all kinds of other animals, our grounds by taking down large sec- such as toads (Bufo bufo), lizards, tions of the surrounding fences, more frogs, slow worms (Anguis fragilis), deer (Capreolus capreolus) , wild boar hedge hogs (Erinaceus europeus), (Sus scrofa) and hares (Lepus europe- birds and moles. When these ani- ans) from the neighbouring monocul- mals come to feed, we like to welco- ture forests have come to feed and live me them by offering them a comfor- on our grounds. As much as we enjoy table place to settle down - nest bo- their trustful presence, they do have a xes, piles of rocks or tree-cuttings, tendency to eat and damage the newly Butterfly caterpillar wild hedges, small ponds or wate- planted shrubs and trees. We therefo- ring holes. We find that by taking a re protect young trees and single European starlings love cherries. We closer look, by observing natural plants by surrounding them with fen- could keep them from eating all the process and by re-examining our ces while they are too delicate to sur- cherries by spreading large nets over habitual mindsets we can find ways vive game bite. Additionally, we have the trees. We prefer to invite a starling to support Nature in her work. Is it planted some of the animals favourite family to nest in a cherry tree. One really so important that a garden is forage plants in the forest. In our needs only to put a nest box in the so neat and tidy that there is no thoughts, we try to communicate our tree. The `resident family will then room left for any other creature to welcome and our wishes regarding defend the tree against all uninvited live there? what we would like them to eat and guests, but will leave enough cherries not eat. for us to eat.

14 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community The ZEGG Vegetable Garden

ature doesn t make mistakes. (Zea mays) or tomatoes (Solanum give you an example how nature NIf paradise does not become lycopersicum), we add some of our produces stone meal: in Egypt, the reality in the garden, it’s humans own compost; otherwise we don t river Nile used to flood the soil who’ve made the mistake“ (Sepp fertilize at all. All we do is feed the once a year. The sludge deposited Holzer) organisms living in the soil, the by these floods served as fertilizer worms and the bacteria. These will to the Nile valley farmers, and as Felix Matile, the ZEGG gardener, then in turn feed the plants. We sow building material. Now they ve got talks about his work in this way: leguminous plants, such as beans the Assuan Reservoir, and all of “In our garden, we try to do as (Vicia faba L.), peas (Pisum sati- this stone meal is collected within much as possible the way nature vum L.), lupines (Lupinus poly- the reservoir. The farmers have to herself does it. For example, nature phyllos), clover (Trifolium ..), buy artificial fertilizers and they does not know compost heaps. which draw nitrogen from the air are getting poorer and poorer. For Everything just drops wherever it into the soil, via the bacteria living us, it s important to know the happened to grow. For crops with within their root systems. We do ph-values of our soil. The soil here exceptionally high nutrition needs buy and introduce soil for seed- has too little lime. I can balance like potatoes (Solanum tubero- lings and stone meal, a by-product that by using wood ash, a by-pro- sum), pumpkin (cucurbita), corn product of stone masonry. Just to

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 15 duct of our wood-burning heating dise emerges, is rewarded by less wers from our own garden are the- plant.“ work for more bountiful crops refore not only a visual delight and every year! a `soul food , but also an expression The ZEGG garden is not intended of our political concerns. as a commercial horticultural en- In 2004 we started to use copper terprise, but as a place for learning gardening tools following the ideas The gardeners also take on the task about organic gardening, for expe- of V. Schauberger and we are curi- of passing on their experience rimenting, for regeneration and for ous to see the results through guided tours and consulta- growing vegetables for our own tions, i.e. for gardens planned el- consumption. There are no In addition to the vegetable garden, sewhere. Preschool children regu- “weeds“ at the ZEGG garden. The- the ZEGG gardeners also care for a larly join the gardeners to partici- re are wild herbs and indicator plants. Neither are there any `use- less pests or `beneficial creatures; there are only animals and all kinds of insects.

On ¾ of a hectare, we produce enough fresh vegetables and fruit to feed our community and our many seminar and conference par- ticipants and other guests during nearly six months of the year, with still plenty left over to preserve for the winter. To provide valuable or- ganic produce for ourselves during the Summer and Fall means a lot to us: we know how to care for our ve- getable cultures, and we can be sure that no herbicides, fungicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers are used. Meanwhile, the fertility of the soil and the yield have risen year after year. We eat the vegetab- les which are grown here, and any remains are again given back to the land as compost. This comparati- vely small and closed cycle has great political significance to us: it strengthens our connection to the land we live on. At the same time, we become aware of how depen- dent we are on nature. Any losses due to unfavourable weather con- View into the deapth of the vegetable Garden. ditions are painfully felt. We grate- fully accept the gifts nature pre- beautiful flower garden. These flo- pate and to help. In this way they sents us with. wers are given as gifts and are used soak up a lot of knowledge on plant to beautify our seminar spaces, ren- growth and how to cultivate seed- We sow and we harvest vegetable dering us independent of the flower lings and vegetables. We like to of- plants, but we also take note of any producing industry. Most flowers fer them an opportunity to feel their other little shoot in our garden. All bought at the florist s have not only connection with the land we live wilds herbs are indicators of the travelled considerable distances, on, and to take responsibility early soil s needs and condition, telling from Africa or Latin-America, but on for our own nourishment and us what needs to be done in order to have been produced under inhu- the nourishment of the soil. nourish it. Our garden teaches us man conditions, often involving how we can improve the soil, and massive exploitation and destructi- We are also committed to suppor- how we can live off and on the land on of natural resources. Cut flo- ting `fledgeling gardeners. For without depleting it. Our willing- wers are treated with even more school classes or groups of at least ness to get out of the way, as Para- chemicals than food crops! Flo- ten visitors, we offer guided tours

16 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community all of the residents are tough vege- tarian. At the same time, a growing Awareness in the number of people would like not to eat any animal food at all – to be vegan.

Kitchen and while We do not buy eggs produced by factory farming; our suppliers are regional farmers who leave their Shopping chicken to roam as they want. Cof- fee is provided by `Fair Trade’, which guaranties fixed prices to growers, as opposed to multinatio- nal companies who exploit these n addition to ecological and he- our power; every one of us, every coffee farmers. Our aim is to redu- Ialth aspects, the decisions we day! ce our “complicity“ in inhuman make each day when we shop have production of foodstuffs. Where- a political aspect as well. Whom do “The rule of multinational compa- ver possible, we refuse goods who- we support by what and where we nies will collapse if we refuse to se production involves the blood or buy? Do we support transparent re- buy what they are selling – their pain of animals or humans, or da- gional structures, or do we contri- ideas, their version of history, their mage the environment. bute to the exploitation of people in goods, their weapons, their vision other parts of the world? Do we of inescapability“ (Arundhati Roy; A very high priority is our own pro- foster contamination, erosion or a well-known Indian author and duction of foodstuffs. We grow as the leaching of valuable soil, or do anti-globalisation activist) much as we can, supplementing we contribute to care and regenera- this by food we can buy regionally. tion of the soil? Are we able to be To feel good, we do not need a lar- When not available regionally, we responsible and recycle, preferably ge number of things, but we need buy through `Fair Trade’ and orga- regionally, the goods we´ve goods which last, and which don´t nically grown produce. We refuse bought? harm the environment. We do not to buy genetically modified food. need to personally own everything Power is moving away from the we use from time to time. The joy We try to improve the local availa- hands of elected politicians and of life does not lie in our consu- bility of valuable foodstuffs. We into the hands of multinational ming more, or in having more of were able to convince a local baker companies. Behind closed doors, our lives commercialized by multi- to bake organic bread for us. He the GATS Agreement (General national cooperations. Sustainabi- then offered organic bread also to Agreement on Trades and Servi- lity is intended to counter this everybody else who came to his ces) is used to sell off even the last trend. shop. In 2004 we started to bake basic goods humans need for their bread and cake ourselves. survival (i.e. water). As consumers One small word on me- we find ourselves in a new role, at-consumption: a large part of the The soil, the garden, the people with quite unexpected influence primary food produced on this pla- working in it or in the kitchen ... all and power. Our political influence net is fed to animals raised for of these are valuable resources. by way of consumer behaviour is slaughtering. Every day more tro- That is why another goal at ZEGG already much greater than the in- pical rainforest is cut or slashed is to eat or buy only what we really fluence we have through the occa- and burnt for meat production. But need. We seek to develop an awa- sional election. But this power is we do not need meat. The greater reness of whether we are really based on information on the origin part of humanity adequately lives hungry, or whether our `hunger’ is of the products we choose, and on on a vegetarian diet. Meat con- only a substitute for some other the knowledge about the social and sumption in the rich countries is re- need. We’d like to develop a more ecological conditions of their ma- sponsible for hunger and deforesta- satisfying culture in which this fal- nufacture. Millions of people are tion in other parts of the world. We se `hunger’ no longer occurs be- frustrated, sitting in their have an opportunity to satisfy the cause our true needs and desires are one-bedroom flats, feeling power- material needs of humanity wit- fulfilled. Our aim is not renunciati- less , thinking that there´s absolute- hout destroying the planet. on – rather sensual delight. We ly nothing a single person can do. seek not to be morally superior – But by deciding what to shop, we This is one of the reasons why the rather to be more aware of our in- have the power to (s)elect, every ZEGG community kitchen decided terconnectedness. day. It´s we who decide to whom to provide only vegetarian dishes we´d like to give our money and for residents and guests, even not

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 17 of temperature, thereby extending their lifetime. The Greening Greening a façade is a lot cheaper and easier to accomplish, as no sea- ling and no substrates are needed. For ivy (Hedera helix), kiwis (Acti- nidia), grapevine (Vitis vinifera), of Roofs and knotweed (Polygonum aviculare), clematis (C. Integrifolia) and ho- neysuckle (Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’), trellises are all you Façades need. Virginia creeper (Partheno- cissus tricuspidata Veitchii) do- esn’t even need that. Virginia cree- per, ivy, clematis, and honeysuckle prefer walls which do not face the sun, but grapevines and kiwis en- t ZEGG, there are quite a few by one person. The decomposition joy basking in full sunlight, at least Aflat, bitumen-covered roofs - of the plants takes up the same at our latitude. After a period of ac- most of them inadequately insula- amount of oxygen: it is therefore a climatisation, grapevines become ted. We decided to insulate and closed oxygen-cycle. very drought-resistant, due to their landscape some of them, as far as extremely long roots (up to 40 me- this was financially feasible and necessary for the building’s main- tenance. Insulated green roofs im- prove a building’s heat insulation and bind about 500 grams of air-bound dust per m² per year. This is particularly important for cities. The green roofs filter the nu- trients and pollutants contained in rain, thereby contributing to the clarification of surface and ground waters.

Green roofs also slow down the run-off after heavy downpours. Spread over the entire year, the substrate and the vegetation release 75% of this moisture directly into the air via evaporation. For about 2000€, it is possible to green about 50m² of roof, with a 10cm layer of Grapevines lighten the somewhat massive façade of the ZEGG’s seminar building. substrate, which can store about 1.5m³ of water after a heavy rain- fall with 30mm of precipitation (=30l/m²) In order to seal the green roofs we tres). Our grapevines grow to a use an environmentally friendly, height of 8 metres, delighting us Among those plants particularly recyclable EPDM (Indian rubber) (and the birds) with plenty of deli- suited for growing at these lofty liner. The substrate is a mixture of cious fruit. heights are some robust survival soil and pumice stone, or soil and artists such as sheep’s fescue (Fes- expanded shale, which is much Greening does not only serve to be- tuca ovina L.), English bluegrass lighter than normal soil even when autify a façade, but also protects it (Poa compressa), brome grass thoroughly soaked, but can store from temperature fluctuations and (Bromus tectorum) and a number much more water (an interesting driving rains. Additionally, the of sedum-varieties. As little as fact for any stress analyst!). Gree- plants produce oxygen and provide 0.5m² of unmowed grassy vegetati- ning protects roofs from corrosive welcome nesting places for a varie- on generates the oxygen required UV-rays and extreme fluctuations ty of birds and many rare insects.

18 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community Water - a Living Substance

he Upholder of the cycles But how we satisfy this need, plays and landscapes will turn into Twhich supports the whole of a crucial role. Water is not simply swamps.” life – this is WATER. In every drop water. Drinking water from a of water dwells a deity, whom we spring is subtly different from drin- Today (more than 70 years later!), all serve; there also dwells Life, the king that which flows constantly scarcity and pollution of water, in Soul of the First substance – Water from a tap and gurgles, after use, addition to climatic changes which – whose boundaries and banks are down a drain. When we drink from have a disastrous effect on the re- the capillaries that guide it and in a spring our disposition towards generation of water resources, are which it circulates. Let me summa- our fellow human beings, to socie- the most pressing worldwide envi- rize: healthy air, healthy nutrition ty and to nature is subtly changed. ronmental problem of this century. and healthy water together support not only a healthy body, but a he- As early as 1933, Viktor Schauber- Globally, 97% of water is salt wa- althy, positive human character ger had made it plain that there is ter. A mere 3% is fresh water. Of also.” (Viktor Schauberger) something fundamentally wrong in this 3%, as much as 79% is stored the way we treat water. In his book, in the pole caps as glacier and anot- Water is a remarkably complex “Our Senseless Toil”, he wrote: her 20% in the form of groundwa- substance. Its significance as a ”For about a decade the groundwa- ter. The last 1% of fresh water is life-giving element is expressed in ter has been falling so fast in many surface water. These numbers illu- a multitude of myths. The early areas, that we can reckon on our strate the limited availability of our philosophers identified water as fingers how soon people will be global fresh water provisions; whi- being one of the fundamental ele- forced to abandon their higher sett- le at the same time, the planet’s po- ments which, together with fire, lements and houses, because the pulation and its need for water is soil and air, make up the whole necessary water can no longer be growing exponentially. Currently, world. Even now, looking upon brought to them, or only at great humans consume 50% of the avai- water with more educated eyes, cost. Along with the falling of lable fresh water, leaving all the and describing it in terms of its che- groundwater levels, springs dry up, plants and animals on the planet to mical characteristics, we are still water ways fall dry and the glebe, share the remaining half. aware of the fact that all life needs which is supposed to give us our water. In particular, we humans: daily bred, dies of thirst. At other “The proper ways will themselves our physiological need is 3 litres places the water will rise above the lead us back to nature, and therefo- per day. earth, rivers will break their banks re to the source of all life, to healt- hy water, which, lifted by inner po-

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 19 wers, the higher the better, flows lowest point of the curve of the alike. Our very existence is from Mother earth when it is matu- specific heat values for water, therefore intimately connected re enough to do so, that is, when it however. is +37,5°C. It is with the quality of water available has achieved its optimal physical remarkable that the lowest specific to us. It is vital for our own lives composition, and has no choice but heat of this `inorganic substance, and those of our children that we to leave the ground.“ (V. Schauber- at which the greatest amount of become seriously concerned not ger) heat or cold is required to change only for the health, vitality and the water’s temperature, lies at quality of the water we drink, but As a compound made up of the two only 0.5°C above the normal also for its source and the treatment gases hydrogen and oxygen, water human blood temperature –. This it receives. Apart from our in its pure form could technically property - of being able to resist consumption of it, this same water be described as an oxide of hydro- rapid thermal change - enables us, is also used to grow everything we gen. But water is no isolated sub- with blood composed of up to 90% eat. If we want to live in health and stance, as it possesses a multitude water, together with many other happiness, then the living entity – of characteristics according to the animals and creatures, to survive a water – should be highly revered medium or the organism in which it relatively large range of external and the most sensitive care should resides and moves. temperature fluctuation and still be taken of it.” (Callum Coats) maintain our own internal body As a molecule, water has an extra- temperature. Pure accident, so we Here at ZEGG, our weed bed water ordinary capacity: it can combine are told, or is it by clever, purification system, with a with more elements and com- symbiotic design? If the blood in capacity adequate for 300 pounds than any other molecule. our bodies had a lower specific inhabitants, has been working This is why it is sometimes descri- heat, it would mean that in hot since 1992. The water we draw bed as the universal solvent. Water weather it would heat up much from the Earth for our needs is behaves in a way which is funda- more rapidly to the point where we cleaned and given back to the mentally different from other li- would start to decompose , or it natural cycle. After it has quids. While all fluids become den- would freeze solid, if exposure was nourished, washed and rejuvenated ser with cooling, water does so to the extreme cold.” (Callum us, it seeps back into the ground only down to +4° Celsius (39.2 Coats) and is returned to the groundwater. Fahrenheit). Below this temperatu- re it once more expands. This is the In contrast to a seepage spring, true In the times of company-domina- so-called “anomaly point”, which spring water has a water ted globalisation, in which water is is decisive in terms of its potency temperature of +4°C. Born in the degraded from being a basic and has a major influence on its cool, diffuse forest light, water human need and a right to a mere quality. At +4°C water has its grea- begins its long, life-supporting commodity, access to good water is test density, 0.99996 grams per cu- cycle as a living and translucent increasingly important. We insist bic centimetre, and is virtually in- stream. Naturally flowing water on our right to keep our own water compressible. always has a tendency to flow in sources, and we try to convince the darkness or in the diffuse light of community of Belzig not to follow At 4°C, water also has its highest forests, avoiding the detrimental the example of many other larger energy content and is in what effect of direct sunlight. With German cities, which is to sell their Schauberger called a state of `in- increasing warmth and light, water water works to international difference . In other words, when in gradually loses its vitality, its companies, at cut-throat-condi- its highest natural condition of he- health and its capacity to enliven tions, and then lease it back from alth, vitality and life-giving poten- and animate its surroundings as it these same companies, which in tial, water is in an internal state of passes. As it by and by transforms turn use this water as a speculative energetic equilibrium and in a ther- itself into a broad river, it becomes value, - all in order to save taxes on mally and specially neutral conditi- more and more turbid. But even a short-term basis. A sensitive and on. this cloudiness still serves an caring treatment of water is important purpose: it protects the important to us. “A further life-giving property of deeper strata of the river from too water is its high specific heat and much heat and light from the Sun. We do use rain water occasionally, thermal conductivity, namely the for watering plants during dry ability and the rate at which it “Water is the issue most crucial to spells. Its collection and use in our absorbs and releases heat. This all life on Earth. Water, flowing as existing building would demand a means that a large input or sap, lymph or blood, is the large and costly re-construction; extraction of heat energy is life-blood of our planet, the for new buildings we plan to use required to bring about a change in life-giving fluid of all organisms, rain water for flushing, watering density and temperature. The plants, animals and human beings and laundry purposes.

20 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community View at the high growth of the purification plant. Waste Water Treatment and Composter

n essential prerequisite for the 3m². Using newer methods we faecal sludge. They are left to rot, Aecological use of water is a de- have been able to reduce this requi- and after about two years may be centralized system for the purifica- rement to only 1m² per person. used to improve the soil as valuab- tion of waste water to a quality le composting material. The nu- which allows it to be reused . The first step is one of mechanical trient cycle is closed. purification and takes place in a Since 1992 all waste water from composter. This is an alternative to The resulting pre-purified waste ZEGG is purified in a treatment the traditional septic tank. In the water is then channelled into a duct plant which uses natural processes. composter the solid matter is filte- for collection and distribution. Minimal technical effort is needed. red out, and the waste water is From here it is brought to the surfa- It needs only 900m² of space and is pre-treated mechanically and, in ce at intervals, and spread on the able to clean the overall waste wa- part, also biologically. Contrary to filter beds of the waste water treat- ter produced by 300 inhabitants. common 3-chamber-pits, this pro- ment plant. Purification takes place The required space per person is cess does not turn the solids into in the planted soil filter, which is

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 21 Waste Water Treatment Plant vertically permeated. Part of the The output water quality is tested at project. The aim is to optimize its water flows back into the duct and regular intervals. A very high output levels and reach a quality goes through the plant again. This quality is achieved throughout the which would allow widespread improves the purification perfor- year, even during the coldest reuse of the water. The water can mance and makes the inclusion of a period when temperatures are for be used to water forest gardens and buffer tank redundant. The pollu- more than 4 weeks below -15°C. landscapes. tants in the water are broken down The plant reduces concentrations by micro-organisms living in the of pollutants to levels consistently The research project is part of a soil filter. During the entire pro- below German concentration combinated endeavour of German cess, the waste water is rich in oxy- limits. The unit at ZEGG is a model and Mexican research facilities gen (4-6mg/lO2). This aerobic en- for small communities and for and companies. The project vironment enhances the cleaning households which are outside of includes different climatic regions power of the plant and assures ne- towns and off the grid. It and different research questions. It arly odourless functioning. demonstrates a process for waste is hoped that the results will be water purification which utilizes applicable to a wide range of In the treatment plant at ZEGG we well the regenerative powers of climates and regions. mainly used plants producing a lot nature. These units also enrich and of biomass, which can be harvested beautify the environment by Information: ÖKOTEC GmbH, regularly. The plants used are: Ja- adding a wetland biotope, offering Rosa -Luxemburg-Str. 89 panese silver grass or Eulalia (Mis- valuable living space to many D - 14806 Belzig canthus sinesis), a local type of species of plants and animals. Phone: +49-33841/3889–0 common reed (Phragmites pseudo- fax: +49-33841/3889-10 donax), a local type of willow (Sa- Since November 2000 our E-mail: [email protected] lix viminalis “Mötzow”) and chi- purification plant has been the http://www.oekotec-gmbh.com/de. nese poplar (Populus simonii). subject of a three year research

Composter

22 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community Natural Pond Clarification

t ZEGG there is a fire fighting proven our water to be of excellent During the summer of 2003, we deci- Awater basin containing about 420 quality and hygienically in perfect con- ded to continue the efforts already un- m3 of water. We started to super- dition. der way to clean and maintain the pond ficially filter the water through a small with a natural chain of living organ- soil filter planted with aquatic plants, Since 2000, we have also introduced isms. We siphoned off a portion of the pumping the filtered water back into Red-eye Rudd (Scardinius erythropht- mud and spread part of the 2.30m deep the pond. This soil filter offers a habitat halmus) and Carp (Cyprinus carpio), section of the pond with a layer of was- to many natural pond-dwellers, thereby which so far have thrived without any hed sand 10 cm deep. This offers a strengthening the self purification po- supplementary feeding. Rudd mainly good habitat for the water-filtering wers of the basin. We intend to promo- live off mosquito larvae and insects Goose Barnacle (Anodonta cygnea) te a close-to-natural pond-biotope. which fall into the pond, whereas carp and other sludge-digesting organisms. mainly feed on algae and decomposing A fully matured Goose Barnacle, The method of purification just descri- leaves and grass which settle on the which is an endangered species in Ger- bed is insufficient during the summer, bottom. The Rudd are spawning at a many, can filter up to 2000 litres of wa- when hot temperatures draw residents high rate, so that we have decided to ter per day. They achieve a size of up to and guests to bathe and refresh them- bring in a perch (Perca fluviatilis) in or- 25cm and live for up to 300 years, pla- selves in the pool. As we do not want to der to control their proliferation. cing them among the most long lived use chlorine, we set out to research ef- animals on this planet. They feed off ficient, environmentally friendly me- During the fourth year of our experi- fine floating algae and, in order to build thods of purifying the water. This se- ment – of no longer exchanging the wa- their shells, draw lime from the water, arch led us to discover the various be- ter - is has become evident that while which in turn lowers the water’s ph-va- neficial effects of the so-called “Effec- the bacteriological condition of the wa- lue. They live in a symbiotic relations- tive Micro-Organisms” (EM) (see ter is excellent, the visual aspects are hip with a small fish, the Bitterling box). less than satisfactory. The side walls (Rhodeus sericeus amarus Bloch); are covered with algae, there are lots of each relies on the other for procreation. During our first two years here, we had tiny algae floating in the water and the There is another type of mollusc which to exchange the water twice a year, as water itself appears murky. The reason can filter water. It is the Painter’s or so much algae were growing due to the is an increased ph-value connected Freshwater mussel (Unio pictorum), many nutrients in the water. At hot with a heightened nutrient content due which is also red-listed. We also intro- spells the ecosystem collapsed at inter- to organic matter introduced into the duced Gudgeon (Gobio gobio), a fish vals. Since 2000, we have employed water. On the bottom of the pond, for feeding on organisms living in the EM in our fire pond and we get a pro- example, a layer of leaves dropped by sludge. The employment of these mol- fessional lab to test the water quality the surrounding trees sometimes be- luscs could help to create a new habitat towards the end of the summer - the gins to ferment during hot spells in the for these animals, and could serve as a time when ponds are normally most summer. basis for their re-introduction into their polluted. Every year, these tests have natural biotopes.

The vertical, side walls of the pond are Effective Micro-Organisms “grazed” by the River snail (Viviparus viviparus) and Ramshorn snail (Pla- he idea of EM was originally de- med that inoculations of the soil or of a norbis corneus). In one corner of the Tveloped by a japanese man Pro- plant system with EM raises general basin, we plan to install floating beds fessor Higa. It consists of a mixtu- soil and plant vitality, as well as im- of water plants to clean the water with re of cultures of micro-organisms na- proving the yield and the quality of their root systems, offer shelter to turally occurring in the environment, crops. EM is completely harmless to spawn and young fish and provide ve- which are used as an inoculation in or- humans, and can also be used external- getable matter to the carp. der to raise the micro-bacterial variety ly for treating skin diseases and inter- in soils and plants. Higa discovered nally for gastro-intestinal complaints. In 2004 the water quality is still good micro-organisms which can co-exist in and we have hundreds of young fish mixed cultures and which are physio- Source of supply for EMs: EMIKO, and even quite a number of Crested logically compatible. When these cul- Reinhard Mau, Gebr.-Burch-Str..9, newts (Triturus cristatus). We have ta- tures are introduced into a natural en- D-53881 Euskirchen-Kirchheim, pho- ken out several hundred small fish and vironment, synergetic effects are acti- ne: +49-2255/950733, fax: quite a number of big ones and brought vated, multiplying the individual bene- +49-2255/950734, or: Gönna Pezely, them to other ponds and lakes in the ficial impacts. EM contains no synthe- Axstetter Str. 1, D-27628 Bramstedt, area. Some of these are on the endange- tic substances. Research in Japan and phone: +49-4746/6998 red species list. in other parts of the world has confir-

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 23 hit turns into earth which is put shit turn into 50,000 grams of Son the roof. It becomes lawn, garbage - poison. Compost forest, garden Humus toilet: 1,000 grams of Shit turns into gold. It is satisfying shit turn into 50 grams of raw to grow richer and richer in this material - gold. Toilets way. Now why should I give away The cycle is closed. There is no my shit and poison the environ- undertwasser’s explicit state- more waste, the environment reco- ment with it? Hment is today widely accepted vers. Every time I use an English as the truth: the water-closet with water closet, it gnaws at my cons- I prefer to keep it for myself and water-borne sewage system has cience, just like when I travel by convert it into gold. turned out to be an ecological dead car or by plane. end, in more ways than one. A very In a humus toilet, shit and kit- valuable raw material for fertili- Water closets are one of the many chen scraps turn into a valuable sing is withdrawn from the natural dangerous dead ends of our civili- resource, only 5% of the origi- cycle, so that nutrient-deficient sation: such a waste of pure drin- nal volume and weight. soils need to be up-graded with king water, just to flush away a bit chemical compounds. One third of of shit and urine. 1kg of a valuable No waste of water, no canalisa- our precious drinking water is used substance is turned into 50 litres of tion, no pathogenic germs, no as the means of conveyance for our toxic waste, polluting the ground- spreading of epidemics, no gar- excrement - approximately 20,000 water, wells, rivers, lakes and oce- bage, no garbage collection, no litres per person per year. The dilu- ans. latrines, no cesspools, no manu- ted faeces can no longer be used on re transports, no chemicals, che- fields and in gardens. If you consi- Ruthless exploitation is multiplied ap, less waste water treatment, der the cost of a sewerage network as a vital substance is wasted. The odourless, reusable as humus” and a central waste water treatment land is impoverished. Artificial plant, which are operated at ever fertilisers are no adequate substitu- (Friedensreich Hundertwasser, higher expense, with extremely te. Water closet: 1,000 grams of from the shit Manifesto, Vienna complex technology requiring 1975) more and more energy and chemi- cals, it is possible to speak also of and the eggs of parasitic worms temperatures. The latter may be an economic cul-de-sac. In many (Helminthic ova). The duration of supported by aerobic-thermophilic cases, compost toilets are a real al- the decomposition process, its tem- composting, which reaches tempe- ternative. The great advantage they perature, the ph-value and ratures of up to 70%, together with offer is their non-reliance on drin- UV-radiation are the most impor- other organic waste. In most sys- king water, but in addition human tant factors for killing off gast- tems, after one or two years of sto- excrement with its inherent nu- ro-intestinal pathogens. In order to rage the resulting compost is safe trients -mainly phosphorus and ni- result in a hygienically safe pro- to use as fertiliser. trogen - is re-introduced into the duct, faeces need to be either kept nutrient cycle. for a longer period at normal tem- At ZEGG, we constructed our dry peratures before deployment , or toilet in 1995. We selected a conti- There are two main systems of dry stored for a shorter period at high nuous system, similar to the toilets: aerobic and anaerobic com- posting. We have decided on aero- bic decomposition - decomposition with a supply of air/oxygen. This is basically the same composting pro- cess as takes place in garden soil or in a forest without any human assi- stance. The process requires the presence of oxygen, and is for the most part odourless. Anaerobic de- composition (in which air/oxygen is excluded) is actually a putrefac- tion (rotting) process, releasing smelly gases which can be used as biogas. Faeces can contain viruses Compost toilet at ZEGG.

24 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community well-known Swedish Clivius Mul- trum. For quite a number of years now, it has been transforming large quantities of faeces, kitchen scraps and cardboard containers into a small amount of high-quality com- post which we use to fertilise fruit trees. The toilet requires very little maintenance. During periods of in- tense usage we sometimes add wood-ash from our wood burner or stone meal in order to control the ph-value. Sometimes we use effec- tive micro-organisms (EM) to pro- mote the bacterial conversion pro- cess. The main job is done by fun- gi, micro-organisms and worms. There is no need to turn over the pile at any time. Faeces with their high nitrogen content are well complemented by paper board and wood filings as litter, and kitchen Water purification plant at the time of construction 1992. scraps with their high content of potassium. Our toilet is located in the woods Energy Generation and is sealed off from the ground- water by a layer of water-proof concrete made with a fine aggrega- te. Any excess of seepage water is from Renewable selectively used as fertiliser. The upper portion of the toilet is con- structed of wood and cob. Due to its scenic location and its lack of Resources odour our dry toilet is popular.

When we took on the property in 20% of the burden engendered by 1991, the ramshackle and extreme- the previously used brown coal ly polluting heating system (brown central heating boilers. The ashes coal heating plant) was converted. are uncontaminated and are used as Heat generation at the ZEGG is fertiliser in our gardens. now done by an automatic wood chip combustion plant, burning The plant can also be run on bio- wood from our forests. mass, such as elephant grass or ot- her plants from the waste water pu- By using this renewable fuel re- rification system. Since the sum- source, the CO2-cycle is closed, mer of 2002, ZEGG has been coo- that is, the neighbouring forests ab- perating with an engineering office sorb the exhaust generated and to introduce CO2-neutral producti- transform it into oxygen. The hea- on of electricity also. ting station has an output capacity of 875 kW. By employing a heat re- One idea that cropped up during covery system, and due to ener- the process of deciding how to go Vertical cut through the body of gy-technical optimisation-measu- forward, was the installation of a the compost toilet. res, the emission of pollutants and new block-type thermal power sta- the environmental burden caused tion based on wood combustion. by the new system amounts to only But as small units using this tech-

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 25 nology are not yet technically ma- ture we decided to wait before in- vesting in a co-generation plant.

In order to decrease CO2 emissions Cars run on and to cut down on energy-related expenses it seemed most sensible to invest in heat insulation to save 100 to 130 KW. These recommen- Vegetable Oil dations are being put into practice . As the annual heating requirement is above 70kW, extensive savings are possible through thermal insu- lation and window and façade im- provements. Some of the cars run by its higher viscosity,. When ZEGG have been converted operating such a vehicle du- To decrease the demand for heating to run on vegetable oil. Gene- ring winter time, it is necessa- is always the best measure to save rally, this can be done on ne- ry to pre-heat the oil. The tank energy costs, as this energy does arly all diesel engines, which heating system is fed by the not have to be produced in the first can then be run on rapeseed, cooling circuit of the motor. place. sunflower, soy, corn or any For cold starts, an additional other unprocessed oil. small diesel tank, which can Also in the planning stage, is a peak be disconnected by a manual load regulator to monitor the de- Vegetable oil is not to be con- switch after 2 to 4km, is fitted mand for electric energy. This will fused with Bio Diesel. Bio into the vehicle’s boot. enable us to save up to 90% of the Diesel requires an energy electricity costs. The peak load re- consuming process of trans- Conversion may be done by gulator will automatically shut esterification, rendering it a using serial parts only. The down electric appliances for short product of questionable eco- motor itself remains unchan- periods of time and at intervals, logical value. The much bet- ged. The TÜV (German whenever peak load is achieved. ter lubricant effect of vege- Technical Inspection Agen- table oils actually benefits cy) controls whether this ad- In order to decentralise the warm many motors: motor perfor- ditional tank is properly in- water supply system, one building mance is raised and consump- stalled. If the car is decom- was equipped with a thermal solar tion is lowered, and there is missioned, nearly all parts plant several years ago, and two much less wear. Vegetable oil may be reused in other vehi- other large systems followed in cleans the fuel injectors and cles. Conversion is therefore 2004. We also installed a small, the injection pump, thereby worthwhile - even for older 60kW woodchip plant to provide raising combustion efficien- vehicles. warm water in summer. This cy. The sulphur emission is enables us to shut down the big reduced nearly to zero, and Even though conversion is re- plant during the summer, giving it a the emission of soot particles latively easy to do, most aut- break from duty and giving us time and CO2 is decidedly lower. horised workshops have no to take care for it. Vegetable oil is an edible pro- experience, and tend to dis- duct and 100% biodegrada- courage any inquiries. Still, In fall of 2004 we will install 180 ble. Its high ignition point there are by now hundreds of m² of photovoltaic panels on one makes it safe to store in large vehicles (including tractors, south facing roof, producing quantities, without any speci- trucks, passenger cars as well around 24 kW of electricity. al safety precautions. Vege- as ship diesel engines) suc- table oil is not subject to pe- cessfully using this technolo- troleum tax and is a renewa- gy. At ZEGG, we have been Recapitulating, CO2 -emissions are balanced by the employment of re- ble resource: driving with ve- operating 4 diesel-run vehi- newable resources. getable oil is therefore chea- cles with vegetable oil, fil- per and CO2-neutral. ling-up at our very own filling Info: [email protected], station. By now, vegetable oil http://www.andreas-schiller.com . The only disadvantage of ve- is available even at some pub- getable oil is that it is less lic filling stations. suitable for cold starts due to

26 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community Building and Insulating with Plant Fibres

paramount task at ZEGG is lumber mill. In our dry climatic which is mostly produced under Athe insulation of the existing conditions trees grow slowly, re- ecologically questionable and un- buildings, the conservation of tho- warding us with wood of excellent social conditions and is transported se buildings and dealing with inhe- quality. The wood is simply waxed long distances. rited burdens, such as old roof or oiled with natural products; if coverings containing cement asbe- left otherwise untreated, wood na- For constructing new buildings we stos called “Eternit”. Within our fi- turally protects itself with a we- rely on loam, wood and glass. We nancial limits we are working our athering layer. aim to confine the use of cement to way from building to building. foundations and moisture-ridden Every year we manage to replace Wood should not be in contact with areas. For interior renovations also, the cement asbestos on several humid ground, and will become da- we have started to use loam, as it roofs with harmless materials , and maged if sodden. However, if it can contributes to a pleasant interior to improve heat insulation. dry off again after becoming wet, it climate. Due to its diffusion capa- can tolerate moisture without pro- city, slaked lime finery is a very In most cases we use cellulose fi- blems. good alternative to cement finery bres, made from old newspapers. for exteriors. These are blown into the roof and It is important to choose the right other cavities. The fibre fluffs are kind of wood for the task. Our Many windows in our old buil- fireproofed with more or less newly constructed restaurant tab- dings were glazed only with single harmless mineral salts, which at the les, which were treated only with panes of glass. As new windows same time protect them from ani- natural wax, have been able to are very expensive, in many cases mals such as rodents. withstand extreme wear by many we chose simply to fit a second people and children, with only a pane of glass, which has considera- It is possible to insulate using few blemishes to show. For our ter- bly improved insulation efficiency. sheep wool, or rye, flax or hemp fi- race, we have refitted old lawn In 1997 we also decided no longer bres, but these materials are far chairs with black locust (Robinia to paint our window frames, as more expensive. An inexpensive pseudoacacia). Black locust has paint doesn’t last anyway, and it alternative is offered by light loam qualities comparable to teak , doesn’t really comply with our mixed with wood chips. This is ecological standards. Every affordable and offers excellent Insulation with woodchips in clay. year we manage to remove the thermal insulation and humidi- old varnish from quite a num- ty regulation. Walls are rende- ber of window frames and to oil red with loam plaster inside them, - with a lot of help from and out. If ready-made loam fi- our friends! This type of treat- nery is used, working time may ment is quite time-consuming, be reduced considerably but but it is very simple and in the the environmental footprint is long term it saves a lot of time. higher due to transport. These ready-made materials are avai- We employed natural stones to lable at alternative DIY stores. lay new paths, or used stones from the Fläming region, which For all types of work on the in- are round gravel stones, in a pa- terior or exterior of buildings ving technique widely used in we use untreated wood obtai- this area. This paving technique ned, as far as possible, from our is actually an old art, which we region, or harvested in our own hope to keep alive in the Flä- woods. The latter is cut and ming region. prepared by our own mobile

27 Building with Earth

One of the Mandala Pavillons at ZEGG with various artistic ways of building with loam.

uilding with loam is an ancient by excellent heat storage capacities must be locked away, as it cannot Band time-tested technique with and insulation (if combined with be ecologically disposed of, or de- many facets. Due to the heightened organic materials). Loam can be contaminated. On a demolished awareness of environmental poi- used in baths in order to regulate loam building, on the other hand, sons in our direct vicinity, i.e. in humidity, as well as in green hou- one can safely grow vegetables, or our houses, the technique is expe- ses as an energy-storage agent. reuse the loam for creating a new riencing a well-deserved renais- Loam assures an air moisture of structure. Loam can be used in sance. 50%, which is felt as very agreeab- combination with other natural ma- le by humans. If the atmosphere terials such as natural stone, wood Loam, as used in building, consists suddenly becomes more humid, it or straw. But increasingly it is em- mainly of clay minerals mixed with absorbs the excess humidity; if the ployed in combination with glass various grain sizes(very fine up to atmosphere becomes drier, the and steel, demonstrating its univer- 1mmØ) of sand. Loam is perfectly loam releases water vapour into the sal applicability and its positive suited to satisfy the requirements room. contribution to a pleasant room cli- of a gentler treatment of nature, and mate. Loam buildings may look for energy conservation: it is local- The demolition of modern, well in- pleasantly nostalgic, but the design ly accessible, needs little energy sulated buildings leaves behind lar- can also be airy and artistic, and for processing, and is characterised ge piles of hazardous waste, which

28 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community contribute to an enhancement of modern architecture. Loam is cheap and ecological but Living Buildings quite time-consuming to use. No- wadays, new processing technolo- gies are applied to loam, making it easy to use and more competitive with Willows and with other prefabricated building materials. As part of a number of loam buil- other Trees ding workshops, several loam buil- dings have been constructed on the ZEGG grounds since 1998. It has also been used with great success to renovate existing buildings. The communal dining room, a seminar t is possible to build with Belzig, two outdoor showers room and several residential rooms Iliving trees. They are plan- were screened from view have received a loam refinery. ted close to each other, and with fences made of willow Some were painted with li- within a number of years, cuttings. They become very me-casein paint, others left in the they grow together to compo- dense in springtime and offer colours of the earth ranging from se a closed wall, with “wind- white through all shades of yellow, privacy. The run-off from the ocre, orange and red. The walls of ows and doors”; a single cold water showers waters our Mandala-Pavillons were used living organism, able to shel- them and their root systems as a model for different techniques, ter a human being in its purify the used water. and were built using a variety of midst. Many kinds of trees methods - rammed earth, loaves, are suitable. Willows (Salix) In order to set up such ar- cob, woodfibre-reinforced light- grow fastest, but they also bours or fences, it suffices to weight loam, loam bricks, infill have the lowest life expec- stick the willow cuttings with an earth-and-straw mixture, tancy. Willows also thrive 15-20 centimetres deep into and finished using different rende- when planted as cuttings.” the ground, just before shoots rings etc. However, all is connected (Kirsch “Naturbauten aus le- by a harmonising, overall design. appear, and to water them re- benden Gehölzen”) gularly. Willows require a The outdoor dry toilet has humid location, and need to half-timbered walls , which are fil- In March 1996, the first wil- be watered during dry spells. led in with light loam. In a second low-dome was planted at Maple is also very suitable dining room, the ceiling was exe- ZEGG, right next to our pub. for easy-to-care-for, living cuted as a dome, both for reasons of The willows were harvested fences which were common design as well as to improve the from our waste water recy- in parts of the UK. They can room climate. A wood-fired bread cling system. During the become very dense after oven was built from loam bricks, summer, this living building some years. and next to our “village square”, is an attractive, shady arbour. there is now a well-insulated and beautifully decorated toilet made Due to the low precipitation from loam and wood. One seminar The willow shoots can be in our climatic zone, living room and a big public bath were braided into the existing buildings have been rare. Ho- plastered with several layers of body, or can be bolted to ot- wever in England, France loam rendering, setting a new stan- her stems: the cambium inju- and particularly in Germany, dard for ZEGG renovations. ry and the fixture will cause quite a number of living buil- them to join together perma- dings, grown from a wide va- Every year we organise loam buil- nently. riety of trees, have been crea- ding workshops, during which it is ted since the beginning of the possible to learn this exciting buil- In 1997, in cooperation with ding method from experienced tea- last century. chers and get hands-on experience. the adult education centre of

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 29 Mandala Pavillons

Mandala Pavillons are circular the centre circle, the number or the buildings with a self-supporting strength of spars, or the size of the roof, in which all rafters carry the opening in the middle) has an ef- same proportion of the weight. fect on the entire system. In a way Therefore the load is not passed on this type of construction illustrates to the posts, but is spiralled out- metaphorically some basic aspects ward in an infinite circle. The shear of communal life. rate is negligible, and there is no necessity for a peripheral tie beam The first three circular lodges with to support the posts from being Mandala-type roof construction at pushed out radially by the rafters. ZEGG were built in 1998. The idea The load occurring at any point of caught on, so that now there are the roof is transferred to all of the many of these lodges all over Ger- rafters of the construction in agree- many and Switzerland. Later on, ment with a dynamic principle. adobe walls were added in order to screen the interiors from view and With this type of construction, it is as protection against the wind. In possible to build self-supporting 2000, we constructed a twin Man- roofs with diameters ranging from dala-lodge, built entirely from 3 to 20 metres. round timber harvested on our land. The two interlocking roofs support each other via a connecting rafter.

The load-bearing posts of the lodges are embedded 1 metre deep into the sand. A foundati- on is not required for this type of building. The logs were cut on days said to enhance their durability by a traditional far- mers´ almanac. Additionally, the wood is protected by the soot produced by the campfi- res lit in the lodges, and by the adobe and its humidity-regula- Roof construction ting property. During the sum- mer, the lodges serve as kit- The system is very variable in chens for the tent camps. terms of the number of rafters nee- ded; at least three are necessary, In Great Britain, Graham Brown but any larger number is possible has founded a company and has pa- taking into consideration the tented this type of building. Gra- strength of the rafters and their sha- ham Brown, Out of nowhere, Eas- pe. ter Tearie, Darnaway, Rorres Mor- ray, IV 36 Ost, phone/fax: These Mandala roofs are complex 01309-641650, e-mail: structures, in which each rafter is [email protected], http://www.outof- equally important for the stability nowhere.com. of the whole. Every little modifica- tion, such as at the support point in

30 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 31 Triangular Huts from Auroville

about 1.20 metres above the ground. These huts need no foundation: the construction simply sits on slabs of stone.

The design was developed in Auroville - a large, spiritual community in India - and was intended to provide cheap and simple housing for tropical climates. The huts were roo- fed with the traditional cove- ring of palm leafs. In tropical regions, the huts are ideal as, like a hammock, they are sur- rounded by air and therefore pleasantly cool. During the monsoon periods they are high enough above the ground to escape flooding.

Since 1998, we have built two such huts on our grounds. The basic construction is made of black locust (robinia pseudoa- cacia) grown here on our land. Adapting to our climatic con- ditions, one of the roofs is co- vered with wood, while the ot- her is protected by tar pastebo- ard shingles. The huts are used for different kinds of meditati- on. The second actually repre- Triangular hut at ZEGG. sents an improved and refined version of the first: it has a he- xagonal roof projecting out- he construction of these is that of the tetrahedron, with ward so as to offer protection Thuts is based on the equi- sides measuring about six me- to the side flaps. Due to its lo- lateral triangle. The triangle is tres. These larger triangles are wer floor level it is also more the most stable form; equilate- bisected by smaller ones with spacious. It is covered with ral triangles can be used to side lengths of three metres. wood. construct domes or huts like Half of this again is the height the following. The basic shape of the floor, which is located

32 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community Epilogue: There is no time to waste

allum Coats writes: „We are disasters´, blaming Nature for what on needs to be answered on all le- C(...) forced to admit that our we ourselves are responsible. For vels, before we can hope for a pea- present ideals and value systems there can be little doubt that we are ceful and more just world. have brought us no utopia. While the true instigators of these cata- there have been tremendous impro- clysmic episodes. These are not From my point of view, we need to vements in many areas of human `Acts of God´, but misdeeds direct- be committed and strong and act on endeavour and compassionate un- ly attributable to the senseless acti- three levels: derstanding, despite the constant vities of humankind.“ promises of recovery, the human world is still in constant disarray, economically and socially, and full of conflict. Intolerance is rife with man against woman, sect against sect, nation against nation, while the rich are comfortably buffered against increasing poverty and pri- vation with full bellies just as bul- bous as the bloated bellies of the starving.

Falsity is heaped on falsity and one deception after another is foisted on us by those who seek to regulate events for their own benefit, while controlling every aspect of our li- ves by immersing us in irredeema- ble debt.

We are not alone in our travails, however, for this state of strife, dis- cord and spiritual instability is also mirrored in an increasingly disea- sed and sickening Nature who, in her present state of fever shivers between record heat and record Glabal reforestation is necessary for the support of life on earth. cold. Mother Earth is now seeking, with all the forces at her command, to re-establish her own equilibrium We need to act fast, if we want to * We need to massively reforest the and health, thrashing about with in- avert the worst. Some steps to- Earth. The reasons have already creasingly violent storms, sweating wards a vision of a globally sustai- been explored within this booklet. in catastrophic floods, parching nable life, can be found in the book with devastating droughts, writ- „Subcoma“ by the Swiss Author * We need places at which work hing in all-consuming conflagra- P.M. (see bibliography). What I and research is done on the consci- tions and shivering in rending miss there is a stronger awareness ous dissolution of the potential for earthquakes. Beset from all sides of the human factor. Why have our violence within human beings. by these awesome events, we have ancestors begun to destroy the the effrontery to call them `natural Earth and themselves? This questi-

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 33 * We need people and organisa- ce how few material goods we ac- To me the recent changes in the tions to apply leverage at the cen- tually need for our own happiness area surrounding ZEGG, the area tres of power, where wars are plan- (key idea: reduction of substitute of Hoher Fläming, show a path into ned and prepared. An example of gratifications) That´s why I have li- the future in the sense of regional this type of activity is the work ved in a communal setting for more organization and regional provisi- done by innumerable NGOs. Anot- than 20 years. on of basic needs such as housing, her important task is the distributi- water, energy and heating - and on of reliable information. Since the war on Afghanistan, at maybe even of some of the the very latest, we know that war is non-material needs such as securi- Commitment to work on any of by no means the last resort of poli- ty, friendship, contact and love. these levels is essential for our col- tics, but is an integral part of a stra- This could be a place where a kind lective survival. Those working tegy to enforce this politics. Most of regional self-sufficiency could any of these spheres should also be wars are waged by aggressive, neo- be implemented, which is so ur- aware of what is being done by ot- liberal nations to enforce mar- gently needed for future genera- hers, and should be willing to coo- ket-conforming policies. tions and which at the same time is perate with them. in interaction with the outside. Wars, and their preparation in peo- Reforestation needs to take place ple’s minds rely on this human pro- over the entire planet. For me, pensity for violence. So if we work community and communal ways of on overcoming this we are on a living are the keys to the second le- good, long term path to deprive vel, the overcoming of humanity’s violence and war of their base. But Achim Ecker, 45, has been a propensity for violence. Communi- we should not forget that politics ZEGG resident ever since it was ties are where people may knows many ways to create a threa- founded in 1991. Previously, he `straighten out´ and, even more im- tening atmosphere and thereby had lived in various preparatory portantly, where children can grow bolster the propensity for violence. communal projects for many ye- up free and unbroken. This means that it is necessary to ars. At ZEGG, he works as the act on both levels at the same time: resident ecologist and keeps de- Another central topic, which can the long-term dissolution of violen- lighting the community by plan- and must be addressed in commu- ce within ourselves, and resistance ting beautiful shrubs and trees. nal forms of living, is fear. We can against the political po- His vision of a locally adapted only act non-violently if we are wers-that-be. permaculture is nurtured by his aware of and in charge of our own awareness of the natural pro- fear. Fear only breeds violence and The war on Iraq totally violated the cesses occurring on the ZEGG propensity for violence. People law of nations. It had been decided grounds. who have not yet faced their own on long before in line with mainly angst are easy to control and to do- US-American desires for hegemo- minate. Their unconscious fears ny and was justified with many lies makes them easily manipulated that now do not count any more. into submission to criminal re- The impressive world-wide pro- gimes and orders. “Fear needs to be tests against it were seen by many erased from the face of the Earth“, as a light at the end of a tunnel. It is as Mikhail Gorbachev said before my hope that the anti war protests the Berlin Wall fell. develop into positive actions and promote a new way of life. This There are many more reasons for movement’s only chance of longe- this propensity for violence, all of vity and to contribute to more glo- which need to be taken into consi- bal equity, peace, sustainability deration; to discuss them all here and trust, is if protest can be turned Additionally, he works as a would be go totally beyond the sco- into compassion, and if the questi- FORUM facilitator and group pe of this booklet. ZEGG is one of on of a different way of life is rai- leader in the human growth those places where the human po- sed; a way of life in which war can area. His political commitment tential for violence can be dealt play no part. This work begins in in different parts of the world with and gradually overcome. all our relationships and in our every-day lives, when we refuse to strenghtened his realization that it is important for our survival to On an ecological level, many re- buy what is offered by the ruling create autonomus, regional sources could be conserved, and powers – their goods or, as Arund- structures that are both socially overall consumption could be lo- hati Roy said, their visions, con- and ecologically sustainable. wered, if we could again experien- cepts or ideas.

34 Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community grounds. It also runs the seminar What is ZEGG? and conference business from which, along with the rents, most of ZEGG’s income is generated. All ZEGG members do voluntary The acronym ZEGG stands for mainly, the community shares its work at the Conferences and Zentrum für Experimentelle Ge- life with many guests and a wealth Camps in order to generate a com- sellschaftsgestaltung (Centre for of seminars and conferences take mon income. Experimental Cultural Design). place. This is seen by the people The centre was initiated in 1991, who live at ZEGG as a political Companies and residents are indi- after many years of preparation by task: to freely share their ideas and vidually responsible for their fi- a group of committed individuals. experience, while at the same time nancial needs. Some residents are Its origins go back to 1978 in the being open to the outside for inspi- employed by ZEGG Ltd.; others south of Germany. It is located 80 ration and exchange. In winter, the work free-lance or run their own kilometres south-west of Berlin, on community turns its focus inwards businesses located within the 15 hectares of land. The objective and concentrates mainly on gro- ZEGG grounds or elsewhere. was - and still is - to create an inter- wing together, on deepening its in- national meeting and research cen- ternal communication, on develo- The community gathers together in tre, at which alternative models for ping itsshared vision and on vari- a multitude of forms for various ac- socially and ecologically sustaina- ous other topics of research. tivities and purposes - at “Sunday ble ways of life can be developed. Matinees” for mental or spiritual Additionally, ZEGG has turned out The community has organised its inspiration, at the “Plenary” for ex- to be a very diverse cultural centre, work into separate departments re- changing information and making a meeting place for the entire regi- sponsible for the kitchen, conferen- decisions, for seasonal festivities, on and a networking centre for ce organisation, childcare, garden, music, and art events, for dancing, communities and people commit- construction work and landsca- sauna, and philosophical excur- ted to peace, ecology and the se- ping. To a large extent, these de- sions, shared kitchen and meals arch for solutions for human co- partments operate independently and for working together. A most existence. of each other. Decisions relevant to important form of meeting each ot- the entire community are prepared her is the Forum - a ritualised and Today, the community comprises by a “council of 13" - a panel in highly creative form of communi- 80 adults and children, and has un- which all of the separate depart- cation practised by our community. dergone many changes: from an ments are represented. The recom- The Forum provides a space in originally very homogeneous, pio- mendations of this council are con- which thoughts, emotions and mo- neering group to a network of peo- sidered approved if no other mem- tivations may be shown and shared. ple engaged in a wide range of in- ber of the community disagrees, or It promotes transparency in the are- itiatives, spiritually and politically if they are passed by the Plenary - as of love and relationship, and in- active groups, enterprises, artists the assembly of all community sight into the power and decisi- and lateral thinkers. What they all members. The Plenary is the hig- on-making structures presently at share is the desire to find new soci- hest decision making organ of the work. For us, the Forum is an ess- al forms for intimacy and love free community and it makes decisions ential component in the develop- of jealousy and fear and for the only when consensus is achieved. ment of self-knowledge, and in realization of inner and outer pea- creating trust and confidence in a ce. To acquire its land and buildings community. the community set up a registered At the core is an intentional com- company - ZEGG Ltd. This is the Contact: ZEGG, munity working to run the confe- legal entity which bought and owns Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 89, rence centre and to foster commu- the grounds and buildings. ZEGG 14806 Belzig nity life. These two goals determi- Ltd. then rents dwellings to the re- Phone: +49 -33841 - 59510 ne how we use our land and how sidents, and rents accommodation email: [email protected] we structure our year. In summer, to other enterprises located on the http:/www.zegg.de

Sustainability and Ecology at the ZEGG Community 35 Literature: Permaculture: Compost-Toilets: Sustainability: One Straw Revolution, The Humanure Handbook, JC Lovelock, J. E.:Gaia: a New Masanobu Fukuoka, Rodale Jenkins, 1994 Look at Life on Earth", OUP, Jenkins Publishing, PO Box An Introduction to 607, Grove City, Pa 16127 Oxford, ISBN: 0192862189 Permaculture, Bill Mollison P.M.; Subcoma, ISBN The Toilet Papers, Sim Van Permaculture Designer´s der Ryn 3-907522-19-2 Manual, Bill Mollison The Composting Toilet System Forest, Trees: A Western Permaculture Book, Carol Steinfeld Thoma, Ludwig: Dich sah dich Manual, David Browned wachsen..., ISBN Gardening for the Future of the Building with Earth: 3-901727-00-0 Earth, Howard Shapiro Neues Bauen mit Lehm, Anne-Louise Huber, 1997, Julius, Frits H.: Bäume und Robert Hart, Forest Garden, Ökobuchverlag, D-Staufen Planeten, ISBN 3-7725-0843-X Paperback, 24 pages, 1991 Hageneder, Fred; Geist der Publisher: Inst.for Social Der Lehmbau, Richard Bäume, ISBN 3-89060-449-8 Inventions, ISBN: 0948826231 Niemeyer, 1946, Ökobuchverlag, D-Staufen Eggmann, Verena/ Steiner, Videos about Sepp Holzer, Bernd; Baumzeit, ISBN Masanobu Fukuoka etc: Lehmbaufibel, Müller/Frigutsch/Schultze, 3-85932-171-4 Crystal Lake Video, Dorfstr.19, 1947, Hochschule Weimar, D - 14806 Hagelberg, Olof Alexandersson: Living D-Weimar Water; Gill & Macmillan http://www.crystal-lake- (Gateway Books), Dublin, video.de Lehm-Fachwerk, Irland; 1982, ISBN Leszner/Stein, 1987, R. Müller Effective GmbH D-Köln 0-946551-57-X Microorganisms: Lehmbau-Handbuch, Minke, Callum Coats: Living Energies; For a Sustainable Agriculture Gill & Macmillan (Gateway 1994, Ökobuchverlag, and Environment, Dr. Teruo D-Staufen Books), Dublin, Irland; 1996, Higa, Dr. James F. Parr, ISBN 0-7171-3307-9; International Nature Farming Naturbaustoff Lehm, Schauberger, Viktor; Unsere Research Center, Atami, Japan, Schillberg/Knieriemen, 1993, Sinnlose Aubeit; ISBN 1994 AT-Verlag, CH-Aarau 3-902262-00-1 Lehmbau für Architekten und Ingenieure, Schneider/Schwimmann/Bruck ner, 1996, Werner-Verlag, D-Düsseldorf Living Buildings: Das Weidenbaubuch - Kalberer/Remann, AT Verlag, Switzerland 1999 Naturbauten aus lebenden Gehölzen - Kirsch, OLV, A-Xanten 1996 Ecovillages: Global Ecovillage Network-Europe (GEN-Europe); http://www.gen-europe.org Important information about coorperate globalization: GATSwatch: www.gatswatch.org

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