COMMUNITY SUPPORTED SUSTAINABILITY: HOW ECOVILLAGES MODEL MORE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY Jesse Sherry Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey 2014 © 2014 Jesse Sherry ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii COMMUNITY SUPPORTED SUSTAINABILITY: HOW ECOVILLAGES MODEL MORE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY By JESSE SHERRY A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Planning and Public Policy Written under the direction of Dr. Clinton Andrews and approved by ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey May, 2014 iii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Community Supported Sustainability: How Ecovillages Model More Sustainable Community By JESSE SHERRY Dissertation Director: Dr. Clinton Andrews Ecovillages are small, intentional communities which focus on reducing environmental impact while creating a community that incorporates the natural world. Despite varying approaches, each ecovillage attempts to create a community that integrates the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. This study investigates several of these communities to better understand two key questions: 1) to what extent do ecovillage residents have a lower environmental impact than residents of nearby communities and the national average? and 2) how is the reduction in environmental impact achieved? These questions are addressed through the use of life cycle assessment and qualitative case studies of three sites, specifically one suburban and two rural ecovillages. Comparisons with nearby communities and the national average are made, and the results show that the case study ecovillages have a much lower per capita environmental impact. My research suggests that this is achieved through a combination of physical (village building and planning) and behavioral adaptations supported by community ideals and norms. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Over the past eight years, I have received support and encouragement from a great number of individuals. Dr. Clinton Andrews has been a supportive and insightful mentor throughout this process. I would like to thank my dissertation committee of Dr. Uta Krogmann, Dr. Kathe Newman, and Dr. Hal Salzman for their support over the past three years as I moved from an idea to a completed study. In addition, Rolando Rodriguez and Ben Klemens both provided valuable methodological advice. During data collection and writing Sarah Wilson Sherry spent countless hours proofreading and listening to me talk about my research. This project would never have been possible without the generous assistance and cooperation of the members of Ecovillage at Ithaca, Sirius, and Earthaven. They welcomed me into their homes, shared the details of their lives, and encouraged me with their interest. In particular I would like to thank Dan Greenberg for his insight into intentional community, Liz Walker for her willingness to take time for one more researcher, and Susan Wolf for providing a home away from home. v Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2. Literature Review ......................................................................................................... 12 1. Sustainable Development ..................................................................................................... 12 2. Sustainable Communities ...................................................................................................... 16 3. Utopian and Intentional Communities .................................................................................. 17 4. Ecovillages ............................................................................................................................. 21 5. Sustainable Consumption...................................................................................................... 24 6. Life Cycle Assessment............................................................................................................ 25 Chapter 3. Case Study Methodology ............................................................................................. 28 Chapter 4. Ecovillage at Ithaca ....................................................................................................... 35 1. Village Description ................................................................................................................. 35 2. Community Organization ...................................................................................................... 41 3. Environmental Protection and Resource Use ....................................................................... 47 4. Ecological Planning and Village Development ...................................................................... 53 5. Social Institutions and Local Culture ..................................................................................... 63 Chapter 5. Earthaven ..................................................................................................................... 74 1. Village Description ................................................................................................................. 74 2. Community Organization ...................................................................................................... 80 3. Environmental Protection and Resource Use ....................................................................... 87 4. Ecological Planning and Village Development ...................................................................... 92 5. Social Institutions and Local Culture ................................................................................... 100 Chapter 6. Sirius Community ....................................................................................................... 108 1. Village Description ............................................................................................................... 108 2. Community Organization .................................................................................................... 112 3. Environmental Protection and Resource Use ..................................................................... 121 4. Ecological Planning and Village Development .................................................................... 125 5. Social Institutions and Local Culture ................................................................................... 132 Chapter 7. Case Study Conclusions .............................................................................................. 138 Chapter 8. Life Cycle Assessment of Ecovillages .......................................................................... 146 1. Introduction......................................................................................................................... 146 2. Materials and Methods ....................................................................................................... 147 3. Results ................................................................................................................................. 160 4. Discussion and Conclusions ................................................................................................. 183 Chapter 9. Conclusion and Discussion ......................................................................................... 186 Bibliography: ................................................................................................................................ 194 Appendix A. Survey Results .......................................................................................................... A-1 Appendix B. Environmental Footprint Questionnaire .................................................................. B-1 Appendix C. Additional LCA Results .............................................................................................. C-1 vi Appendix D. Discussion of Renewable Energy Infrastructure ..................................................... D-1 Appendix E. Composting LCI models............................................................................................. E-1 Appendix F. Correlation Analysis of Impact Categories ............................................................... F-1 Appendix G. Life Cycle Inventories.............................................................................................. G-1 G.1 Home Energy Use.............................................................................................................. G-1 G.2 Transportation Energy Use ............................................................................................... G-7 G.3 Food ................................................................................................................................ G-10 G.4 Waste Disposal................................................................................................................ G-15 Appendix H. Sensitivity Analyses ................................................................................................ H-1 H.1 Sensitivity Analysis of Diet Models ................................................................................... H-1 H.2 Sensitivity Analysis of Wood Use .....................................................................................