WHAT IS UP WITH ALL OUR STUFF

What is the Story of Stuff?

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

You can click on this link to watch the YOU TUBE video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8&feature=player_embedded

Or you can go direct to their website at http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html.

IT IS WELL WORTH THE WATCH!

Ever since 1981, TEAM PERKA has produced steel frames that were always intended to LAST! We give it a 40 year warranty - but it will probably last even longer! It’s made of STEEL!!! Furthermore they are designed to be “stand alone”. Which means they don’t rely on the purlins, girts and sheeting (the envelope) to give it the full CAPACITY that is needed. The frames alone are designed to take it - then adding the envelope can actually ADD MORE strength and more durability! And when you’re done with them - probably in a 3rd or 4th generation from now… you can RECYCLE it! It’s STEEL!

We believe in the closed loop designing of our frames… and doing whatever we can to help all our buildings be made as sustainable as they possibly can.

While there are some debatable comments in her presentation - this video still explains this concept of a closed loop system quite well! Whether you believe in the extreme situation of where we are as a society or not - there is still ALLOT of merit to being more responsible about consumption and being better stewards of what we DO have. These are trying times for most of us - and this ideal can go a long way to help us all both in the short term and the long run!!

We believe it’s about getting our facts straight about where we are as a race, where we’re going, where we REALLY want to go, and then collectively choosing to get there TOGETHER!

Like ANNIE says –  it wasn’t always this way –  WE CAN CHANGE!

MINING FOR GOLD?

URBAN MINING. And why not? Just one of the by-products is a much IMPROVED, cleaner environment. And if we enlist the elderly, the unemployed, those on welfare… who knows how much more good can come of it!!

Japan is a prime example… in fact their rapidly aging population is leading the way in one town to create a zero-waste community, recycling everything, including valuable gold from old phones. In this town there is no trash collection and no landfill, just people sorting their own trash into 34 categories.

See link below:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/32460887#32460887
This is definitely something to think about.

read more at: http://hubpages.com/hub/Mining-for-GOLD-at-home

"BUILDING FOR CHANGE IS MORE THAN JUST BUILDINGS..."

What does Building Green Mean?

It’s time…

We need to get educated and then help educate others on Building Green!

We need to know that Perka’s Steel Frames fit perfectly into closed loop sustainability and in zero waste design systems. And they are free standing sovereign structures. You can put ANYTHING on the envelope.

Soon Team Perka will be passing on opportunities to add off grid energy systems, like solar panel packages, alternative wind energy, and sharing information among and between us as team mates, co-creators and co-spiritors on how to become more enlightened or aware of all that goes into building green - like doing our take-offs with even more diligence to eliminate as much on site waste as we possibly can. And using materials, that if not useable, can be recycled… and will be brought to appropriate recyclers…

Follow these blogs and the many others on the net - as I will be making a added special effort to passing on as much specific info about “Building Green” so we can not only help ourselves, but help each other and our planet.

THE TIME IS NOW.

Let’s GREEN UP!

VISIT http://hubpages.com/hub/What-Does-Building-Green-Really-mean

Cheers

Martial

ON GROWING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN

An excellent site on the VALUES of and FOR co-creating a sustainable future for our CHILDREN, Our World visit: http://www.thenewgreeneconomy.com/sustainability/sustainable-values?layout=default.

Kathryn Alexander shares some awesome information on what it’s going to take for us to band together and get this done. Our way of thinking and being here at TEAM PERKA is directly in line with these effective values.

Here is just a brief excerpt from this site:

The Effective Value Set
When one engages strangers and wants to be safe, being open and transparent are necessary qualities. Consequently, the values that support effectiveness begin with; Promote Comfort and Convenience, Be Optimistic, Be Open to Inventiveness and Novelty, Compete, and Shun Force. These values allow for connection and the creation of new relationships. To develop those relationships, the following values come into play; Collaborate, Come to Voluntary Agreement, Be Honest, Use Initiative and Enterprise, Be Effective, Be Industrious and Be Thrifty. Additional values for maintaining a productive on-going relationship include; Respect Contracts, Invest for Productivity and last but not least, Dissent for the Task. People want to know, before there is an issue, if something is not right or could go wrong. This approach differs markedly from the Protective Value Set’s “Deceive for the Task.”

From these we can then spring board to the values needed for true Sustainable living…
That shift requires that we truly understand the Integrity of the Whole, that we recognize the interrelatedness and Interdependence that creates Balance through Right Relationship as expressed in Zero Waste and true Abundance. As we strive to live long on this planet, the Precautionary Principle is treated as a natural law and Future Life becomes so important and valued that All Actions Enhance Life and those that do not are considered corrupt. Because Humans are Intrinsic to the web of life, Diversity becomes valued as the key to resilience and through Empowerment people can Co-Create in a Self-Organizing way that fosters true Reciprocity, appreciation and gratitude as we move forward together.

FOR MORE INFO - VISIT http://www.thenewgreeneconomy.com/ for more info on above and or visit Kathryn’s site at http://www.ethicalimpact.com/ or her blog “Living Rthics” at http://ethicalimpact.wordpress.com/.
THE TIME IS NOW…

Cheers