| August 27, 2006 - Day
5 - Week 21 - The Hannover Principles Note
from Ron the Webmaster: Peter is on a health hiatus for
several weeks and Dr. Wayne Glass is traveling this
weekend, so I am posting items of interest that follow
with Peter's exploration of the issues of health and the
environment. Architect William McDonough is the
author of The Hannover Principles.
1. Insist on the right of humanity and nature to
co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse and
sustainable condition.
2. Recognize interdependence. The elements of human
design interact with and depend upon the natural world,
with broad and diverse implications at every scale.
Expand design considerations to recognize even distant
effects.
3. Respect relationships between spirit and matter.
Consider all aspects of human settlement, including
community, dwelling, industry and trade, in terms of
existing and evolving connections between spiritual and
material consciousness.
4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of
design decisions upon human well-being, the viability of
natural systems and their right to co-exist.
5. Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not
burden future generations with requirements for
maintenance or vigilant administration of potential
dangers due to the careless creation of products,
processes or standards.
6. Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and
optimize the full life cycle of products and processes
to approach the state of natural systems, in which there
is no waste.
7. Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs
should, like the living world, derive their creative
force from perpetual solar income. Incorporate this
energy efficiently and safely for responsible use.
8. Understand the limitations of design. No human
creation lasts forever, and design does not solve all
problems. Those who create and plan should practice
humility in the face of nature. Treat nature as a model
and mentor, not as an inconvenience to be evaded or
controlled.
9. Seek constant improvement by the sharing of
knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication
between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers and users to
link long-term sustainable considerations with ethical
responsibility and to reestablish the integral
relationship between natural processes and human
activity.
The Hannover Principles should be seen as a living
document committed to transformation and growth in the
understanding of our interdependence with nature so that
they may be adapted as our knowledge of the world
evolves.
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