Altair EcoVillage and “The Upcycle”

Editor’s Note: Darius May, a student at Penn State Abington, is serving as Altair EcoVillage’s intern this semester.

Altair EcoVillage will be a community of people that cares for the environment. The mission, purpose, and values of the group reinforce this. In my geography class, I am reading the book “The Upcycle”. In this book, McDonough and Braungart expand on their ideas of sustainable design and propose a vision for a world where human activity not only minimizes harm to the environment but actively contributes to its regeneration and health.

The key idea of "The Upcycle" is to shift our approach from merely reducing harm (sustainability) to actively creating positive benefits for both people and the planet. It advocates for designing products and systems that are not just less harmful but are regenerative, contributing positively to environmental and social well-being.

The book explores various examples and case studies to illustrate how this approach can be applied across different industries, from architecture and manufacturing to agriculture and energy. It's a manifesto for a more optimistic and proactive approach to environmental stewardship, emphasizing the potential for innovation and creativity to drive positive change.

Altair Ecovillage is taking the idea of Upcycle and putting it into effect. There is a vision for the ecovillage to not only make the space sustainable but take it a step further by making the village work for the environment as well. On Altair’s website under “Our Purpose” is a list of what the ecovillage intends to do. An example of this is to minimize the use of fossil fuels and encourage the use of renewable energy sources. Everything from the designs of the homes, landscape, and community shows that Altair EcoVillage is a great example of upcycling.