Featured Articles
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Recycling
19 February, 2019
-
Resource Depletion and Economic Development
19 February, 2019
-
The Case for Negative Growth
19 February, 2019
-
Food Security
18 February, 2019
Outside The Box
About Whole Systems Foundation
Whole Systems Foundation was founded in 1973 by Neill Smith as the education and research arm of Whole Systems Recycling, originator of the first curb-side recycling pick up service in the U.S. The Foundation sponsored classes on recycling and resource conservation at local elementary schools and conducted research in biological methods of breaking down cellulose into glucose from waste paper and agricultural waste as a preliminary step to producing alcohol for fuel. Later research was done on increasing fuel efficiency in internal combustion engines, new designs for wind turbines and solar panel engineering. In a parallel effort, the Foundation assets were employed in preserving land for open space in Tiburon, California.
During the past 10 years, the Foundation has carried on the eclectic tradition by funding a variety of educational and research projects related to energy and resource conservation. Our current program has increasing emphasis on waste management and chemical pollution. Of particular concern is the issue of plastics and the contamination of the food web that results from their use and disposal.
We are still interested in new technologies, and acknowledge their role maintaining a reasonable quality of life into the future; however, we are directing more of our funding to what we believe is the more critical issue of weaning ourselves from a consumer society that is dependent on growth. Our society has evolved to its present affluence through the profligate use of resources and energy with little or no thought as to long term sustainability. There is little time left to change that behavior without causing even greater collapse of the ecosystem that supports our ability to live.
To move forward, we have initiated a project which focuses on plastic. We are supporting researching both in its toxicity, especially to sea life which is the foundation of our ecosystem, and practical solutions to replace, reuse, or at least remove plastic from the waste stream.
Board of Directors
Melanie Smith – President – melanie (at) whole-systems (dot) org
Norton Smith – Treasurer – norton (at) whole-systems (dot) org
Adam Smith – Secretary
Zachary Smith – Vice President
Featured Articles
-
Recycling
19 February, 2019
-
Resource Depletion and Economic Development
19 February, 2019
-
The Case for Negative Growth
19 February, 2019
-
Food Security
18 February, 2019
Contact Form
About Whole Systems Foundation
Whole Systems Foundation was founded in 1973 by Neill Smith as the education and research arm of Whole Systems Recycling, originator of the first curb-side recycling pick up service in the U.S. The Foundation sponsored classes on recycling and resource conservation at local elementary schools and conducted research in biological methods of breaking down cellulose into glucose from waste paper and agricultural waste as a preliminary step to producing alcohol for fuel. Later research was done on increasing fuel efficiency in internal combustion engines, new designs for wind turbines and solar panel engineering. In a parallel effort, the Foundation assets were employed in preserving land for open space in Tiburon, California.
During the past 10 years, the Foundation has carried on the eclectic tradition by funding a variety of educational and research projects related to energy and resource conservation. Our current program has increasing emphasis on waste management and chemical pollution. Of particular concern is the issue of plastics and the contamination of the food web that results from their use and disposal.
We are still interested in new technologies, and acknowledge their role maintaining a reasonable quality of life into the future; however, we are directing more of our funding to what we believe is the more critical issue of weaning ourselves from a consumer society that is dependent on growth. Our society has evolved to its present affluence through the profligate use of resources and energy with little or no thought as to long term sustainability. There is little time left to change that behavior without causing even greater collapse of the ecosystem that supports our ability to live.
To move forward, we have initiated a project which focuses on plastic. We are supporting researching both in its toxicity, especially to sea life which is the foundation of our ecosystem, and practical solutions to replace, reuse, or at least remove plastic from the waste stream.
Board of Directors
Melanie Smith – President – melanie (at) whole-systems (dot) org
Norton Smith – Treasurer – norton (at) whole-systems (dot) org
Adam Smith – Secretary
Zachary Smith – Vice President