The Eco Center is about change in the way we create ideas for homes. There is to be a center where all of the ideas worthy of serious study will be tested and tried out. I realize this is a huge undertaking but I do not know of any other place in the world besides industries such as Honeywell and 3M that come quite this close to the vision of which I have.

The EC is also to be a place of invention in the lines of George Washington Carver. The entire purpose of EC is to create things based on some basic principles.

1. Natural materials with absolutely no toxic or artificial chemicals being needed.

2. The invention must be useful and extremely long lasting. I’m tired of things that are designed to last for only one or two years before breaking down. We must start designing not with the ‘lifetime of the product’ but the lifetime of the individual.

3. Technology changes so much that what is created ten years ago is no longer valid and service is no longer available. This must change. Its like software. They get you coming and going. You buy it and then have to pay for updates every year, often as much or more then the original purchase price. And they don’t take any responsibility for the damage it causes if their product causes problems. So if there are updates then those updates should be at cost and no more. This goes towards the hardware as well.

4. Part of the answer is in removeable modules. For example if a calculator runs out of power you just pop out the old batteries and put in new. So all hardware needs to be designed with modules that can be removed and updated instead of throwing away the entire machine as we now do.

5. Integration-Companies are always worried about patents, propriety, rights and so on to the exclusion of the people who buy their products. Thus you can have a houseful of electronics, appliances etc from a dozen different companies. There is no integration. What am I saying? I am not taking away the right for people to be inventive but their needs to be some simple rules that all companies must follow.

A. Energy efficiency must be the highest priority.

B. Power down-This product must be able to reduce or shut itself off so no power is being used when not in use. If it uses lights, clocks or other features these need to be run off of recharged batteries when the unit is being used.

6. Utilizing the energy-Can the heat from referigerator motors be used to heat water, or the heat from ovens provide warmth for the home. Can the energy from opening fridge or oven doors be used to power clocks or LED lights? It is not a foolish thought. There are eco faucets that run off the gravity of water using micro dynamo’s. Technology is changing and it takes inventive minds to think of ways to tap into it.

7. Multi-Uses-Lets stop limiting ways in our kitchens or houses. Why are fridges separate units? Why can’t we build the fridge into the house so there is a permanent cold room available? Using uninsulated earth, metal walls with shelves. Most homes already have 1-2 fridges and 1-2 freezers. A built in fridge can also be used as a tornado shelter and cooled using geothermal energy. My policy for the Ecocenter is that each product should have as many uses as possible.