Our March Climate Papa, Ric Stott, is a builder, artist, mechanic, pilot and all things in between. Ric has been involved in sustainable building and environmental initiatives throughout his storied career, all over the USA. One of his most recent projects involved helping a Long Island family find their “platinum lining” after their home was devastated by fire. Forever a boy scout, Ric reminds us “to leave our campsite as good or better than we found it.” Join us as Ric shares his story and his optimism!
Name: Richard F. Stott
Current project/position/adventure:
Architect for a Carbon Neutral, LEED Platinum Home that is an addition/renovation. The original home was destroyed by a fire in December of 2008.
Parent or grandparent?
I am the parent of a 31 year old writer who lives and works in Ireland.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, the steps you took, life events, decisions you made, that helped you arrive at where you are at today?
The son of an engineer and mold maker, I have always been a mechanic. From an early age, I loved to build anything I could find and anything I could think of from forts in the woods to model ships and airplanes. If I could not find something new to build, I would find something broken that needed to be fixed. At 10 years old I was rebuilding outboard motors and go-cart engines. I also had of love for adventure and flying.
I received my pilot license at 18 years old and studied aeronautical technology thinking a career in aviation was in my future. I also had a strong artistic sense and that influence eventually led me away from the corporate structure of aviation. I studied ceramics at USC, earned a BS in Sociology and opened a ceramics studio in southern California selling pottery and building high temperature kilns for a number of years. During the 1974 oil embargo I became interested in solar energy and studied passive solar principals and design. I was part of a design/build team for the world’s first solar powered pottery kiln to reach 2400ºF.
Soon my attention turned to construction and I helped renovate a turn of the century mansion in Vermont, which was converted to an Inn. Back in California, I began working in the construction trades in everything from sheet rock to finish carpentry. I found a mentor in one architect who was trained in the Craftsman style of the Green Brothers and we built angular houses hanging off cliffs in the southern mountains out of wood and steel. Buildings became my passion and I enrolled in a Master of Architecture program at Cal Poly in 1979.
Graduating in the middle of a deep recession, the East Coast looked more promising and I eventually made my way to the East End of Long Island. Always pushing my clients toward sustainable and energy efficient designs, I was more often frustrated than gratified due to my clients lack of interest and unwillingness to experiment with new ideas. With climate change at the top of the news, it’s easier these days to talk about sustainable practices.
Through a series of circumstances, the opportunity arose to design a completely integrated Net Zero Energy home with all the latest Solar technologies, all integrated into an intuitive, livable comfortable home that looks no different than a normal well designed house.
What inspires you to keep going, to keep fighting this challenging battle against climate change?
The fear of destruction inspires me to keep going. The gratification of accomplishment drives me further. The team of builders I work with make it possible and the need to make a living can’t be left out of the equation.
What are the three greatest challenges you feel the world faces with climate change?
a. Starvation
b. Disease
c. An unbalanced eco system
There are so many books written on this question, I can’t begin to put them in order. I think the list is far greater than three and it’s hard to prioritize them.
Scientific predictions seem to be pointing to dire scenarios, a shorter time frame for a warmer planet and all of the negative ramifications that this will cause. What will it take for us to avert these consequences?
The short answer – well there is no short answer, but it will take a shift in consciousness, a paradigm shift in the way people think about every thing we do. The fact that we think, that we reason and invent, got us into this mess, I have faith that since we have realized our mistake, we can think our way out of it. Our predicament has only arisen since the dawn of the industrial revolution since we learned how to convert fossil fuel to other forms of energy. We must learn to live our modern lives in sustainable ways. For the earth to survive, we must treat our environment like a long endurance race, a marathon or triathlon. We must plan, we must train of course, and we must pace ourselves and continue on our path. We must stay nourished and hydrated to fuel our needs on the way. If we eat or drink too much we will get sick. If we eat or drink too little, we run out of fuel. If we go too fast – as our culture is doing now, we’ll burn out and never finish. Every endurance race is won by knowing how much energy is needed, then balancing what comes in and what is expended.
Do you see any hopeful signs that people are waking up to the dangers of climate change?
Of course I see signs, of course there is hope, People are waking up to the science of change and the phenomena is having an effect. Will we be in time? I don’t know. It might take the extinction of the polar bears or we might first find our coastlines flooded, but sooner or later, we as a race will in our collective consciousness, understand what is happening, and work collectively to make changes.
What advice would you give to other Climate Mamas and Papas, steps they can take as individuals and collectively to help change the course we currently find ourselves on with climate change.
I would advise to stay current. To keep an open mind and welcome new ideas. As individuals, find our strengths and practice thinking. As a Boy Scout we were taught, no matter where we traveled, to leave our campsite as good or better than we found it. To me, it was life’s most valuable lesson and I practice it in everything I do and everywhere I go.
Other thoughts or ideas that you would like to pass on to our community?
We will not find a solution to our addiction to energy and our dependence on fossil fuel in one single process. There is no silver bullet. We must learn to use energy more efficiently; use less, recycle more. We need to think about converting energy from every possible angle. We must learn that we are all signed up for the same long endurance race – the human race. Religion, politics, culture, ethnics have no meaning if we destroy the planet that supports us. “Think Global act Local” is a well know saying, it holds true. Scientifically speaking, energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be converted from one source to another. We have made mistakes in learning to convert energy and have only recently learned that some of our methods cause it to become toxic. In a sense we must all become mechanics, we must learn to build new things in sustainable ways and we must learn to fix the things that are broken.
Contact information, website, or related story you would like us to link to this article?
Richard F. Stott AIA, LEED AP Architect
Member: American Institute of Architect, AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice, United States Green Building Counsel Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional – LEED AP, American Solar Energy Society
Ric Stott
Office 631-283-1777-
13 Main Street
Southampton, NY 11968
URLs: www.Steelbone.com
www.hamptonsgreenalliance.com
Favorite book or movie?
Book: Fate is a Hunter, Ernest K Gann; It’s Not about the Bike, Lance Armstrong
Movie: Terminator II
