reference book Ökologisches bauen

Chapter Holistic Approach:

Throughout the world, the tendency towards ecological building practices has shown to be a fundamental and extensive initial task. There is growing enthusiasm but still a sense of confusion as to what this entails. The time of imprudent ideas without any form of professional substantiation is over. There are complex problems to be resolved. But what are their outcomes? Why do apparently good ideas fail when put into practice?
Will ecological planning and building help both people and the environment, or would it only support the environment in so far as it allows people to live on as usual? This will be an open question until we recognise to what extent these factors depend on each other. Nevertheless, we can define the area of activity.
Ecological planning and building permits people to live and work in a way that satisfies their social and cultural needs, without causing damage to the environment. Overall, this guiding objective is not very precise. One could assume the task of balancing the conflicting factors (human and environmental requirements). On a surface-level it is a three-pole situation of ecology, economy and social needs that have to be addressed. The real conditions become blurred however, as it is only a stable natural environment that makes human life possible. It is only within this framework, that we have freedom of action. We therefore have to prioritise aspects that ensure a stable environment, over our other desires.