Author Archives: martin brown

no more greenbuild heros?

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The Guardian ran a list of the top  50 heros to save the planet on Saturday.  For an industry or sector that contributes to nearly 50% of the carbon emissions and 75% of energy use – it is really sad to see we have no real heros.

Of note though:

Aubrey Meyer: musician and activist. a 60-year-old South African violinist living in a flat in Willesden, north London,  Aubrey developed the Contraction and Convergence approach that is seriously challenging developing countries.

Oh and the RIBA sustainability strategy endorses C&C and recently made an award to Aubrey.

Meyer still plays the violin every day, but seldom with an orchestra. “I just did not realise that it would take quite so long to change the world,” he says.

Other mentions are Peter Head a director of Arup “master planner of the world’s first true eco city”  This you will recall won the Greenwash of 20067 award for the project that isnt. (very confusing )

and, Ken Yeang as the world’s leading green skyscraper architect and Lenardo Decaprio – for amongst others stuff  – building – Eco-Town,  a “model of green living”.

But to include Lomberg reduces the lists credibility – of the Great Warming Swindle school of thought, Lomberg is seen as a distorter of science and doing more harm than good to environmental causes

But where oh where are the green leaders and activists in our sector.  If you can think of anyone  you can join the debate  at The Guardian 

more on coal – old king …

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Good to see Philip Sellwood, Chief Exec at Engery Saving Trust blogging on the Medway coal power station at Old King Coal

Philps blog is one to blogroll, bookmark or RSS or just read !

Interestingly Philip makes the connection with a certain lady who closed down the coal industry some 20 years ago – this fact  has apparently been the main contribution to the UK’s reduction in CO2 over the last decade !

New coal fired power station gets go ahead

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The news that Medway Council have given the green light to a coal fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent seems at complete odds with the current informed thinking on energy, on coal and on the current ‘mood’ or zeitgeist towards sustainability. It also appears as a developing country decision – not one taken by a nation attempting to be a leader in sustainability and carbon targets.  Building Guardian

The decision can be seen in many ways as a damning comment on the built industry in not moving fast enough to address the energy issue within buildings and facilities.

76 % of the energy from this new power plant will be consumed by buildings. By reducing building energy use of new and renovated buildings by a minimum of 50%, we negate the need for new coal plants. (source)

How can the government and local authorities push forward with zero carbon homes to Code 6, zero carbon schools, zero carbon non-domestic buildings, insist on reductions through Merton Rule approaches, and demand organisations reduce their carbon emissions … when in one action we turn the carbon emissions clock back 30 years ( This will be the first plant to be built in 30 years)

And many of these targets come in to place before the new plant comes on stream.

Perhaps the Kent council and others should read the work from the excellent and influential Architecture 2030, who, in the USA are directly and indirectly influencing cities and states to cancel or shelve coal fire plants in favour of a green build approach .

Emissions from the new plant will blow the UK’s targets and commitments for carbon reductions out of the water.  The notion of cleaned coal is an oxymoron, with environmentalists and scientists diasgreeing over the viability of any capture / claeaning / sequestration technology. It will take years and seems a high gamble to rely on a technology in the future.

In a time when we need positive actions and messages to prevent green fatigue – this will send a dangerous message – that it is ok to invest in traditional planet threatening energy sources whilst playing lip service to renewables and alternatives investment.

A very ominous start to 2008.

Best of green building

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The excellent Worldchanging site (changing your thinking) posted a review of the best of its green building articles recently – it makes for an interesting overview of emerging themes in green building albeit US based, many of which have been picked up through isite… Of note are

Digital House and the Future of Green Building

Green Building Simulation

The Slow Home Movement

Convergent Media and the DIY Home of the Future

Architecture 2030: An Interview with Ed Mazria

When you say that the building sector is responsible for half of all greenhouse gas emissions, though, do you mean that in a direct or an indirect sense? Because surely houses aren’t just sitting there emitting carbon dioxide all day – it’s the power plants that those houses are connected to.

Mazria: It’s direct.

Consolidation: cutting traffic and waste

The term ‘consolidation centre’ may not sound sexy, and little about the contemporary construction industry is. But in London a pilot program has found that managed consolidation of delivery operations can cut construction-related vehicle emissions by 70%, and cut waste by a huge percentage too. Pretty impressive? Even more so when you consider the simplicity of the idea.

The Greenest Building

Living Homes

Grow Your Own Treehouse and other thoughts on Ecological Architecture

Cost of carbon

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A good note to end the year on and a new perspective on the cost of carbon to start 2008 with was reported in the Guardian last Friday. (also picked up by fellow blogger Phil at Some Seasonal Cheer ). Effectively ministers will now have to include a cost for carbon emission on all projects, starting at £25.50 a carbon tonne for 2007, rising every year to reach £59.60 a tonne by 2050. (This seems lower than other figures suggested!)

It will be interesting to see how this plays out through construction and fm – what would the additional cost of PFI’s, and BSF, building schools for the future projects etc now be. Would these costs be predicted over the life of a building. Can they be offset by carbon reducing measures built in?

And the Code – suddenly the cost of zero carbon homes may well be less than business as usual carbon construction.

Will the costs be applied to construction process emissions as well – and if so will this be tracked back up stream to the cement industry for example.

Not sure who actually will pay for these costs – the developers?, the supply side? the clients? More questions than answers at the moment, more detail is still to announced, but as this is a Treasury initiative it will surely be forced into being rapidly and with teeth. A whole new carbon based currency is being created.

Lets hope there is not a cop out by allowing offsets to offset these costs, and that the costs are real contributions to tackling sustainability

Whatever the detail,  we will start 2008 with a new, more meaningful perspective of sustainable construction, and more debates and discussion.

Brilliant.

Green fatigue?

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The report in yesterdays Observer (Green Fatigue leads to fear over climate change backlash) highlights a growing concern over green issues and sustainability:

A backlash is now a real threat, said Phil Downing, head of environmental research for Ipsos Mori. ‘There’s cynicism because on the one hand we’re being told [the problem] is very serious and on the other hand we’re building runways, mining Alaskan oil; there’s a lot going on that appears to be heading in the opposite direction.’

Barbara Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency, agreed. The ‘vast majority’ of British businesses ‘are still not into sustainability and climate change’, she warned.

I notice the same in the built environment. There remains a lot of scepticism at all levels in our industry, the following being typical of those heard recently:

“why should we bother with sustainability at site level when the architect and client specify roofing from Germany, and when our head office appoints subcontractors from the Midlands or where-ever to install it…

“we have no control over our suppliers and subcontractors….

“we have to go through so many hurdles on environmental issues to win work, then the client only pays very minor lip service to sustainability – its a waste of time …

“why should we bother going green – we will only get criticised for not doing enough if we put our heads over the parapet …

“this governments not serious – they talk of codes for sustainability and zero construction – and yet plan to build more coal fired power stations and airport expansions …

“Its a joke to be expected to travel to London for a sustainability conference …

“its just more paper work -we cannot make any difference…

All leaders and those of influence in our industry need to address these concerns head on. By leaders and influencer’s I include the government, clients and customers, directors and owners, bloggers, event organisers, specifiers, designers et al.

2007 was the year of awakening on sustainability issues – we need to build on that momentum with clear, accountable actions and visibility on decisions, not let it be undermined by green fatigue and scepticism. Players in our industry need all the encouragement and reason to change the built environments lifestyle.

As they say … walk the talk

Postnote:  see also Phils post over at 2008 – is a backlash on the way

Seasons greetings

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Whilst isite will continue posting issues of interest, many readers and subsribers will be finishing up today for the holiday period, so an opportunity to wish you all the best for a peaceful holiday and new year.

This isite project started just under one year ago, initial as a trial to see what all this blogging stuff was about and has grown to become a significant contribution to what I do.  The numbers of viewers to isite has been amazing with tens of thousands over the year – from all across the globe – so a big thanks to all those who have posted comments, subscribed,  just viewed or passed on through to other linked locations.

The isite blog archives now provide a record and overview of 2007 – the year the built environment woke up to what sustainability really really means and started to face the challenges it will present. Will 2008 be the year of action?

I have plans for more a more exciting isite early in the new year – so watch this space …. and of course I  look forward to your comments and contributions in 2008.

Links roundup

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Building Schools for the Future – Low carbon schools Children’s Plan – web based presentation – cast from Andrew Thorne, Department for Children, Schools and Families and Ian Butters, Faithful+Gould available here

Pink is Green –  from Green Girls Global

New M and E sustainability website a  “single source of topical and technical information for mechanical and electrical contractors provided by the ECA and the HVCA.”

And a seasonal Christmas News from Ian Martin at bd online – excellent stuff

Whats wrong with Code level 6?

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My post on Code level 6 has drawn a mixed reaction. Fellow blogger Mark over at House 2.0 makes an excellent response. In my opinion this is what blogs are for – to inform, debate and cut through the rhectoric and greenwash we see today.

My point on Code 6 remains the same – we have some 8 years to innovate, develop solutions and collaborate to acheive Level  6, so to claim we can acheive it today is just greenwash.  And if these claims were correct then the bar has been set too low.

Acheiving zero carbon, along with all the other requirements is one hell of a challenge lets not underestimate it.

Build into the challenge the need for a zero carbon footprint in design and construction without offsetting – then the first truck to arrive on site, the first brick to be manufactured, the first operative to drive to site … you get the picture. (I did see some claim that the construction process emissions account for some 11% of the buildings total carbon footprint – I will confirm and post that link asap)

Lets not claim zero anything, recognise the reductions and the progress being made, but also the challenge that lies ahead.

Arup pick up greenwasher of the year award

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Arup and the Dongtan project has received much ranting on the Ethical Corporation (EC) website over the year so no surprises that they pick up the EC Greenwasher of the Year award .  This for the ... long announced, but never started, ‘eco-city’ in Dongtan, an island of pristine wetlands just outside the teeming city of Shanghai … more

Another EC award – which I would call the No Giraffes Killed This Year award goes to the Mercedes ….

The company’s “head of motorsport”, which provides engines to the Formula One McLaren team, told various news websites that the sport could be defended on the basis that the millions of people watching Formula One races on television were therefore not using their cars while the race was under way.

Now, looking at the greenwash sins checklist ….. Sins of Vagueness and Irrelevance nicely covered there

Any nominations closer to home?