Sustainability Comment – Page 12
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CommentWhat would Taiichi Ohno do?
As the Japanese say, waste is futility and failure. But, in the form of overconsumption, it has also been the bedrock of our industrialised economies. Here’s how we can do without it
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CommentEnergy saving in existing stock: Energy junkies
Government consultations on improving the performance of our existing stock are welcome. But it will mean nothing if the public can’t kick the carbon habit
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CommentGreen Tape: Sustainability regulation
To keep up with environmental regulations, contractors must build sustainability into their contracts
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CommentSustainable? They’re having you on
Much of what passes for sustainable architecture is nothing of the sort; it’s PR masquerading as environmental engineering. Robert Adam tells us what green building really means
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CommentOpen mike: Sun seeking
Instead of relying on small-scale on-site renewables, Europe could benefit from importing solar power from countries that have plenty of it, says David Weight
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CommentSwallow hard
Open mike — Yes, moving to zero-carbon homes is going to be strange at first, but then again we’re living through strange days, says Matt Bell. Pretty soon it will all seem perfectly normal …
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CommentWhat a relief
It may look like fiddling while Rome burns but the tax measures in last month’s Budget may actually get our industry to become a bit more eco-conscious
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CommentThe makeover manifesto
Open mike — A refurbishment revolution is needed if we stand any chance of cutting carbon 60% by 2050. And it may have just begun in a stable in Watford … Kate Symons explains
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CommentThe eco echo
View from Whitehall: A repeated refrain has been directed at the communities department in recent months: that it fails to deliver on key objectives. Now, it must work hard to make sure that eco-towns strike the right note, says Nick Raynsford
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CommentJCT consultation: A sustainable strategy
We all agree that sustainability, like apple pie, is a good thing, but we’re not sure how we should tackle it. The big stick of legislation, some gentle guidance, or a mixture of the two?
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CommentPower and glory
Like it or not, nuclear is an essential, if temporary, solution to our power needs. But this time, let’s not design the stations as ominous concrete hulks
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CommentGreat walls from China
If China hadn’t been busy establishing a stone industry while ours was sliding into decline, we wouldn’t be able to supply the natural finishes that today’s green clients want
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CommentDo the right thing
Pursuing the bottom line at any cost is a quick route to extinction in today’s business world. It’s time we all embraced the new era of corporate responsibility, says Richard Steer
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CommentExperimenting on homeowners is wrong
When it comes to introducing low-carbon systems into houses, we have our work cut out to convince the owners that they’re not just guinea pigs for the next wave of technological misadventures, says Imtiaz Farookhi
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CommentChips with everything
Instead of paying thousands to generate electricity on site, we should be incorporating energy storage into buildings. And Bill Watts says we need spend peanuts to do it
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A power sharing deal
The signs are that the government is going to make it much easier to install wind turbines, and other microgenerators, by removing the requirement for planning permission
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CommentSlow starters
The construction world isn’t exactly full of bloggers, but if even Sir Terry Farrell is chatting away online these days, it might be time to start taking it all a bit more seriously
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CommentWe need another national grid
Britain has been battered by floods and parched by droughts in recent summers. But if we had a national water grid, we could cope with both, argues David Lush
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CommentGreen bling
Flashy, costly eco-features attached to your home might impress your friends, but they won’t help save the planet. What might is simpler and much less interesting
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CommentThe zero game
We need to reach an understanding of what we mean by a zero-carbon home. Until then, the debate will continue to be governed by politics and hot air