[GSBN] Embodied/embedded energy figures

[Paul Olivier]

Chris,

I really like what you are saying here about our planet saying no.
Sustainability has to reach down into every aspect of the design of a
dwelling.
This also includes the bathroom:
http://esrla.com/pdf/landfill_05.pdf
It also includes the kitchen:
http://esrla.com/pdf/landfill_06.pdf
It also includes what we do with all of the biodegradable waste coming out
each day from the kitchen:
http://esrla.com/pdf/landfill_02.pdf

Chris, all architects should take a course from you on sustainable design.
I really like what you are saying.

Thanks.
Paul

On Wed, Oct 19, 2011 at 6:10 AM, Chris Magwood <chris at chrismagwood.ca>wrote:

>  It's been great to have sparked this thread. I love the people on this
> list for the very opinions that have been expressed so far. I think it's
> hugely important to pursue energy efficient buildings, but we should be
> doing so using materials and strategies that have the lowest possible
> embodied energy.
>
> What follows is the introduction to the piece I'm working on and for which
> I was seeking EE figures in the first place. Thought it might be of interest
> to those following this discussion:
>
>
>
> Learning to Accept “No” for an Answer
>
> ** **
>
> Human beings are remarkable at figuring things out. Put a problem in front
> of us – especially one with a solution that will make us wealthier and/or
> more comfortable – and we’ll come up with all kinds of solutions for that
> problem.
>
> Nothing triggers our collective desire to problem-solve like being told,
> “No, you can’t.”
>
> The fact that we hate being told “No” is not necessarily a bad thing.
> Centuries of civil disobedience leading to political reform demonstrate the
> positive side of trying to turn a “No” into a “Yes.”
>
> But what if it’s the earth’s ecosystem that is saying “No”?
>
> As a designer and builder, I am constantly trying to make things possible
> for my clients. I am in the business of saying, “Yes.” As a sustainable
> designer and builder though, my attention should be firmly focused on
> whether or not the planet is saying “No.” And when I hear the “No” answer, I
> should respect it.
>
> Every time we undertake an activity that creates polluting by-products, we
> should hear the implied “No” coming from the environment. Every time we
> gobble up resources at a rate we know outstrips the rate of re-generation,
> we should hear the “No.” Every time we let our desires be fulfilled at the
> expense of following generations, we should hear the “No.”
>
> The building industry is in an awkward state these days. We have the
> ability to deliver levels of comfort inside buildings that were unthinkable
> a century ago. But we deliver that level of comfort at a remarkably high
> cost to the environment. There seems to be a general awakening to the fact
> that what we’re doing is not sustainable, that we contravene an enormous
> number of “No” answers from the planet in doing so.
>
> Designers and builders addressing this problem are in a real bind. We’re
> trying to deliver in a sustainable way levels of performance that are based
> on unsustainable practices. Nobody wants the planet to tell them that they
> can’t have a home with a perfectly stable, year-round temperature of 20C. So
> a growing green building industry is setting about to give us the comfort
> levels we expect at a reduced impact on the environment.
>
> I think that, despite all our best efforts, the planet is still going to
> say “No” to our current expectations of home comfort. I’m sure there is a
> level of sustainable energy we can make available, some mix of solar, wind,
> water and thermal energy that can be generated and used without widespread
> environmental destruction. I’m equally sure there are materials we can use
> to build that are renewable and reasonably harvested.
>
> But as sure as I am of these two cornerstones of sustainable building, I’m
> equally certain that in order to heed the planet’s non-negotiable request
> for sustainability we are going to have to accept different standards of
> comfort. A truly sustainable building powered by truly sustainable energy
> will not always be the same temperature. We don’t need to freeze in the
> winter or swelter in the summer, but we do need to expect to be colder in
> the cold season and warmer in the warm season. We do need to expect to
> participate –physically - in the gathering of resources (water, food, fuel)
> and recycling of wastes. We will need to perform maintenance, live in
> smaller spaces, and be dependent on weather cycles.
>
> Our ancestors accepted these parameters because they did not have the means
> to exceed them. We have the means to exceed, and we’ve been doing so. A move
> towards any kind of real sustainability has to be led by a choice to accept
> a life that is a bit less comfortable and requires a bit more effort. We’re
> clever enough to figure out ways to minimize our discomfort and effort, but
> only excessive amounts of energy and resources can support our current
> lifestyles.
>
> As a designer and builder, I strive to achieve the highest levels of
> creature comfort with the lowest environmental impacts. I could build a
> willing client an entirely sustainable home right now, as long as they are
> willing to hear the planet when it says “No” and live within those means.
> Sooner or later, we will all become that client as we cease to be able to
> afford or access the energy that allows us to go beyond what the planet
> agrees with. But how many of us are willing to make that choice in advance
> of being forced to do so?
>
>
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>
>


-- 
Paul A. Olivier PhD
27C Pham Hong Thai Street
Dalat
Vietnam

Louisiana telephone: 1-337-447-4124 (rings Vietnam)
Mobile: 090-694-1573 (in Vietnam)
Skype address: Xpolivier
http://www.esrla.com/
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