Is Your Home A Sustainabuild?

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There have been many advances in the realm of renewable and sustainable energy and practices when it comes to applying them to households and businesses, such as friendlier low-energy bulbs, cutting back on paper usage and promoting recycling, and even household tips to keep your appliances running at peak efficiency to avoid surplus energy consumption. But the question has now become whether these efforts are enough, or if we need to push harder down the road towards sustainability through implementing new construction laws, while revisiting lodging and buildings that may be failing to meet eco-standards.

In the United Kingdom, the government has taken it upon themselves to just do that, and to implement practices to drastically reduce their carbon footprint. To hit their targets by the set goal date of 2050, they must retrofit enough houses to equal the size of Cambridge, every month, for the next 40 years – a daunting, yet admirable task. This brave attempt will hopefully pave the way for other nations to follow suit in a (hopefully) global attempt to reduce our carbon footprint and achieve higher levels of sustainable existence.

New construction’s direction could also potentially shifted in a greener direction, should they take a page or two out of architect Renzo Piano’s book, who recently designed one of the most sustainable spaces we’ve yet to see – “a technically perfect and aesthetically attractive refuge, testing the potential of the minimalist house.” The Diogene, or insanely small yet delightfully appealing cabin/hut/retreat space, is designed to be a voluntary retreat space that can exist independent of any local infrastructure due to its ability to collect, clean, and reuse water, not to mention its’ solar capabilities to provide the user with power.

Diogene is equipped with everything you need for living. The front part serves as a living room: On one side, there is a pull-out sofa; on the other, a folding table under the window. Behind a partition, there are a shower and toilet as well as a kitchen, which has also been reduced to the necessary. The house and furnishings form a single unit.

If placed in a remote area, you might even have the opportunity to take advantage of Google’s newest eco-endeavour – solar-powered balloons to spread internet access to remote areas. Do you know of any other sustainable houses or buildings? Are there methods that you practice around your home to support sustainable resources and reduce your own carbon footprint? Let us know on Twitter @enviromint

image credit to Vitra

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Shocker! Couples buy homes before wedding

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A new study from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC says that about one in four married couples between the ages of 18 to 34 purchased their first home together before their wedding date, compared to 14 per cent of those ages 45 and older. According to the U.S. online survey, 35 per cent of all married couples purchased their first home together by their second wedding anniversary, and 80 per cent of married homeowners who purchased their home while married said it did more to strengthen their relationship than any other purchase they made together.

“While life goals and expectations continue to weigh on young couples, their views of homeownership are transcending their plans of marriage and starting a family, creating a direct effect on the patterns of buying a home altogether,” says Robi Ludwig, a psychotherapist and Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC lifestyle correspondent.  “What we’re seeing is that young couples are switching up the order and purchasing their first home regardless of whether or not they have set a wedding date. This is a huge movement within today’s culture. While younger generations may be focusing more on their career, and in turn waiting longer to get married and have children, they are not delaying their dream of homeownership.”

Some other survey highlights:

* More than one in three married homeowners purchased their first home together by their second wedding anniversary.

* Only 16 per cent of married adults responding to the survey had not purchased a home together with their current spouse.

* 80 per cent said purchasing a home with their spouse did more to strengthen their relationship as a couple and family than any other purchase they have made together.

* Over one-third of married homeowners (35 per cent) wish they had taken the plunge (into homeownership) sooner than they actually did.

original article via http://www.remonline.com/shocker-couples-buy-homes-before-wedding/

image courtesy of

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Insurance Industry VS Weather Disasters

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The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the frequency, severity and cost of extreme weather in Canada are increasing, with Alberta leading the way.

Alberta accounted for 67 per cent of disaster payouts in Canada, according to the bureau.

Don Forgeron, the organization’s CEO, says Canada has been caught off-guard by the uptick in destructive weather.

“Storms that used to happen once every 40 or 50 years are now happening once every 15 or 20 years,” he said. “And as a country we’ve just done nothing to prepare ourselves for this eventuality.”

Annual payouts from flooding, fire, hail and windstorms increased from $100 million about 10 years ago to $1 billion between 2009 and 2012. Last year, hailstorms across Alberta caused $530 million in damage.

“Here in Alberta you can expect more drought where you’ve had a history of that over the last 100 years or so,” said Forgeron. “At the other end of the spectrum, you can expect more weather in the form of hail and rain.”

Gloomy forecast

Forgeron offers a gloomy forecast of more extreme weather in the years to come and is urging municipalities to fix crumbling stormwater infrastructure to prepare.

‘The insurance industry claim payouts are the canary in the coal mine.’— Don Forgeron, Insurance Bureau of Canada

“The numbers would indicate the possibility is becoming more the reality. We’ve seen a change in weather patterns … the experts that we’ve consulted say that we can expect more severe weather across the country,” he said Wednesday following a speech to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

“We can choose to ignore it — bury your head in the sand and not do anything about it — or we can take a look at what’s happened and use that as a bit of a guide going forward.”

In November 2011, officials had to shut down Calgary’s downtown core because extreme winds blew windows out of buildings.

Earlier that year, a wildfire ravaged the community of Slave Lake, Alta., with losses pegged at over $700 million.

“The insurance industry claim payouts are the canary in the coal mine,” Fogeron said. “It’s a bit of a sign or an indication of how much the cost is to communities across the country, and we’ve seen those numbers, especially here in Alberta, just skyrocket over the last four years or so.”

Increasing deductibles

Earlier this month, the Insurance Bureau of Canada confirmed that added weather costs have prompted some insurance companies to double the deductible for weather-related claims to as much as $3,000.

Forgeron deflected questions about whether Canadians can expect escalating insurance premiums. He said many insurers are being very “proactive” with their customers to make sure they are prepared for problems that can arise.

“We’re doing what we can to keep costs down. It’s my hope we will be able to limit those to an absolute minimum going forward, but if the past is any predictor we’re going to see some nasty weather.”

Forgeron said aging municipal stormwater and sewer infrastructure is the big worry.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has estimated there is $69 billion worth of outstanding repairs, he said.

“While science has confirmed the weather is getting worse, we also know that aging stormwater and sewer infrastructure failure is to blame for most of the damage.”

Warning issued to Calgarians

With the rain Calgary has seen recently, and with more unsettled weather expected this week, the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) issued a warning Wednesday for local residents to prepare for the possibility of damage from flooding and severe weather.

“There is little doubt Calgary sees its share of severe weather,” says Len MacCharles, CEMA deputy chief, in a release. “There are things Calgarians can do to minimize the effects of severe weather on their safety and property.”

Some of those steps include:

  • Securing items in backyards or on decks so they don’t become airborne during high winds.
  • Direct downspouts away from foundations so water doesn’t pool near the home
  • Install a backflow prevention device on basement floor drains.

CEMA also recommends drivers avoid pooled water, as some misjudge the depth and get stranded in rising water.

“Do not attempt to walk through pooled water or running water: it takes only six inches of water to sweep an adult off their feet, and only a foot of water to move a car,” said CEMA officials in a release. “Do not allow children to play near running water, pools of water or storm drains.”

Another tip is to prepare a 72-hour kit for the home in case of an emergency, such as power outages.

original article via CBC

image courtesy of carolynconner

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