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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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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Green Properties Save Money

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via Vancouver Sun

An environmental program started by employees in 2006 has reduced energy consumption, water use and waste sent to the landfill at Cadillac Fairview’s Vancouver properties, the property management firm said Monday.

Cadillac Fairview’s Green At Work program began in 2006 at the company’s Waterfront Properties in downtown Vancouver. The program measures the company’s environmental impact and sets benchmarks to improve performance. Today it operates nationally, including at all of the Vancouver office properties managed by Cadillac Fairview (The Vancouver Sun is a tenant in Cadillac-Fairview-managed 200 Granville Street).

“At Cadillac Fairview we recognize that designing and operating our properties sustainably is both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do,” said Ultan Kampff, general manager, Pacific Centre and HSBC Building, Cadillac Fairview. The program works to reduce energy consumption and waste, improve environmental protection and encourage sustainable procurement.

Kampff said the program’s benefits include decreased operating costs, greater tenant loyalty and a healthier workspace.

“Employees today want to know they are working for a company that believes in sustainability,” Kampff said. “Tenants who occupy space in our buildings want to be able to tell staff that they are working in a building that’s operated by a landlord that cares about the environment.”

Financial rewards are given to facilities and employees when targets are met. For example, an operations manager in a building would be given a target to reduce the use of electricity, Kampff said. The manager might use strategies ranging from reminding staff or tenants to turn off appliances when they are not in the office, to suggesting using more efficient light bulbs or purchasing more efficient heating or air conditioning machines. If the manager meets or exceeds their targets, they would get a bonus, Kampff said.

Maury Dubuque, senior vice-president of office leasing at Colliers International, said virtually every client Colliers deals with considers green initiatives in the office a priority. There are two reasons for this, he said.

“Virtually every tenant of scale that we deal with has a corporate social responsibility platform, for one,” Dubuque said. “The second thing is that the younger generation — the millennials — demand it.”

He said the younger generation demands that their employer take sustainability seriously and that they have at least some environmental initiatives, such as paper recycling, composting or providing electric vehicle charging stations.

Nationally, Cadillac Fairview decreased energy consumption by 12 per cent and diverted 70 per cent of all waste away from landfills, Kampff said.

This month, the HSBC Building at 885 West Georgia St was certified LEED Gold in the Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance category. At that building, energy use was reduced 12 per cent from 2008 to 2012, while water use was reduced 27 per cent. The recycling rate was 65 per cent and 98.5 per cent of all waste was diverted from landfills in 2012, the company said. The 24-storey HSBC Building, built in 1986, contains both office and retail space and a large atrium entrance.

Cadillac Fairview owns and manages more than $21 billion of commercial real estate, including nearly 46 million square feet of leasable space in 79 properties across North America. The company plans to have all of its buildings within the Pacific Centre complex LEED certified by 2015.

tsherlock@vancouversun.com

Twitter.com/tracysherlock

image courtesy of stevecadman

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Cleaning up the Future

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It’s no secret now that public opinion if shifting in favour of a potentially greener tomorrow. With technological advances in electric and battery-powered technology, we have now reached a transitional phase in energy usage where we’re slowly moving towards these less detrimental alternatives. However, despite these improvements and the shift in public demand, it appears that the people who have the power to make the full ‘switch’ from fossil fuels to electric alternatives don’t show much care for the latter. Which seems strange considering that even the US Military are making strong efforts to achieve much ‘greener’ practices.

In spite of the obvious advantages to switching environmental gears, the practices in place that not only encourage the ravaging of the planet in search for oil are in fact helping these multi-billion dollar corporations save obscene amounts of money through a clause that was introduced in the 90’s to encourage the then-suffering oil industry. However, now that that this industry is booming beyond fathomable capacity, the same courtesy is not being given to the encouragement of sustainable technology and energy, while oil companies reap larger profits AND larger government gratuities year after year, regardless of this obvious disjoint in policy. So what can we do to shift these large sums of money the oil companies are benefiting from and shift them in a greener direction?

The only real answer to this question is for all of us to keep on the same course, and to encourage those who are taking a stand against the grain, like UPS, who just launched 100 electric delivery vehicles in California, taking numbers of their fleet of alternative-energy and sustainable vehicles up to nearly 2,500. We can also consider divesting in oil research and companies, and take our money elsewhere in hopes of a cleaner future.

For more information on divesting, read here –> http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/why-fossil-fuel-divestment-key-climate-progress.html

 

image courtesy of ReindeR Rustema

 

 

 

 

 

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Got Wood?

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We tend to focus a lot of our efforts talking about clean energy and other environmental issues on our blog; however this week we’re talking about something that we have a lot more to do with: Trees.

As mentioned in a new post by TheEnvironmentalBlog.org, the demand for wood is likely to triple between now and 2050; a frightening projection based on the global increases in population and in bio-energy.

The unfortunate reality of seeking alternative methods to improve sustainable construction and design, is that ‘renewable’ resources such as trees will be turned to, as their consumption is essentially less harmful that other possible alternatives. However, it would seem that in order to achieve this projected increase in demand that preemptive planting must ensue to sustain the supply and demand; a concept that we’re pretty certain hasn’t caught on yet.

As it stands wood is a very important and highly used resource, yet these methods have a potential expiry date, should measure not be taken to sustain the usage of these materials. In order to meet the potential demand, resource providers must start preparing for this presumed increase should they wish to stick around when their sector booms in popularity.

If you feel that you’d wish to help the issue, you needn’t look far. Schedule a demo today to find out how Enviromint’s paperless office solution can not only save you money on paper and office supplies, but prevent waste, and save some trees for later down the road. Every paper counts, so improve your business today to see a greener tomorrow.

For more real estate and environmental news, check us out on Twitter @enviromint

 

 

image courtesy of jeeheon

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Keep Your Toilet and Save The Paper

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Water.org has recently released a video in which Matt Damon announces he will be protesting for clean water by no longer using his toilet. Yes, that’s right.

No toilets = improve the environment? Not exactly; this is more of a humanitarian protest than an environmental one (though it does have environmental ties), as the purpose is to raise awareness to the fact that there are billions of people in the world who don’t have access to toilets or clean water.

However, if you’re looking to do your part in environmental improvement and want to keep using the bathroom, there’s a way you can help. Sign up now for a free demo to learn more about Enviromint’s paperless office solution so you can keep your toilet and ditch the paper.

Not the toilet paper. You should probably keep that.

Check out Matt Damon’s hilarious protest proclamation below and let us know what you think in the comments or on Twitter @enviromint

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Is That A…House?

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Last week we posted a compilation of creatively sustainable properties; more specifically, a series of old water-towers that were renovated into living spaces rather than destroyed and built upon.

This week we stumbled across a brilliant compilation of images of some of the most remote ‘establishments’ in the world. Some are underwater, others in mountains, and others in remote desert and arctic areas. Below are a few of our favourites from the full series, courtesy of Gizmodo.

Porer Lighthouse – Eastern Adriatic Sea

 

Buddhist Shrine – Chang La Pass, 5360m elevation

 

NASA Radome – McMurdo Station, Antarctica

 

Concordia Research Station – Antarctica, 3200m elevation

 

Tekite I Habitat – Great Lameshur Bay, Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands

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Non-Disposable Housing

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It’s typical of our culture to replace rather than reuse; this applies in all areas, such as clothing, vehicles, food, housing, and more. We live in an essentially ‘disposable society’ where the norm is to replace or be rid of items that are arguably dated or ‘useless’ rather than exploring their potential for renewed usage. Another example is buyers who purchase properties simply to demolish and rebuild on the same land rather than building on the existing residence’s foundation or making renovations and improvements to it instead of executing an entire rebuild.

Developments such as water towers, which were a social necessity once-upon-a-time, tend to fall through the cracks of time, awaiting their impending demolition days to make way for new developments, homes, businesses, etc. However, it would appear that the concept of re-vamping older buildings rather than destroying them seems to be catching in some circles; and though these may not be the most practical lodgings, they regardless set a positive precedent for prospective investors and developers alike in terms of sustainable consciousness and development.

Instead of destroying these old structures, investors and developers have transformed each of the following water towers into appealing lodgings, while avoiding the costly and ineffective process of deconstruction and reconstruction. To learn more about each of these modernized water towers, just click the links below the photo to go to their original articles.

all images and articles courtesy of TreeHugger.com


http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/water-tower-converted-superluxe-london-home.html


http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/water-tower-house-by-jo-crepain.html


http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/water-tower-repurposed-into-house-with-lots-of-stairs.html


http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/tom-dixons-water-tank-house.html

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Eco-Housing Done Right

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Gizmodo recently compiled a photographic series of sustainable and eco-friendly houses from around the globe and we enjoyed them so much there was no way we weren’t going to share them with you. Follow the link below to check out the rest of these beautiful and interesting houses. Here’s some of our favourites:

Greenwich Millenium Eco Village, London

 

Richard Carbonnier’s tubular eco-house in Pond Inlet, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada

 

Eco house, Parc Jean Drapeau, Montreal

 

Check out the rest of these interesting eco-houses right here: http://gizmodo.com/5978598/21-amazing-off+the+grid-houses

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On The Edge of Our Seats

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This coming month, President Barack Obama is expected to make a decision on whether or not to approve the Keystone XL pipeline; a pipeline project that would span from the Alberta tar sands all the way to Texas. Though it may not appear to be the case, this approval or disproval is a big deal for environmentalists worldwide.

We’re siting by and waiting on the most powerful nation in the world’s decision, not only on the Keystone Xl Pipeline, but on whether or not they will continue to perpetuate the usage of fossil fuels, and empower the industry surrounding them which has systematically exploited the resource to the point of creating a global climate change, or whether they’ll turn a new leaf and look to more sustainable energy and industry as their new direction going forward.

In light of the impending decision regarding the pipeline, environmentalists have released two recent reports outlining the potential detriment the project will bring, and it looks at lot worse than expected, and are strongly urging the President to take these into account during his decision-making process.

“Filling the Keystone XL pipeline with oils and crude will create significant greenhouse gases regardless of whether other transport options move forward,” said Nathan Lemphers, a researcher at Pembina. “Because Canada does not have a credible plan for responsibly developing the oil sands, including reducing emissions so Canada can meet its climate commitments, the pipeline should not go ahead.”

Clearly there’s a huge back-and-forth regarding this issue. We’re just hoping that President Obama can grasp the scope of his decision. Should he refute the pipeline, he would be setting a standard and example for countries worldwide, save not one, but two countries from negative environmental impacts,  and furthermore prevent the burning of these massive potential amounts of fossil fuels which affect the globe.

Should he accept the proposal…well, let’s just wait and see.

image courtesy of dipfan

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