Link: Japan for Sustainability Newsletter #066 (2008/03/25 link to article posted)
The subscriber version of the JFS newsletter discusses a report by Komei Harada (National Institute for Materials Science) calculated the amount of recyclable materials in Japan. Although Japan has limited natural resources, the results show that stocks of materials in Japanese society (the 'urban mine') are comparable to the natural mineral deposits of resource-rich countries. As a percentage of world natural resource stocks, Japan had 61% of the iridium, 16% of the gold, and 11% of the tin. Total world demand for metals could be satisfied by Japan's 'urban mines' for two to three years (six to eight years for lithium and platinum).
The article points out that recycling and recovery systems for many of these metals are underdeveloped, and the products from which these metals could be recovered are often shipped out of Japan as low-value scrap. However, the yield of metals from manufactured products can be many times greater than from traditional mining. About 280 grams of gold can be recovered from a ton of mobile phones, whereas a similar quantity of gold ore yields about five grams.
The article closes with the need for "the creation of systems for resource recovery and recycling that minimize wasteful use of natural resources and make full use of the rich resources that have accumulated in urban areas." Products need to be designed so that the component materials can be cleanly recovered with a low investment of energy, a resource that cannot be recycled. Although energy is conserved, its ability to do useful work is not. As energy is converted to work, the quality and ability of that energy do to more work declines.
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Link: Green Tower in Moscow by Foster + Partners
Treehugger reviewed the design of a 2,000 foot Russia Tower that combines a triangular plan (efficiency, stability, natural lighting) with a hot water "energy cycle" to reduce energy consumption. The tower houses offices and residential space. Offices typically generate excess heat year-round, which can be used to heat the residential areas during the winter. During the summer, the lower temperature of the ground is used for cooling. No information is provided on the expected savings or the capital cost for the "energy cycle" equipment (the emphasis in the linked websites appears to be more on the form).
The design shows how a problem (excess heat generated within office space) can be turned into a benefit (residential areas need heat during the winter) if the designer has the flexibility to create a diverse environment. During a Setpember 2006 presentation on sustainable design, Peter Busby showed a chart of the various systems (including water, sewage and energy) in the Dockside Green project. Although each individual system provided benefits to the overall design, the linkages between the systems were even more interesting. Again, a mixed commercial, industrial and residential space provided significant opportunities for design innovation.
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Link: A New Model for Green Design
Valerie Casey's "Designers Accord" is
In spite of taking small steps, the program has the potential for being as influential as LEED by signing up thousands of designers from leading studios across the industry and gaining support from the AIGA and IDSA. It encourages designers to introduce sustainability into every conversation, early in the conversation, "to look beyond the artifact and consider the larger system.""both a small nudge and a radical step. It's a nudge because many designers and studios already practice many of the principles outlined in the accord: Undertake a program to educate your teams about designing sustainably, initiate a dialogue about environmental impact and sustainable alternatives with each and every client, measure the carbon/greenhouse gas footprint of your firm and pledge to significantly reduce that footprint annually."
Signers of the Accord also agree to pool what they have learned about sustainable design, from information to best practices. Although not likely to be as far-reaching as the open source movement, it will build "an archive of sustainability case studies covering everything from materials sourcing and effective life-cycle analysis methods to issues such as how the firm started the sustainability conversation with its client and what learnings it was able to transfer to other projects."
Thanks to Eileen Stephens for the pointer!
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Link: Cities: A Smart Alternative to Cars
This article claims "The best car-related innovation we have is not to improve the car but to eliminate the need to drive it everywhere we go." Although we tend to think of cars as commodities and buildings as long-term investments, growth and renewal in urban areas gives us the opportunity to create people-friendly spaces served by excellent public transit systems. As an example, multi-use development in Vancouver allows 40% of downtown households to be car-free. In comparison, the long design cycle for car and their increasing lifespan suggests the car fleet in 2030 will be largely similar to what we have today.
Certainly, more fuel efficient cars will help, but compact urban development can provide both energy efficiency and increased quality of life even faster. Changing the way we live can also prevent one of the downsides of efficiency: it tends to result in a drop in price as supply exceeds demand, which can have the perverse effect of actually increasing demand.
For a look at alternatives to cars for longer distances, check out the TreeHugger interview with Andy Kunz, New Urbanist. He argues that tremendous amounts of money are poured into infrastructure for cars and aviation, increasing our dependence on non-renewable energy while being unable to keep up with demand. The cartoon at the bottom of the page is excellent.
Thanks to Eileen Stephens for the pointer!
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Link: Rise of the Carbon-Neutral City (updated 2008/03/18)
This article contrasts a number of large scale, 'greenfield' carbon-neutral cities such as Masdar and Dongtan, with retrofit strategies such as Vancouver's focus on efficient public transit. Although high-profile projects can provide a boost to innovative technologies and generate interest, the cost is high and the technology may not always be transferable. The article highlights the importance of measuring the benefits achieved, such as reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
At the same time, there are advantages in scale - synergy between diverse elements can open up cost-effective opportunities for green design. An example is the Dockside Green project in Victoria, BC - their Annual Sustainability Report: 2007 is a shining example of what is possible. 'Systems' solutions can deliver also unexpected benefits, such as Vancouver's public transit strategy. The challenge is to adapt them to scales that make sense.
For a perspective on cities founded on ecological principles, see the TreeHugger post Ecocities of Tomorrow: An Interview with Richard Register. Register talks of the vision as well as the challenge of changing how we live, the difficulties of turning green buildings into a green city, and describes three scenarios based on how we use the remaining oil that has fueled our development.
Thanks to Eileen Stephens for the pointer!
2008/03/18 TreeHugger did an interview with Richard Register, Peter Droege, Sahar Attia, Christopher Choa and Gil Friend on the theme Can Foster + Partners' Masdar City in U.A.E be Truly Sustainable? The panelists expressed a range of opinions on several questions, such as the relationship of Masdar to broader issues of sustainability, its connection to the larger environment, the ability to meet the stated goals, and the concept of building cities from scratch.
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Ontario's Environmental Registry "allows you to participate in decisions that affect the environment". From the 'About' page:
The Environmental Registry contains "public notices" about environmental matters being proposed by all government ministries covered by the Environmental Bill of Rights. The public notices may contain information about proposed new laws, regulations, policies and programs or about proposals to change or eliminate existing ones.
Each notice tells you:
- where you can find the details about the proposals
- how and where you can send your comments
- the deadline for having your comments considered
When final decisions are made, you will be told how many and what kind of comments were made, as well as the impact, if any, the comments had on the decision. You will also be told whether and how you can appeal and challenge the decision.
For background information, see the Ontario's Environment Bill of Rights and You. Not all Ontario environmental issues are tracked in the registry, either because they do not fall under the terms of the Environmental Bill of Rights or do not involve provincial government ministries.
Thanks to Geoffrey Hoeller for the pointer!
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On Friday, February 29, the Ivey Business School and Research Network for Business Sustainability will host a forum in Toronto, Canada on best practices for community engagement. You can register at www.ivey.ca/centres/building/engaging.
The purpose of the forum is to identify evidence from both practice and research. Both industry and academia are well represented on the lists of speakers and registrants. A draft agenda is attached. We have planned ample time for dialogue and networking.
The speakers include:
The forum will be held at Ivey's Toronto campus. You can register at www.ivey.ca/centres/building/engaging.
- Grace Blake, Dave Meads, and Randy Ottenbreit, Mackenzie Gas Project
- Oana Branzei, Ivey Business School
- Denise Carpenter, EPCOR Utilities Inc.
- Jocelyne Daw, Imagine Canada
- Katharine Partridge, Stakeholder Research Associates Canada
- Pierre Gratton, Mining Association of Canada
- Sandra Waddock, Boston College
- Charlene Zietsma, Ivey Business School
Warm regards,
Dr. Tima Bansal
Associate Professor, Ivey Business School
Executive Director, Research Network for Business Sustainability
The Research Network for Business Sustainability "is a non-profit initiative that brings together researchers, policy-makers, corporate managers, and university educators. Through sharing information and facilitating collaboration, we build business sustainability."
Thanks to Jean-Francois Barsoum for the pointer!
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Link: Why long-haul food may be greener than local food with low air-miles
Times Online (UK) looked at the sustainability implications of choosing locally-grown food over imported food that is shipped large distances. In many cases, the environmental impact of 'long-hauling' food was relatively small compared to other factors when the full life cycle of the food was taking into account. Examples included the high energy cost of local hothouse tomatoes in Britain compared to those grown in Spain, or the additional fertilizer and electricity required to raise lambs in Britain when compared to New Zealand.
Until proper Life Cycle Assessments can be developed, the article recommends a number of 'rules of thumb' where consumers can make a difference:
- reduce the amount of meat eaten - 90% of greenhouse gases are emitted during meat production, regardless of where that occurs
- avoid air-freighted food
- reduce packaging
- reduce waste
One factor that the article does not mention is the value of knowing where your food really comes from, and having a greater appreciation of how it is produced. Having a direct connection with agriculture can influence how we act, and help protect an essential part of our lives.
Thanks to Jean-Francois Barsoum for the pointer!
Link: Don't Bother with the "Green" Consumer
A post on HBR Green by Steve Bishop (global lead of Design for Sustainability at IDEO) suggests that marking to the 'green consumer' can be counter-productive. The 'green' market segment is relatively small (although growing) - most consumers are more focused on their immediate needs than environmental issues. On the other hand, touting the 'green' attributes of a traditional product can be seen as greenwashing, unless the product is truly environmentally better than the competition.
Bishop recommends focusing on 'green behavior', not through morale persuasion but by encouraging new, positive behaviors that are accessible to everyone and that people want to engage in . The article highlights work with Shimano on the "Coasting" bike, intended for the large numbers of people who do not ride today. By simplifying the bike, Shimano connected to childhood experiences of biking. It directly meets a human need, and indirectly targets the environmental issues caused by our reliance on cars as a primary means of transportation.
the TreeHugger article Bags of Change: Carrot Better Than Stick follows a similar line - rather than trying to shame people into giving up plastic bags or charging for bags, 'Bags of Change' worked with a wide range of shops to provide discounts to shoppers who bring in one of their distinctive bags. Discounts appear to be in the 5-10% range, a significant incentive to 'remember to bring your bag'. From the shop's perspective, it is a way to attract new customers.
Bishop's closing message: "Companies should ... start creating something real - products that tell their environmental story for them."
Thanks to Jean-Francois Barsoum for the pointer!
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