Cities consume around 75 percent of the world’s energy and produce 80 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives to control global warming are set to transform our urban landscapes, notably in London which plans to turn itself into the world’s greenest city by cutting carbon emissions by 33 percent by 2025, the equivalent of a four percent reduction every year. (more…)
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Sustainability and environmental concerns are driving a high proportion of new product development in the building industry. This in part is fueled by increasing demands from new legislation. The government recognises that with half of CO2 emissions in the UK coming from the built environment, it holds the key to change that will enable them to reach their ambitious environmental targets. A typical example is that all commercial buildings being built, sold or rented must by law now have an Energy Performance Certificate, a top A grading being for the most efficient in both energy consumption and low CO2 emissions.
(more…)
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Grand Designs Live closed yesterday. Based on Channel 4’s hugely successful Grand Designs series, presented by design guru Kevin McCloud, the live exhibition has gone from strength to strength since launching in 2005. You may have caught some of the live show on TV last week featuring ‘The House That Kevin Built’. This involved building a house from scratch in just six days using cutting edge sustainable building techniques including prefabricated straw bale panels rendered with lime which were designed by a lecturer at the University of the West of England. (more…)
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
In a week when the Office of National Statistics revealed an 8% drop in construction orders in the first three months of the year, we also heard that Shell wants to sell its stake in the world’s largest wind farm planned for the Thames Estuary. They say that US government incentives offer Shell better returns, so want to focus on wind power projects in the US. The London scheme would have generated power for a quarter of London homes but Shell’s decision has left this key clean energy project high and dry. (more…)
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Buildingtalk and this Editor's Blog are edited by Howard Chapman
Howard Chapman is a freelance writer who has worked for a number of years in design and marketing, particularly within the construction industry. As a publisher he has launched magazines in the manufacturing and exporting sectors of industry. His focus now is in the developing e-magazine sector, both in construction and engineering.
How to get our FREE weekly newsletter
Add to Technorati Favorites