November 12th, 2007
There are some people who would argue that a company that generally plants it’s massive stores on retail parks and such like, can never be truly ‘green’. They would question their motives - are they real or is it just greenwash? Good question.
I reckon though, that DIY retailer B&Q does deserve some credit - I can remember being asked to take part in survey on environmental issues as I left a B&Q store, and that was over 15 years ago. Since then, they have become one of the founders of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) - the most widely recognised assurance that wood has come from sustainable sources, one of the first DIY stores to offer and promote low VOC paints and the first to offer domestic solar water heating panels and wind turbines. OK, the wind turbine has turned into a bit of a white elephant for them, but they did try!
Their latest catalogue that dropped through my door (yes, junk mail) is focussed on energy efficiency and has some interesting items.
In amongst all the insulation products, they have ‘Eco-Wool’ - made from 85% recycled plastic bottles and totally itch-free. As a top-up for existing loft insulation, this is a great way to re-use a throw-away product.
ThermaHelp hemp wrap insulation - made from 40% sustainable hemp (and growing hemp is really, really sustainable). The wrap insulation is quite thin but very efficient. Expensive, but are offering ‘buy one get one free’.
Hemp loft board panels - a great alternative to ‘chipboard’ panels and about half the weight too.
Breathe - natural hemp insulation made from British-grown hemp. An ideal top-up to existing loft insulation.
They are still ‘plugging’ the Windsave domestic wind turbine, despite the many media reports that some customers are not experiencing anywhere near the electricity savings claimed by the company (due in part to the fact that wind turbines affixed to a dwelling generally don’t perform well in the turbulent air around a building).
There are several types of solar water heating systems, which generally make much more sense for people than wind-turbines and can achieve real savings.
So there you have it - B&Q may not be perfect, but they are bringing these products to a much wider audience than smaller, specialist companies are able to and even if they don’t sell that well, at least Joe Public is being exposed to all this each time he/she walks into a B&Q store.
I say, well done B&Q, but don’t stop there - this is just the beginning.
October 22nd, 2007
Well note quite - I’m pretty sure you can get vegetarian meat-less balls! Anyway, I came across this in TreeHugger today - if you’re interested in sustainable and natural building, you’ll know all of this, but it’s kind of nice to have even more people saying it.
According to Professor of Engineering, Julian Allwood;
“The big news about cement is that it is the single biggest material source of carbon emissions in the world, and the demand is going up,” …”If demand doubles and the best you can do is to reduce emissions by 30 percent, then emissions still rise very quickly.”
“The cement manufacturers are trying, and have invested millions of dollars in programs like the Sustainable Cement Initiative. They have improved efficiency significantly but are up against the basic chemistry: The chemical reaction that creates cement releases large amounts of CO2 in and of itself. Sixty percent of emissions caused by making cement are from this chemical process alone. The balance is produced from the fuel used in production, which may be mitigated by the use of greener technology. So to “go green,” cement makers try to cut the fuel side of the equation.”
The industry says “Because of our initiatives, emissions are growing slower than they would without the interventions.” But they are still growing like mad.
The full article in The International Herald Tribune, say some 80 percent of cement is made in and used by emerging economies; China alone makes and uses 45 percent of global output. Production is doubling every four years in places like Ukraine.
Compounding the problem is the fact that cement used to be produced locally to where it was needed, but is now increasingly shipped long distances. On the Internet, cement brokers are now selling relatively cheap Ukrainian cement to all corners of the world. Demand is particularly high in the Middle East.
The dilemma facing cement producers in the developed world is that investing heavily in methods and equipment to curb CO2 emissions puts them in a financially disadvantaged position compared to less expensive cement produced (with more pollution) in less-developed parts of the world.
More than ever, governments need to look long and hard at their long-term goals and those of the planet. Research and standards need to be set for a reduction in the amount of cement used in construction and the alternatives that may be available. I am not naive enough to think that (with current building methods and ‘progress’) you can eliminate cement from the construction industry, but reduction is key.
October 1st, 2005
I hope to write a lot more about building with Cob and Strawbale in future blogs, but I thought I’d start with this one.
Cae Mabon is a place in North Wales owned by a guy called Eric Maddern. Eric uses the land as a retreat and learning centre. Many of the dwellings at Cae Mabon have been built using ‘alternative’ construction methods. In March 2004 they began the groundwork for the Cob Cottage. Then in April, 30 people arrived for a “cob workshop” and, under the expert guidance of Ianto Evans and Linda Smiley (co-authors of “The Hand-Sculpted House”), they began raising the walls of the beautiful Cob Cottage.
Early 2005 saw volunteers completing the limewash inside. For me, this is such a beautiful building - so natural and organic, and made from the earth, literally. I’d love to visit this place at some time in the future - until then, I can only imagine the warmth and feeling of solidity and naturality you’d get from being inside..
See also Def: Natural Building
