It is fascinating how our sharing economy has evolved globally in recent years. Sophie Yeo writes in The Washington Post about its impact in addressing climate change. Do you have any evidence on this trend? The sharing economy helps fight climate change (but not as much as you think) The rise of the sharing … Continue reading What is the impact of our “sharing economy?”
Category: Sustainable development
The environmental impact of mining the materials for electric vehicle batteries
We have given much attention to the developments in batteries for electric vehicles as we try to increase their range. Max Opray provides an important article in The Guardian about the environmental impact from nickel, one of the major materials used in lithium ion batteries. Having grown up in a mining community and having seen … Continue reading The environmental impact of mining the materials for electric vehicle batteries
Sustainability and our digital carbon footprint
What is the environmental cost of producing media? Pietari Kaapa, Associate Professor in Media and Communications at the University of Warwick discusses this question in an important article on The Conversation website. It's time to start thinking about our digital carbon footprint The media is at the forefront of generating awareness over environmental issues. … Continue reading Sustainability and our digital carbon footprint
The public speaks out to support US Environmental Protection Agency regulations
Those of us watching what is currently going on in the US worry about the possible elimination of energy and environmental regulations to support sustainable development. Brady Dennis provides a good account in the Washington Post about comments that the EPA has received from the general public. Now, we wait to see the reaction. … Continue reading The public speaks out to support US Environmental Protection Agency regulations
How sustainable is the paper industry?
To mark Arbor Day in the US, Gary M. Scott, chair of the Paper and Bioprocess Engineering Department at State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, answered five questions about the pulp and paper industry – a major consumer of trees. This was published on The Conversation website. Is the … Continue reading How sustainable is the paper industry?
House size can have important impact on resource use as well as environment
In many countries, new houses are getting increasingly bigger. The phys.org website reports on the a graduate student’s research that documents the impact of house size on resource use and impact on the environment. Is building bigger houses a waste of energy? Research by Iman Khajehzadeh, who graduates with a PhD in Architecture next … Continue reading House size can have important impact on resource use as well as environment
Re-thinking the design of buildings
We are well aware that the built environment is a key area that has to be addressed in our climate change strategies. Matt Mace explains in an article on the Edie website about some important new design innovations that could have an important impact. Lego block' buildings: Adaptability essential for building stock to combat … Continue reading Re-thinking the design of buildings
What will drive the fourth industrial revolution?
Itai Palti, Director of architecture and design at The Centric Lab, a cognitive neuroscience research lab providing useable and practical insight to the built environment industry, provides an important article on the Quartz website about the role of creativity for our next industrial revolution. Creativity will be the source of our next industrial revolution, … Continue reading What will drive the fourth industrial revolution?
A not-so-quiet repair revolution – repair “pop-up parties”
Getting on a sustainable pathway is a complicated effort that all of us must make. Christine Cole, Research Fellow, Architecture Design and the Built Environment and Alex Gnanapragasam, Research Fellow in Sustainable Consumer Behaviour, both from Nottingham Trent University have written a good article on innovative approaches to repair equipment instead of simply throwing them … Continue reading A not-so-quiet repair revolution – repair “pop-up parties”
Why hasn’t the world become much more environmentally sustainable?
It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since the Rio Earth Summit. Michael Howes, Associate Professor in Environmental Studies at Griffith University in Australia reviews the progress that has been made in a good article on The Conversation website. After 25 years of trying, why aren’t we environmentally sustainable yet? … Continue reading Why hasn’t the world become much more environmentally sustainable?
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 