IES Blog

Last year it was Copenhagen this year it’s Cancun - as Global Officials are meeting in Cancun for climate talks, people around the world are standing up and putting their name (and face) to the cause. The 350.org are on a mission to unite people around the world on the issue of Climate Change, with the idea that imagery transcends language. They have undertaken many campaigns, but in the past week they have been focussing on creating art work that can be seen from space. Some of the highlights can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/17122609

If you’re in Glasgow, and want to take part - don’t worry you still can! Thursday the 2nd of December (that’s tomorrow!)

Type of Event: Multi-media event

Date and Time of Event: 2 December, 2010, 18.00 – 21.00 (drop in)

Venue: GMAC, Trongate 103/Fifth Floor, Glasgow G1 5HD

Title: Branching out for climate change

Detail of Event:

Become part of global art movement: http://www.350.org/ and put yourself in the picture about climate change!

RSPB and Glasgow Media Access Centre (GMAC) have teamed up to host a free evening of films, fascinating facts and freebies to coincide with the climate change talks in Cancun. There will be a guest speaker and stalls from organisations like RSPB, Zero Waste Scotland, Glasgow Bike Shed and the Glasgow Allotment Forum. Drop in to take part in our campaign video or become part of a unique photo mosaic and claim your free oak sapling!

Contact: 0141 331 9088 or email eve.mcgregor@rspb.org.uk if you would like more information.

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Tags:350, climate change, rspb

Last week Greenbuild announced that Carol Browner, Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy in the Obama Administration, will be speaking at the Greenbuild 2009 closing plenary session on Friday, November 13th.  Browner previously served as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton Administration and has been making strides throughout her career towards a more sustainable environment.

I am truly inspired by her hard work and accomplishments over the years.
 

To learn more about Carol Browner please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Browner

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Tags:Carol Browner, climate change

I just read this great perspective on the bill from Matt Macko on CleanTechies.  Working at IES, which is solely focused on enabling low-energy building design and has a presence on both sides of the pond, I’ve seen the rise of the importance of carbon reduction first here in Europe and now in the US. Public opinion here is still divided, but the tide is definitely turning…

Matt comments on how US public opinion to the bill has been quite negative…

“The public response to this bill has not been good. Googling the bill generated several articles: almost all were in opposition. Sadly, people tote it as another method Obama has found to increase taxes. They claim it is an unnecessary step to solve a group of alarmists’ wild and false theory, Global Warming. Without arguing the validity of Global Warming, one friend put it to me this way: “If the believers are wrong and Global Warming is not true then we have implemented changes that will improve our environment and the Earth, if the naysayers are wrong and Global Warming does exist and we do nothing, our cities are underwater.”

There are however many (like Matt) in the US completely behind this bill and 100% committed to sustainable building design, not least Ed Mazria of Architecture 2030 - you should definitely read his take on the bill at http://www.architecture2030.org/news/news_072209.html

Or Jerry Yudelson, a US green building consultant, who released today a video looking at the differences of energy consumption between Europe and the US http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF4lZsx9Ifs. With advocates like this pushing alongside the bill you have to hope that general US public opinion will start to sway towards the positive sometime soon…

Even from a purely commercial perspective, the fact that there is now a market in the US for our building energy analysis software is pretty telling.  It’s been used here in the UK by the top building design firms for over 10 years now.  In the last 3, we’ve been able to open offices in both Boston and San Francisco, with all the major A&E firms engaging with us!

Bring on the change!

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Tags:Architecture 2030, carbon reduction, climate bill, climate change, Ed Mazria, Environment, Green Building, Sustainability, US vs. UK, waxman-markey, zero-carbon building