IES Blog

As a company, IES is very proud of the fact that it can play a vital role in helping its clients to design buildings that are sustainable, energy-efficient and green. Indeed, it is the cornerstone of what the company aims to achieve, both through its product line and its support for carbon-reduction initiatives such as the 2030 Challenge. However, I often feel that as an individual it can be a little more difficult to see what role we can all play in helping to shape the future of the planet, as it seems like such a vast challenge. We often hear on the news about various government pledges to reduce carbon emissions, but it can easily feel like it is someone else’s problem - the policies introduced by our leaders will somehow be enough to solve the problem of climate change, and that there’s nothing we can really do to help.

I have to put my hand up here and admit that I am as guilty as anyone on this front. We all know about recycling and trying to use public transport more, but even though we know we could (and should) do more, it’s all too easy to simply think that it’s too big a problem and that our own individual actions won’t actually make any difference. But during my time at IES, I’ve come to realise more and more that we all have to take responsibility for what will happen to our climate in future - government policies and initiatives alone will not be sufficient to turn the tide on climate change, so we all need to accept that we have our own part to play.

That’s one of the reasons why I was very interested to hear about the 10:10 challenge, an initiative that has been set up here in the UK by the Guardian newspaper in conjunction with Franny Anderson, director of the climate change documentary, The Age of Stupid. The campaign is hoping to recruit thousands of everyday people to sign-up to a pledge to reduce their own individual carbon footprint by 10% over 2010, by simply making small, simple and achievable changes to the way we live our everyday lives. The campaign site gives lots of information to prove that we all need to take the time to make a difference and explains why the 2010 target is important. We’re all aware of the 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets, but the campaign explains that there is a growing belief in the scientific community that our carbon production levels need to peak and start to reduce within the next few years if we’re to have any real hope of our stopping the problem of climate change.

The campaign has already had a lot of positive press and publicity buzz, including various celebrity sign-ups and endorsement from politicians here in the UK. The plan is to continually grow the campaign over the course of the next year, including allowing people to share their own experiences and tips on reducing their carbon footprint. It is this aspect that I like the most - 10:10 is set up to show us that not only do we all need to take responsibility for reducing climate change, but that we can all do it in ways that are both achievable and meaningful. It’s not just about businesses or governments taking action - as responsible citizens, we all have to make changes for the sake of future generations. This can include obvious changes to our lifestyle such as flying less and not keeping electronic devices on standby, but the site also gives lots of other useful ideas for energy saving, along with an approximation of the amount of carbon each action could reduce the footprint by.

Whilst these changes for each of us alone will not be some magical “silver bullet” that means climate change is no longer an issue, I’m hopeful that the campaign will allow individuals to see that they can collectively help to make a difference and that it’s not all someone else’s problem. We can all be very good at talking up our responses to climate change, but ultimately our actions will speak louder.

Find out more about the 10:10 challenge by visiting http://www.1010uk.org and http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/10-10.

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Tags:Building, Environment, recycle, recycling, reduce, Sustainability

After finally making a big decision to move from the west coast to the east coast, I realized how unfriendly moving can be on our environment.  So, I have started to do research ways to “relocate responsibly” and limit the negative impact on the environment.

Here are some of the tips that I have found and hopefully this will help others relocating to take into consideration:
• Limit the amount of items that are non-essential to lower the number of trips needed and less packing supplies and waste- Donate items at www.freecycle.org or sell items on craigslist
• Use eco-friendly packing materials
            Use recycled pacing paper instead of newspaper
            Reusable containers
            Recycled material boxes
            Make your own packing peanuts out of popcorn
            Get recycled boxes delivered to your door: UsedCardboardBoxes.com

• Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies
• Reduce the Amount of Junk Mail – tip from “Green Moving Guide”: File a temporary change of address with your post office rather than a permanent one to cut down on junk mail at the new place. The U.S. Postal Service sells lists of permanent address changes to direct marketers, but doesn’t bother doing so with temporary addresses.
• Choose a moving company that uses Biodiesel fuel and follows a green mantra through their moving process
• Use a Green Storage Facility
• If you live in the Long Beach/Orange County area of California, there’s a great new company on the rise called Earth Friendly Moving - a company dedicated to creating greener moves

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Tags:Environment, recycle, recycling, reduce

Construction has a huge contribution to make to everyone’s quality of life and at IES we are all committed to enabling that to be achieved in a more sustainable manner.

Construction outputs alter the nature, function & appearance of the towns & countryside in which we live & work. The construction industry in the UK alone employs 1.5 million people, consisting of approx 8% of GDP. The amount of construction materials used annually is equivalent to 6 tonnes per head of population in the UK. Pollution has major sources in the construction process: waste materials; noise, vehicle emissions, contaminant release into atmosphere, ground & water.

My question is: Are tougher Global Government Regulations Required for the Construction Sector?

It is difficult to comprehend the scale of global construction. Working as I do in the Middle East and having spent most of my career travelling the world does give me some sense of the scale and it seems that everywhere I go there is more and more construction. In developing countries like China and India the rate of construction is staggering as it is across the Middle East. Whole new cities are appearing as these countries and regions become ever wealthier and populations continue to grow at environmentally alarming rates but economically satisfying ones for the local people and national governments. And herein lays the dilemma. As huge regions of the world awake from poverty to new found wealth fuelling construction and consumerism booms our planet continues to be put under unsustainable strain.

Every two weeks I wheel out my ‘blue’ bin with my separated recycled waste and feel good that I am doing my bit, but, according to data issued by the UK Government (DTi), the UK construction sector produces annually 3 times the waste produced by all UK households combined. Waste from construction & demolition materials & soil equals 70Mtonnes annually. 13Mtonnes of this consists of material delivered to sites but never used. 90%+ of non-energy minerals extracted in UK are supplied as materials. Moreover, energy produced from non-renewable sources & consumed in building services accounts for approx 50% of UK CO2 emissions, contributing to climate change, consuming non-renewable resources & adding to pollution. These are the official stats from the DTi.

The situation, of course, is far worse in the developing regions where volumes of construction waste are enormous and there are more often than not no local facilities to recycle construction waste and no regulations to control construction pollution or to ensure that the buildings are being designed and constructed according to international best practice.

In January 2008, Dubai, one of the world’s worst contributors to this problem, passed a law mandating that every new building had to be green. In doing so design, construction, pollution and waste management practises were changed.

Dubai adopted the US LEED rating system. Abu Dhabi is now creating its own rating system – Estidama. Another proprietary rating system is being developed in Qatar and there are a number of other voluntary rating systems in other parts of the world including BREEAM in the UK and Greenstar which is used in Australia, New Zealand and is now being adopted in South Africa.
There are pros and cons to each of these systems. I personally favour LEED because each building is independently assessed by the USGBC, providing additional rigor in the process.

My questions are: Is enough being done? Should the construction sector be further regulated? What regulations are being/have been put in place already? What effect have these had and what more should be done? And, should version 6 of be mandated for every construction project on the planet?

I would love to hear your views?

Steve

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Tags:BREEAM, Estidama, LEED, recycle, recycling, Sustainability, USGBC

Some customers may like their coffee black, but Starbucks wants them to associate their coffee with green…

Not only will Starbucks change its offerings to reflect the more ethical and healthier choices that many desire, it is also changing how its stores are built, furnished and operate. Actually, a few weeks ago, Starbucks announced its commitment towards sustainable design, with a new global store design strategy focused towards an “ongoing commitment to ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community involvement.” This will be an interesting commitment to follow, as Starbucks on virtually every corner in the States will be remodelled foe LEED standards.

For instance, all the incandescent bulbs will be replaced by more energy efficient bulbs. And that is just the first step. Starbucks is also going for LEED certification at all new, company-operated stores using energy conservation, recycling, and green construction with reused, recycled and local materials and focus on local craftsmanship.

Starbucks also wants its customers to be aware of the challenge launched by the planet and of the means they have to face it. That’s why it will also begin posting plaques in stores to explain green construction and decor elements to customers to educate and motivate them to make more environmentally responsible choices. On Starbucks’ website, it’s even possible to visit a green Starbucks store!

But Starbucks is not the only giant which is becoming green: McDonald’s head office in Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded the platinum level of the building council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Hopefully, these worldwide giants’ efforts will be seen as an example of sustainable behaviour by all their customers!

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Tags:LEED, recycle, recycling, reuse, Sustainability

From goats to green roofs and organic composting to affordable green housing, cities across the states are working on creative ways to save the planet.   People are used to recycling programs and the promotion of public transportation, but some cities are going above and beyond those steps to ensure that our planet fights global warning.

These cities are rated in the Natural Resource Defense Council’s top 10 smart cities.  The ranks were defined by a number of different categories including alternative energy, affordable housing, energy efficiency, and public transportation.  Topping this list was Seattle, Washington who has begun using goats instead of pesticides to clear away unwanted shrubbery. 

Austin Texas made the list at number 6 for their energy saving insulation and sealing.  The city of Austin, provides free installation for the energy conserving upgrades for low and moderate income homes.  They are also running a program that allows residents to sell excess energy from their solar panels back to the city.

My home city of Boston ranks as number 8 on the list of smart cities for their implementation of one of the largest public transportation systems.  Boston is adding to their bicycle structure adding new bike lanes and more racks.

To find out more, or see how your city ranks, please see the Natural Resource Defense Council’s website, http://www.nrdc.org/about/ or http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/249/top-10-u-s-cities-of-the-future.html

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Tags:Boston, cycling, free, recycle, recycling, Sustainability, Texas, USA

This time, instead of talking about the VE or SketchUp, I would like to provide some insight into my world outside of work and the passion I have for the environment. This is a project I am currently working on;

Ok, the problem is one you all contribute to on a daily basis, perhaps unknowing of the effects they can have. Unaware of the alternatives and the choices you can make. You probably think it’s such an insignificant item that it couldn’t possible have an effect on the environment. The plastic bag. How many times have you walked into a store to buy a single item and the store assistant not only supplies one bag, but frequently double bags it? Are they on bag commission? Let me give you some background on plastic bags and what harm they can do, then maybe you will forego the bag and carry the item or bring your own reusable bag next time. If you are a store assistant, maybe you will think twice before offering. Ultimately this is something I’d like the government to mandate, but one step at a time.

Introduced 25 years ago, these bags are now consumed at rate of approximately 500 billion per year globally, or 1 million per minute. It is estimated that 1% or 5 billion of these bags end up as wind blow litter each year. These bags that take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade, often wind up in waterways or the landscape, becoming eyesores and eventually degrading water and soil as they break down into tiny toxic bits. Their manufacture and disposal also uses large quantities of non-renewable resources, especially petroleum, a key ingredient in plastic. Large amounts of global warming gases are released during their production, transportation, and disposal. Environmentally, disposable plastic bags are a serious problem. Hundreds of thousands of marine animals, including endangered sea turtles, die every year when they eat plastic bags mistaken for food.                                                         

What about a ban on plastic bags? Would that help? That’s what they have done in San Francisco. However, consumers still need something to carry their groceries in. What about paper?

Paper bags are not the answer, since independent studies show they have roughly as many negative impacts as plastic ones. These problems could be avoided by advocating the use of reusable bags instead, and the consumption of fewer disposable bags. The negative impacts of disposable bags could be reduced easily and significantly by charging for their usage at the point of purchase. In cooperation with retailers, the Irish government introduced a plastic bag tax (PlasTax) that has slashed consumption over 90% and raised $9.6 million for environmental and waste management projects. Another benefit is that stores save money on bag purchases and improve their public image. The money could even go towards subsidising reusable bags, purchasable in the store.

A combination of consumer education and governments and retailers working together, we can rid the world of them. Take a reusable bag next time. My task is to persuade the Mayor for the moment and I’ll go from there.

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Tags:Environment, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse