Carbon Neutral? definitions?
Carbon neutral or also 0-CO2, is more and more used by buildings, regions and municipalities. But what is claimed? A lot of vague words, and hidden limitations can be found. This paper analyses and tries to define proper definitions, system sizes and consequences of targetsettings. Please add to the discussion, so that we can come to some kind of common understanding, before publishing .
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"Post Crash Architecture"
Things change slowly. And the resource supply system may crash before we have fully adapted. Now how would the architecture look like then?
22 October 2047, at 19.56
Its very fashionable at the moment: to be climate neutral, or carbon neutral or even 0-CO2. There are a lot of claims, but seldom clearly explained and showing when and where what will be done. It has led to a paper on definitions and systems of these claims, which is launched on this page for further discussion elswhere. After discussion it will most likely be published in a special issue on Low Carbon Communities in Energy Policy next year.
One conclusion I want to stress here is that if you decide for a CO2 target in a city, be it 0- CO2 or 30 % reduction in 2020, it implies that all new construction immediately at least should be 0- energy. If not the reductions to be established in the existing built environment will be much higher, and we all know that's more difficult and costly. So if not all new construction is 0-energy, the claim is bound to fail instantly.
However, these climate and carbon claims are mostly aimed at the end of pipe impacts: The emissions that come with fossil fuel use. However even more threatening is the depletion of resources. Peakoil is predicted somewhere between 2012 and 2017, Peakoil, is when oil production will reach maximum, and will only be less and less afterwards.
Though more and more experts expect is rather sooner then later, and some see signs that has already happened. Nevertheless without oil, or with sky-rocketing prices, we are in serious trouble, with more wars to expect, and for instance food transport around the world to stop….
And when will the last drop of oil be spilled? That's on October 22, the year 2047, at 19.56 hours. ( See the online live clock on the website www.energy.eu )
So the CO2 problem is rather soon solved by itself, but the transition for renewables, since all fossils will be depleted, is another thing. And that's what targets should aim at : 100 % renewable energy .
Sustainable housing: implementing a conceptual design. The Dutch expert team has brought together the knowledge, based on 15 years of experience in the Netherlands, and practiced in several projects , national and international, in this new book.
co-operation with Shenzhen IBR
The Shenzhen Institute for Building research-IBR (PR China) and SBS centre, Netherlands, singed a Memorandum of Understanding in June 2008, describing co-operation in developing sustainable building and mutual support in the introduction.
At the moment IBR is busy developing a Shenzhen standard for sustainable building , SB Guidelines and as well preparing a large scale national demoproject in the region.
They will also open their new , low energy office this autumn, and start monitoring a local 0-energy house.
exxon mobile expects existing production already to have peaked.
