Global warming, air pollution, water scarcity…
Buildings are also responsible.
The following facts are certainly nothing new. Nevertheless it must be summed up in brief.
The pollution of our earth results in global warming which along with water pollution leads to water scarcity. According to European Environment Agency (EEA) 20% of all European surface water bodies are seriously threatened by pollution. Water scarcity affects now already 100 million people in Europe.
We are facing more often extreme-weather-events with rising disastrous impacts.
We experience more natural catastrophes like heat waves, floods, droughts and the rise of the sea level. This is a serious threat for human lives and also on our resources and infrastructures, if we have to rebuild entire cities or even villages after the destruction of these horrific events.
As per Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) until the year 2100 an increase of the worldwide average temperature up to 4,8°C and the rising of the sea level up to 0,82 meter are to be expected. This might be the end of humankind.
We have to consider the environmental impact and the operating energy and costs from the cradle to the grave – from construction to demolition. Not only the construction emissions.
The following factors are included in the US study:
- Raw material acquisition
- Product manufacture and transportation
- Construction and fitting out
- Operation and maintenance
- Renovation and demolition
The pollution of our earth results in global warming. Our weather gets more and more extreme. The need for isolation and energy use for cooling and heating is also increasing as an effect of that.
We experience more natural catastrophes like heat waves, floods, droughts and the rise of the sea level.This is a threat to our resources and building structures, if we have to rebuilt entire villages after the destruction of these horrific events.
Health and comfort problems
Nowadays our buildings are cheap and a product for profit maximization. This results in poor quality materials and shorter life spans of buildings. The user and the environment are the injured parties and have to pay the price. The ecological problems we face today are a result of the insatiable building industry and its greed of profit. This is harmful on a global level. On a personal level the use of these poor quality materials has a huge impact on our health and well-being and often results in allergies and physical discomfort.
Nowadays our buildings are cheap and a product for profit maximization. This results in poor quality materials and shorter life spans of buildings. The user and the environment are the injured parties and have to pay the price. The ecological problems we face today are a result of the insatiable building industry and greed of profit.
After the industrialization the building industry was formed and the gap between the initial construction and the life cycle costs widened.
As we defined before there is a discrepancy between the construction and the life cycle of a building, this is also effecting the financial aspect. The Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is the true size of a building and should be considered as a whole. The construction cost is only a fraction of the LCC – and estimated at around 15%.
The assessment factors of the LCC are:
HARD FACTORS
- Construction cost
- Operating
- Energy
- Maintenance/Service
- Repair
- Renovation
- Demolition/Waste disposal
- Recycling
These are all hard figures that the consumer has to pay sooner or later.
Outlook without essential changes
If nothing changes the energy consumed by buildings worldwide could double or even triple by 2050.
If the construction system is continuing in this way there is only going to be more pollution and faster global warming. This results to more natural disasters and the loss of lives, resources and more inhabitable areas. The rise of global warming involves more cooling of poorly insulated buildings with synthetic materials. The consequences are more CO2 emissions. This is a downward facing spiral.
As a result this scenario could happen:
100 years from now, 2118, our grandchildren inhabit our world. A planet destroyed by environmental disasters, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, wars fought over freshwater. Our children’s children: sad, ill, hopeless… Our earth: facing death!
© Copyright Ron Strutt and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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We have to consider the environmental impact and the operating energy and costs from the cradle to the grave – from construction to demolition. Not only the construction emissions.
The following factors are included in the US study:
- Raw material acquisition
- Product manufacture and transportation
- Construction and fitting out
- Operation and maintenance
- Renovation and demolition
The pollution of our earth results in global warming. Our weather gets more and more extreme. The need for isolation and energy use for cooling and heating is also increasing as an effect of that.
We experience more natural catastrophes like heat waves, floods, droughts and the rise of the sea level.This is a threat to our resources and building structures, if we have to rebuilt entire villages after the destruction of these horrific events.
Health and comfort problems
Nowadays our buildings are cheap and a product for profit maximization. This results in poor quality materials and shorter life spans of buildings. The user and the environment are the injured parties and have to pay the price. The ecological problems we face today are a result of the insatiable building industry and its greed of profit. This is harmful on a global level. On a personal level the use of these poor quality materials has a huge impact on our health and well-being and often results in allergies and physical discomfort.
Nowadays our buildings are cheap and a product for profit maximization. This results in poor quality materials and shorter life spans of buildings. The user and the environment are the injured parties and have to pay the price. The ecological problems we face today are a result of the insatiable building industry and greed of profit.
After the industrialization the building industry was formed and the gap between the initial construction and the life cycle costs widened.
As we defined before there is a discrepancy between the construction and the life cycle of a building, this is also effecting the financial aspect. The Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is the true size of a building and should be considered as a whole. The construction cost is only a fraction of the LCC – and estimated at around 15%.
The assessment factors of the LCC are:
HARD FACTORS
- Construction cost
- Operating
- Energy
- Maintenance/Service
- Repair
- Renovation
- Demolition/Waste disposal
- Recycling
These are all hard figures that the consumer has to pay sooner or later.
Outlook without essential changes
If nothing changes the energy consumed by buildings worldwide could double or even triple by 2050.
If the construction system is continuing in this way there is only going to be more pollution and faster global warming. This results to more natural disasters and the loss of lives, resources and more inhabitable areas. The rise of global warming involves more cooling of poorly insulated buildings with synthetic materials. The consequences are more CO2 emissions. This is a downward facing spiral.
As a result this scenario could happen:
100 years from now, 2118, our grandchildren inhabit our world. A planet destroyed by environmental disasters, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, wars fought over freshwater. Our children’s children: sad, ill, hopeless… Our earth: facing death