Sustainability - the global question
Buildings contribute 40 percent of the total greenhouse gases. The combination of economic development and urbanization has increased pressure on the already strained ecosystem. Any civilization that intends to survive into the later years of this century must start looking into alternate energy and reduced carbon foot prints. A positive environment that eliminates risk is the call for the day. Responsible practices are called for, since the solutions cannot be merely formulated on models of law, rather it should be more voluntary and recommendatory in nature. Obvious benefits of remodeling on those lines should be offered in full view. It is pertinent to note here that though the problem is global, the way ahead lies mainly in local Initiatives.
All this time, the West was spending resources so that poverty could be alleviated and industrialization achieved. This was what I would call the first stage resource allocation. When this stage was attained what remained as an elusive by product was stagnant pollution. Now further expenditure and resource allocation had to be expended to reduce this pollution in what I derive as the second stage resource allocation. This two or multi stage allocation of resources was proving to be far too costly, and hence not sustainable. The method itself was defeating the end. Armed with this knowledge and information, thoughts, especially in the developing worlds, now turned into achieving a single level allocation of resources, straight from poverty onto pollution free development by a single stage sustainable allocation of resources. This is the power that the East now held over the West, the distinct advantage.
A flourishing environment, a prosperous economy and a vibrant and just society are some of the desired pillars in an ‘Environmental-Economical-Social’ overlap. The ‘Bearable–Equitable – Viable’ overlaps of these pillars would merge into a sustainable mosaic. A flourishing environment with a healthy ecosystem and supportive built environment would overlap that of a prosperous economy that had a reduced impact of disease and injury, increased emergency preparedness and response all having a reduced impact on the enviro-system. This overlap would result in a ‘healthy environment’. A prosperous economy would overlap with a vibrant and just society that had supportive social networks with strong cultural values coupled with sound education and high literacy to form a ‘strong public capacity’. The just society would merge with a flourishing environment to create ‘a better quality of life’. All this would result in a desired array of a healthier and more sustainable global community.
Sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The principles of human well-being, participatory approaches, a long-term perspective, integrative decision-making, prevention and precaution, and equity are important aspects to be considered while establishing these developmental requirements and Norms. We cannot borrow anymore from the future, as we are already guilty of that deed. Human greed, though it continues to exist today, has already committed enough harm, while never attempting to address those important aspects. Human well being and participatory approach has always revolved around the individual. Long term perspectives and integrative decision making has always been a veil for short term immediate requirements, resulting in isolated decisions. Prevention, precaution and equity have only been resultant in unnecessary plundering of the public exchequer. We now have to rise above all that, or face isolation and disaster. I am not prophesying impending doom, but that is the reality of the future, unless we rein in now.
My role and training as a designer of physical environments allow me to focus my thoughts more on the built environment. That is not to say that the fiscal environment is taking a back seat. Only a proper amalgamation of the physical and fiscal while adsorbing the metaphysical can result in anything forward in the proper direction. Designing ‘environmentally correct’ buildings aims at minimizing the total environmental impact associated with all life-cycle stages of the building, as opposed to single life cycles. Apart from the outdoors, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) identifies the comfort, well-being and the productivity of the occupants. All would be lost without achieving anything below this.
The new age guide lines may be bundled under the role of policies with the rules of design, construction techniques, and materials being the catalysts in this change. The speed and extent of this transition into green buildings will depend largely on logistical constraints, willingness to change, and available investment capital. Capital, at least in the developing world, is in plenty. Logical constraints are there for all to see, all one has to do is open one’s eye to the same. Willingness to change, sometimes at immediate cost to ourselves, is however, the omnipotent barrier, where we refuse to foresee the future. Let us, at the least, attempt this for our children, the future, to whom the world actually belongs.
Today, we cannot restrict ourselves to merely individual buildings. The percentage of urban dwellers is fast crossing the 50% mark. Care has to be taken to not only address the individual stake holder, but the community, nations, and the world as a whole. Poisonous gases know no national boundaries, and hence do not require ‘Visas’ to cross over. Anyway, somebody once remarked that geographical boundaries are nothing but a resultant of a political decision taken at some point of time, to be revised yet again, and again. The recent volcanic eruption in Ice land which disrupted most of northern Europe with ash is a perfect demonstration of this theorem. The unfortunate happenings in Japan also point this out. Of course, we are still in the nascent years of discussing visa free boundaries for humans, due to many reasons, human greed playing a major part in attempting not to go forward towards actual global citizenship. Let us at least attempt to be part of a global environmental citizenship. That is truly the only path open to us at the present.
Sustainable design approach integrates the building life cycle with each green practice employed with a design-purpose to create a synergy amongst practices used. We should define our core competency as delivering high-performance solutions that increase energy efficiency, durability and speed of construction, while minimizing environmental impact.
Adopt Single Level Resource Allocation to upgrade from ‘Developing’ to ‘Sustainably Developed’, emphasize on ‘Urban Context’ as opposed to ‘Individual Building Context’, concentrate on de – urbanization: and energy load reduction. Aim for availability of resources and reducing, re-using or recycling (3R's) of wastes through their safe, efficient and scientific management, and we could well be on to a different and sustainable world, rendered fit for our future generations to live on.
author - Mohandas Kalipurayath, B.Arch, FIIA
