Defining Sustainable Practices

Dorothy GerringAssociate Professor Architecture

Pennsylvania College of Technology

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”

-W. Edwards Deming

Sustainability:

The ability to meet our needs while preserving the ability of future generations

to meet their needs.

Where we live.

Earth from space:satellite DIRECTV 85:30pm ESTNovember 13, 2006Earth and Moon ViewerThe Living Earth®, NASA Johnson Space Center

The image above shows how our galaxy might look if viewed from one of our nearest-

neighbour galaxies. The approximate location of our solar system within the galaxy is also

shown. Of course, this isn't an actual picture of our galaxy, it is an image taken by the Anglo Australian Telescope of NGC2997, a nearby

galaxy with a similar structure to our own.

What is your ecological footprint?http://ecofoot.org/

Food Footprint1.How often do you eat animal based products? (beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products)

• 2.How much of the food that you eat is processed, packaged and imported?

Goods Footprint3.Compared to people in your neighborhood, how much waste do you generate?

Shelter Footprint4.How many people live in your household?

• 5.What is the size of your home?• 6.Which housing type best describes your home?• 7.Do you have electricity in your home?

Mobility Footprint8.On average, how far do you travel on public transportation each week (bus, train, subway or ferry)?

• 9.On average, how far do you go by motorbike each week (as a driver or passenger)?

• 10.On average, how far do you go by car each week (as a driver or passenger)?

• 11.Do you bicycle, walk, or use animal power to get around?• 12.Approximately how many hours do you spend flying each year?• 13.How many liters per 100 kilometers does your car consume?• 14.How often do you drive in a car with someone else, rather than alone?

6,605,603,126 world population302,358,512 U.S. population

as of July 16, 2007 2:25pm EST

• Economic development• Social equity • Environmental degradation

Earth and Moon ViewerThe Living Earth®, NASA Johnson Space Center

WWF Living Planet Report 2006

http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

Greenhouse Effect

= Global Warming

= Climate Change

(Vital Climate Graphics Africa)

It’s all about the carbon cycle: (click on Effects tab and then scroll down to bottom to “Earth’s Thermostat”)

How much carbon dioxide are you and your products contributing?

Change is hard!• People adopt new

technology when the level of crisis is greater than the perceived pain of adopting the technology

• 5 steps: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

• New technology takes about 30 years to be integrated into society

Pip Coburn: The Change Function 2006

Test

U.S. Building Impacts:

12%Water Use

30%GreenhouseGas Emissions

65%WasteOutput

70%ElectricityConsumption

Test

Average Savings of Green Buildings

ENERGYSAVINGS

30%

CARBONSAVINGS

35%

WATERUSE

SAVINGS30-50%

WASTECOST

SAVINGS50-90%

Source:Capital E

Building in USA: looking to 2035

• 275 billion square feet of existing stock now

• Will tear down 52 billion square feet

• Will build 150 billion square feet

3/4 of built environment will be new or renovated space by 2035

Edward Mazria: http://architecture2030.org/

Photo Pittsburg Convention Center: http://blogs.pulver.com/jarnold/archives/Image461.jpg

Life Cycle & Embodied energyhttp://www.usc.edu/dept/architecture/mbs/tools/sbma/evalmet.html

http://www.energybulletin.net/14143.html

Achieving high performance buildings1. Design Planning and Innovation (low tech)

• Project Team: includes everyone from start• Goal Setting: must have benchmarks• Integrated Design: building envelope

(insulative value), passive solar, daylighting, natural ventilation, landscaping, material selection (http://architecture2030.org/regional_solutions/insulation.html)

2. Adding Technology (high tech)• Active solar (photovoltaics, solar water

heating), wind, geothermal, biomass & biofuels, hydroelectric

Measurement Tools & Helpful Sites• LEED: Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design—8 building types;

certified project; www.usgbc.org

• NAHB: Model Green Home Building Guidelines; voluntary; claims membership builds 80% housing stock and ½ of those homes will incorporate green design by end of 2007; www.nahb.org

• GGGC: Governor's Green Government Council; information, downloads, videos; www.gggc.state.pa.us

• PATH: Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology; specific product and technology information for high efficiency and healthy homes; www.pathnet.org

• RMI: Rocky Mountain Institute; Amory Lovins (a founder of the sustainability movement) has tons of information about practically everything; www.rmi.org

• Environmental Building News: the “Consumer Reports” of materials specification and performance; requires a subscription to access most of the site information; really the only unbiased reports currently in the marketplace; http://www.buildinggreen.com/

Test

What is the LEED System?

LEADERSHIP inENERGY andENVIRONMENTALDESIGN

A leading-edge system for certifyingDESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, & OPERATIONSof the greenest buildings in the world

Scores are tallied for different aspects of efficiency and design in appropriate categories.

For instance, LEED assesses in detail:

1. Site Planning2. Water Management3. Energy Management4. Material Use5. Indoor Environmental Air Quality6. Innovation & Design Process

Test

Levels of NAHB Ratings

White

Green Buildings worldwide are certified with a voluntary,consensus-based rating system. USGBC has four levels of LEED.

Test

LEED for new construction buildings

Distributionby geography

1-1920-4950-99100-199200+

94

91111

69

125

2582

4028 14

8

134

186480

22

23

57

19

66

18

73

10222

11

19

12079

11936

52

74

95

173

17433105

61 2712

9 (DE) 38 (DC)

23 (DE)

24 (NH)

5 (OK)

4

68AK=10HI=16PR=1

as of 07/06

2030 Challenge: architecture2030.org • All new buildings, developments and major

renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting (greenhouse gas), energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type (targets).

• At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

• The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings shall be increased to:

– 60% in 201070% in 201580% in 202090% in 2025 Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).

• These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum) renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits.

Take Action!10 years to reduce C02 emissions to

maintain 1oC global warming

Building sector contributes majority of GHG and uses most energy

Opportunity for HUGE positive impact by building green