There are at least five six new-build developments near where I live comprising hundreds of homes. Every house is hooked up to fossil gas; not one has solar or a heat pump; every one has a black tile roof that absorbs heat, pumping it into the house.
They were almost banned in NSW! And then the conservative faction of the Labor party took over and canned the idea. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Incredible.
Builders are mostly conservatives who don’t give a fuck about anything except money & power. All conservatives must be forced into decency with laws, building codes, severe penalties. As we all know, from big tobacco to fossil fuels, conservatives can’t be trusted on any level, corp or political.
Even before the June heatwave in UK, land surface temperatures (LST) in some urban centres were already reading above 40C. This is data from Landsat 8/9 via ESRI Landsat Explorer portal livingatlas.arcgis.com/landsatexplo...
*presumably I meant to write "five or six". I didn't need "at least".
In an industry with very little innovation, we’re building housing from the last century. One of the consequences of removing state involvement in housing development is that we’re stuck with a monolithic and antiquated delivery model.
This might be of interest to you and other readers of the thread - some light at the end of the tunnel? www.ucd.ie/c-newtral/ab...
I know a young family who very recently moved into a new-build detached on a large development near Oxford. It's unbearably hot. South-facing floor to ceiling patio windows. No blinds or reflective glass. It's infuriating.
And yet it is so easy to do this the good climate friendly way that also saves residents money, not only in the immediate short term but over the long term. @michaelburchert.bsky.social
Just some example of building better from the last weekend. A mix of very affordable straw, timber, cellulose, multi family housing with PV and shared spaces. Note the climate adaptation, through wall assembly, greenery and window shutters.
That’s insane!