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“What humans do over the next 50 years will determine the fate of all life on the planet.” (David Attenborough) – as quoted in The Clean Energy Age.
As we noted in an October Tip of the Week, one of the best books we’ve come across for ideas on how to combat the climate crisis is The Clean Energy Age: A Guide to Beating Climate Change, by BF Nagy (Rowman and Littlefield, publishers, 2018).
Nagy has researched diligently, and convincingly makes the argument that we already have what we need to make the transition to a more sustainable way of living. The only missing element is the required will — and determination — to make the changes that are needed.
He begins his book with a chapter of “Top 10 Lists” — suggestions for people in all walks of life, from homeowners to politicians, from developers to store clerks, of things that each of them can do to quicken the pace of the changes required.
This column, with thanks again to Nagy for his work, will focus on his top 10 list for engineers, architects and tradespeople.
We have noted in other Tips of the Week that homeowners can make a real difference in their consumption of energy — and their emissions — by retro-fitting their houses and using new technology.
Developers and builders, we have also noted, are daily at work in our city building new housing and they can produce housing that, from its first build, is efficient in energy use.
But both homeowners and builders depend on another important group of people in our community — the architects that design buildings, the engineers that ensure their structural integrity, and the tradespeople that actually do the work of building.
Here are Nagy’s Climate Change Priority Action Steps for engineers, architects and tradespeople:
- Phase yourself out of working on fossil fuel-based projects.
- Push for clean building tech financial help and incentives.
- Push governments toward renewable power generation.
- Help green the building code.
- Think bigger about energy.
- Trumpet your green technology successes.
- Promote green transportation.
- Modernize the plumbing.
- Innovate.
- Read Jane Jacobs.
Nagy goes into more detail in his book about how each of these steps will contribute to creating a better, more sustainable community. We would urge area architects, engineers and tradespeople to learn more about how they can help fight climate change by building better.
All of us have roles to play—and those who are designing and building our homes and commercial buildings can not only change the way we live but also urge governments at all levels to move forward to make the improvements we need to create sustainable, energy-efficient, emission-free buildings.
As our earlier Nagy-inspired Tip noted, our buildings are responsible for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. Here is where significant solutions to climate change can be realized.
Nagy’s book can be purchased at Manticore Books in downtown Orillia. If one’s not in stock, they’ll order one in. Drop in today.
