"We have built our world for a climate that no longer exists," writes...

CNN Climate 2 years ago

"We have built our world for a climate that no longer exists," writes journalist and author Jeff Goodell for CNN Opinion. "Earlier this week, the Third Avenue Bridge in Manhattan had to be shut down because the bridge – which pivots to allow ships to pass – wouldn't close correctly. Why? Because it was so hot in New York City that day the metal in the bridge swelled, and the closing mechanism wouldn't work. "Consider Houston, the throne of Big Oil, where the electric grid has the same hub-and-spoke basic architecture as it did 100 years ago. This week, Hurricane Beryl knocked out power to more than 2 million homes. Yes, hurricanes are devastating. But less than two months earlier, a sudden windstorm in the city blacked out electricity for more than a million people. "Or consider the wildfires in California earlier this month. They occurred during a heatwave that broke many all-time temperature records in the West, including an astonishing 122 degrees Fahrenheit in Palm Springs. "Once you start to look, danger signs of Old World infrastructure are everywhere." Read the full piece by Goodell at the link in our bio. 📷: Wildfire flames engulf a home in Oroville, California, on July 2.

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 9 hours ago



Wildfires destroying homes in the Midlands and Shropshire crews moving between fire and flood show why sustainable construction must now treat climate resilience as a core design requirement. Sustainable building design, low carbon design and eco-design for buildings need to account for overheating, fire risk, drainage capacity, defensible space and durable fabric performance.

Whole life carbon, embodied carbon and life cycle cost are becoming inseparable from safety, insurability and asset value, making whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment essential tools for developers, councils and investors.

Karachi’s mangrove loss reinforces the construction value of green infrastructure and nature-based flood protection. Tidal creeks, mangrove belts and resilient coastal landscapes can reduce erosion, store carbon and protect communities, supporting environmental sustainability in construction without relying solely on hard engineering. For sustainable urban development, green construction and eco-friendly construction must prioritise site planning, biodiversity and building lifecycle performance alongside energy-efficient buildings and net zero carbon buildings.

Plans for a wind-turbine recycling facility in the Scottish Highlands point to a more mature circular economy in construction. Renewable infrastructure must address end-of-life reuse in construction, resource efficiency in construction and the embodied carbon in materials, especially composite blades and complex low carbon construction materials. The shift supports circular construction strategies, low embodied carbon materials and net zero whole life carbon targets, aligning with BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and wider expectations for environmental product declarations (EPDs). The strongest signal for decarbonising the built environment is clear: sustainable building practices must measure the carbon footprint of construction across design, use, maintenance and decommissioning.

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