CONSCIOUS HOMES

As conscious people we all know that everything we do makes a difference to the world around us. This is particularly so when we change the built environment. In the developed world our buildings, services and infrastructure are resource hungry organisms that seem to have an insatiable appetite. The problems that our built environment creates for the natural environment are the result of resource harvesting and waste production in all its forms; solid, liquid and gases.

To make a positive difference to the planet by the way we build is a huge challenge. Turning the resource hungry tanker of the developed world’s building industry takes time. It is difficult to predict whether the damage we have already caused has gone past the threshold of sustainability for the ecosystems on the planet because the effect can take fifty years to be measurable. However most intelligent people agree that we are now seeing the measurable effect of the damage we have caused as a species.

While there are no simple solutions, every choice we make every day can make a positive difference. Really we need strong leadership from Government, industry and big business to make the biggest difference. Environmentally sustainable policy, legislation and pricing will shift human behaviour on mass very quickly.

Clearly we would like a planet that our children and our children’s children can live on, in terms of habitability for humans and in terms of equitable distribution of resources to everyone on the planet.
For years Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) was an idea that people liked the sound of, but when it came to the crunch, very few would put their money where their mouth is. Right now many clients are asking for the real deal and realise ESD building and infrastructure is worth investing in. An ESD home is not about sacrifice but rather about exceptional levels of building occupant comfort, savings in ongoing running and maintenance costs and a user friendly interface with modern fittings and appliances. ESD homes are a pleasure to live in. To avoid the tokenism of adding a small water tank or some solar panels to an overly large, resource and energy hungry home, we need to work to a set of priorities.

Living Now in an ESD Conscious Home

Do what you can right now to make your existing home more environmentally sustainable. If you are one of the privileged few who has the opportunity to build a new home, don’t blow the opportunity. Whatever your circumstances pick one thing that will make the biggest difference to your home’s environmental footprint and act now.