Tag Archives: 0-carbon

Greener home can be healthier too, says Hemingway

Published by Chicago Tribune
By Leslie Mann, Special to Tribune Newspapers on October 12, 2010
 
Whether we live in Hollywood, Calif., or Hollywood, Fla., we all want the same thing — health, says actress and author Mariel Hemingway.

The granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway found fame in the early ’80s for her movie roles. But in the past few years, she’s become well known as an advocate for healthy, green living. Currently, she’s working with the non-profit organization Healthy Child Healthy World and eco-friendly countertop-maker Cambria to promote healthy choices in the home. Our lifestyle decisions, she says, do not always contribute to good health. “We say we want faster and easier lives, but the result is slower and sadder because of foods and products we use.”

Health-focused home …


This is an interesting how things are changing.

Not so long time ago most of us wouldn’t even had a single thought about ‘green’ home to live in and now the health side of living in an eco house becomes important. I hope for it to turn into standard because it will benefit us all. I’m a strong evangelist of building eco-friendly, healthy, self-sustainable with 0-carbon footprint houses.

My wish is for every person living on the planet to have an eco-friendly house but being more realistic – lets have them everywhere where someone can benefit from having one. At the time of writing, my first port of call is the UK 🙂


Carbon Neutral Plans for the UK

By Sustainable Build.co.uk

In his 2006 pre-Budget speech the Chancellor at the time, Gordon Brown mentioned his wish to see Carbon Neutral homes being built throughout the UK, and this year, Communities Minister Ruth Kelly fleshed this wish out with solid Governmental plans. These include tightening local planning and building regulations, to emphasize the preference for Carbon Neutral initiatives, and the introduction of a star rating scheme, similar to the way washing machines, dishwashers and fridges are now labeled for energy efficiency, that will show each property’s energy values in a clear and easy manner to potential purchasers. This will be called the Energy Performance Certification Scheme. Also, exempting carbon neutral homes from stamp duty is planned as a financial incentive for developers.

Furthermore, all newly-built houses will have to be operating as carbon neutral by 2016. The Government plans, still at this stage a document for public consultation, not yet a proposed bill or legislation, are called ‘Building a greener future: Towards Zero Carbon Development’. …

Read more here

My intention is manufacture eco-themal blocks from sawdust and cement which allow for single, fully insulated wall. Those give performance satisfying the requirement for 2016 0-carbon level. Of course, other applications will need to embedded for this but you can save a lot on basic building costs.

No cavity wall (less material); much faster build time (lower labor cost); wall ‘can breath’ (no problem with moist in the house); it keeps warm in the winter and cool in the summer – nice and healthy living, like in a log house 🙂