Shame
It is popular at the moment, to speak of shame, like for example flight shame. All that CO2 and so on, and yes, that is a consequence and we will have to bear the consequences. It is then misused to… Continue Reading
politics
Jaime Lerner – Curitiba
Just recently, in May, Jaime Lerner passed away. He more or less invented sustainable urban development. A little tribute. Everything has to be sustainable or circular these days, including the cities. Now, is there a city that has already applied… Continue Reading
Corona, the built environment, & The Species vs the Individual
The Species vs the Individual, in the Built Environment? The Corona lockdown and approach continues to surprise: both in what the government does and how people deal with it. What is particularly striking in this phase of Corona is the… Continue Reading
On books: Tip 1: don’t buy Bill Gates’ book.
We are bombarded with books that know how to deal with climate and the environment, and especially how we can improve the situation. And yes, I am also participating in that, since last week I published a new book that… Continue Reading
2020-2040: What goes up, must come down…
Last year I wrote about a publication from 20 years ago, in which prominent figures looked 20 years ahead. [1] The result was not that good, the future is always more different as expected. However, a number of reactions wondered… Continue Reading
Solar panels are not the solution…
Before we hurry covering everything with solar panels, let’s reason a bit further, because since my first experiences with renewable energy, many new insights have emerged. Those first experiences I had when building a “Bicycle wheel windmill”, as described in… Continue Reading
How to distribute the remaining Carbon budget ?
A few years ago, together with colleagues Guillaume Habert from Switzerland and Thomas Lützkendorf from Germany, I started exploring the CO2 budget that was still available, and the consequences for construction. This budget of maximum remaining CO2 emissions to stay… Continue Reading
Throwing money around….
I can’t resist putting some thoughts about ‘money’ on paper again. I am not an expert in this field, but is anybody really? Like many others, I follow the discussions about throwing money around during and after corona. And of… Continue Reading
A Cuban style ‘Special Period’, now for the capitalist world?
Or: is this the 1,5 degree economy? As the walls fell, back in 1989, the world was in turmoil, and the perspective on a lot of things changed. Not the least the (declining) fear for a nuclear war of course.… Continue Reading
Avoiding CO2 lock-down: learning from corona
(this text was send as an open letter to the installations industry , media and policymakers, on 26 March 2020) What is happening around the corona virus today, is understandable and needed, health is paramount. Let that be clear. But… Continue Reading