| As civil servants
and world leaders meet in The Hague to tackle global warming, BioRegional
Development Group is already working on practical solutions which
reduce or eliminate extra carbon dioxide emissions without compromising
on modern day comforts.
Examples include the Beddington
Zero Energy Development (BedZED) and the BioRegional Charcoal Company.
BioRegional’s director, Pooran Desai, said:
“There are technological
and logistical solutions available now. Governments must stop supporting
environmentally unfriendly practices. For example we should only
give planning permission for new housing developments which are
energy efficient or carbon-neutral.
At BioRegional we are showing
that we can have carbon-neutral lifestyles fit for the 21st century,
rather than going back to the stone age.”
· BedZED is a “carbon
neutral” eco-village being built in south London as a Peabody
Trust/ BioRegional development, and incorporates practical concepts
developed by BioRegional for reducing energy consumption and promoting
sustainable living. Living at the eco-village will make no contribution
to global warming whatsoever, at no extra cost.
This is achieved through a totally
energy-efficient design, from architect Bill Dunster, resulting
in only 10% of the heat demand of a conventional home, combined
with local renewable sources of energy.
The development, which will include
82 homes plus work units, will be ready for first occupants in mid-2001.
It will be the largest carbon neutral development in the UK and
it is hoped that the design and construction techniques of BedZED
can be incorporated into other housing developments. Using the concepts
applied at BedZED is an excellent way of tackling the issues associated
with global warming, as one third of all the UK’s carbon dioxide
emissions come from heating and providing power for homes and offices.
·The BioRegional
Charcoal Company is a successful scheme for nationwide local delivery
and cuts the carbon dioxide emissions of transport by 85% compared
to imports. The scheme co-ordinates local deliveries from a network
of producers across the UK - saving two forests in one by delivering
charcoal locally from sustainably managed UK woodlands instead of
endangered tropical habitats.
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