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Norway is Entering a New Era of Climate-Conscious Architecture (theatlantic.com)
The European Union has a target of making all new buildings zero-energy by 2020, but in Norway, carbon neutrality isn't enough. From a report: A consortium in Oslo made up of architects, engineers, environmentalists, and designers is creating energy-positive buildings in a country with some of the coldest and darkest winters on Earth. "If you can make it in Norway, you can make it anywhere," says Peter Bernhard, a consultant with Asplan Viak, one of the Powerhouse alliance members.
Bernhard says Powerhouse began in 2010 with a question: Is it possible to not only eliminate the carbon footprint of buildings, but to also use them as a climate-crisis solution? It was a lofty goal. According to the European Commission, buildings account for 40 percent of energy usage and 36 percent of carbon-dioxide emissions in the EU. But after undertaking several energy-positive projects -- building a new Montessori school, retrofitting four small office buildings, building a few homes, and breaking ground on two new office buildings -- Powerhouse has found the answer to the 2010 question to be an emphatic "Yes." In 2019, the collective's biggest project to date will open to the public: Powerhouse Brattorkaia, in the central Norwegian city of Trondheim.
Bernhard says Powerhouse began in 2010 with a question: Is it possible to not only eliminate the carbon footprint of buildings, but to also use them as a climate-crisis solution? It was a lofty goal. According to the European Commission, buildings account for 40 percent of energy usage and 36 percent of carbon-dioxide emissions in the EU. But after undertaking several energy-positive projects -- building a new Montessori school, retrofitting four small office buildings, building a few homes, and breaking ground on two new office buildings -- Powerhouse has found the answer to the 2010 question to be an emphatic "Yes." In 2019, the collective's biggest project to date will open to the public: Powerhouse Brattorkaia, in the central Norwegian city of Trondheim.
It's news for nerds. Science has revealed that we have a planetary-scale crisis on our hands, and the only way to save Earth is to make scientific and technological breakthroughs while evading the dumb bullies trying to stop us, it doesn't get a whole lot nerdier than that!
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Oh well I can certainly see how such a trivial issue as the Earth, being the only planet we can currently live on for the foreseeable future, continuing to be habitable wouldn't interest anyone. What's that compared to talking about yet more toys, playing with computers, screwing around with video games, and some science fantasy movie or other? We should just forget all about this silly survival-as-a-species nonsense, that's for the next generation to worry about, who cares if they survive so long as we can play all the time until we drop dead? Live for today! You're more important than everyone else on the planet, past present or future! Some girl might actually let your touch her boobies, what's more important than that! #MAGA! :-(
The climate doesn't have to be static but we do have to keep it in a range that works well with our established civilization, so in the far future it may indeed be necessary to geoengineer our way out of natural climate change. There's nothing wrong with that and it's not counterproductive to solve our current problems because of it.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
The dire global warnings cause most people with a memory to roll their eyes now.
https://www.wnd.com/2018/12/de...
It's possible and probably helpful to ourselves and the planet to make the world cleaner - I mean who doesn't want to be clean? But tying it end to end of the world warnings is just exhausting. And the more exhausted people are, the less they have energy to care.
we do have to keep it in a range that works well with our established civilization
See, you're doing it wrong. We keep civilization in a range that works well with the climate. You dream about affecting the entire globe's climate good luck to you. I'm sure the planet has a few surprises in store for you no matter how smart you think you are.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.