We are wrong about plastics (and renewables)

Excellent FT article this weekend in their magazine. Plastic is bad, right?

“societies without sophisticated packaging lose half their food before it reaches consumers. In the UK, waste in our supply chains is about 3 per cent. In India, it is more than 50 per cent. The difference comes later: we throw out 30 per cent of the food we buy – an environmental cost in terms of emissions equivalent to a fifth of the cars on our roads.”

Mmmm not so simple when you look at things now?

Reminds me of clients who only want wind turbines and photovoltaics – being visibly green is more important than being green.

About the FT article – there was a nice graph; not on the linked article :-( that said wine was one of the worst offenders for packaging. Being a drinker i don’t mind lsoing corked bottles but losing glass seems a step too far….

addenda – <better uk link> check out the graph especially.

addenda – <the packaging presentation> from the article.

Tom

Things i’ve learnt this week – end April 2008

One day i will the del.ico.us thing (but i have to understand the plug in thingy).

Bottom feeding – Alice, a rather delightful architect, comments on how most architects are ignored by RIBA. I worked for a starchitect and RIBA really is their friend. RIBA think, in their dark bowels, that the future of architecture is with larger practices. This leaves most architects who aim to get good in large practices and then start their own one man bands very much alone. I hope the little man stops paying their subs…..its the only way to change.

A bit old but RMJM Hillier is a having a laugh. RH are saying that there are not enough architects out there……Reality check – They are a starchitect and they need their slaves to do the work winning. Sorry the slaves are asking for decent salaries and now they need more. This reminds me of the housing bubble – suddenly everyone doesn’t want to architecture (rejoice!)

My first EPC

I just did my first EPC. Feel slightly dirty.

The thing about EPC’s is that you have to survey the building (easy), measure the geometry (any moron who doesn’t employ a surveyor with 3D measuring equipment is a cretin) and understand the services strategy.

Then bish bash bosh plug it into SBEM and out comes a EPC. Easy….well yes. Oh here’s the bill for £5K. I want to do some private work :-)

Commenting on blog posts is one way to get noticed

Mel Starrs has outed me. It is a nom de plume. Guilty as charged. Nice to be called young. Mel – you’re fab too (returning the compliment and showing Thomas is not young).

Why Thomas? well its in a fab book which including services history. Did the first textbook of services (i think?) Principles of Warming and Ventilating Public Buildings.

Assessment in general

 

You’ve got your Ecohomes Code for sustainable homes, BREEAM, CEQUAAL, DEA, EA and other hangers on…

Why is assessment so sexy. Is it like quality was in the 80’s?

Well yes. Another way we can assess someone’s design skills. I think it all came when clients (from the 70’s) realised just how greedy and crap most designers are. I mean we are just bottom feeders of the worst sort. I’ve worked for the best architects in the world and some commercial engineers – the main thing is always money money money. Design is purely functional and window dressed so the client feels happy.

Having said all this clients are worse.

EPC dates

 

6th April is here. Tomorrow all buildings will need EPC’s. Well only really big ones. 10,000 m².

Current word on the street is that EPC’s will cost clients £5000 per building. We’ll be using our junior of junior engineers and surveyors while our senior (who are a bitch to keep) engineers will get the training. So they feel good.

Why can’t everything be done by a junior engineer….Then we’d make £4000 profit not just £2500.

Tom