Mitigate Climate Change with Economic, Cost effective, Sustainable Solutions Two thirds of our energy consumption which directly correlates to CO2, and climate change is a direct result of the built environment that the construction industry is responsible for. Vermeulen’s takes these economic design elements apart, examines them, identifies optimal pieces, and places these pieces in optimal relationships. Some of these relations and configurations are surprising; many are elegant in their simplicity, most appeal to us because we realize that success and sustainable prosperity are within our reach. These proactive economically viable sustainable solutions can reduce the effects of climate change, and increase our standard of living. 60% of Americans and 97% of scientists believe Climate change risk is one of the critical issue of our time. “Instead of being reactive to climate change, we can be proactive by mitigating the climate change risk at its source.” ~ Peter Lucking, Editor of Green at No Cost. Vermeulen’s book offers an in-depth look at practical planning and design strategies that provide substantial cost savings for city planners, developers, architects, designers, and policy makers based on quantifiable cost savings. From Mobility to Intensification, Green Taxes to Energy Conservation, and Retrofitting Suburbia, the book establishes a framework for achieving economic and environmental balance for a sustainable future. The Save-Save Relationship Climate change threatens our economy. So why are we not taking action? For decades, we have told ourselves depleting our resources was necessary in order to increase our standard of living, Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology. The main obstacle to protecting our environment and climate change initiatives has been the higher the costs of being ‘Green.’ This book demonstrates that these constraints are myths and rationalizations. The Prosperity Four: Choice, Access, Mobility, and Space When we start a building design, our clients prescribe their mission, vision, and values for their project. Once we have the guiding principles, our design teams have a metric they can engineer their solutions to, and fulfill their obligations. Time is Money is Energy Everyone accepts the business maxim that Time is Money. (Oh well, if you are an economist you have to start somewhere.) This means that if time is not leisure time, then it is measured in efficiency terms. What may be new to our thinking is that Money is Energy. The BARRIERS explores what is preventing us from achieving economic and environmental balance for a sustainable future. SAVE-SAVE IN ACTION applies the Prosperity four: choice, access, mobility and space using the equation, time = money = energy. From lower infrastructure cost to faster transportation systems that utilize 21st century technology, we can improve our daily lives. GREEN AT NO COST outlines how we can improve land use by 15%, save 60% on energy consumption in buildings whilst reducing transportation energy costs by 60%. The Parkway City introduces an interconnecting network of green spaces that conserve natural ecosystems and provide green infrastructure for transportation, recreation and the built environment. “Green at No Cost: Economic and Cost Control Strategies that Create No Cost Sustainability,” can help reduce the effects of climate change whilst increase our standard of living by over 50%, turning environmental degradation into environmental improvement. You will be surprised at how simple it is to achieve an economic and environmental balance for a sustainable future.
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