Following on from our recent blog
regarding air pollution (see MVHR & air filtration blog) in UK towns and cities I wish to expand upon this further after reading various articles about pollution in other countries around
the world and in particular, China. It would
seem that China is slowly waking up to the fact that its rapid
industrialisation, which has relied on burning coal, is having a very noticeable
and damaging affect within its local environment. Recent soil studies have found that almost one
fifth of China's soils are now contaminated with toxins from industrial and
farming processes, and, in addition to this air quality in towns and cities is starting
to become a major concern and in some cities it is at crisis level.
In this BBC news article you will see images of Chinese citizens queuing at a bus stop all wearing pollution masks and the video clearly shows the level of pollution and smog against the sky scraper sky line.
‘The air quality is so
bad it's comparable to living near a forest fire’
At two of our Passivhaus schemes
Knights Place and Rowan House we installed CO2 sensors to monitor air quality
in the flats. Some of the results of
this can be found here Passivhaus monitoring blog.
CO2 sensors were used as CO2
build up is considered an indicator of poor air change rate and poor air
quality. If CO2 levels increase it shows
that windows are not being opened sufficiently or ventilation systems are not
effective enough to replenish spaces with fresh air. A
build up of CO2 can also provide an indication that there is likely to be a build
up of other toxins within the space. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from modern
furnishings and appliances made of plastics and un-natural materials held
together by glues, chemicals used in the home for cleaning, chemicals from
paints and decorated finishes, nitrous oxides from cooking, dust particles, and
odours can all build up in the home and even more so in modern air tight
dwellings resulting in unhealthy spaces for us to live in. It is no coincidence that modern illnesses
such as respiratory problems, depression, conditions such as chronic fatigue
(ME), and lack of concentration are becoming more prevalent with the modern
lifestyle which is largely spent indoors in these toxic environments.
Its an interesting observation
therefore that CO2 levels being an indicator of indoor air quality can also to
some extent be an indicator of air quality in the external atmosphere. Towns and cities typically have higher CO2
levels than the countryside. Its is
currently understood by the international scientific community that increasing CO2
levels in the atmosphere are resulting in climate change around the world. In the background to this are many climate
change denial groups who do not believe the evidence as it is presented or are
deliberately pushing forward agendas financed by interested organisations. Regardless of what is thought, there is no
denying the fact based on this evidence that the burning of fossils fuels is polluting the air that we
breathe. The more we also contaminate
the natural environment such as the soil and plants which help filter the air
and the more we also remove this natural filtration system by deforestation the
more polluted the air will become. The
very obvious problem in China and recent air pollution in the UK is simply
highlighting the state the natural environment is currently in.
This is not something that is
likely to happen in the future, it is something that is happening right now and
does not need science to state its case as it is very evident by the people
living in these cities. In the words of
Bob Dylan:
"You don't need a weatherman to
know which way the wind blows"
Indeed, you do not need a
weatherman or expert to tell you which way it will be blowing either unless
there is a more concerted effort to cleaner ways of generating energy and reducing
the reliance on chemicals in homes and making them safer and healthier places
to live in.
Where outside international
pressure on China to reduce its CO2 emissions and reduce coal burning has not
had the desired effect it would seem that pressure from its own citizens to
live in healthier environments will likely be more effective.
This is the reason why we put health
and comfort at the forefront of our design principles. For sure buildings can be designed to look
amazing and win architectural awards which we do, but if its simply not a
comfortable and healthy place to be in then what is its point? Buildings are designed for people to use
and be in.
We have a particular passion here
at G&S to ensure good quality architecture goes hand in hand with healthy
building design using natural materials and at the same time has minimum impact
on its local environment. This drive to
design in this way has helped us to recently become the first Building Biology
Consultancy in the UK to be officially accredited by the Institute for Building
Biology and Ecology (IBN) in Germany.
See our Building Biology blog on this.
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