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Publications : SEPA View : 30 : HTML Version
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FOREWORD
The theme of this issue – sustainable housing – will be very close to the heart of anyone embarking on the task of building a sustainable dwelling. There are huge challenges involved but significant benefits too. My own house, when it is finished, will use only a quarter of the energy of a conventional house, so although the build costs are higher (perhaps 10% more) we will more than recoup the difference via the huge savings we will make on our energy bills.
The sustainability of new buildings in Scotland is being encouraged by the Scottish Executive, whose policy is to continue to embed the principles of sustainable development in building regulations, planning policy, and procurement guidance, and further improvements should be achieved through forthcoming changes to regulations, policy, and guidance.
On the following pages you can read about a whole range of different examples of what ‘sustainable building’ can encompass, from green roofs to greenhouses made from plastic bottles, to houses made of straw (but which – big bad wolves please note - will withstand the strongest of huffs and puffs!).
Commissioning a major project like building a house can be a large, complex and stressful experience where getting robust professional advice is at a premium. But it is possible to build more sustainably without being 'a hairshirt purist' or without having to build a whole new house! Small steps can and do make a difference.
This issue of SEPA View features, therefore, some excellent advice on how simple and rewarding (financially and personally) being sustainable can be. Our new, regular ‘Changing Lifestyles’ feature will set out hints and tips to help you save money and the environment. This time we look at ‘living without standby’. There is also a page full of advice on dealing with DIY waste and an article that provides ideas on the most sociable ways of ‘recycling’ books you have finished reading. You will also enjoy hearing from Sarah Beeny, presenter of Channel 4’s Property Ladder about her commitment to the environment.
Scotland’s Sustainable Development Strategy highlights the need for action to face up to the threat of unsustainable development. Making sustainable choices in our own lives is one of the most significant contributions we can make as individuals to that global challenge. The scale of the problem can seem very daunting, but this issue of SEPA View aims to put that in a much more local perspective, and to show that we can all make a difference.
Campbell Gemmell
Chief Executive
A full contents list for this HTML version is available via the navigation bar to the left. Alternatively, you can download the pdf version here
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