In many discussions, we talk about global warming, climate change and green recovery.  We all don’t want to have any disasters to our globe and need green recovery to our environment and society.  However, let’s play some devil's advocate on green recovery.

 

Some said that comparing buildings to trees, trees may last longer than buildings.  That might be true.  However, trees can be relocated through a tree balling or earth balling process which is a process of moving a tree by digging out the earth and the roots in a circular shape leaving most of the root system undisturbed and intact <1>.

 

Some also present about Construction 3D Printing (c3Dp) or 3D construction Printing (3DCP) which use 3D printing as a core method to fabricate buildings or construction components. Alternative terms for this process include "additive construction.", "3D Concrete" refers to concrete extrusion technologies whereas Autonomous Robotic Construction System (ARCS), large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM), or freeform construction (FC) refer to other sub-groups.

 

However, this Construction 3D Printing are mainly used for the construction of detached houses, semi-detached houses, townhouses and some small apartments like in Germany.  In the case of multi-storey apartments for social housing which would be for higher density higher land use efficiency, this technology is not yet an answer.

 

People need to stay in a vertical city.  Low-rise residence is not an answer for us.  For example in a hectare of land, if the floor area ratio between construction area and land area is only 4:1 and the net useable area is 60%, we can build 600 units where each has an area of 40 sq.metres.  The more density environment might be perceived as a source of global warming.  However, with the intensive land use pattern, infrastructure needs not to expand to the fringe areas.  Hence, green areas, agricultural areas or forests will not be destroyed.

 

Japanese quality houses which can resist tsunami and are environmentally friendly. However, they cost five times higher than conventional houses.  Normally a big tsunami may come every 30-50 years. Are these high quality houses with high concern to environment cost effective?

 

In many European countries, they tried not to use coal as a source of energy.  However, now in Western Europe, many countries cannot get gas easily from Russia.  Therefore, the termination date of using coal has to be postponed. Actually gas produced Methane or Carbon Tetrahydride gas 21 times higher than coal.

 

Those jargons or fashionable words like these abbreviations, namely, CSR, SDG and ESG might be some vocabularies that we often mention as a stylist decoration.  Within the last two decades, a hit word is CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).  Then we heard about SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) and Agenda 2030. Recently, new words was ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Criteria.

 

Green buildings are more valuable because they are market niche.  Fewer buildings are green one.  Therefore, they can make more money out of the rent.  The higher cost of green building construction is still lower than the higher profit of green buildings.  Large and affluent firms like to stay in a green office building in order to show that they are responsible for the society and sustainable developments.  This is thus a form of face lifting.  More developed countries also want to show their more responsibility than less developed one.  Even those who are talkative about green buildings can get good image out of this speaking.

 

Please keep in mind that many large monopoly firms like to be situated in green and intelligence buildings to show that they are responsible to the society. Whereas, they might exploit a lot to the society. Or they might not have adequate responsibility in their production processes causing pollution to the environment.

 

Amazingly, Self sufficiency tends to be talked by the rich who are always insufficient for their wants.

 

 

Notes:

<1> What is earth-balling?. https://www.rappler.com/moveph/4016-what-is-earth-balling/

<2> Construction 3D printing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction_3D_printing

<3> The first 3D-printed apartment building in germany is under construction. https://bit.ly/3iXIyOH