Environmentality- 20th February 2013

Hello Environmentality Listeners,

Today Jodie wasn’t feeling well so was unable to come in for our regular gardening segment; we hope that she’s feeling better now. But Jaime, Smokey and Admed did speak to Robyn Deed from The Alternative Technology Association about the latest issue of ReNew magazine.  

Courtesy of the ATA

The current issue of ReNew focuses on reuse of materials. Robyn highlights that building materials make up 40% of landfill, hence by reusing materials not only are we diverting materials from landfill but also reducing up to 90% of the embodied energy in houses. Using shipping containers to build a temporary shopping mall in New Zealand, a studio in the backyard or a home demonstrates some of the ingenuous designs from using recycled materials.      

Towards guilt free cooling by Allen Pears guides us through the practicalities of heating and cooling.  Allen goes into different types of cooling such as insulation, windows, roof and walls, and active energy consuming cooling. Allen suggest that simple test we can all do if we are unsure whether a window is causing overheating is to place the shinny side of the cooking foil on the inside of the window to see if it makes any difference to temperature or energy cost.  

Martin Freney discusses earthship homes and its radical design using recycled car tyres filled with dirt, dirt walls and a greenhouse. Martin’s research has shown that earthships homes in New Mexico are able to maintain stable temperatures without the need for heating and cooling.  Furthermore, comparing the earthship homes to other types of construction materials, earthship comes out on top when built with a greenhouse. Without a greenhouse, earthship’s energy efficient has been shown to very similar to insulated and concrete block.    

Given the vast options of solar panels available, Stephan Ingrouille’s article helps us to work out which is best with a 15 point check list. Some of the things to ask are panel efficiency, price, manufacture’s product and performance warranty, insulation warranty and features.    

For more information about ReNew or access to the forums, you can access the website here

We look forward to talking with Robyn again about the next issue of ReNew.

Don't forget to listen to the podcast!

Tracked played today:

Saltwater band- Wapango

The Sundays- Skin and Bones

The Sea Urchins- Pristine Christine

Joy Division- She’s Lost Control Again