EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE SOCIETY OF NOTARIES PUBLIC OF BC
www.wildmanphotography.com
John Mayr
GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES
Sustainable by Whose Measure?
B
ritish Columbia is a province of plenty, known for its natural resources.
Photo credit https://vancouver.housing.ubc.ca/residences/brock-commons/
With its resource-driven economy, BC has generally performed well in comparison to other Canadian provinces. There are those who believe that BC should reduce the export of raw resources, and manufacture or otherwise add value here at home. A good example of this initiative is UBC’s Brock Commons, a student residence that is a combination concrete, steel, and wood building. On its completion in 2017, Brock Commons was considered to be the tallest wood building in the world at 53 metres.
UBC’s Brock Commons www.naturallywood.com/emerging-trends/ tall-wood/brock-commons-tallwood-house
At that time, the National Building Code limited wooden structures to 4 storeys and the BC code to 6. Volume 28 Number 2 Summer 2019
©iStockphoto.com/jotily
Just last month, the BC government announced they were considering changes to the building code to allow for wood buildings of up to 12 storeys.
…“change that creates evolution is better than change that created revolution.” There are many factors to take into consideration; scientific advancements have resulted in wood products that are well suited to taller buildings. Wood is a local natural resource. Wood stores rather than emits carbon into the atmosphere. It is estimated that the reduction in carbon from building the Brock Commons with wood was equivalent to taking about 500 automobiles off the road. Brock Commons is a great example of innovation and scientific advancement leading to positive regulatory change. To be truly sustainable, we need to look at all aspects of the supply chain. The Pine Beetle epidemic has caused incredible damage to BC’s forests. Those dead and dry trees now exacerbate the forest fire risk. Already this year, we have seen massive fires in Alberta and predictions are that it will be a bad fire season in BC. It is not that climate change will affect our future; it’s a fact that climate change is affecting us now. The Scrivener | www.notaries.bc.ca/scrivener
The federal government has also just announced, for the second time, the approval of the Trans Mountain Pipeline. We now face a barrage of advertisements from the Province of Alberta that would appear to be attempting to influence the antipipeline sentiment of some British Columbians. I think I am probably like many others; I am concerned about the environment and climate change just as I am concerned that those trains that trundle through my community may be carrying highly flammable materials. I don’t know that one method of transport is better than the other, particularly when, if I understand the information from the National Energy Board, the product is for export and not local markets. For me, there’s too much conflicting information. I might even categorize it as fake news. The principles of building practices that are green and sustainable should encompass all of society and, as a society, and it would appear we are running out of time. There’s an adage that goes something like “change that creates evolution is better than change that created revolution.” Let’s consider the environmental future we want for the generations to follow us. s TABLE OF CONTENTS
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