editor’s letter
Issue 6 PUBLISHERS: Temple Media Ltd. PO Box 9688, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland T: +353 (0)1 2107513 / +353 (0)1 2107512 Email: info@passivehouseplus.ie www.passivehouseplus.ie
EDITORIAL he awful weather that has battered the UK and Ireland these past few months comes with an ominous subtext for those of us who accept the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change. Scientists tend not to make glib assertions, knowing that reality is often too complex to distil into a satisfying sound bite. Given the number of variables affecting climate, it is of course irresponsible to attribute a single extreme weather event to climate change. Sadly this has created an opportunity for denialists who, devoid of any obligation to the truth in all its complexity, are free to promote bogus but seductive arguments that climate change isn’t happening, or that humanity’s actions aren’t a significant part of the reason why. A shameful, lazy tendency in some media to reduce a matter of science to a head-to-head debate has only played into the denialists’ hands.
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The deluges we’ve experienced may go some way to exploding the myth that a warmer world will bring the Mediterranean to our doorsteps. Warm air holds more vapour, so while a warming world may come with long, dry heatwaves at times, we can expect the supposed anomaly of this winter to become sinkingly familiar as the world warms. There is a sense echoed in some recent opinion polls that public acceptance of the grim reality of climate change is growing. We must use this opportunity to build the case for decisive action that attempts to both mitigate and adapt to prepare for a warming world. And buildings must play a central role in any such action. This means constructing and upgrading buildings to lock in carbon emissions reductions for generations to come, and to withstand increasingly volatile weather. In this regard passive house is not a panacea – after all, a passive house built on a flood plan is clearly not a sustainable building – but it offers a clear route to climate change mitigation and adaptation that is sorely lacking elsewhere. Not only does passive house offer a proven, increasingly cost-effective route to achieving energy and carbon reductions of some 80 to 90%. Its attention to thermal bridging, airtightness and robust ventilation creates buildings where both fabric and occupants are protected against extreme weather. Sadly even much of the more enlightened rhetoric on the need to tackle climate change ignores a solution that makes so much sense. So much of the discussion is focused on the generation of low or zero carbon energy. While this is a worthwhile goal, it offers far fewer benefits than a considered low energy building system such as passive house. Zero carbon energy saves carbon, but it doesn’t necessarily put money in people’s pockets – at least not without government subsidy. And it doesn’t make buildings more comfortable, or protected against the elements – though there is an interesting argument that passive houses with microgeneration may be a smart investment if the events of this winter become more commonplace. How many of the hundreds of thousands of householders in Ireland and the UK who suffered power cuts during February’s storms would appreciate a home that remains warm, dry and functional, irrespective of what havoc the elements wreak on the energy supply network?
EDITOR: Jeff Colley E: jeff@passivehouseplus.ie
DEPUTY EDITOR: Lenny Antonelli E: lenny@passivehouseplus.ie
REPORTER: John Hearne E: john@passivehouseplus.ie
REPORTER: Kate de Selincourt
CONTRIBUTORS Tina Holt, Eco House Net Pat Barry, IGBC Adrian Joyce, EuroACE David Hughes, architect
UK SALES Stephen Molyneux E: stephen@passivehouseplus.co.uk
READER RESPONSE / IT Dudley Colley E: dudley@passivehouseplus.ie
ACCOUNTS Oisin Hart E: oisin@passivehouseplus.ie
Regards, the editor
ART DIRECTOR Lauren Colley E: lauren@passivehouseplus.ie
2012 Business magazine of the year - Irish Magazine Awards
Jeff Colley: winner - green leader award - Green Awards 2010 W I N N ER
Green Leader Award
W I NNE R
Green Communications Award
Construct Ireland: winner - green communications award - Green Awards 2010
PRINTING: GPS Colour Graphics, T: +44 (0) 28 9070 2020 www.gpscolour.co.uk Publisher’s circulation statement: 9,000 copies of Passive House Plus (Irish edition) are printed and distributed to the leading figures involved in sustainable building in Ireland including architects; consulting, m&e and building services engineers; developers; builders; energy auditors; renewable energy companies; environmental consultants; county, city and town councillors; key local authority personnel; and to newsagents nationwide via Easons. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in Passive House Plus are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. Cover: House under the Oaks, Austria Photograph: Juri Troy Architects
ABC Certified Average Net Circulation of 6,430 for the period 01/07/12 to 30/06/13 Passive House Plus (Irish edition) is the official magazine of Éasca and the Passive House Association of Ireland
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