Climate Change

Climate Change

I have been giving further thought (also written about elsewhere) to the kinds of practical and political actions that I would like to see taken in order to impact on climate change. One action is an emphasis on re-wilding parts of the UK. The intention would be to create areas where there is little pollution and no industrial activity. Re-wilding would require significant contiguous areas to allow biodiversity to develop. Roads would be taken up to prevent vehicle traffic. People would be encouraged to concentrate increasingly in towns and cities. Concentrating people in urban areas both limits the hinterland of pollution and environmental degradation, and also offers the opportunity to achieve significant economies regarding processes that impact negatively on climate change (particularly transport - of people and goods).

In every town and city (population of at least 100,000) in Britain, I would build mid-rise buildings of no more than 12 storeys to accommodate between 1000 and 1200 people. Each building would amount to a vertical village. Each building would have a range of unit sizes so as to offer accommodation for single people up to a family of two or more adults with children. The building would be owned by the local authority, and the tenants would pay rent. Some of the rents would be heavily subsidised, other rents partly subsidised, and the rest of the rents set at a level to maintain the subsidised rents. There would be an expectation both that units for smaller numbers of people would be smaller, and cheaper units would be smaller. Whilst the first buildings constructed in an area would be aimed specifically at the social housing end of the spectrum, subsequent buildings would be built for people with greater wealth, especially young professionals. As they could afford to pay more, the specifications for each unit would be somewhat higher. Any individual building would be built for people drawn from a specific wealth/income range. Tenants would be referred to as ‘residents’, and individual accommodation units referred to as ‘apartments’.

The building would not be served by natural gas. The building would be powered solely by electricity. There would be solar panels on the outside of the building to generate electricity, and batteries in the basement to store electricity. Consequently, the building would be protected by an interruptible power supply: were there a power cut the building would continue to operate. The building, and all the apartments, would be heated by a single heating plant. Being 12 storeys in height, compared with low-rise developments, the building would require less heating, and thereby save energy. In order to prevent the spread of fire, the building would be equipped with a sprinkler system. Every apartment in the building would have fibre-optic cable. The building would be served by a single satellite dish.

There would be stairwells around the building, both inside and outside the building, offering egress when an elevator is not functioning. They would be elevators from the ground floor to specific groups or floors. For example, an elevator between the ground floor and the first three other floors, the ground floor and the next three upper floors, and so on.

On the roof, there would be an open space, shared with the other residents to be able to relax in private away from the world in general. Rainwater would be collected from the roof and the land surrounding the building, and this would be used as greywater for the toilets.

On the ground floor there would be a health clinic, including rooms for hire by professionals to offer psychotherapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, chiropractic and massage. There would be a Village Office, used by local government, including Social Services and Post Office Counters, so that governmental administration could be dealt with locally. This would also serve as the village rent office, with the opportunity to report faults. Also on the ground floor should be a creche and childcare centre. There is no reason why part of the village facilities cannot be used for study, both for children and adults, perhaps including a library and resources centre. This need not require paid staff, and simply be managed by Village volunteers.

Maybe there could also be a Village Shop. If the building is to act as a village, there would need to space designated as a Village Hall, which might, alternatively be in the basement, along with a chapel or worship space.

In the basement there would be a gym, waste recycling, and some limited car parking. An underground car parking space would be pricey. This would discourage car ownership. Living in an urban area, a car should be less necessary.

The building would be connected with elsewhere by a bus service and by cycle paths and foot paths. A no-through road leading to the building would offer access for deliveries, service vehicles and blue light services.

Around the building, there would be allotments for people to grow their own food, and be out working in the fresh air. It would be permitted to keep chickens on one's allotment.

Dogs, requiring exercise, would not be permitted. Cats would be permitted only as house cats. Other pets would need to be kept in cages. The Village would require pet owners to pay for and maintain a licence to keep a pet. Infringement of pet regulations would entail the withdrawal of the licence.

Residents would be permitted to carry out business in their apartment, but not to receive clients in person in their apartment. In person sexual services would not be permitted.

The spectre of Grenfell Tower (24 storeys) necessarily looms over anything any building that is higher than a few storeys. There would need to be a lot of work done both to ensure safety and to reassure the residents. The fact that the building and its apartments would be owned by the local council, and not owned by the residents, means that the legal liability of the residents is limited (in a way that does not apply to the many unfortunate people who have been required to buy their flats and apartments, and thereby take financial responsibility for them.)

In the movie of George Orwell's novel 1984, the apartment blocks are shown as decrepit and extremely shabby. There would need to be a legally-binding long-term commitment for the council to maintain the building and its decor. For people to want to relocate to the building, they would need to be reassured that the place is going to be looked after. This would mean that funding for maintenance and decoration could not be withdrawn until a fixed date a long time in the future.