A great article on sustainable home design by Abigail Goldman of the LA Times, published on July 29, 2007. Goldman highlights simple and affordable ways to cut carbon emissions and lower energy bills.

Quoted: “Forty percent of America’s carbon emissions comes from buildings — almost half — and utility bills are a major factor in household bankruptcy,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. “You can reduce your utility bill by 50% or 60% relatively easily. That’s one-fifth of the total carbon emissions today. It’s a huge part of what we have to do.” Making those eco-friendly changes at home has become simpler and more affordable.

The Merton Rule website provides a thorough description of the rule (see below) and how it is influencing the move toward low-carbon planning in the United Kingdom. It includes a list of boroughs that have adopted Merton Rule policies, as well as resources (e.g., documents, case studies, and events) for other communities interested in following suit. The site is a great source of information on environmental planning, which fits in well with Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s call for all new houses to be carbon neutral by 2016.

Quoted: The ‘Merton Rule’ is the groundbreaking planning policy, pioneered by the London Borough of Merton, which requires the use of renewable energy onsite to reduce annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the built environment.

Carbon-neutral housing in England! These towns look promising, both eliminating emissions and integrating nature into the built environment. They are also planned to be within close proximity to public transportation. I wonder how this compares to refurbishing existing buildings and plots in more densely populated areas, in terms of net ecological impact?

Quoted: The houses will be built using timber, solar thermal panels, double glazing, insulation and biomass boilers that do not use fossil fuels.