DESIGN FOR LIVING: The BedZED architectural project in South London aims to deliver high living standards with low environmental impact

摘要

A REPORT PUBLISHED this year by conservation organisation the WWF estimated that the average person in the UK has an 'ecological footprint' of 5.4 global hectares. A global hectare is a hectare of globally productive space with an output capacity equal to the average capacity of the 11.4 billion productive hectares on the planet. The figure means we each need that amount of land to produce the food, clothing, energy, water and other materials we consume throughout our lives. The imbalance that has long existed between rich and poor countries has enabled us to get away with far more than our fair share for a long time. But populous developing nations such as China and India are understandably now keen to take up their place in consumer society, putting an additional strain on the world's resources. The report concluded that if the world's six and a half billion inhabitants all began consuming at the same level as the UK, we would need three planets to support us. Clearly, we don't have three planets, so our only option is to reduce our ecological footprint. But is it possible to live in a more sustainable manner, without making huge compromises to our standards of living?