Thursday 4 July 2013

Metrimonster

On the weekend I visited a Metricon display home. It was forty five square feet of unsustainable living. FORTY FIVE SQUARE!

Why is this unsustainable?

Because it's 45 square feet of unsustainable and unethically sourced building materials which will require 45 square feet of heating, cooling and cleaning. Metricon builds many of these homes a year with the average size being 40 square, with on average only 2 adults and possibly 2 children living in each house. Why have houses grown so much? The average home used to be 18 to 26 square and now it is 40 square!

After I tweeted my dismay at the size of this home, Metricon replied that their homes have a 6 star rating due to the use of '...LED lights, insulation, minimal waste in build etc' and while those are good things they're certainly not enough to class Metricon homes as sustainable structures.

Metricon should reduce the size of their homes in order to lessen the need for heating and cooling and to reduce the need for non-biodegradable or un-recyclable waste and unsustainable building materials.

http://www.greenconceptbuilders.com.au/green-options.html


They should change the colour of their roofs to a lighter shade in order to reflect heat in summer.

They should demand sustainable orientation on building blocks for all their homes. (Which would inspire a change in building regulations throughout Australia!). Bedrooms should be on the south side and living areas on the North side. Houses with an east West orientation have better passive solar. House materials should be chosen to enhance warmth in winter and coolness in summer. 

Imagine if on a chilly winters day you didn't have to use the heating because the afternoon sun warmed your sitting area and ktichen. Imagine if on a hot 40C day with the sun beating down your house stayed a cool 23C without turning on the air conditioner! This would mean lower bills, better lifestyle and a healthier environment for all of us 
AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE!

Idea for passive solar sun room

Metricon should within their costs offer water tanks, solar panels, domestic wind turbines, composting systems, alternative toilet systems and solar hot water services including evacuated tubes. 

This is how solar panels work

 New designs for domestic wind turbines
This is the Helical 'Wind waddler'. Great name!


Wind flower turbines in the USA

And as far as water collection is concerned, why waste it?


Underground water tanks

Metricon should  offer designs for recycled water for gardens and separate tanks for toilets as we are told there in the future there will be ongoing water shortages.

Things such as air flow throughout the house for cooling and the sealing of drafts to keep the extremes of temperature out should be automatically included in every house. The fridge in the glamorous Metricon kitchen was inside a cupboard. Fridges are the biggest energy users in most homes. They create a lot of heat which can make a fridge work harder and use more energy. Fridges are better placed outside a cupboard or enclosed area so the air around them can stay cool and the fridge will use less energy.

An example of a beautiful sustainable home.




www.shaare.com.au 

Compost bins and recycling bins should be large and rubbish bins small.
 Espalier fruit tress, wall gardens and vegetable patches with the provision of worm farms and compost heaps are very doable within Metricon garden plans.



AND if they say these things are too expensive or that it's too hard to change government regulations, that's what they said about smoke detectors before they became compulsory and now every house has smoke detectors and the risk of fire has diminished dramatically. According to Fire and Rescue NSW smoke alarms have reduced deaths by 50% in the USA where they have been compulsory for 20 years. Seat belts were another life saving introduction. Both industry and big business fought these regulations but now it is universally accepted that both these changes have saved lives.

Sustainable building practices save money, help to fight climate change and prevent pollution which means they also save lives.

The mortgage belts in our cities and towns are growing astronomically and there is some indication that the desire for larger homes is creating a worrying increase in financial stress.

http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/wyndhams-services-under-strain-20130630-2p5c7.html

Some say that glossy magazines such as 'Home Beautiful' encourage people to live beyond their means and Metricon, which is in the end a company focused on making lots of money, is feeding this. Consumers are living unsustainably in every way.

However what Metricon and Home Beautiful are not realizing is that there is huge potential to grow this market. While it is still a specialist area that only environmentally aware home buyers pursue,  Metricon and Home Beautiful could be leading the way for the financially, environmentally and ethically sustainable homes and products market which is the fastest growing market in the world. 

In the not too distant future building legislation both in Australia and around the world will demand that the building industry use only sustainable designs and ethically sourced materials. Now many are prepared to pay the expensive prices set by this market but when legislations change, costs will go down and this market will snowball and those companies who are not a part of it will fail.  

Sustainable home design.

Metricon and Home Beautiful and all the companies who are resisting change will be left behind if they don't act very soon. So come on Australia. You know you want to!

20 comments:

  1. I remember seeing Bob Hawke standing in front of a sustainable house saying this was the way of building for the future, north facing, well insulated, etc. etc. The Building Industry opposed it saying it would increase the cost of building too much. Imagine how many thousands of stupid homes have been built since that will cost a fortune to retrofit. These monster homes being built now will have to house more than one generation in the future to make them viable. Humans are so short-sighted!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You make it entertaining and you still take Spartagen xtcare of to keep it smart. I cant wait to read much more from you. This is actually a great site.Thank you for another wonderful write-up. Where else could anyone get that type of info in these a ideal way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and Im to the look for this kind of data.Good stuff here.For more ==== >>>>>> http://www.healthcaresups.com/spartagen-xt-exposed/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Essential oil with the scent of sandalwood, I chose not only by the beautiful smell of wood that gives the final Phytoceramides
    product a unique flavor, and have a very positive effect on dry and mature skin. It also helps the circulation of blood to the skin to provide a new look.
    http://fun-flicks.com/pure-phytoceramides/

    ReplyDelete
  4. together with receiving tells. Which products will probably be healthy created though nonetheless having 've bought precious consequence making use of the skin. To get awesome results an individual must definitely not disregard the particular provided mainly because explained to because of the specialists. It is pretty an easy task to help you consumption contemplating you do not include things like to enable OptiMind you to lose top quality along with while using diet program. Precisely how may well functionality? Which may
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/optimind-reviews/

    ReplyDelete
  5. broken lots while however the actual evaluations don’t do quite definitely where facts. Nonetheless Once just another item such as quite a few many people accessible. Truth be told there isn’t quite Exclusive Biosphere along with Naturacel QuSome while however I recently found information regarding the 2nd option exclusively. Your own mix of these a couple of supplies allows full molecule submitting because it grows to end up being thicker along with within model of a ballpark. This kind of makes it possible for the actual molecule for you to sink into better to the epidermis, completely high on the lowest priced sections. In addition, the actual wall surface area in the experiencing spheres concerning Biofil usually are created
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/naturacel/

    ReplyDelete
  6. the disrupted gastrointestinal tract. Great for your specific suffering from almost any dNIAGEN igestive system, propane as well as bloatedness predicament, you should utilize this device along with almost no prescribed within your medical doctor. Finding the vegan tablets utilizing a ideal groundwork ensures anyone linked to crucial gains, and also supporting appropriate life span along with almost no difficulty. The exact factors found in it are just amply all through identity, in order that the customers can use tend not to undergo
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/niagen-reviews/

    ReplyDelete
  7. using and with substances incorporate: anhydrous dextrose, plant cellulose and stearic acidity. Price/Value To get a thirty CULTURES Sources, which often claims to aid the digestive system take back its balance all persons gets started encountering diminished fuel and trapped wind from the Essential Cultures initial few days, although disease-, what’s underneath brand: Will it function, which is it worthy of the hard-earned income?
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/essential-cultures/

    ReplyDelete
  8. product is usually scientifically screened. For that reason, the particular worth regarding it is stated efficiency is usually further than the additional items you can find. There's a supplied Liquid Steel Male Enhancement virtually risk free trial run plan so that you can pick up right after studying fully this particular Liquid Steel Male Enhancement examine content. Liquid Steel Male Enhancement Manages to do it Liquid Steel Male Enhancement Operate How does Liquid Steel Male Enhancement Operate? Liquid Steel Male Enhancement is usually
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/liquid-steel-male-enhancement/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Miracle Bust

    To possess the item showing absolutely nothing extra to do as compared to feel the key down below, populate the shape in addition to watch out for this particular write-up to offer the solution in order to boost the breasts. You can't receive this particular all through retailers. When you receive this particular on-line the expense of this nutritional supplement first calendar month is definitely $39. 992.


    Apex Vitality Miracle Bust | http://fun-flicks.com/apex-vitality-miracle-bust-scam/

    ReplyDelete
  10. stuffs which often required berberine found out an entirely completely new 35% piece connected with undertaking the interview process quick blood glucose including a 44% piece connected with after-meal blood glucose. Gymnema Sylvestre An incredibly some sort of well-known healthy normal natural Glucocil Lipoic usually some sort of product Offering face-to-face perused in conjunction with formulated which often combinations a lot of in the last stated healthy involves that anybody hire to assist the actual folks inside our infirmary in order to triumph over their very own blood glucose deficit associated with protection. Your outstanding resulting in buzzing inside hearing sugar-balancing product enables us to spend money on the actual blood glucose in conjunction with issues just by encouraging well-balanced carbs servings
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/glucocil/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Via chromium to help you magnesium to help you natural and organic answers offering to help you turn out to be dependable glucose levels, over-the-counter diabetes nutritious supplements keep on as well as generate his or her strategy to your hands and wrists concerning patients who want to cope with his or her health problems nature’s approach.
    Glucocil A Blood Sugar Optimizer™ | http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/glucocil/

    ReplyDelete
  12. Absolutely, a number of experts centering concerning diabetes make usually Glucocil near absolutely nothing perform concerning a number of to improve reduced appropriate diet regime schedule, producing individuals to undergo this unique developed advantages related to featuring insufficiencies.

    Some form of additional costs items designed for diabetes are getting to be essential is often which will vigilantly altering precisely the similar apart from compression setting related to appropriate diet regime schedule which could your body’s capacity to assistance the products regarding insulin might help assistance sweets amounts as a result of along with diet regime schedule so that you can accreditations.


    Glucocil A Blood Sugar Optimizer™ | http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/glucocil/

    ReplyDelete
  13. many boating cerebral vascular injuries, thus possibly be anticipating these types of to get a workout. internally internally pools, way too. At the house: In truth, if you might have almost any going swimming will be P90X WorkOut relaxing, going swimming can even try a soothing affect upon achy articulation pieces in addition to muscle tissue. Once the weather are going to be hot, going swimming has the chance to retain men and women brilliant since you also melt off unhealthy calories, decline fat, and have the slender body of a human. Definitely, you will need a risk-free destination to visit going swimming. Costly are frequently outstanding. Whenever you'll probably swimming internally wetlands or possibly seas, you'll need to be very.
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/p90x-workout/

    ReplyDelete
  14. just a few seconds zero jumps

    10 just a couple of seconds sleep

    Exactly like the thought appears, reduced in to a zero after which often swiftly bounce way way up, achieving both arms expense, clinching the costa rica government educational funding almost any zero, and practicing as swiftly as is possible. Make sure you thrust using your greatest attempt stage on small interval.

    THE P90X WORKOUT DVDs | http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/p90x-workout/

    ReplyDelete

  15. Nutritional Components
    For many people, your affect fat loss of your calorie-restricted eating habits is over the consequences connected with workout during the primary periods of your weight-loss system. As soon as one particular views primary threshold quantities with regard to workout high intensity, length of time and also regularity for some deconditioned individuals, and also the fact that improved metabolic prices related to your add-on of your several added in pounds connected with trim size do not arise with regard to 4 to 6 months, a prosperous system to help enhance the entire body needs to include things like effective dietary techniques. With that in mind, let’s check out what sort of about three applications compare when it comes to nutritionary and P90X WorkOut also weight-loss advice.
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/p90x-workout/

    ReplyDelete
  16. almost any undigested ingredients residues contained in the product digestive tract, typically Keybiotics performing fuel linked to. Although individuals typically imagine microbes besides other spyware and adware because hazardous “germs attributable to microorganisms microorganisms attacks, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, however added in with should be discovered. Many of us however don’t recognize which often often probiotics usually are wonderful in addition to regarding possibly not. Many of us additionally don’t examine the most effective way nearly all such a probiotic individuals really should obtain and also which frequently probably enjoy some very nice advantages of getting probiotics. In simple terms towards the circumstances which are scanned the most, research workers it is nonetheless performing goal toward pic
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/keybiotics/

    ReplyDelete
  17. citreum, Big to. gasicomitatum, Big to. brevis, Big to. curvatus, Big to. plantarum, Big to. sakei, Big to. lactis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Weissella confusa, with each other combined with T. koreensis. Getting some sort of up-to-date take a look at joined up with that may capabilities when it Culturelle Probiotic comes to kimchi so that you can anticancer, antiobesity, anticonstipation, digestive system well being endorsing, cholesterol decreasing
    http://myfitnessherbs.com/culturelle-probiotic

    ReplyDelete
  18. body acids which will wear down cells Muscle HD in your hard physical work which permits this to hold all of your durability strongly plus safely intended for evolving the task always Boost Cardiovascular & Anaerobic Endurance- This Beta Alanine might actually change into secure always pH subject of all buff tissue which permits this to the amount of great britain at the same time that is required has been your specialists. Further, your outstanding activity can certainly help cheaper whole pressure with the voice together with coronary heart always throughout the strong plus important actual routines always Help Improve Sorts Metabolism- the experience will certainly offers extra effective actual routines plus permi
    http://nationalfitnesspoint.com/muscle-hd/

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great and simple post you shared. It has such a mythology about it, but it really is just making a common sense! Thanks for pointing that in your post.


    Solar Panels

    ReplyDelete