Joe Giddings
@joegiddings.bsky.social
1.6K followers 210 following 120 posts
Built Environment | Climate Change | Architecture. I'm working towards the biobased buildings revolution at Built by Nature. Also co-founding member of Architects Climate Action Network. Views my own etc.
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Reposted by Joe Giddings
belindajones68.bsky.social
FYI
Hemp is the future of housing

Whole-of-plant use
Carbon neutral
Fireproof
Environmentally friendly
3D printed houses/materials
Hemp is ideally suited to Australian conditions

CC: @JEChalmers @ClareONeilMP @CatherineKingMP @JulieCollinsMP
🐝
#auspol
hemptoday.net/popular-uk-d...
Popular UK design show gives hempcrete a major global platform in season debut
Grand Designs has served as a cultural barometer for architectural experimentation for decades.
hemptoday.net
Reposted by Joe Giddings
jasonthorne.bsky.social
The Venn diagram of urban density and average household GHG emissions is pretty much a circle. Interesting study on “Mapping household GHG emissions in the Greater Golden Horseshoe” from the University of Toronto School of Cities schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/mapping-hous...
joegiddings.bsky.social
Details worth picking out:
Different colour for every door.
North/south oriented, neat red external shading on south face.
2 long banks of solar panels on south side of terrace roofs.
Generous bike storage in front gardens.
Minimal car parking, green instead.
Wall counted letterboxes = no drafts.
joegiddings.bsky.social
New housing built by the City of York, designed by Mikhail Riches. Passivhaus terraced homes, built with a timber frame, cellulose insulation. One of 5 schemes around York by the practice - who previously won the Stirling Prize for similar housing in Norwich.
A row of red brick passivhaus terrace homes in York designed by Mikhail Riches Two terraced homes designed by Mikhail Riches
joegiddings.bsky.social
My tree of the week. Elephant and Castle, London.

Who can name the tree?
joegiddings.bsky.social
Look at the green bars:

This is the proportion of renewable energy in EU27 countries generated by biomass.

I.e. burning wood and other plant matter. Without BECCS the carbon in biomass is released into the atmosphere on combustion. Carbon we could be storing. This is not sustainable
A graph showing the overall renewable energy generation in EU27 member states, each bar split proportionally depending on source. It shows solid biomass is by far the biggest source of renewable energy in most EU countries
joegiddings.bsky.social
An astounding number of activists have been abducted by the IDF in international waters tonight and taken to Israel against their will, including Greta Thunberg and Kieran Andrieu from @novaramedia.com. everybody here: globalsumudflotilla.org/sos/?key=X8J...
SOS - Global Movement to Gaza
globalsumudflotilla.org
Reposted by Joe Giddings
carladenyer.bsky.social
Today along with @sianberry.bsky.social I've published a report on our constituents' appalling experiences of the leasehold system. From extortionate fees to poor treatment at the hands of management companies, residents are being held to ransom in their own homes. Govt must act fast.
Graphic on a blue and purple gradient background

Title: Carla Denyer MP publishes report on leasehold 'horror stories'

Quotes: 

"Every single time our costs are over our agreed service charge..."

"Service charge has escalated in recent years, while service has in no way improved... there are considerable security issues. At times the front door isn't working." Image of a stack of papers on a blue and purple background. Quote reading: "It's clear that the feudal leasehold system needs to be abolished as soon as possible, and action is needed from government to protect those who are  already living in leasehold homes and suffering hugely as a result."
Reposted by Joe Giddings
janrosenow.bsky.social
Renewables are a masterclass in learning-by-doing. Each doubling of deployment cuts costs via experience curves: better manufacturing, finance & supply chains.

Result:

Solar now cheapest new power in many regions
Falling battery costs enable flexibility
Electrification gets more attractive
joegiddings.bsky.social
Jan, it would be great to get your thoughts on whether supply-side or demand-side interventions are the primary drivers of this? The context: we're working towards a transition in the construction industry towards low-carbon materials, but the primary barrier is cost, across euroipean markets
joegiddings.bsky.social
Alternative headline:
"Gloucestershire man sees goddess appear on toast"
joegiddings.bsky.social
The top edge was clearly at the bottom of the toaster
joegiddings.bsky.social
Who's gonna tell him? growth was around 2.8% in the US in the year to November 2024
joegiddings.bsky.social
The Conservatives (or what's left of them) fall on Farages side, so the only way to beat the far right is through a broader coalition. A Burnham Labour might do it
joegiddings.bsky.social
The fundamental battle the UK faces over the next few years is between fascism (call a spade a spade) offered by Reform; and progressive social democracy, offered by the Greens & Lib Dems.
joegiddings.bsky.social
Putting aside everything else that is wrong with the Labour party, this is a platform that any progressive should be able to get behind.
joegiddings.bsky.social
Andy Burnham's central proposal is to introduce electoral reform to enable a progressive coalition to govern for the long term, using this stability to re-nationalise core services: water, public transport, housing. open.spotify.com/episode/3zdj...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
joegiddings.bsky.social
A huge difference. Despite being on the old fee structure (09-12 -so not saddled with the levels of debt students of today are) the monthly repayments are a massive chunk out of my disposable income. This must create a considerable drag on the economy too?
joegiddings.bsky.social
@michaelburchert.bsky.social - have you - or anyone else - put together a bio-based feed on bsky?? If not, shall we?
joegiddings.bsky.social
A pearly blue chunk of "seaweed composite" - a material combining waste marble powder, glass, and seaweed...
joegiddings.bsky.social
ARUP opened an exhibition on Blue Biomass, the potential of construction products made from aquatic biomass - kelp, algae, seagrass etc.
In 2020, algal blooms covered an estimated 31m square km of the global ocean. 
In 2020 the EU had approximately 1.5m square km of agricultural land 
Global macro algae production 35m tonnes
Global plasterboard production 23m tonnes
Global hemp production 275k tonnes Prototype panel made from blue biomass (kelp)