75. I think is simple as that the goverment needs to reduce what is harmful and start saving more energy and creating renewable homes is simple as that the goverment is the leader he must act not just for sustainable communites but for the economic as well

sherwar - 19 Jul 10, 12:28am

74. I agree

JUdith Ryseu - 12 May 09, 2:54pm

73. how is low carbon defined 'scientifically'?

Judith Ryser, CityScope Europe - 12 May 09, 2:51pm

72. What are the fundamental building blocks?1. Listen to tenants.2. Pay attention to what tenants say3. Remember that landlords have axes to grind.

Peter Rutherfrd - 10 Feb 09, 3:01pm

71. Nearly all buildings use cement as their basic building blocks - this industry which is contributing to the substantial co2 problem has a monopoly on building at every level. Alternatives such as earth structures need to be put onto the agenda

Linda Royles - 9 Feb 09, 2:12pm

70. Having lived many years outside the UK, what strikes me about the house building scene here is that the people who live in an area had very little input into the planning and construction of the environment they live in. This is very damaging because a good plan requires emotional involvement. Leaving everything to the so called professionals may cost less in the short term but in the long term it results in a community that reflects the lack of care and emotion in the critical early planning stages. I have struggled for 8 years to realise a Cohousing community but the lack of support for all types of self-build in the UK causes huge barriers to appear in our path. Self-build offers a multitude of ecological advantages and Cohousing offers even more in addition. For these movements to progress we need a simplification of the planning system rather than the added complication we have seen in the past few decades. We need planning by those with a long-term vested interest rather than by an ever increasing number of committees.

Robert Copcutt; Renewableenergyengineer & Cohousing hopeful - 6 Feb 09, 5:52pm

69. To face the very likely issue of global climate change, the International conventions and many scientists have debated on how to build up the CO2 auditing and reduction policy to an ideal percentage; concentrating on how to move away from fossil fuel reliance and make nations and cities more self-sufficient in energy. However can we generally set one target to all countries, regions, cities and communities, where their environmental character and lifestyle might be different with the others? I believe to achieve a low carbon community not only concerns energy efficiency assessment target on its energy baseline but also is relevant to its condition of environmental services and local lifestyle choice.Therefore the majority of my research is going to focus on the two relevant systems for building a low carbon community.In my opinion, to indentify environmental conditions we need a method on how to assess environmental impact and services by knowing what quota of development is acceptable and which area is for development or should be conserved. Next, in the approach to the energy and land-use baseline assessment we need to create a dynamic system model as a panel for discussing with local people on how their lifestyle choice could affect environment which also impacts the next generation’s equity. Finally to set up low carbon community we need to consider the local public willingness and interactive policy with market technology.

Li Wen Li - 6 Feb 09, 4:12pm

68. I agree with the stated need to build skills and understanding of community development within the whole planning and development process - not just in eco-towns - and welcome the focus on it in these proposals. However I share Lesley Evans Mattin (17)concerns that it is often framed as a top down process - achieved through good design and spatial planning and aimed at 'changing behaviour' and producing new social norms. Good community development should engage and involve people from the beginning - including new and existing residents - and ensure they are empowered to influence the decsions taken within the community. It should aim to give them control over how the community is managed and operated - not just providing eco-education centres, shchools and shops but exploring the potential for facilities to be community owned and managed e.g. CHP that provide practical and economic benefits to the local community and ensurring that land is available as a community asset e.g. for food growing and new community facilities - not just those provided by the developers.As pointed out in the report, proper community engagement may not shorten the planning and delivery process - what it should do is ensure new communities are developed through engagment and concensus rather than conflict and imposition resulting in places that are sustainable in the long run and building skills, capacity and a sense fo shared ownership within the community for the future.The proposed support for community development is indeed critical to improving the spatial planning and development process in the UK but it must be a bottom-up approach that includes issues of ownership, management and long term sustainability and not just tokenistic involvement or consultation.

Mark Walton - 6 Feb 09, 11:48am

67. If every builder/specifier on here is looking for ways to reduce there Carbon footprint on their designs, consider using Marley Eternit's Eco-logic roof tile. It removes nitrous oxide out of the air!! On average one Eco-logic roof will remove the same amount of nitrous oxide that a car doing 100,000 miles produces!! Not to mention the benefits for achieving eco-points and code for sustainanable homes. www.marleyeternit.co.uk

Alan Ludewig - 6 Feb 09, 11:31am

66. I work with low carbon building projects and wish to see more people follow this route. I do my part and wish to see others do the same.

Mitra Hedman - 6 Feb 09, 11:08am