We are all aware of climate change but as citizens and professionals have we ever thought about how our field or industry is contributing to the climate change and what we can do about it? When it comes to climate change and urban sprawl, building construction is a major culprit. It’s common sense. There are two major points that I would like to highlight on what we need to rethink.
First, carbon emissions during construction of any building is major contributor as carbon components present in all modern building materials that helps in making modern architecture as per one’s desired design or form and the state-of-the-art buildings that if not all then many architects wish to leave in their professional legacy.
Building materials such as concrete, steel, and wood, have significant carbon footprints associated with their extraction, processing, transportation, and manufacturing. Then, the
construction process also consume energy through machinery, equipment, and transportation of materials. We all know that these modern materials require artificial energy to make a building comfortable enough to live in. Thus, buildings consume energy for heating, cooling, lighting, and other systems during their lifespan. And higher energy consumption increases greenhouse gas emissions.
These above mentioned three main contributors of architecture and construction industry result after the major decision of building a structure in the first place. I mean, in order to build new structures, land is required, which means compromising green area for new construction projects. And that we see it in the form of urban sprawl and it’s consequences to human lifestyle and dependence on more machinery for daily activities and thus rapid climate change.
So, my first point today was about how architecture and construction industry contributes to climate change through its practices.
My second point is about the mindset that makes it all happen. That ignites the fire and making things burn without using the common sense. Let’s ask ourselves:
Do we really need to innovate or compete or build something different in order to live a good life? Well, what are we here for? Before any profession, we are human beings and we need to live on this earth. And it’s not difficult to simply live and be, but we have made it complicated with our choices and decisions. The competition of making something different and bigger than the other person, innovating something that bring us attention, that make us popular or famous. The rat race that we all are in, initiated by who? Initiated by those who followed their heart and made machineries that would make them money and marketed in a manner that people will feel they need it and the consumers were made as a plan.
This whole consumerism culture is the root cause of climate change. To me, it’s that simple. That clear. And it doesn’t just stays to our professional industry but to all other industries that make us consume things on daily basis that are not necessary but we are consuming because we are programmed to do so, in order to benefit the initiators.
Humans like us, lived in past in homes that were not in the category of state-of-the-art structures or unique, innovative pieces, but homes filled with love, family time, social life, resilience and lot of comfort without any air conditioner or such machinery. All of which, a modern man lacks. Why? Because he is running after something unnecessary. And who is guiding a modern man to do so? Maybe I, you or the professionals like us. Maybe all of us. But it’s time to wake up, and make changes, one step at a time. InshaAllah.
I stepped out of the rat race 10 years back, even before my graduation. I am on my journey of unlearning whatever I was taught by mindless people and learning which might benefit me in order to simply live a good life. InshaAllah. I hope others may start their own journey too.
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