Suchergebnisse

All over Ireland large numbers of people live in unsanitary conditions suffering poor indoor air quality, surface condensation and mould. Where the occupants are tenants the cause of the conditions and identification of the parties responsible can cause much stress. Condensation and mould growth on the internal surface of a room are caused by a combination of factors due to specific conditions. In severe cases, one of these factors may lead to surface condensation and/or mould growth, but in general, surface condensation and/or mould growth occurs when two or three of these occur together. Even though multiple causes and shared responsibility may disappoint or confuse, the building physics of surface condensation is actually well understood and unambiguous. Through identification of the factors at work and responsible parties, it may become easier for parties to accept their role, for solutions to be agreed and re-instatement of sanitary conditions to everyone's benefit.

The 'Breaking the Mould' series of articles was written to explore the range of issues associated with upgrading single leaf walls with a focus on occupant and building health as much as energy, just as the Home Energy Saving Scheme was launched. A year on from the first article the need for greater understanding and clear guidance for the Industry is greater than ever. This is because the Government's 'Energy Demand Reduction Target' (EDRT), under the 2006 EU 'Energy Services Directive', is bringing energy utilities (e.g. ESB, Bord Gáis) into the refurbishment market.

This article is intended to act as an exploration and provocation. Why do we build the way we do, what effect does that have? Could we for instance, design and specify buildings that actually benefit the Environment rather than burden and pollute it as currently. Is it possible that the construction of a house could absorb CO2 thereby transforming new housing estates or apartment buildings into giant absorbers of carbon dioxide? Imagine Ireland being able to count commercial constructions or new housing among its 'carbon sinks', in place of Siberian forests or the carbon credits that the Government will have to trade for at tax payers' expense, to meet the Kyoto Protocol targets? Why not? It's all possible!

Juneau, Alaska, kept COVID-19 deaths lower than in other similar jurisdictions. We argue that adaptive leadership—the early decisions and actions of Juneau's leaders, effective communications, and emergent new collaborative structures—in the context of municipal ownership of key assets enabled Juneau's success. The result of 61 interviews and follow-up research, this case study contributes a better understanding of which institutional design, communication, and collaborative factors mattered in responding to the pandemic. Adaptive leadership provides a better explanation for Juneau's success than alternatives that focus on its isolation, home-rule status, and socio-economic structure.