Sustainababble
Retrospective Futures; Futurehouse
In September 2022, Ian McKay had the opportunity to revisit the first built Baker-Brown McKay project which was all about envisioning the future. Now that we are in that future, Ian was nervously excited to find out just how well Futurehouse anticipated and provided for the lifestyles of our times. He even got to meet its current owner and the ensuing conversation was filmed for a ‘living archive’ being compiled for Milton Keynes City Council.
The Limits to Growth; 50 Years on
On the day of the UK’s ‘mini budget’ and its renewed drive for economic growth, Deeper Green takes a look at The Limits to Growth which was published 50 years ago and discovers just how close we might be to peak planetary exploitation.
Sustainable growth; an oxymoronic myth
Economic growth is seemingly the central focus of policy and mission for economists, politicians and industrialists but is it right for the planet? Is ‘sustainable growth’ a real and achievable thing or is it just an oxymoronic myth?
Retrospective Futures 4
As part of the blog series on Retrospective Futures we pay homage to the prescient crystal ball gazing ability of British comedian and author, Ben Elton who eerily envisaged a time when the scarily rich would build themselves space rockets within a sinister plan to escape a dying planet. His novel was entitled, Stark. Let’s hope not all of Elton’s storyline comes to pass.
Retrospective Futures 3
A wind energy research centre
I realised that a good many of my degree and diploma level projects had plenty of future thinking into the issues surrounding sustainability and the built environment. I thought the material was worthy of dusting off, digitising and celebrating as a series of retrospective future thinking posts for the Sustainababble blog. This project from 1992 foresaw the scale of investment needed to establish a UK-based wind energy industry.
Retrospective Futures 2
A repost to the age of the commuter
I realised that a good many of my degree and diploma level projects had plenty of future thinking into the issues surrounding sustainability and the built environment. I thought the material was worthy of dusting off, digitising and celebrating as a series of retrospective future thinking posts for the Sustainababble blog. This project from 1989 challenged the notion of the daily commute and foresaw the energy saving and quality of life improving benefits of teleworking.
Retrospective Futures 1
A rusting hulk of motor-culture
I realised that a good many of my degree and diploma level projects had plenty of future thinking into the issues surrounding sustainability and the built environment. I thought the material was worthy of dusting off, digitising and celebrating as a series of retrospective future thinking posts for the Sustainababble blog. This project from 1988 looked forward to the demise of fossil fuel burning motor vehicle culture.
Is Boris’ Ten Point Plan to a Low-Carbon Future 28 Years Too Late?
In November 2020, the UK Government, realising that much tougher action on climate change needs to be adopted, published, The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. Does this plan go far enough? Will it create the green shift we need to achieve true socio, economic and environmental sustainability?