101 Rules of Thumb for Sustainable Buildings and Cities

Chapter 1The Principles of Sustainability

• The nature of sustainability
• The welfare of future generations
• Creating sustainable environments
• Climate change

1. There’s Only One Planet Earth

There is only one earth, and its ability to support an ever-increasing human population is limited. Based on today’s rate of consumption, we need one and a half earths to provide all our resources and to absorb our waste and CO₂. We are treating the planet like an overdrawn bank account. At this rate, by 2050 we would need the support of three earths, which we do not have. There is an ethical duty to design the built environment to operate within ...