Sustainable Homes - Defined...again

Below is an excerpt from a respected international financial newspaper.

Eight common features are found in most building guidelines for sustainable dwellings from the USA, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK.

These eight are:-
1. Optimising the use of energy including CO2
2. Efficient use of water
3. Local and durable construction materials sourced without destroying habitats.
4. The collection of surface water
5. Optimised waste management
6. Minimising all forms of pollution, including noise
7. Maximising the health and well-being of those using the building
8. The fostering and care of local ecology

Is marble a sustainable material?

To know what materials are sustainable is not an immediately easy task. It requires us to ask ourselves and our suppliers a few probing questions. Further, what is sustainable today may not be so tomorrow.

To investigate if marble is considered a sustainable material in Malaysia, we should ask ourselves these questions:-

Where did it come from? If it was extracted from limestone hills such as that shown in the photograph below, which means, its extraction would cause the destruction of a delicate limestone ecosystem – then, I would say - not sustainable. Limestone hills are critical ecosystems. Besides the multitude of unique flora and fauna that live on it, it also is the natural home to bats. Bats are the main pollinators of fruit trees – one no less kingly than the durian. And they keep the insect population in check as well.  Some marble may be quarried from underground sources, instead of land outcrops like hills. Then we must find out if the land above was part of or supports a sensitive ecosystem. 

How much energy was used in producing it? A common measurement used nowadays to measure and compare sustainable materials and practices - the carbon footprint. Marble imported from Italy with substantial effort to transport it over the seas may be less sustainable that that sourced locally and sustainably from non-sensitive areas with minimal impact on eco-systems.

Are there alternatives? Marble are aesthetic add-ons to a house. It is hardy and easy to maintain when used on kitchen tables or tops. OK, noted. But we should always ask ourselves if there are suitable and more sustainable alternatives? Ceramic tiles (source being clay from the ground) or wood from sustainable forests could be good alternatives. 

The last point sometimes puts us in a bind. At times, we have no choice but to use an unsustainable material simply because no alternative is available. For example - cement. In Malaysia, cement or concrete are made from aggregates (stones) predominantly extracted from limestone hills. But there is no other better and affordable material (at the moment) as an alternative. Concrete / cement manufacturers are nevertheless applying more research into the production and mix to make cement / concrete more sustainable. Hence, we should support such companies by buying from them. Of course, one can also build a house entirely from wood, but then we still need to pave the road!

As industries progress and try to improve their processes to meet customers demand for more sustainable products, the criteria of what is sustainable and what is not, may change again. Therefore, as consumers we have an important role to play. Ask your supplier these tough questions - He or she may not have the answer, but ask anyway because we need to send the message back to the producers that we all need to be more responsible when we use our Earth's limited natural resource. 

Marble - Is it sustainable?

Many would admire the natural patterns of marble slabs that adorn kitchen tops, bathrooms walls, internal flooring and even the cladding of external walls. The way the colours weave through the ancient stone is both attractive and very difficult to replicate. And there is nothing like the real thing for an ego-boosting house interior. Man-made marble? yeah, right....

When choosing materials that would adorn your home in Tanarimba, we should investigate the ecological impact of the chosen material. Ecological impact is not only the CO2 emitted by industries to convert or make that material fit for use, it is also the impact on biodiversity and the community. All that and something that doesn't burn a hole in our pockets. To those not following the plot, that is how one would define sustainability today.

Yes, it is undisputed that almost everything that we do and use as a resource will have a negative impact to the overall ecology. Human's existence in today's numbers is itself detriment to Planet Earth. It is almost impossible to be totally green today and in this parallel universe that we exist. What choice have we, really? Then again, being the smartest creature on Earth (sometimes I wonder), we inherently carry the responsibility to intelligently minimise our impact. We can't leave the task to the Chimps or the Elephants. That is why we need to ask that question when we build our house in Tanarimba (and similarly in almost everything else that we do) - Is that material affordable, has minimal ecological impact, benefits the community and has minimal CO2 emissions? Once you tick all the boxes, we have done our part to be sustainable.

So, the material of relevance today is marble. I will set out my thoughts in the next article. In the meantime, have a look at where made-in-Malaysian Marble predominantly comes from -

Of Climate Change, Landslides and Tanarimba ...

We read once again of landslides in the Klang Valley. Tanarimba being as hilly as it is though less prone to landslides is at risk as well. Landslides are an inherent risk of any terrain that is steep enough for gravity to do its job. It would be naive for us to ignore this risk. We just have to deal with it.

Have you heard of statements like 'No lah, it has never happened in Tanarimba before' or 'The soil in Tanarimba is different'....? At times, lulling us into some false contentment or comfort.

However, we can deal with it. I think the most important first step to dealing with it is our honest acceptance of the risk. We need to accept that climate had indeed changed. The current extreme weather conditions will prevail or get worse. We can no longer rely on historical weather patterns to forecast the future. We have to plan for worse weather conditions than today when we build our houses in Tanarimba. We have to take extra care of the land that we will inhabit and respect the natural terrain. The engineers need to study the hydrological aspects of the land and suggest proper drainage systems. Clear-cutting of slopes will not work. Clearing the undergrowth or thinning the natural tree-cover will not work. Overbuilding the house structure will not work. Stopping or diverting a natural stream / river will not work.

It is indeed a challenge. However, I think while the risk is there in Tanarimba, the way it is currently planned, being a low density sustainable development and with the community working together to avert such risks, Tanarimba can work.

Is having a Vegetable Plot a good idea for Tanarimba?

I would say, yes and no. Firstly, 'yes' because it does make sense to grow your own organic food as it is clearly in line with the whole sustainable living concept. Nothing like using your own lady's fingers for your own curry. However, I would then also say 'no' if the plan is to have a commercial sized plot to plant enough vegetables for everyone and his neighbours. So, I would recommend a smallish plot with enough plantings only for your own consumption. The reason is simple. Look at this picture - Tanarimba is a jungle with a relatively good but delicate biodiversity. If we clear too much of the natural undergrowth of jungle area for non-jungle vegetation, then Tanarimba will not longer be what it is today. It would create an imbalance to the already delicate biodiversity. Secondly, too much emphasis on vegetable planting may cause human-animal conflict in Tanarimba. Some wild boars may to your dismay enjoy a mud bath next to your cabbage. And I'm sure the wild boars will be the losing party in any ensuing battle. We need to remember that the animals are part and parcel of the local ecosystem, so let's be nice to our neighbours.

Pahang, please follow Selangor!

31 March 2011 marked a historical day in forest conservation in Malaysia - well more precisely Selangor. The Selangor State Forestry Act has been amended so that any degazetting of a Forest Reserve requires prior public inquiry. Read more about it here http://selangorstatepark.blogspot.com/ entry on 1 April 2011. What will it take for Pahang and the rest of the country to follow?

Seeking Green Contractors

Is it true that in Malaysia, it is not easy to find a contractor who would build a house using ecologically friendly materials and methods? A contractor who would not just build but also provide the value-added input of trying out methods that is considered more green and go about hunting for the materials that would past the carbon footprint tests? a contractor who is conversant with the Green Building Index and know how to go about meeting the criteria even for small projects like a single house in Tanarimba?

Please email me at outsiderrecords@gmail.com if you are one such contractor. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Trees - where do I get them from?

So, you have got yourself a nice piece of Tanarimba. And after reading this blog :) you are convinced that you should plant up your area to do your part in keeping Tanarimba greener than green. You go to Nathan but he hasn't enough seedlings in the in-house nursery to offer you simply because they have not been replenishing the stock (mind you, the in-house nursery has species that I think is not so appropriate for Tanarimba, like the popular hedge like kelat species) Where then should you go to get new trees and how should you choose the appropriate species?

Well, there is this award winning effort by someone in Tanjung Malim. With over 700 species of indigenous species in the nursery, James is very popular with the local government and our neighbour across the causeway. So he is really booked out with bulk orders. To get trees from him, I think we ought to combine our orders to make it worth his effort. James is a good source because he knows his trees very well and can recommend suitable ones for a place like Tanarimba. Email treespth@tm.net.my

Yes, we shouldn't just choose any tree species but should should those that would naturally fit the area. So, the coconut tree would not do and neither would the Indian Mango nor the hibiscus - our national flower. I would recommend we choose species that are suited for Tanarimba and would be agreeable to the birds and other critters in the land.

And how would one go about it? Go speak to James or seek out websites like www.wildasia.org, etc. 

Only 20% of land for building

That's the rule. The land status is Agriculture and so we are allowed to only build our house on 20% of the land area.

And the rest of the 80% is to be left 'unbuilt'. And if we follow (I hope we all do) the proclamation of the developer that Tanarimba shall be an ecologically friendly development (and I reason why most of us chose to live here), then I would recommend that we keep the rest of the 80% as-is.

What's as-is?.... scroll down and read the old articles on this Blog.

Read between the lines....