On January 1 the first day of the new year this year, I woke up with a very positive attitude, despite microplastics. Although we enjoyed the turn of the year night with friends until quite late, I chose to stick to my diet, not to drink alcohol, not to eat after 8pm, and of course, not to smoke. Having fun, does not require abusing my body, I thought, or putting my health at risk, after all. 

So, this morning, I woke up without a hangover. Instead, I had a very positive and optimistic attitude. To the extent that I even went for a swim, despite the sea water cold, but extremely refreshing, temperature. In the clear blue waters, observing the fish and sun reflection on the sea bottom, among other things, I thought, well, about climate change. If climate change is here to stay for the next few decades (depends on us really), I wondered, instead of trying to fight it, why not make it our partner and make the most out of it?

For one thing, the weather is warmer, drier and more moderate. No extreme heat or cold during the year – with the exception of the summers, of course, which are heating up considerably, almost unbearably in many parts of the world. Also, not counting the days that some areas of the planet cope with extreme weather events and catastrophes. 

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a Washington, DC global yearly surface temperature has been in the rise since the 1940s and the global average surface temperature has increased by 1 degree Celsius since pre-industrial era (1800 to 1900).

Temperature increases as global emissions of greenhouse gases also increase. According to 2022 Global Climate Report from NOAA National Center for Environmental Information, 2022 was the world’s 6th warmest year on record (1880 to 2022). Further, every month of 2022 ranked among the ten warmest for that month.

Therefore, in general, there is no doubt, that except for extreme weather events that will certainly affect the daily routine of many communities around the planet, in more frequency and intensity, we should expect warm weather and late winters. 

With this moderate weather expected, people who travel south to warmer climates, don’t really need to travel anymore, as these areas are now more vulnerable to hurricanes or other extreme weather events due to rising temperatures. These people could choose to stay and enjoy the warm weather at home. That potentially cuts down considerable travel, primarily, air travel. It also brings people closer, as people don’t leave home but make more contacts in the neighborhood, and get to know their neighborhood better.

Cutting down on travel – air or land – may be a considerable intervention to reduce emissions as, according to scientists, they affect the rising temperatures.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 65% of global GHG emissions come from carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. Transportation was responsible in 2010 for 15% of global GHG emissions, including road, rail, air and marine transportation. They rely by 95% on petroleum-based fuels. Even electric vehicles that charge from the grid, most of that electricity, in most cities, comes from burning fossil fuels. According to NOAA, in 2022, global average carbon dioxide set a new record high reaching 417.06 parts per million. Nearly 50% higher than the average before the Industrial Revolution.

The moderate weather is also encouraging more physical activity outdoors. More walking and biking for local commute and travel of short distances. No need to take the car. Walking and biking encourages more physical exercise, which pollutes less and builds a healthier body. Being healthier, also means, less visits to the doctors, and less need for medication.

Let’s start placemaking, making cities safer for walking

The benefits are obvious. Once in a routine of physical exercise, then more benefits come. Like, walking longer distances, getting to know your local neighbors and shops, stop and talk to people, get more accustomed to where you live.

Become, what Jane Jacobs used to call, the ‘eyes of the street’. The benefits are again obvious. More people walking the streets, less crime on the streets, more local businesses, less need for travel longer distances. More people on the streets of the neighborhood, more urban furniture and public interventions can take place by the community through Placemaking. Therefore, we can grow better neighborhoods and more resilient communities.

According to the World Health Organization all physical activity counts. It can be done as part of work, sport and leisure or transport (walking, wheeling and cycling), preferably on a daily basis. On the other hand, too much sedentary behavior can be unhealthy.

It increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and type-2 diabetes. According to the WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior, 150 to 300 of physical activity per week and 60-minutes moderate aerobic physical activity per day, offers significant health benefits and mitigate health risks for children, adolescents, adults and older adults. The Guidelines ‘At a Glance’ can be a great handbook to start changing habits this new year.

Moderate weather also cuts down the need for more clothing. Which, reduces our need to shop more, either online or in shops, cutting down on travel emissions for us, and considerable emissions from the production and delivery of products from one end of the globe to another.

Changing our attitude and habits, will also send a new message to the clothing industry to cut down on (over) production and perhaps focus on quality and endurance of products with less synthetic materials, which also pollute our air and water. Rather than spend more to increase production and then try to sell.

According to a report by the BBC, the fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions, as new fashion trends aim for fast fashion, and cheap, mass-produced clothing with new lines being released constantly. GHG emissions are not the only impact of clothing over-production and over-consumption on the planet. Cotton for the fashion industry uses about 2.5% of world’s farmland. Synthetic materials, such as polyester, require up to 342 million barrels of oil annually.

Washing polyester clothes releases microfibers that contribute by more than 30% to global microplastics pollution. Dying of clothes requires 43 million tons of chemicals annually. Clothing production also uses a lot of water. A t-shirt, for example, requires 2,700 litres of water and a pair of jeans 10,000 litres of water. The list goes on.

At work, moderate weather allows people to be outdoors more. To walk, or bike to work. Also, to even open a window at the office – if operable windows are available – increasing natural ventilation and refreshing indoor air. As a result, productivity increases at work, and allows people to leave work on time, and spend more free time outdoors, with family and friends, enjoying the good weather in the neighborhood.

According to the World Green Building Council, staff costs, including salaries and benefits, typically account for about 90% of business operating costs. Therefore, increasing air quality at work may appear a modest improvement in employee health or productivity. However, it can have a significant financial benefit for employers.

Often more, than any other financial savings associated with efficiently designing and operating an office building. Improving indoor air quality (IAQ) through high ventilation rates and low concentrations of CO2 and pollutants, may improve productivity by 8-11%. 

At home, more sunshine days means we can solar heat water for showers, without consuming energy. Also, if we have south facing windows, we can passive solar heat the living space from the sun. We can also use the warm outdoor air to refresh and ventilate our home indoor air by opening windows, without the need for a mechanical system and without consuming energy.

Moderate weather also encourages less need for heating, therefore less emissions from burning fossil fuels. Also, moderate weather encourages more outdoor activity. More engagement with the outdoors, may lead perhaps to adopting new habits, such as gardening and growing our own vegetables and managing our organic waste in a composter in our garden. The benefits are obvious, considering the pollution and land appropriation for landfills, the pollution from emissions and particles in the air from garbage truck traffic in our neighborhood streets, not to mention noise and the potential for traffic jams and accidents. Also consider how we contribute in reducing the chemicals harming the rivers and lakes from industrially produced fertilizers (remember ‘The Silent Spring’?). Organic fertilizers will benefit our garden, our neighborhood and our city. And of course, the nearest river or lake or sea.

According to the US Department of Energy solar water heaters can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for home use. They can be used in any climate and the only fuel they use, sunshine, is free. They also have some smart suggestions about further energy-saving strategies to lower heating bills, if a back-up system is required. As a matter of fact, some hotels are not only heating water for showers from the sun, but also heating pools and heat water for the kitchen, from solar systems. 

According to the University of Georgia, a well-tended, fruitful garden can supply a family with a variety of nutritious, healthful fresh vegetables. Gardening can be a rewarding hobby, and a way to improve physical fitness. Fresh garden vegetables can supplement quality fresh, frozen or canned vegetables of bought food at the local market, or supermarket.

Composting is nature’s way of recycling. Many cities around the world encourage citizens to compost and provide the infrastructure for individual or municipal composting. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency composting is one of the most powerful actions one can take to reduce trash, address climate change, and build healthy soil. By turning food scraps and yard trim into compost, we transform our waste streams into a beneficial, value-added soil amendment and use it to protect the environment and create resilient communities.

Having a composter at home involves minimal effort, equipment, expense, and expertise and can be fun. You benefit by building healthier soil, preventing soil erosion, conserving water, and improving plant growth in your garden and yard. If you wish to compost but you lack the space, it is possible to join local municipal or community composting programs. It is worth finding out and start composting! 

A more moderate weather, may also change our psychology, and make us more contemplative and aware of nature around us. Perhaps this will make us also more attuned to the surrounding ecology and more sensitive to our daily routine. To be more balanced, more accommodating to other people, and perhaps running our lives with more intention. Be more present and appreciative of the ‘now’, enjoy, respect, and honor the ‘now’ and the good that it has inherently, even if we are obliged to deal with a crisis or a problem. Because, like the climate crisis, every crisis has its inherent solution built-in its DNA. This is where we need to focus and find the positive in the negative. 

I invite you to read how I chose to start the new year by reducing microplastics in the sea and seashore in my marine-dependent community with one simple move. It is easy and I encourage you to do it too.

Obviously, there is a lot more to be done to address the climate crisis. But, walking on the moon took one first step. Walking the talk, will lead to more appetite for more, and more initiatives will be born. Once we are in the ‘solution’ – rather than the ‘problem’ – mindset, the rest will follow. Once we tackle the low-hanging fruits, it is easy to come up with more solutions. Solutions that do not require investing in expensive and complicated technologies. The solutions are simple, and inherent in us. We don’t need more to solve the crisis. 

So, join me in closing this year with the right foot(print) and the right attitude for our lives, our loved-ones and for the planet. 

——————–

Elias Messinas a Yale-educated architect, urban planner and author, creator of ECOWEEK and Senior Lecturer at the Design Faculty of HIT, where he teaches sustainable design and coordinates the EU Horizon program SINCERE, which aims to optimize the carbon footprint of cultural heritage buildings, through innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective restoration materials and practices, energy harvesting, ICT tools and socially innovative approaches. www.ecoama.com and www.ecoweek.org

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For the past three months we’ve been living on a Greek island, Aegina island, a marine-dependent community and  economy. In my morning walks along the sea front, I meet neighbors, dog owners, couples, and joggers, who enjoy the outdoors in a climate-changed warm winter.  

My walk passes by rocky and sandy beaches, and small docks with fishing boats. It also passes by sculptures by renowned artists Yiannis Moralis, and Christos Kapralos, the former residence of author of “Zorba the Greek”, Nikos Kazantzakis, overlooking the Saronic sea.

I also pass by the Bouzas lighthouse, exquisite chapels like Aghia Filothei and Agioi Apostoloi, studios of artists, like Christos Kapralos and Nikos Nikolaou, and the former residences of archaeologists Gabriel Welter, and Belle Mazur, who studied and published the ancient mosaic of the local synagogue dating from the 4th century CE. 

The morning walk is like a history tour. With such a legacy on the island, it is difficult to remain indifferent when encountering a plastic bag or a plastic bottle or a white piece of polystyrene foam stuck between the rocks or lying on the sand on the seashore. Especially near one of these important cultural heritage sites. 

Living in a sea-dependent community, one realizes the practical meaning of the Cradle-to Cradle cycles. The technical cycle, such as the manmade environment, where waste must be carefully disposed and reused. The biological cycle, or the natural environment, where organic waste free of chemicals is absorbed back into the natural ecosystems. Biological cycles can also be generated by human activity, like composting household organic waste at home. 

In reality, keeping the two cycles apart, seems like a Herculean feat, especially in communities  who still struggle with basic household waste management. So, the system has flaws. Leading to waste entering the biological or natural cycle, in particular the marine environment, and in particular, through plastic waste pollution. It may prove to be a ticking bomb, as polluting  marine life and habitats in the sea and seashore threatens the human food chain through the  consumption of local fish. 

This local community of 14,000, growing to 40,000 or more in the summer, is a small  percentage of the global more-than 6.4 billion people who live in coastal communities in 192  countries. Collectively, they generate 99.5 million tons of plastic waste discarded within 50 km of the ocean. Although, 8.3 billion tons of plastics were produced in the past sixty years, only  9.5% were recycled. The numbers are certainly a reason to worry. With an estimated 150  million tons of plastic already polluting the world’s oceans, 9.1 million tons are added every  year, with an estimated growth of 5% annually. Studies estimate that by 2025 plastics will be  equal to one third of fish (by weight), and in 2050, plastic waste will weigh more than fish  stock.  

Plastics in the sea, decompose and break into tiny fragments, called microplastics, that threaten sea life. Plastic waste pollutes the beaches and is often riding the waves. But, can also sink in the seafloor, affecting marine organisms in their reproduction. Plastic waste may cause  injuries and death of marine species. Studies show that plastic waste has affected at least 267 species worldwide. Further, the human food chain, and the local economy, are also affected,  as coastal tourism is directly dependent on the quality and health of fish, sea and seashore. 

As I observe plastic polystyrene pieces and fragments, plastic bottles, bottle cups, straws, lighters, ropes, hangers, wraps, bags, and wrappers, in my morning walks, I often try to  imagine ways of dealing with this worrying issue. I would prioritize the reduction of plastic  production and consumption. Some countries, like Canada, are already considering such moves, although the COVID pandemic caused a serious regression in phasing out single-use  plastics in many countries. 

Another solution would be to substitute plastics with bio-degradable materials. On the island some businesses already use bio-degradable bags. However, most businesses still opt for the cheap plastic choice. Education is key in raising awareness to prevent irresponsible disposal of  plastics. Education can also encourage people to substitute single-use plastics and plastic  products in their daily routine. 

Local and national governments could tax the use of specific plastic products, considering the  damage they cause at local marine ecosystems. I often think of the day when consumers’ IDs  will be printed on the plastic product, container or wrapper, and consumers would be subject to fines. Finally, the day may come when plastics are banned, or replaced by bio-based  alternatives. 

These actions would certainly tackle the problem. However, they would take may years to  realize and bring results. This is why many organizations choose immediate action. 

For example, the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation in collaboration with the Netherlands based design firm The New Raw, have initiated the BlueCycle initiative to collect and reuse plastic waste from shipping and fishing activities. They create raw material to produce high quality 3D printed urban furniture and other design products. [Listen to ECOWEEK Green Talks podcast with architect Panos Sakkas of The New Raw]

Prague-based NGO PETMAT focuses on the reuse of plastics, in the form of recycled PET in 3D printing of architectural projects, in creating the ‘PET(b)rick’ through recycled plastic blow molding, and through design pieces constructed of empty water bottles. [Listen to ECOWEEK Green Talks podcast with Katerina Novakova of PETMAT]

The Polish Recycling Band young musicians build and perform in instruments created in collaborative workshops, by using plastic containers that otherwise would be sent to a landfill, or pollute the sea. 

At ECOWEEK workshops, we guided young architects and designers to engage in circular  practices in design and reuse waste such as plastic bottles, furniture, ceramic pots, wood, and wooden decks and pallets. They used these materials to upgrade the school yard of a public  elementary school in Crete, Greece and to construct a wooden outdoor exhibition space in  an urban park in Milano, Italy. 

There is also much to do on an individual level. For example, at the island, in my morning  walks, when I see plastic waste by the sea, I stop and collect it. It has become part of my daily  routine, a sort of meditation that does good both ways. It is also a great way to socialize. One  morning, for example, I was joined by two young activists from Canada.

Cyrielle Noel and Georgina Faber are both active environmental advocates who engage in marine and coastal planning and design, research and consultation, and community engagement. 

Through Eau daCité, their social enterprise, they reconnect cities, citizens, and companies to their original source of urbanization: waterways. Eau daCité promotes waterway literacy, activate sustainable development and connect social ecological transformation. 

Inspired by this unexpected visit this Christmas, I invite readers to join me in Greece, or create your own group in your community, to remove plastics from the marine environment.  It is truly fulfilling and empowering to know that you can intervene in reducing plastic  pollution right now. To clean up natural ecosystems and reduce human exposure to plastic  pollution. We can make our world a cleaner and better place. 

—-

Elias Messinas a Yale-educated architect, urban planner and author, creator of ECOWEEK and Senior Lecturer at the Design Faculty of HIT, where he teaches sustainable design and coordinates the new SINCERE EU Horizon program, which aims to optimize the carbon footprint of cultural heritage buildings, through innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective restoration materials and practices, energy harvesting, ICT tools and socially innovative approaches. www.ecoama.com and www.ecoweek.org

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The word Ecology combines two Greek words: oikos (οίκος, meaning ‘house’ or ‘dwelling place’) and logos (λόγος, meaning ‘the study of’). It describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time.  To achieve this, we need to keep materials in cycles of reuse, and reduce the need for new extractions and the production of waste.

Architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart in their revolutionary book ‘Cradle-to-Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things’ (2002) present how to adopt a circular economy model through design and science. Their work and examples of circular practices in architecture and industry, are presented in the 2002 documentary film ‘The Next Industrial Revolution’ by directors Shelley Morhaim and Christopher Bedford.

The construction sector plays an important role in the economy. In Europe, it generates almost 10 % of GDP and provides 20 million jobs. It also requires vast amounts of resources, producing greenhouse gas emissions in material extraction, manufacturing, transportation and construction. It is estimated at 5-12% of total national greenhouse gas emissions. Here I write about the problem with deep sea mining for concrete. 

In terms of waste, construction and demolition waste amount to about 35% of total waste generation, and about 50% of all extracted materials. In Europe, construction and demolition waste recycling is about 50%, although some EU countries recycle up to 90%. Circular economy in the EU is a growing sector with around 4 million jobs.

The EU – and the rest of the world – aiming towards 50% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in order to reach the Paris commitment of keeping a global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. 

The construction sector requires bold moves by architects and designers to comply with this global goal. Not only towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions of producing new materials, but reducing waste production and illegal disposal of construction waste in nature, as well. 

Circular practices – reuse of materials, reuse of construction waste, building materials disassembly, materials passport, urban mining for materials and others – are the way to go (see Rotterdam). Design for product and materials reuse and upcycling. To reach these ambitious goals one needs to start small and grow. Like the interior restoration project for the synagogue Kahal Shalom, on the island of Kos in the Aegean sea, in Greece. A small project aligning with a global ambition.

Inspired by leading architects on circular practices in Europe, such as Superuse studio and Rau Architects, this project explores the common ground between historic research, restoration and sanctity.

Applying Jewish laws in upcycling

According to Halakhah (Laws guiding Jewish life), based on the sanctity hierarchy of the Temple of Jerusalem, sanctity of a synagogue and its liturgical objects, requires upcycling. For example, a simple closet can be turned into an Aron Hakodesh, but not the opposite. Also, a simple desk can be turned into a Bimah. In a magical way, the reuse of these objects, based on a circular economy principle, raises their sanctity. These objects become at the same time more holy and the project more ecological. In other words, sanctity meet ecology on the Greek island of Kos.

The island of Kos is located in the Dodecanese complex in the eastern Aegean, near the coast of Turkey, near the island of Rhodes. It is known as the island of Hippocrates, the ‘father’ of medicine, who was born in Kos in 460 BCE. The island was under Italian rule from 1912 until 1943 and under German occupation between 1943 and 1945. In 1948, Kos and the Dodecanese, were incorporated to the Greek State.

In early 2022, with the increase of Israeli tourism on the island, the Municipality of Kos saw the need for a functioning synagogue to serve the growing demand for services and ceremonies. Until then, the alternative would be the nearby synagogue Kahal Shalom in Rhodes. 

The synagogue Kahal Shalom in Kos, was designed in 1935 by Italian architects Armando Bernabiti and Rodolfo Petracco, and constructed by the Italian firm “De Martis-Sardelli”, in the Italian Colonial style. Kahal Shalom synagogue was erected after the previous synagogue of 1747 was destroyed in the earthquake of April 1933, which destroyed most of the island.

The Nazis made the Jews abandon their holy site

The synagogue functioned until the Nazis arrested, deported and annihilated the Jewish community in July 1944. After Liberation the synagogue was abandoned. In 1984 it was endangered with demolition. The Municipality, took a bold step and purchased the synagogue to preserve it as a cultural and exhibition hall. In 2022, in collaboration with the Central Board of Jewish Communities, a decision was made to restore the interior of the synagogue to serve, in a mixed-use, as a synagogue and a cultural center. Thus, serving tourists during the tourist and holiday season, and the local community during the rest of the year.

I am an architect and expert in the architecture, history, and restoration of Greek synagogues who undertook the restoration design and have been researching and documenting Greek synagogues for over 30 years. Since 2016, with my team of local expert architects, we have successfully restored the Monastirioton central synagogue and Yad LeZikaron synagogue in Thessaloniki (with KARD Architects D. Raidis and A. Kouloukouris), the Yavanim synagogue in Trikala (with Petros Koufopoulos), and are advancing the construction of a protective roof over the mosaic of an ancient Romaniote synagogue on the island of Aegina, dating from the 4th century CE (with engineer Argyris Chatzidis).

I also consult the Ministry of Culture in Greece, towards the enrichment of the official Archaeological Registry with more than 300 new entries of Jewish monuments and sites throughout Greece.

The restoration of the synagogue was based on research on Italian synagogues – including the Patras synagogue (1917) furnishings on display at the Jewish Museum of Greece in Athens, and the synagogue Conegliano Veneto (1701) at the Museum of Italian Jewish Art in Jerusalem. The synagogue design was also based on circular practices, primarily, through the reuse of existing furniture as a way to raise their sanctity, and reduce waste in the process. In addition, the project was both more economical and faster to implement.

The design process in a nut shell: once the commission proceeded, the initial attempt of the architect was to order furniture from one of the synagogue furniture suppliers in Israel. As the furniture was produced in Ukraine, the Russian invasion made delivery schedules unpredictable. Further, the total cost was beyond the set budget. The architect then tried to find existing historic furniture to reuse from demolished synagogues in Greece, Turkey, Italy and the US. Once this option was exhausted unsuccessfully, the architect suggested using existing furniture: an office closet for the Aron Hakodesh and an old wooden office desk for the Bimah.

The furniture, originally in use and in storage at the offices of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, was recruited for the task. For the remodeling of existing furniture, the architect also consulted with the Chief Rabbi of Thessaloniki Aaron Israel, who confirmed the remodeling as Halahically acceptable as long as the sanctity of the furniture was upward: from regular furniture to synagogue sacred furniture, and not the opposite.

Based on detailed remodeling drawings, the carpenter Manos-Tsiaousi Co. based in Serres – NE of Thessaloniki, was chosen for the implementation. A local contractor undertook some light work to enhance the interior restoration. The work was completed in less than four months, and nearly half the cost of ordering new furniture. The synagogue was ready on time for the summer tourist season for the island, and was officially re-dedicated in July 2023.

Today, this small synagogue of 124 sq. m. sanctifies the circular practice of reusing existing furniture in the most profound way. It applies the principles of sustainability in a religious building, such as a synagogue, and as a result not only sanctifies the space and furnishings, but it also protects ecology and aligns human activity to the limitations of the planet, as well. 

The synagogue Kahal Shalom is open for visits and services. NGO ‘Ippokratis’, whose offices are located in the former rabbi residence adjacent to the synagogue, can be contacted regarding upkeep and visit to the synagogue. The Greek book “Kahal Shalom: The synagogue of Kos” by Messinas was published on the occasion of the completion of the project, to fully present the history of the synagogue and the process of restoration. An English translation of the book is in preparation.

Link to Messinas, E. 2023. “Kahal Shalom: The synagogue of Kos”, Kos in Greek (links to PDF)

Author

Elias Messinas is a Yale-educated architect, urban planner and author, creator of ECOWEEK and Senior Lecturer at the Design Faculty of HIT, where he teaches sustainable design and coordinates the new SINCERE EU Horizon program, which aims to provide the tools for optimizing the carbon footprint and energy performance of cultural heritage buildings, by utilizing innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective restoration materials and practices, energy harvesting technologies, ICT tools and socially innovative approaches. . www.ecoama.com and www.ecoweek.org

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The excellent article on Green Prophet: Deep sea mining and killing the seas so you can drive an electric car was timely and extremely relevant. Deep sea mining is not only taking place for minerals and metals, but also for a very basic element found on the sea bed: sand.

One of the most common uses of beach or sea sand in general, is in construction. Sand is one of the ingredients in the production of concrete and other building materials. Concrete is made up of a mixture of water, cement, and aggregate, which is composed of crushed rock, gravel and sand. Sea sand is also used as a raw material in the glass, silicon and ceramic industries and for land restoration. 

The construction industry consumes about 4 billion tons of cement every year and 40 billion tons of sand for construction. The total use of sand worldwide is estimated at 50 billion tons annually. The dredging industry for sand is active in South China Sea, the North Sea and the East Coast of the United States, according to the University of Geneva, with China, the Netherlands, the United States and Belgium being the most active countries in this field. Interestingly enough, although deserts have plenty of sand, the desert sand is unsuitable for construction. Its rounded faces and high dust content, give concrete of very low quality, that does not comply with the industry standards.

Regulating sand mining from the seas

Sand is one of the world’s most consumed natural resource on the planet, after water. But, despite the damage it causes, it is still unregulated. According to the UN the practice is unsustainable and could irreparably affect marine life. Pascal Penducci, director of UNEP’s Global Resources Database, described the marine sand dredging as a “giant vacuum cleaner”, draining the seabed by removing all the micro-organisms that support sea life.

Consider, what the ISS reports: “state developments in Morocco require an estimated 30 million tons of sand every year. Coastal sand along the western seaboard and Mediterranean is increasingly extracted, legally and illegally, by both registered companies and traffickers. The result is a series of lunar-like landscapes along Morocco’s coastline, which damages fragile ecosystems and increases the vulnerability of infrastructure to storms and rising sea levels.”

The ECOWEEK week of lectures, films and design workshops address design and construction practices and promote sustainable design and circular practices primarily among graduate and undergraduate students of architecture and design in 17 countries.

In 2018, ECOWEEK hosted the Today Tomorrow project of EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) in Tel Aviv. Within this collaboration the film “Sand Wars” was screened. Released in 2013 it is directed by Denis Delestrac.

The film “Sand Wars” tracks the contractors, smugglers and property developers hoarding sand from legal or illegal mining on sea shores and sea bed dredging. It presents the unsuccessful efforts by Municipalities, draining municipal budgets, to replenish seashores with sand. Only to be washed away, due to the voids created by deep sea mining. The film also presents the struggle of local communities to protect their sea shore residences from coastal erosion and damage and the loss of coastal shorelines, caused by sand extraction from the sea and shores.

If electric cars are a luxury – as compared to other modes of sustainable transportation, such as, public buses, light rail, bicycles and walking – mining sand for concrete is essential for construction. Especially, when trying to cope with destruction caused by earthquakes or floods. Building in concrete seems like an inevitable choice for relative resilience. However, the increasing use of concrete, and sand mining, makes cities more vulnerable and destroys ecosystems that support life. Read about this Israeli desert sand dunes being cleared for concrete.

Like in every story, there may be a happy end in this story too: recycled glass. Recycled glass is obtained from recycling old and waste glass. Glass can be recycled endlessly without affecting quality and purity, through crashing, melting and blending with other materials. Unlike desert sand, recycling glass is an acceptable replacement to sea sand for construction.

The recycled glass market is estimated at $1.1B USD. It is low carbon, requires lower energy consumption, lower melting temperature, and less wear and tear on the manufacturing furnace. In terms of volume it is estimated at about 40,000 tons annually.

From grassroots initiatives like the recycling program “Glass Half Full” in Louisiana, to major industries, recycled glass is widely used in the food and beverages, automotive, healthcare, aerospace and defense industries. It is also used in construction. To provide more recycled glass for construction, an increase in the practice of glass recycling, is needed. More government and municipal initiatives and regulations in waste management are needed, raising public awareness and encouraging more initiatives in that direction by local industries.

Many cities today are engaged in urban renewal. This involves extensive demolition of existing buildings. Yet, with a disappointingly low rate of recycling and reclaiming of old materials, such as glass. Regulating demolition – and increasing refurbishment and retrofit, would considerably reduce construction waste, and wisely utilize the embodied carbon from producing these products in the first place. Less demolition would also reduce the need for new construction and use of concrete and sand.

Related: Peak sand

There is no doubt that the debate is relevant and urgent today. Not only, among architects and designers. But, among municipalities as well. With recycling rates ranging from 10 to 90%, there is a long way to go to reach 50% reduction in carbon by 2030 and zero carbon by 2050. And to reduce waste, particularly construction waste, estimated at one third of total waste.

Architectural practices, such as the Dutch Superuse Studio and architect Thomas Rau, are leading the way on circular design in small and large scale projects, materials passports for buildings and reuse of waste, from wood to wind turbines at the end of their lifetime (20 years). 

It is time for other architects and designers to take the lead too. To seriously reconsider the impact of design and construction on the planet. To consider only specifying construction methods that are local, low-carbon, low-impact and circular. Even start putting a cap on construction, densifying and utilizing existing buildings and reducing the floor area of modern apartments, as alternative construction methods and materials are becoming limited and the need to reduce the carbon footprint of construction is becoming imperative. 

The debate on the impact of the construction industry is complex yet essential. It certainly must engage professionals more than just designing planters on the balconies or the roofs, or specifying recycled wood for façade facing. These are nice gestures, but view them more like a “greenwash”. And compare them to the unregulated and unprecedented destruction of life and ecosystems taking place with every single new concrete formwork.

Elias Messinas is a Yale-educated architect and urban planner, creator of ECOWEEK and Senior Lecturer at HIT. He completed this year the interior restoration of an historic synagogue in Greece, based on circular practices. Although small in scale, it reduced waste, new raw materials and the budget by nearly 50%.

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