London's mayor has launched a vision of a green future for the UK's capital city with buildings shrouded in lush vegetation, populated by wildlife and powered by hydrogen, not fossil fuels.
Ken Livingstone's "blueprint for a sustainable London" attempts to make London the world's most sustainable city and could see developments refused planning permission unless tough new environmental targets are met.
Livingstone wants renewable energy sources incorporated into all new buildings and developers to soften the hard edges of their structures with hanging gardens, roof gardens and bird boxes to keep buildings cool and draw wildlife into the city.
The initiative comes amid growing frustration at national efforts to improve the sustainability of the UK's buildings, which are estimated to account for half of greenhouse gas emissions.
A survey of architects revealed that half believe conditions for sustainable building have worsened under the Labour government. Last week protesters from Greenpeace stormed the deputy prime minister's house and installed solar panels to protest against the lack of progress made in using renewable energy.
livingstone's proposals
Under Livingstone's proposals, at least 30 percent of construction materials should be sourced from within 56km to reduce transport pollution, and he wants housing developments to recycle or compost over a third of their waste by the end of the decade.
His plans have been labelled "radical" by sustainability experts and "on another planet" in comparison with government policies. Livingstone's aims include every development being built on previously used land and that "major developments should be zero carbon emission developments."
He also wants all major developments to incorporate hydrogen or fuel-cell technology and include gas pipes capable of carrying hydrogen. All insulation materials should be from natural materials.
His vision even extends to improving the view of the stars in the night sky by insisting that outdoor lighting be designed to reduce the sodium glow above the city.
strike a balance
"This guidance will help those involved in London's development to make the most of our precious natural resources, minimize nuisances such as noise and pollution and meet the needs of London's diverse population," Livingstone said as he launched a consultation on his proposals, which are set to become planning policy.
The property industry, which is likely to foot the bill, called for "pragmatism."
"Livingstone can't stop the growth of commercial development," said Faraz Baber, spokesman for the British Property Federation. "He needs to strike a balance so that new developments don't become so bureaucratic and expensive that they don't take place."
Livingstone's plans will increase pressure on the government, which has yet to respond to European legislation restricting the environmental impact of buildings.
Publicly-funded homes will need to meet a sustainable buildings code from next April, but it remains voluntary for the private sector.
The plans do not include a system for rating energy performance of buildings, as demanded by Brussels.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
IN PURSUIT: Israel’s defense minister said the revenge attacks by Israeli settlers would make it difficult for security forces to find those responsible for the 14-year-old’s death Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday condemned the “heinous murder” of an Israeli teenager in the occupied West Bank as attacks on Palestinian villages intensified following news of his death. After Benjamin Achimeir, 14, was reported missing near Ramallah on Friday, hundreds of Jewish settlers backed by Israeli forces raided nearby Palestinian villages, torching vehicles and homes, leaving at least one villager dead and dozens wounded. The attacks escalated in several villages on Saturday after Achimeir’s body was found near the Malachi Hashalom outpost. Agence France-Presse correspondents saw smoke rising from burned houses and fields. Mayor Amin Abu Alyah, of the