PRINCIPLE 6:

Minimise pollution of Air, Soil and Water

Minimise Greenhouse Gas Emissions:

The combustion of fossil fuels is the major generator of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). To achieve government targets for the reduction of CO2 emissions consideration should be given to:

• recommending urban forms and buildings that reduce the need for transport;
• encouraging a reduction in energy demand by maximising passive thermal comfort, using renewable energy and re-evaluating design comfort criteria;
• encouraging the use of renewable energy sources;
• recommending the most efficient and environmentally sustainable fuel sources;
• encouraging the use of materials and products which, in their processing and re-processing, use a minimum of embodied energy over their lifecycle;
• reduce the emission of other greenhouse gases by minimising the demand for their production and facilitating their re-use

Curtail Ozone Depletion:

Ensure compliance with the Montreal Protocol, the Ozone Depletion Act 1990 and other current legislation. Further minimize discharges of ozone-depleting substances by avoiding:

• refrigeration, air-conditioning, water-heating and heat-pump systems using CFCs (Chloroflurocarbons) or HCFCs;
• insulation, furniture and packaging foams manufactured with CFCs or HCFCs;
• aerosol systems using CFCs or HCFCs;
• halon fire extinguishers or systems and testing of existing halon-based systems

Minimise pollution generally by

• minimizing chemical pollution and discharges, particularly those arising from treatment of buildings, materials and soil;
• employing erosion and siltation control and concrete wash retention strategies during construction;
• minimising stormwater and effluent run-off using strategies such as porous pavements, stormwater retention ponds and recharge bores;
• segregating contaminated stormwater for rehabilitation;
• minimising the need for water, fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides by using appropriate low-maintenance local plant species;
• preventing leakages to ground-water from sources such as underground waste disposal;
•  considering the pollution which results from extraction, processing and manufacture, when selecting building materials;
• minimising the generation of waste, avoiding non-recyclable disposable elements and employing demolition/recycling strategies.