British “Architects Declare” Push for Bio Diverse Buildings Worldwide, UK Announces Plan to Pay Farmers to Fight Climate Change, Northern Ireland to Plant 1 Million Trees by 2030, Lab-Grown Meat Sales Approved

UK ARCHITECTS CALL ON COLLEAGUES TO DECLARE A CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY EMERGENCY

British rchitects Steve Tompkins and Michael Pawlyn have founded the group, Architects Declare. It’s a network of architectural practices committed to addressing the climate and biodiversity emergency. According to Architects Declare, the twin crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss are the most serious issue of our time. Buildings and construction play a major part, accounting for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions while also having a significant impact on our natural habitats.

The group agrees that to everyone working in the construction industry, figuring out how to meet the needs of modern society without breaching the earth’s ecological boundaries will demand a paradigm shift in behavior. The goal is, together with their clients, architects will need to commission and design buildings, cities and infrastructures as indivisible components of a larger, constantly regenerating and self-sustaining system.

So far, over 1,040 architects and architectural firms have signed on. Now under the wider banner of ‘Construction Declares’, it has now spread to more than 20 different countries, with over 5,000 signatories..

DEEPER DIVE: ArchitectsDeclare, The Guardian

UK FARMERS SOON TO BE PAID TO RESTORE NATURAL HABITATS 

The UK government announced “the biggest farming shake-up in last 50 years”. UK farms will be paid to create woodlands, improve soil, restore land habitats and reduce pesticide use on their land.

The current 1.6 billion POUND subsidy farmers receive every year will be phased out by 2028. Moving forward, the farmers will receive the funds to help improve the land’s overall biodiversity. Farmers will also receive grants to boost productivity and increase animal welfare.

Occupying roughly 70% of England’s land, farming is the largest contributor to the nation’s biodiversity loss and creates  a significant amount of greenhouse gas and water pollution. Reported by the Guardian, the goal of the government initiative is for farmers to produce healthy and lucrative food with sustainable means and without subsidies.

DEEPER DIVE: The Guardian

NORTHERN IRELAND WATER TO PLANT ONE MILLION TREES ON ITS PROPERTIES BY 2031

Northern Ireland Water has announced plans to plant one million trees on its estate and hopes to complete the work within a decade. All the trees will be native species and most will be deciduous broadleaves. It will contribute to an overall UK proposal to plant 18 million trees over the next 10 years. From January 2021 almost 15,000 trees will be planted on land bordering NI Water’s Fofanny Dam and water treatment works outside Hilltown.

Northern Ireland is one of the least wooded areas in Europe, with about 8% tree cover. A further 25,000 will be planted next to the Dunore Water Treatment Works in County Antrim. The work will be done under the guidance of the Woodland Trust. Its chief executive, Ian McCurley, said the idea was to plant the “right tree in the right place” for carbon sequestration and to improve biodiversity. Environmental impact assessments will be done on every site where planting is planned.

NI Water’s Alistair Jinks said AS the second biggest landowner in Northern Ireland the utility believed it could help with progress on climate action. Another 220,000 trees will be planted in a second phase by March 2022 subject to funding approval with the rest happening in subsequent years.

DEEPER DIVE: BBC

LAB-GROWN MEAT APPROVED FOR RETAIL SALE FOR THE FIRST TIME…

As a landmark moment in the industry, a lab-grown meat has been approved to go on sale by a regulatory authority for the first time. Reported by the Guardian, the cultured meat is manufactured by the US company Eat Just and approved by the Singapore Food Agency.

The cultivated meat is produced in bioreactors and combined with plant-based ingredients. One of the largest contributors of the greenhouse gas methane is agricultural livestock and a transition towards plant-based diets can help mitigate global warming FROM greenhouse gas emissions.

The Singapore Food Agency said the approval expands future opportunities to produce all meat without the killing of animals as millions of chickens, cows, and pigs are slaughtered for consumption every day. The next challenge is to get regulatory approval for sales in other nations.

DEEPER DIVE: The Guardian