#Construction cost control services

[asestimationsconsultants]

How Cost Estimating Services Contribute to Construction Project Success

Cost estimating services are fundamental to the construction industry, offering detailed insights into the financial aspects of a project. Whether it’s for a small home renovation or a large-scale commercial development, cost estimation plays a crucial role in ensuring the project’s success. The accuracy and comprehensiveness of a cost estimate can significantly impact a project’s timeline, budget, and overall execution.

In this article, we’ll explore how cost estimating services contribute to construction project success, from accurate budgeting to resource allocation and risk management.

1. Accurate Budget Development

One of the core functions of cost estimating services is the creation of an accurate project budget. By analyzing various factors like material costs, labor rates, and equipment expenses, these services provide detailed, reliable cost projections that help project owners, contractors, and stakeholders set realistic financial expectations.

A well-constructed budget is the backbone of any successful construction project. It ensures that the project is financially feasible and allows for proper allocation of resources. Without a solid estimate, a project risks overspending, which can result in delays or the need for additional funding.

How it contributes to success:

Ensures that the project is financially feasible from the start.

Helps stakeholders set realistic expectations for the project’s financial scope.

Prevents overspending and ensures that funds are properly allocated.

2. Enhanced Project Planning and Scheduling

Effective project planning relies on accurate cost estimates. Cost estimating services help define the scope of the project and determine the time and resources needed to complete each phase. With a detailed understanding of material quantities, labor requirements, and equipment needs, project managers can create more accurate schedules.

This enables them to allocate resources more efficiently, anticipate potential delays, and stay on track throughout the project. An effective schedule minimizes downtime, helps maintain project momentum, and ensures that the project is completed within the planned timeline.

How it contributes to success:

Facilitates the creation of realistic, achievable project schedules.

Minimizes delays and disruptions through efficient resource allocation.

Keeps the project on track by predicting and managing potential setbacks.

3. Risk Management and Mitigation

Construction projects are often susceptible to risks such as unforeseen expenses, material shortages, and labor delays. Cost estimating services help mitigate these risks by identifying potential issues early on. Estimators can include contingency funds in the budget to account for unexpected events or changes in scope.

By proactively addressing these potential risks, cost estimating services enable project managers to develop strategies to minimize their impact. This can help avoid costly overruns, ensure project continuity, and prevent unnecessary delays.

How it contributes to success:

Anticipates potential risks and integrates contingency planning.

Helps project teams remain prepared for unexpected costs or changes.

Reduces the likelihood of cost overruns and delays due to unforeseen challenges.

4. Improved Communication and Transparency

Clear communication is essential for the smooth running of any construction project. Cost estimating services enhance communication by providing all stakeholders with a transparent breakdown of costs and financial expectations. With a clear estimate, contractors, clients, and subcontractors are all aligned on the financial aspects of the project.

Transparent communication reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings or disputes over financial matters. It fosters trust between project owners and contractors and ensures that all parties have a shared understanding of the project’s budget and timeline.

How it contributes to success:

Promotes clear, open communication among all project stakeholders.

Reduces the risk of conflicts or misunderstandings related to costs.

Fosters trust and collaboration between contractors, clients, and suppliers.

5. Accurate Resource Allocation

Efficient resource allocation is key to keeping a construction project on track. Cost estimating services break down the resources required for each phase of the project, helping contractors determine the necessary quantities of materials, labor, and equipment. This enables them to avoid shortages or waste and ensures that resources are used effectively.

With an accurate understanding of required resources, project managers can schedule labor and material deliveries more effectively, minimizing delays and maximizing productivity. Proper allocation of resources also reduces costs, which helps keep the project within budget.

How it contributes to success:

Ensures the efficient use of resources, minimizing waste and shortages.

Helps schedule deliveries and labor efficiently, avoiding project delays.

Optimizes productivity and keeps the project on budget.

6. Competitive Bidding and Contract Negotiation

Cost estimating services play a critical role in competitive bidding and contract negotiation. By providing accurate and comprehensive estimates, contractors are able to submit well-informed, competitive bids that reflect the true costs of the project. Accurate cost estimates prevent contractors from underbidding or overbidding, which could lead to financial loss or missed opportunities.

For project owners, precise cost estimates help evaluate bids from different contractors, allowing them to select the most cost-effective and reliable option for their project. This transparency ensures that both parties are on the same page, leading to smoother contract negotiations.

How it contributes to success:

Ensures that bids are competitive and aligned with project costs.

Helps contractors submit well-informed and profitable bids.

Enables project owners to select the best contractor based on accurate financial data.

7. Controlling Construction Costs

Construction projects are notorious for cost overruns, often due to poor cost management or unforeseen factors. With cost estimating services, project managers can track costs throughout the project and compare them to the original estimate. Regularly monitoring expenses allows project teams to identify any discrepancies or deviations from the budget and take corrective actions quickly.

This level of control helps ensure that the project remains within financial parameters and that resources are used efficiently. Effective cost control is crucial for maintaining profitability and avoiding budgetary problems.

How it contributes to success:

Helps keep the project within budget by tracking costs in real-time.

Identifies cost discrepancies early, allowing for quick corrective action.

Ensures that financial resources are used efficiently throughout the project.

8. Facilitating Long-Term Success and Sustainability

For construction projects to be successful, they must not only meet immediate goals but also contribute to long-term sustainability. Cost estimating services ensure that the project is financially viable over the long term by accurately forecasting the costs involved in construction, maintenance, and future upgrades.

This long-term approach helps avoid future financial challenges and ensures that the project can be maintained without compromising its quality or functionality. For example, a well-estimated budget will consider ongoing maintenance and operational costs, ensuring that the project continues to provide value after completion.

How it contributes to success:

Ensures the project’s long-term financial sustainability.

Helps anticipate future maintenance and operational costs.

Contributes to a high-quality, durable construction that stands the test of time.

9. Maximizing Profitability

At the core of every construction project is the need to deliver value. Cost estimating services help maximize profitability by ensuring that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards. Accurate estimates help contractors avoid over- or under-spending, ensuring that each project phase is financially managed to generate the most value for all stakeholders.

For project owners, cost estimating services ensure that the project delivers the best return on investment. By accurately predicting costs and staying within budget, the project has the potential to be more profitable and cost-effective in the long run.

How it contributes to success:

Maximizes profitability for contractors and project owners.

Ensures financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

Increases the likelihood of delivering a financially successful project.

Conclusion

Cost estimating services are a cornerstone of construction project success. From creating accurate budgets and managing risks to ensuring effective resource allocation and fostering clear communication, these services provide invaluable support throughout the construction process. By minimizing the risk of cost overruns, facilitating competitive bidding, and maximizing profitability, cost estimating services help ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.

For both contractors and project owners, leveraging professional cost estimating services is an investment that pays off in the form of reduced risks, increased efficiency, and ultimately, a more successful project outcome.

[pejasurveying1]

The Role of a Contractor’s Quantity Surveyor in Managing Project Budgets

Discover how a Contractors Quantity Surveyor expertly manages construction budgets, controls costs, oversees subcontractor agreements, and ensures financial stability for large-scale UK projects. Contact PEJA Surveying to optimise your budgets and achieve successful outcomes.

[reasonsforhope]

Article | Paywall-Free

"The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule Tuesday [October 8, 2024] requiring water utilities to replace all lead pipes within a decade, a move aimed at eliminating a toxic threat that continues to affect tens of thousands of American children each year.

The move, which also tightens the amount of lead allowed in the nation’s drinking water, comes nearly 40 years after Congress determined that lead pipes posed a serious risk to public health and banned them in new construction.

Research has shown that lead, a toxic contaminant that seeps from pipes into the drinking water supply, can cause irreversible developmental delays, difficulty learning and behavioral problems among children. In adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead exposure can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function and cancer.

But replacing the lead pipes that deliver water to millions of U.S. homes will cost tens of billions of dollars, and the push to eradicate them only gathered momentum after a water crisis in Flint, Mich., a decade ago exposed the extent to which children remain vulnerable to lead poisoning through tap water...

The groundbreaking regulation, called the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, will establish a national inventory of lead service lines and require that utilities take more aggressive action to remove lead pipes on homeowners’ private property. It also lowers the level of lead contamination that will trigger government enforcement from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb.

The rule also establishes the first-ever national requirement to test for lead in schools that rely on water from public utilities. It mandates thatwater systems screen all elementary and child-care facilities, where those who are the most vulnerable to lead’s effects — young children — are enrolled, and that they offer testing to middle and high schools.

The White House estimates that more than 9 million homes across the country are still supplied by lead pipelines, which are the leading source of lead contamination through drinking water. The EPA has projected that replacing all of them could cost at least $45 billion.

Lead pipes were initially installed in cities decades ago because they were cheaper and more malleable, but the heavy metal can wear down and corrode over time. President Joe Biden has made replacing them one of his top environmental priorities, securing $15 billion to give states over five years through the bipartisan infrastructure law and vowing to rid the country of lead pipes by 2031. The administration has spent $9 billion so far — enough to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes, the administration said.

On Tuesday, the administration said it was providing an additional $2.6 billion in funding for pipe replacement. Over 367,000 lead pipes have been replaced nationwide since Biden took office, according to White House officials, affecting nearly 1 million people...

Environmental advocates said that former president Donald Trump, who issued much more modest revisions to the lead and copper rule just days before Biden took office, would have a hard time reversing the new standards.

Erik Olson, the senior strategic director for health at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that the Safe Drinking Water Act has provisions prohibiting weakening the health protections of existing standards...

Olson added that the rule “represents a major victory for public health” and will protect millions of people “whose health is threatened every time they fill a glass from the kitchen sink contaminated by lead.”

“While the rule is imperfect and we still have more to do, this is by far the biggest step towards eliminating lead in tap water in over three decades,” he said."

-via The Washington Post, October 8, 2024

[katakaluptastrophy]

What do the Fifth House actually do?

Sure, yes, ghosts and tradition and the Heart of the Emperor, and Watchers Over the River - but none of those things give you the kind of assets that mean you can dress your cavalier in a coat that "probably cost more than the Ninth House had in its coffers" for a dinner party.

It's made clear very early on that the Fifth are a power to be reckoned with. When they first receive the letter about the Lyctoral pilgrimage, Gideon assumes it would be on the Third or Fifth. Harrow, meanwhile, has frequently-repeated anxieties about the Ninth being subsumed by the Third or Fifth, to the point that she worries that the anniversary party invitation may be an attempt to wipe out the other Houses. Teacher describes the Fifth's relationship with the Fourth as "hegemonic". The Fifth loom so large in the cultural imagination, they even inform the name of the made up porn magazine that Gideon offers to Crux.

The links between the Third and the Fifth that both Gideon and Harrow make seem to reflect both the fact that these two Houses have particular power and influence, but also that they frequently cooperate. Judith writes about the close cooperation of the Second, Third, and Fifth, a relationship which becomes a source of tension as the scions seek to establish authority after the Fifth are murdered. Judith says:

“The Fifth are dead. I take authority for the Fifth. I say we need military intervention, and we need it right now. As the highest-ranked Cohort officer present, that decision falls to me.” “A Cohort captain,” said Naberius, “don’t rank higher than a Third official.” “I’m very much afraid that it does, Tern.” “Prince Tern, if you please,” said Ianthe.

Which makes it sound as though Abigail might technically have been considered the highest ranking person at Canaan House (likely because she was head of her House and not an heir in waiting like Judith or Coronabeth), and that following her death there is some question as to whether the Second or the Third should take control, but notably no suggestion that anyone else might.

We know what the Second do: they are the leaders of the Cohort and the Bureau, the military and intelligence that forms the core of imperial expansion. Most of the information that we get about the other Houses talks only about their cultural or ritual roles in the empire - we get very little in the way of gritty details of what happens outside of the Dominicus system.

We know a little bit about what the Third does - according to Tor they are cultural trendsetters and players in soft power, but the one detail we get in GTN itself is revealing: when Gideon imagines her glorious future in the Cohort, one of the assignments she considers boring is the prospect of being "in some foreign city babysitting some Third governor." Which makes it sound rather like the Second are conquering the planets and the Third are then running them. But the books are even lighter in details about what the Fifth do, beyond ghosts and manners.

However, there is one suggestive detail: an important topic in HTN is stele travel - the necromantic FTL used by the Nine Houses. And Mercymorn, in describing a stele, specifically states that Fifth House adepts are required for their construction. Which rather makes it sound like the Fifth have a monopoly on the manufacturer of the technology required for FTL travel. Now that in and of itself could be the basis of their enormous wealth - selling aerospace tech to an ever expansionist military is probably quite lucrative.

But there's another element of House imperialism that only gets mentioned in passing that doesn't seem to be entirely accounted for, which Judith describes in As Yet Unsent:

"Their other line of attack is the business contracts. They claim that the services asked of them by the Emperor were set down in lifetime contracts by previous generations, who assumed the contracts would be terminated upon the Emperor’s death."

There are obviously some unanswered questions about the imperialist project of the Nine Houses - both Augustine and Coronabeth question quite why it works the way it does - but from the above it sounds like in many respects it functions exactly as you would expect an empire to: as a vehicle for the exploitation of others' resources.

Perhaps the Cohort themselves administer these business contracts. Perhaps they fall under the purview of the Third House planetary governors. But if you're exporting resources from the living planets of your empire to the mostly desolate planets of the Dominicus system, you're going to need some FTL ships and a whole lot of bureaucracy.

And if there's one other detail that we get about the Fifth, it's that there is something significant about the political power of their bureaucracy. As Judith puts it: "Quinn himself is a Fifth House bureaucrat with all that entails."

Are the Second, Third, and Fifth so close and so powerful because they form the bedrock of the empire: the conquest, control, and exploitation of planets beyond the Dominicus system?

[angelstate]

Husband!Soap x Wife!Reader.

Husband!Soap is one hell of a lover, he is everything you could ever ask for in a man. He is attentive and caring, he truly appreciates you and loves you in a way that shouldn’t be possible for humans to feel.

He does everything he can to show you just how deeply he feels about you, and it manifests as much in little things as in the big things. For example, your favorite tea is always restocked in the pantry, the washer and dryer are always empty and the clean clothes are neatly folded in your bedroom closet. The bills of the water and electricity services never meet your eye because he pays before you can see the cost of it, he knows you get anxious and worried about that sort of thing.

He is honest about his feelings and you’re always what he has in mind, he likes you and loves you so much to the point he feels like kneeling at your feet and just worships you in every way he can, more than sexually, his love goes beyond that.

you could come up to him one day and tell him that he could never touch again and his feelings wouldn’t falter for one second, he would make do with only being able to admire you like he did for years before he even dared to ask you to be his girlfriend.

Husband!Soap would take the fault for every one of your mistakes, if you break a plate in his parent's house he would say it had been him, if you’re arguing about something he would apologize first, knowing that it wasn’t worth time to yell at each other for something that was a mistake.

He knows you’ll apologize too after you calm down, not wanting to be trapped between high emotions when saying something meaningful to him. you value the control you have over your words and he is a patient man, he would wait a lifetime if it meant to hear you speak so time isn’t wasted with him, every second he experiences your existence is heaven to him.

Husband!Soap hopes for the day the two of you have children, he wants a family with you, wants to build something of himself that is fully constructed in a foundation of love and safety, the one he didn’t necessarily have as a kid.

He wants a big family in the countryside, a view of hills of greenery, tall trees, flowers, and fresh air every morning, to be woken up by the sight of you lying beside him in bed, your pretty face relaxed and messy hair all over your pillow while the sun creeps in from between the curtains, your children sleeping in their bedroom the quietness of the home being something short-lived when they began to wake up, he wants to grow old by your side, raising a beautiful family.

He allows himself to dream about it more than he cares to admit, he knows it won’t happen in a very long time, his job, your career, and other problems stopping the two of you from taking that step but he is a patient man, and he rather takes his time than rush things and risk losing you in the process.

Husband!Soap is a good man, he knows he did everything he could to make your time together merry and happy, to fill it with more good memories than bad ones. and he allows himself to think he did a good job at loving you while he could.

so when he gets shot on the side of his head and the last 7 minutes of brain activity the body is programmed to experience before ultimately dying begin, his mind is plagued with you, meeting you, becoming your friend, asking you to be his girlfriend but most of all, your wedding day.

and it is as if he’s experiencing that day all over again, your voice as you read to him your vows, how sweet of you to write personal ones, full of inside jokes and promises you had made him years ago when you first started dating. He remembers feeling his heart flutter on his chest.

but right now, lying on the cold floor his heart cannot flutter, but the tears falling from his eyes do the job just fine because the memory as beautiful as it is makes him feel extremely sad, he doesn’t want to leave you behind, he wants to live longer, to experience more things by your side.

He wants to have children with you, he wants to see the passing of time affect the two of you, to see the smile lines on your face and know that was his doing, that a lifetime with him granted you marks of happiness in your skin.

He wants more time, God, he wants an eternity with you, he wants as much time as he can get.

He remembers your face when he came home early a few months ago, the excitement filling in the void in your eyes when you first opened the door, he remembers the weight of your body on his arms as you had jumped on him, wrapping your limbs around him and not letting go.

what he would do to see that face again, to hear your squeals of happiness next to his ear and feel the softness of your hair in between his fingers. if he knew that would be the last time he came home to you he would’ve done so much more.

he would’ve fixed the creek of the door, he would’ve washed the dirty clothes on the laundry basket, he would’ve cooked your favorite meal and hugged you just a bit more tightly.

He knows he did his fair share of bad things in the world, but you were nothing short of an angel, you didn’t deserve his death as much as he deserved to die. He knows the fragility of your heart, he knows that you’re a sensitive being that can only be treated gently, and he is afraid death isn’t kind, that grief will swallow you whole before you get a chance to realize that your life shouldn’t end because he did.

Husband!Soap loves you more than you could ever imagine, so when the 7 minutes of brain activity ends, he goes out with the image of your face in his mind, your voice muttering that everything is alright, that you love him as much as he loves you.

you were everything, the sole reason he wished for a brighter future and the reason he died a happy man.

[responsivethoughts]

The Grumman X-29 Experimental Aircraft

The Grumman X-29 was an experimental aircraft developed by the United States in the 1980s, aimed at testing advanced aviation technologies. One of its most unique features was its forward-swept wings, which improved maneuverability and reduced drag. However, this design introduced significant aerodynamic challenges, such as the tendency of the wings to twist under stress. To address this, the X-29 utilized advanced composite materials, which provided the necessary strength without adding excess weight.

The X-29 was inherently unstable due to its forward-swept wings, necessitating a sophisticated digital fly-by-wire control system. This system allowed a computer to continuously make adjustments to keep the aircraft stable during flight. Additionally, the aircraft featured canard control surfaces, located in front of the main wings, which enhanced control and maneuverability, particularly at high angles of attack.

Another key feature of the X-29 was its variable-geometry engine inlets, designed to optimize airflow into the engine across different flight conditions. This design allowed the aircraft to maintain efficiency at various speeds and altitudes. Together, these innovative design elements made the X-29 a complex and advanced aircraft for its time.

The X-29 first flew on December 14, 1984, under the management of NASA and the United States Air Force. Two X-29 aircraft were constructed, and they accumulated over 400 test flights. These tests focused on exploring the aircraft's unique aerodynamic and flight control characteristics, providing valuable data on how forward-swept wings performed under various conditions.

The primary objective of the X-29 program was to investigate technologies that could be used in future fighter aircraft, with a particular focus on improving maneuverability and control at high angles of attack. Although the X-29 was never intended to enter production, the insights gained from its development contributed to future advancements in aircraft design.

While the X-29 did not see operational service, its legacy is significant. The technologies it explored, including forward-swept wings, composite materials, and digital flight controls, paved the way for innovations in fighter aircraft. Today, the X-29 is remembered as an important milestone in the study of unconventional aircraft designs and aerodynamics.

An interesting and lesser-known fact about the Grumman X-29 is that, despite its radical design, the aircraft reused components from existing fighter jets to save on development costs. Specifically, the fuselage of the X-29 was derived from the Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter, and its landing gear was taken from the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. This blending of cutting-edge technology with proven components from earlier aircraft helped keep the project within a more manageable budget, demonstrating a creative approach to experimental aircraft design during that era.

[whencyclopedia]

Beaumaris Castle

Beaumaris Castle, located on Anglesey, Wales, was built from 1295 CE by Edward I of England (r. 1272-1307 CE) to protect his territorial gains in the region. The castle featured the latest defensive designs of the period such as round towers, inner and outer circuit walls, massive towered gates and a fortified dock. Beaumaris Castle is considered one of the finest surviving examples of a concentric medieval castle and is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Edward I & Wales

From 1272 CE Edward I, the new king of England, conquered most of Wales and joined it with the county system present in England. Following the death of Llywelyn, the Prince of Wales, in 1282 CE, the only part of Wales which remained free was the wild mountainous north, and here the king built several major castles including Caernarfon, the most important. Then in 1294 CE, a Welsh revolt broke out led by Madog ap Llywelyn, and although it was put down, Edward realised the need to further strengthen his grip on the region and the Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Mon) in particular, an important source of food. Anglesey, like other sites Edward built castles upon, also had a significance to the Welsh people, both commercially as an important trading and fishing centre and as the location of a Welsh royal manor and a Franciscan friary. Consequently, Beaumaris Castle was built there to control both the island and the coastal shipping routes and to remind the Welsh that a new order had been established.

The chief architect and engineer who planned and oversaw the construction of Edward's castle was the experienced Master James of St Georges (c. 1235-1308 CE), who was also involved in Edward's other castles in Wales such as Harlech Castle, Conwy Castle, and Caernarfon Castle. From the spring of 1295 CE, Master James supervised a massive team of masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, and labourers - up to 3,500 workmen at the summer height of activity on the castle. These workers came from across the kingdom such as ditch diggers from Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, woodcutters from the West Midlands, and masons from Dorset. A letter from Master James to the King's Exchequer, written in February 1296 CE, attempts to justify the escalating costs and gives a good idea of the scale and difficulties of building a medieval castle:

In case you should wonder where so much money could go in a week, we would have you know that we have needed - and shall continue to need - 400 masons, both cutters and layers, together with 2,000 less skilled workmen, 100 carts, 60 wagons and 30 boats bringing stone and sea coal; 200 quarrymen; 30 smiths, and carpenters for putting in the joists and floor boards and other necessary jobs. All this takes no account of the garrison…nor of the purchases of material, of which there will have to be a great quantity…The men's pay has been and still is very much in arrears, and we are having the greatest difficulty in keeping them because they simply have nothing to live on.

(quoted in Gravett, 11-12)

At least costs were reduced in the area of transportation of stone as Beaumaris used local sources of limestone, sandstone and metamorphic schist. The speed at which the castle was built would suggest that it was already planned when the other Welsh castles were designed and built in the 1280s CE. Beaumaris was already a serviceable defensive structure after just one year of construction, however, work continued over the next few years and minor additions were made to the castle right up to 1330 CE.

Beaumaris, the last of Edward's castles in North Wales, was intended to be both a military stronghold and an impressive symbol of the king's power in the region, not to mention an aesthetically striking one (hence the name). It is interesting to note the deliberate and visually appealing use of lighter limestone in the lower courses of the outer walls and the darker limestone in those above. The castle eventually cost at least 13,000 pounds (about $20 million today) and was never entirely finished - the outer towers and main gates were intended to be greater in height. Still, as the historian and castle expert N.J.G. Pounds succinctly puts it, "Beaumaris was geometrically the most perfect of the Edwardian castles, and the skilful engineering of its towers, gates and water defences have never ceased to astonish" (174).

The castle, at least in its early years, had a constable, one William de Felton, and an impressive permanent garrison of 22 knights, 20 crossbowmen, and 100 archers. After 1296 CE the archers were withdrawn from the garrison, probably an indication of both the castle's completion and the quieter times in Wales.

Continue reading...

[holy-politics-batman]

How Peter Duton has consistently Voted in parliament

Spoiler: He hates you Not everything is terrible, but holy shit it gets bad and a lot of it is bad (Source at the bottom)

Voted for:

A citizenship test

A plebiscite on the carbon pricing mechanism (Remove the tax on carbon)

A same-sex marriage plebiscite (plebiscite means to get rid of)

An Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC)

Carbon Farming Initiative Amendment Bill 2014

Charging postgraduate research students fees

Civil celebrants having the right to refuse to marry same-sex couples

Compensating victims of overseas terrorism since the September 11 attack

Decreasing availability of welfare payments

Deregulating undergraduate university fees (Removing any restrictions on the amount that universities can charge students for tuition)

Drug testing welfare recipients

Getting rid of Sunday and public holiday penalty rates

Greater control over items brought into immigration detention centres

Having a referendum on whether to create an Indigenous Voice to Parliament (To be fair he also did recently have a trantrum because he didn't want to stand infrount of the Aboriginal flag, so)

Increasing eligibility requirements for Australian citizenship

Government administered paid parental leave

Increasing indexation of HECS-HELP debts (HECS-HELP is basically student loans)

Increasing state and territory environmental approval powers

Increasing the cost of humanities degrees (Humanities include: History, Geography, Philosophy, Religion, Citizenship, Economics, Business, ect)

Increasing the price of subsidised medicine

Prioritising religious freedom

Privatising government-owned assets

Putting welfare payments onto cashless debit cards (or indue cards) on a temporary basis as a trial

Recognising local government in the Constitution

Reducing the corporate tax rate

Senate electoral reform

Stopping people who arrive by boat from ever coming to Australia

Temporary Exclusion Orders

Temporary protection visas

The territories being able to legalise euthanasia

Turning back asylum boats when possible

A combined Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia

Banning mobiles and other devices in immigration detention

Increasing scrutiny of unions

Implementing refugee and protection conventions

Putting welfare payments onto cashless debit cards (or indue cards) on an ongoing basis

Privatising certain government services

Voluntary student union fees

Increasing funding for road infrastructure

Increasing the initial tax rate for working holiday makers to 19%

Increasing the Medicare Levy to pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Making more water from Murray-Darling Basin available to use

The Coalition's new schools funding policy ("Gonski 2.0")

The Intervention in the Northern Territory

Voted against:

A carbon price

A minerals resource rent tax

A Royal Commission into Violence and Abuse against People with Disability

A transition plan for coal workers

Banning pay secrecy clauses

Capping gas prices

Carbon farming

Considering legislation to create a federal anti-corruption commission (procedural)

Considering motions on Gaza (2023-24) (procedural)

Criminalising wage theft

Decreasing the private health insurance rebate

Doctor-initiated medical transfers for asylum seekers

Ending illegal logging

Ending immigration detention on Manus Island

Extending government benefits to same-sex couples

Federal action on public housing

Federal government action on animal & plant extinctions

Increasing availability of abortion drugs

Increasing consumer protections

Increasing funding for university education

Increasing housing affordability

Increasing investment in renewable energy

Increasing legal protections for LGBTI people

Increasing marine conservation

Increasing penalties for breach of data

Increasing political transparency

Increasing protection of Australia's fresh water

Increasing restrictions on gambling

Increasing scrutiny of asylum seeker management

Increasing support for the Australian film and TV industry

Increasing support for the Australian shipping industry

Increasing the diversity of media ownership

Increasing trade unions' powers in the workplace

Increasing transparency of big business by making information public

Market-led approaches to protecting biodiversity

Net zero emissions by 2035

Re-approving/ re-registering agvet chemicals (Agvet chemicals protect crops and livestock)

Removing children from immigration detention

Reproductive bodily autonomy

Requiring every native title claimant to sign land use agreements

Restricting donations to political parties

Restricting foreign ownership

Same-sex marriage equality

Stem cell research

Stopping tax avoidance or aggressive tax minimisation

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme

The Paris Climate Agreement

Tobacco plain packaging

Transgender rights

Treating the COVID vaccine rollout as a matter of urgency

Mix

Reducing tax concessions for high socio-economic status

Increasing competition in bulk wheat export

Mostly Yes

Speeding things along in Parliament (procedural)

Unconventional gas mining

A character test for Australian visas

Increasing or removing the Government debt limit

Regional processing of asylum seekers

Mostly No

Increasing the age pension

Net zero emissions by 2050

Suspending the rules to allow a vote to happen (procedural)

Vehicle efficiency standards

Increasing support for rural and regional Australia

Letting all MPs or Senators speak in Parliament (procedural)

Source

https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/dickson/peter_dutton

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Maria Ramirez Uribe and Amy Sherman at PolitiFact:

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Underlying 2024’s most outrageous political lie was a truth — some might even argue a confession — voiced by an accomplice: To get media attention, then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance acknowledged, sometimes "I have to create stories." And so, with a brazen disregard for facts, Donald Trump and his running mate repeatedly peddled a created story that in Springfield, Ohio, Haitian immigrants were eating pet dogs and cats. With this claim, amplified before 67 million television viewers in his debate against Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump took his anti-migrant, the U.S. border-is-out-of-control campaign agenda to a new level.

"In Springfield, they're eating the dogs," Trump said Sept. 10. "The people that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating, they're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country. And it's a shame." City and county officials said repeatedly that it was not happening.  Rebuttals did not diminish the consequences: Dozens of bomb threats at schools, grocery stores and government buildings. Pleas from locals to leave them alone. A continued lack of constructive debate on immigration and border control issues. After the threats subsided, some Haitians didn’t want to go in public or send their children to school. The police department sent an officer to protect churchgoers at a Haitian Creole Sunday afternoon mass. Haitian restaurant owners and schoolchildren heard taunts from people using Trump’s words. 

"‘Dad, do we eat dogs at the house?’" Jacob Payen, a Haitian Community Alliance spokesperson and business owner, recalled his 7-year-old son asking. The Haitian population in Springfield had swelled since 2021 as people fled Haiti’s violence and instability. City officials estimated 12,000 to 20,000 Haitians had come to this city of about 58,000 residents in 2020, after hearing about jobs and low living costs. Most Haitians live in the U.S. legally under a temporary federal protection President Joe Biden extended. The sudden population surge came with growing pains on housing, health services, road safety and schools. When the local conversation turned to unfounded rumors and fearmongering, Trump and Vance seized an opportunity.

[...]

In choosing the 2024 Lie of the Year, the claims by Vance and Trump about Haitians eating pets stood out. 

It was an absurd statement that Trump raised unprompted on the debate stage. 

And neither Trump nor Vance stopped there. They stuck with the narrative for the rest of the campaign, over the objections of allies who debunked it and pleaded with them to let it go. When challenged by voters and interviewers, Trump said he heard it on TV; Vance said constituents had called his office with the claim.

[...]

Emboldened by Vance’s embrace of the rumor, Trump’s debate outburst cemented lasting consequences, stigmatizing a town and its residents in the name of campaign rage. For those reasons, Trump and Vance own the 2024 Lie of the Year.

[...]

Anatomy of a lie: How real strains primed voters for a baseless rumor

Haitians in Springfield fled their home country after their family members were killed, their businesses were burned down and their lives were endangered. The country was thrown into chaos, its capital city controlled by gangs, after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, an earthquake and a tropical storm.  As their population grew in Springfield, the Haitian immigrants filled jobs and opened restaurants and stores.  Some longtime residents grew irritated by the strain on city services, such as wait times for public health services, a housing shortage and rising rents. 

In August 2023, a tragedy deepened the resentment: Hermanio Joseph, a Haitian who is in the U.S. legally and lacked a valid driver’s license, drove a minivan into a school bus, injuring about 20 children and killing Aiden Clark, 11. It was the first day of school. Joseph was found guilty of vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to prison. Angry residents attended city commission meetings over the next year to ask questions about how so many Haitians ended up in Springfield. They said the Haitians didn’t know driving laws or cultural norms and didn’t speak English.  Local leaders acknowledged the road dangers and overburdened public services. They described steps they and the state had taken to mitigate the strains, such as hiring interpreters and launching drivers’ education classes. City Manager Bryan Heck said Springfield had struggled with housing scarcity for years before the Haitians arrived. 

On July 8, Heck sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, copying Vance, requesting federal help. The next day, at a banking committee meeting, Vance highlighted Springfield’s housing shortage and demands on hospital and school services among the "very real human consequences" of immigration. Trump announced Vance as his running mate about a week later. 

Discussion of real tension quickly turned to hearsay molded by racist tropes. The earliest rumors PolitiFact found of Haitians stealing and eating pets and geese came in August amid a neo-Nazi group’s protest. On Aug. 10, a dozen people carrying swastika flags marched downtown, protesting the city’s Haitian immigrants. The national white supremacist group Blood Tribe, which has opposed immigration around the country, posted on Gab, a social networking platform used by far-right groups, to take credit for the march. "Once haitians swarm into a town animals start to disappear," an anonymous user commented.  That post garnered only a few likes and comments.  On Aug. 26, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office received a call from someone who said he saw four Haitians carrying geese. Wildlife officials found no evidence to corroborate the claim.

On social media the same day, users amplified similar claims with thirdhand accounts. In an Aug. 26 Facebook post, a woman said her work partner’s brother-in-law saw a Haitian man cut the heads off geese in front of children. She tagged Springfield resident Anthony Harris, who told the story at a city commission meeting the next day, adding that the man ate the beheaded geese. On a private Facebook group about crime in Springfield, a resident said Haitians stole and ate a neighbor’s daughter’s friend’s cat. (The woman later took down the post and said she regretted it.) In the first week of September, verified accounts on X, sent the claim viral when they posted a screenshot of the Facebook post.  "Springfield is a small town in Ohio. 4 years ago, they had 60k residents. Under Harris and Biden, 20,000 Haitian immigrants were shipped to the town," End Wokeness, a pro-Trump X account with more than 3 million followers, posted Sept. 6. "Now ducks and pets are disappearing." End Wokeness’ X post, which has 5 million views, included a photo of a Black man holding what appears to be a dead goose. The photo was taken in Columbus, Ohio, about 48 miles east of Springfield, according to a July Reddit post. 

PolitiFact names the “they’re eating the pets” lie in Springfield, Ohio amplified by then-Senator and VP-elect JD Vance and “President”-elect Donald Trump as its 2024 Lie Of The Year. The pet-eating hoax served to fuel anti-Haitian prejudice.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Yale Environment 360:

The November 5 election was the worst-case outcome for climate regulation. The return of Donald Trump to the Oval Office and Republican control of the Senate and the House of Representatives will halt federal progress and lead to a reversal of most of the climate initiatives undertaken by the Biden administration.

Such a rollback occurred after Trump first won election in 2016, but this time the stakes are even higher. Trump has promised to halt spending under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law that dramatically increased federal support for clean energy technology and electric vehicles. And the president-elect has pledged to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, reverse a key regulation aimed at reducing emissions from power plants, and roll back a host of key rules aimed at curbing climate change and air and water pollution.

Signs of light remain, however. Rapid advances in the technology and economics of clean energy have created a momentum that can be slowed but not stopped, with the cost of solar dropping globally by more than half since 2016. States and cities still retain much ability to reduce emissions and to prepare for the worsening physical impacts of climate change. But major progress will be in jeopardy because of the administration’s actions on a host of fronts.

Renewable Energy

A clean energy economy requires the construction of a massive number of new wind and solar farms and the associated electricity storage and transmission infrastructure. Such facilities are needed to replace all the old coal plants and most of the natural gas plants, and to provide the added power needed for electrifying vehicles, building heating systems, powering energy-intensive industries, meeting the demand for data centers for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and other new loads. In 2022 Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which is providing hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks for clean energy. The IRA, coupled with rapidly dropping costs, has spurred a large upsurge in new projects.

The IRA passed Congress without a single Republican vote, and Trump has said he will ask Congress to repeal it. However, most of the IRA money for clean energy is going to districts represented by Republican members of Congress, many of whom oppose full repeal. Thus, Trump’s ability to eliminate the relevant parts of the IRA is in question, though a cap on the multiplicity of tax credits seems likely. However, the Internal Revenue Service under Trump could make it difficult to utilize the tax credits by issuing very restrictive interpretations of the credits or refusing to release the necessary forms.

The fate of the IRA will be an issue next year with the scheduled expiration of parts of the 2017 Trump tax cuts bill. Trump will presumably want to extend those tax cuts. Congress will be looking for ways to pay for this. Slashing IRA subsidies could be part of that.

Another expected Trump target is the fee imposed by the IRA on methane leakage from oil and gas production. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and this fee is the first nationwide carbon tax in the U.S. The industry is pressing for its repeal, and Trump will clearly be sympathetic.

Wind and solar projects located on federal land or waters (which includes all offshore wind) require federal approval. Trump has often expressed antagonism to wind, and federal approvals for new wind projects are likely to stall. Wind and solar projects on private or state-owned land generally do not require federal approvals.

Motor Vehicles

A critical area where the new Trump administration is expected to slash environmental rules is motor vehicles, which are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Federal agencies set emission and fuel economy standards for motor vehicles. Under both Presidents Obama and Biden (with a halt by President Trump in between) both these standards were strengthened, leading to progressively cleaner cars. Regulations adopted late in the Biden administration are even stronger.

Federal law allows California to set its own even more stringent standards if EPA grants a waiver, and if it does, other states may adopt those. States that have traditionally followed the California standards amount to around 40 percent of the market for passenger cars. California has adopted rules that would phase out internal combustion engine cars and require that all new cars starting with the 2035 model year be zero-emission, and EPA has granted the needed waiver. Eight states have adopted plans requiring all new cars to be zero-emission by 2035, but this depends on the California waiver; without it, state laws inconsistent with the federal standards are preempted.

Both the stronger fuel economy standards and the California waiver are being challenged in court. Trump is likely to direct the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to freeze or weaken the standards and to revoke the California waiver, as he did during his first term. These actions, too, will face court challenges.

The automakers are, of course, free to make as many electric cars as they want and are already retooling to increase their output. But whether they are compelled to do so depends on the outcome of these court cases. And importantly, the subsidies for electric vehicles in the Inflation Reduction Act are also at risk, as Trump has said he would consider ending them.

Coal-Fired Power Plants

No one is building new coal-fired power plants in the U.S. any more, but there are about 225 still operating, and they are now the second largest source of greenhouse gases and also major emitters of unhealthy air pollutants such as fine particulates. Democratic administrations have for decades tried to accelerate their cleanup and closure, but the courts have frequently thrown up roadblocks. In 2024 the EPA issued a new rule that requires the eventual closure of these plants unless they install carbon capture and sequestration, a very expensive proposition. This too is being challenged in court and is very likely to be repealed by Trump.

Fossil Fuels

Trump has adopted the “drill baby drill” mantra. He has also promised to cut energy prices in half, mostly by greatly increasing production of oil and natural gas. However, current production levels under President Biden are the highest ever seen in the U.S., and higher than any other country in the world. This is mostly due to fracking, which has become the largest source of primary energy in the U.S. (47 percent in 2023). However, fracking is economical only if the prices of oil and natural gas are high enough; a drastic decline in prices will drive down production. Trump will probably open more federal lands and waters to oil and gas drilling, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and relax environmental restrictions on them. But whether this will dramatically increase production is open to question.

Last January, Biden announced a temporary pause in the approval of new liquified natural gas export terminals. Trump will end that pause and try to expedite the approvals of these terminals and the associated pipelines.

International Agreements

Under Obama, the U.S. joined the Paris climate agreement; Trump withdrew; Biden rejoined; and Trump will no doubt pull out again. He might also go further and remove the U.S. from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which the Senate ratified in 1992 and is the foundation for the Paris Agreement. Any of this would deny the U.S. a seat at the global climate bargaining tables and cede climate leadership to China.

For more than 30 years at the annual U.N. climate conference, the developing countries have been demanding “loss and damage” — compensation for the injuries they have suffered as a result of climate change. The U.S. has long been a target of these demands. With Trump in the White House and a Republican Congress, any hope of the U.S. providing funds for this purpose appears gone.

State and Local Action

While states cannot impose their own standards on motor vehicles without federal approval, in most other respects states are free to set stronger environmental standards than Washington. States can also adopt energy efficiency standards for appliances that are not subject to federal standards.

States and cities can use their procurement power to require low-emissions production of the cement, steel, and other commodities they buy and can demand clean motor vehicles and appliances. They purchase all of these in large quantities, which impacts manufacturers.

Blue states and cities, together with environmental groups, can be expected to vigorously litigate against Trump’s actions on climate change, as they did during Trump’s first term. The next four years will be rocky, indeed, and will keep lawyers on both sides very busy.

[asestimationsconsultants]

Traditional Cost Estimating vs. Software-Assisted Cost Estimating Services | What’s the Difference?

In the construction industry, cost estimating is a vital component of project planning and budgeting. For years, professionals relied on traditional methods, such as manual calculations and spreadsheets, to estimate the costs of a project. However, with the rise of advanced technology, software-assisted cost estimating services have become increasingly popular.

Both traditional cost estimating and software-assisted estimating have their advantages, but understanding the differences between them can help construction managers and project owners make informed decisions on the best approach for their specific needs. In this article, we’ll explore the key differences between these two methods and discuss their respective benefits and limitations.

1. Traditional Cost Estimating: The Old-School Approach

Traditional cost estimating typically involves manual calculations and the use of spreadsheets, paper-based records, and historical data. Estimators manually review plans, specifications, and other documentation to identify the quantities of materials, labor, and overhead costs. They then calculate unit costs based on previous project experiences or industry-standard rates.

Key Elements of Traditional Cost Estimating:

Manual Calculations: The estimator reads blueprints, takes measurements, and performs mathematical calculations to determine the quantities of materials and labor.

Reliance on Historical Data: Traditional cost estimators often rely on their experience and historical cost data to make accurate assumptions about project expenses.

Spreadsheets: Many traditional cost estimators use spreadsheets to organize cost estimates and track budget items, which can be time-consuming and prone to human error.

Benefits of Traditional Cost Estimating:

Personal Expertise: Many experienced estimators trust their knowledge and familiarity with specific projects, which can lead to highly tailored cost estimates based on first-hand knowledge.

Flexibility: In some cases, traditional estimating methods may allow more flexibility when dealing with highly customized or one-of-a-kind projects.

Low Initial Cost: Traditional methods require less upfront investment compared to software-assisted estimating tools, making it a more affordable option for small projects or firms with a limited budget.

Limitations of Traditional Cost Estimating:

Time-Consuming: Traditional methods can be slow, especially when dealing with large or complex projects that require numerous calculations and revisions.

Prone to Human Error: Manual calculations are subject to human error, and mistakes in estimations can lead to significant budget overruns.

Limited Scalability: As project size and complexity increase, traditional methods become increasingly difficult to manage, especially when there are multiple stakeholders involved.

2. Software-Assisted Cost Estimating: The Modern Approach

Software-assisted cost estimating services, on the other hand, leverage technology to streamline the estimating process, improve accuracy, and enhance efficiency. These services typically involve using specialized estimating software that automates the calculation of quantities, unit costs, and overall project expenses.

The software integrates various data sources such as historical cost data, material prices, labor rates, and location-based factors, offering a more precise and faster way to generate cost estimates.

Key Elements of Software-Assisted Cost Estimating:

Automation: Software tools automate many aspects of the estimating process, such as calculating material quantities, labor hours, and unit costs, saving time and reducing human error.

Integration with Databases: Cost estimating software can integrate with databases that provide up-to-date information on material prices, labor costs, and other factors affecting project budgets.

Collaboration: Modern estimating software often includes collaborative features, allowing multiple users to access, edit, and update estimates in real time.

Benefits of Software-Assisted Cost Estimating:

Accuracy: One of the biggest advantages of software-assisted estimating is its ability to provide highly accurate estimates by automating calculations and relying on up-to-date data from multiple sources. This reduces the chances of mistakes that are common in manual methods.

Speed: Software tools can significantly speed up the estimating process by automating many tasks, such as material takeoffs and calculations, allowing estimators to generate cost estimates in a fraction of the time it would take manually.

Consistency: Estimating software ensures consistent results across multiple projects. By using the same parameters and data, estimators can ensure that the estimating process is standardized and reliable.

Cost Control: With real-time data integration, software-assisted estimating helps construction managers stay on top of material prices, labor costs, and potential cost overruns. This enables proactive adjustments to the budget as needed.

Scalability: Software-assisted estimating is ideal for large and complex projects, as it can handle vast amounts of data and multiple variables with ease. Estimators can manage larger projects more efficiently and track costs over time.

Limitations of Software-Assisted Cost Estimating:

Initial Investment: Software-assisted estimating requires an initial investment in purchasing and setting up the software, as well as training personnel on its use.

Dependence on Data: The accuracy of the estimates generated by the software depends on the quality and accuracy of the data entered into the system. Outdated or incorrect data can lead to inaccurate estimates.

Learning Curve: There can be a learning curve for users unfamiliar with estimating software, and the system may require time and training to use effectively.

3. Key Differences Between Traditional and Software-Assisted Cost Estimating

FactorTraditional Cost EstimatingSoftware-Assisted Cost EstimatingAccuracyProne to human error and miscalculations.Highly accurate with automated calculations.Time EfficiencyTime-consuming, especially for large projects.Fast, generates estimates quickly.Data IntegrationLimited integration with external data sources.Can integrate with databases and real-time data.FlexibilityMore flexible for unique, custom projects.Standardized processes that ensure consistency.CostLow upfront cost but higher long-term costs due to inefficiency.Higher upfront cost, but greater long-term savings through efficiency.ComplexityDifficult to scale for large, complex projects.Handles large, complex projects efficiently.CollaborationManual collaboration; version control issues.Allows real-time collaboration across teams.

4. Which is Better?

Choosing between traditional cost estimating and software-assisted cost estimating largely depends on the scope, complexity, and budget of the project. For small projects with simple scope and limited resources, traditional cost estimating methods may still be a viable option. However, for large, complex projects with multiple stakeholders, software-assisted cost estimating provides numerous advantages in terms of speed, accuracy, and scalability.

For construction companies looking to improve their estimating processes and reduce the risk of budget overruns, adopting software-assisted estimating is often the best choice. The investment in software tools can be recouped through the efficiency gains and reduction in errors, ultimately leading to more successful project outcomes.

5. Conclusion

Both traditional and software-assisted cost estimating services have their place in the construction industry. Traditional methods may still work well for smaller, simpler projects, but for large-scale, complex projects, software-assisted cost estimating offers enhanced accuracy, speed, and collaboration.

By understanding the differences between these two methods and carefully assessing the specific needs of the project, construction managers can make the best choice for their team and ensure that cost estimating is done efficiently and accurately, keeping projects on track and within budget.

[upinteriors]

Autobarn by Bindloss Dawes

The Autobarn is the realisation of our client's long-term dream to house his collection of classic German cars. The project is composed of two volumes: a clean, five-bay garage for everyday use and a taller workshop for repairs and future restoration projects.

Beyond satisfying this initial use, the project ambition was to create a flexible, 'long-life, loose-fit' building that could be used for a range of different uses. Currently it doubles up as event space, however the ambition is that the Autobarn could one day become a low-energy house.

Located on the outskirts of a small Somerset village, the project is set within the grounds of an eighteenth-century Grade 2 listed house. It replaces several haphazard outbuildings and consolidates their amenity into an elegant architectural proposal, nestled within a glade of mature trees.

The project's design references the language of neighbouring agricultural barns. As a practice we are interested in reassessing the rural vernacular, both for its contextual appropriateness and its lessons in low-cost, pragmatic design. As such, the Autobarn re-interprets simple forms and methods of construction, adapting more temporary, rudimentary methods into a robust and elegant paradigm for low-cost, rural architecture. Composed of a concrete base and steel framed structure, intermittent timber cladding and zinc metal roof, the Autobarn adapts barn typologies with varying levels of refinement. Consideration was also given to its weathering, with the natural zinc roof dulling to complement the silver patination of the sweet chestnut cladding.

Like many barns, permeability to light and air is controlled through a series of movable layers. First experienced as a closed solid mass, the barn walls open up via a number of doors, including an heroic 7m sliding timber screen. The intermittent timber slats of the screens create internal dappled light during the day, which is reversed at night as interior lighting illuminates the surrounding landscape. Internally the steel structure is expressed in an array of simple portal frames, with sustainably-sourced wood-fibre acoustic board forming internal wall and ceiling. The garage space is calm and gallery-like, while the workshop space presents a tougher, taller workshop, surrounded with concrete wainscotting and designed to accommodate a car lift.

The building's 'long-life/loose-fit' ambitions have meant that the insulation and energy performance exceed residential standards. Although thermostats are currently turned down for its current use, the building includes underfloor heating powered by an Air Source Heat Pump, as well as additional first fix services hidden behind the internal wall paneling for future conversion.

Construction started in November 2020 and was completed at the end of 2021, with the project effected by the global pandemic and building material inflation. Despite these challenges, and the inclusion of some one-off expensive items (such as the electric garage doors), the Autobarn was built for under £2,300 / m2. In tandem with high energy performance and the use of natural materials, it combines our studio's goal to combine beauty, affordability, and sustainability.

Design: Bindloss Dawes Location: Frome, United Kingdom Area: 165 m² Year: 2022 Photography: Building Narratives

[pejasurveying1]

Hire Expert Freelance Quantity Surveyor Services in London – Flexible, Cost-Effective Support

PEJA Surveying offers top-notch Freelance Quantity Surveyor services in London and beyond. Specialising in cost management, budget control, and contract oversight, we provide flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solutions tailored to your project needs. Trusted by construction firms for 15+ years.

[reasonsforhope]

"Cody Two Bears, a member of the Sioux tribe in North Dakota, founded Indigenized Energy, a native-led energy company with a unique mission — installing solar farms for tribal nations in the United States.

This initiative arises from the historical reliance of Native Americans on the U.S. government for power, a paradigm that is gradually shifting.

The spark for Two Bears' vision ignited during the Standing Rock protests in 2016, where he witnessed the arrest of a fellow protester during efforts to prevent the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on sacred tribal land.

Disturbed by the status quo, Two Bears decided to channel his activism into action and create tangible change.

His company, Indigenized Energy, addresses a critical issue faced by many reservations: poverty and lack of access to basic power.

Reservations are among the poorest communities in the country, and in some, like the Navajo Nation, many homes lack electricity.

Even in regions where the land has been exploited for coal and uranium, residents face obstacles to accessing power.

Renewable energy, specifically solar power, is a beacon of hope for tribes seeking to overcome these challenges.

Not only does it present an environmentally sustainable option, but it has become the most cost-effective form of energy globally, thanks in part to incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Tribal nations can receive tax subsidies of up to 30% for solar and wind farms, along with grants for electrification, climate resiliency, and energy generation.

And Indigenized Energy is not focused solely on installing solar farms — it also emphasizes community empowerment through education and skill development.

In collaboration with organizations like Red Cloud Renewable, efforts are underway to train Indigenous tribal members for jobs in the renewable energy sector.

The program provides free training to individuals, with a focus on solar installation skills.

Graduates, ranging from late teens to late 50s, receive pre-apprenticeship certification, and the organization is planning to launch additional programs to support graduates with career services such as resume building and interview coaching...

The adoption of solar power by Native communities signifies progress toward sustainable development, cultural preservation, and economic self-determination, contributing to a more equitable and environmentally conscious future.

These initiatives are part of a broader movement toward "energy sovereignty," wherein tribes strive to have control over their own power sources.

This movement represents not only an economic opportunity and a source of jobs for these communities but also a means of reclaiming control over their land and resources, signifying a departure from historical exploitation and an embrace of sustainable practices deeply rooted in Indigenous cultures."

-via Good Good Good, December 10, 2023

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: No sense in Dying

( Don’t forget to come see my on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord )    

Military Report 3759612.3 Subject: Harvest Conflict Category: Mendigold Incident

Star date: 3751.2 Coalition forces have driven off remaining Reni Fleet contingents and have full control over the Mendigold system.

Consisting of four worlds, the system only has Mendigold Prime had a livable environment while the remaining three have minimal mining and colonization facilities.

Mendigold Prime was designated a military garrison world to the Reni empire. As such the installations on the planet were largely dedicated to the Reni military industrial complex. City sized barracks, underground ammunition warehouses, dozens of football sized landing fields, and uncountable training grounds for various aspects of the Reni military were the primary structures on the planet. Only a small percentage of the Reni population was designated civilian and they were regulated to either industrial support roles or service industries that entertain off duty soldiers.

On average the planet’s population was between 500 million - 1 billion, with 93% of that being military personnel. This number was subject to fluctuation due to military units rotating in and out for different warzones. When the Coalition arrived in system the population was estimated 3 Billion as the Reni military had been preparing for a renewed offensive into Coalition territory and had diverted the majority of their military ground forces gathered on planet. Star date 3751.3 The Coalition naval fleets have surrounded Mendigold Prime and a blockade has been enforced.

Orbital defenses around the main military bases keep the naval assets from conducting recon scans from lower orbit, but their firing range is limited allowing for the rest of the planet to be mapped without issue.

Scans show that the planet is heavily fortified with existing prefabricated structures while additional defenses had been constructed. These consisted of extensive trench works, bunkers, and newly built gun positions that surrounded each installation for at least three kilometers in every direction.

Further reinforcing the defense of the planet was a large and well equipped air force. The scans showed the existence of several underground bunker complexes that housed the aircraft and protected them from all but a sustained orbital strike. Due to the lack of resistance in the space around the planet it was believed that they were limited to atmospheric aircraft, but it was not discounted that they possessed some fighters that could breach the atmosphere and attack the Coalition navy.

Routine scans were continued while Coalition leadership met to debate plans for the invasion of the planet.

Star Date 3751.6 Coalition leaders were unable to decide on how the ground invasion of Mendigold would progress.

All calculations predicted that any planetary landing would cost Coalition forces 15%. Assaulting any of the heavily defended installations estimated 35% per installation and a total planet conquest at 87% casualty rate.

Unlike previous worlds the Reni had attacked they had only a few months to entrench themselves before the Coalition could respond, but Mendigold was the first Reni military world the coalition had come into contact with and now faced the might of a well disciplined and prepared enemy.

Such casualty figures were well beyond what even the most bloodthirsty Coalition leader take pause. These kinds of losses would cripple the rest of the campaign and leave any future planetary assaults all but impossible.

The debate about what should be done went on for two days while the coalition navy maintained its blockade of the planet. By the third day the leader of the human contingent spoke up with a rather brutal method.

Rather than invading the human leader, a General Herald Farn, suggested that they simply maintain the blockade and wait for the planet to starve out and surrender.

This tactic was all but unheard of and many called it cowardly. It was all the more surprising when it came from a human whose people are known to be well renowned warriors.

General Farn counters the dissenting arguments by stating that it is likewise madness to send their ground forces into a meat grinder and waste them so needlessly.

Taking control of the holographic display, General Farn recommended that by surgically striking the store houses holding the rations and food supplies the Reni would be unable to maintain rationing for long. He then provided data that while the planet was a military world with extensive supply facilities, it was never intended to have such a large garrisoning force for extended periods.

General Farn promised that within a week they would begin seeing results.

Star date 3751.13

Initial bombardment operations were successful.

Over 67% of supply depots that were targeted were destroyed by orbital bombardment in addition to knocking out all satellite communication platforms orbiting the planet . A following 12% were damaged but note entirely destroyed while the remaining 21% received minor to no damage. Anti-orbital defenses around the remaining 21% was too strong for naval forces to breach long enough to carry out precise strikes and after losing three cruisers and ten frigates the coalition navy withdrew and considered the operation done.

After that scans showed renewed activity by ground forces to further strengthen their areas in the days following. New trench lines were dug and the remaining supplies were dispersed to prevent another critical loss.

Reni forces remained on active alert for four days straight but with no follow up strikes they were largely left to their own devices. With no communication between the defense pockets larger coordinated defense efforts ceased.

Several small parties were seen leaving the larger defended areas and going out into the few wild areas that remained on the planet. Analysts summarized that commanders were now foraging for provisions to supplement their dwindling stocks.

General Farn took this as confirmation that the plan was working and within the coming weeks the Reni ground forces would surrender. The coalition leaders agreed and allowed the plan to continue.

Star date 3751. 20

Larger foraging parties have now been seen departing the fortified enclaves and spreading out further in search of supplies. While unconfirmed it has been seen that several of these detachments have engaged in small skirmishes with other foraging parties from different enclaves.

Two weeks have passed since the supply depot bombardments and the rapidly degrading state of the Reni military can be seen from orbit within the cities. Small fires have broken out in the more fortified enclaves while smaller redoubts have entirely emptied of all personnel. It is unknown if this was by order or general desertion due to lack of supplies but the number of abandoned bases is increasing.

Star date 3751.27

First displays of open aggression between fortified enclaves have broken out as the supply situation has reached critical mass.

The spaceport under the command of Reni General Hopi was attacked. Spy drones were dispatched to the surface and returned video feeds depicting the attackers to have come from the Central Command Block under the command of Reni General Filar.

Military intelligence had prior to the Mendigold campaign had shown there had been a deep hatred between the two generals that went far beyond minor squabbling. With the cut off of supplies the hatred may have boiled over into outright violence, as Filar may have believed Hopi still had supplies left at the spaceport.

For the first time in recorded history Reni fought Reni and the Coalition watched as massed Reni infantry fought against waves of the spaceport defense air force.

While this engagement was the largest battle in the brewing Reni civil war on the planet it was not the only conflict. All over the globe Reni forces were fighting each other in a desperate need for supplies.

Star date 3751.30

The situation on the surface is now entirely untenable.

While Coalition leaders have agreed the starvation tactic was successful at weakening the Reni forces, it has produced the unhealthy side effect of triggering a massive Reni civil war planetside.

Central command no longer exists for the Reni as each enclave commander has now become a sudo warlord in their own right. There is no one leader to open a dialogue with now to demand terms of surrender, and even if they did accept it they would only be able to stand down the forces loyal to them while other warlords would continue fighting.

Coalition leaders have no idea how to defuse the situation, with only General Farn calling the operation a success.

Reni forces have begun dwindling rapidly as each enclaves seeks to horde whatever few supplies remain. Estimated Reni casualties now range in the 500 million range with more expected in the coming days as starvation finally takes its full toll on the Reni population.

With no concise plan of action and the planet now having lost all tactical value, the Coalition fleet has decided to continue the campaign and leave Mendigold to its fate. A tribunal has been called to have the human General Farn answer potential crimes that resulted from his order. Until the war is over however it is not likely that the human would lose his position or rank.

[florwal]

The History of Millhaven

In the late 1800s, the Davis family owned a large amount of farmland in what would later become Millhaven, Oregon. Seeking to capitalize on the area's natural resources, they built a mill. But they didn't stop there. The Davis family also invested in creating an entire town around the mill, with homes, businesses, and public services to attract workers and their families.

Their efforts paid off. Many people looking for work flocked to Millhaven, eager for a chance to make a living there. The town quickly grew and became a hub of economic activity. The Davis family's influence and power expanded along with it, as they controlled much of the town's infrastructure and resources.

However, the working conditions at the mill were notoriously bad. The Davis family cut corners and ignored safety regulations, leading to long hours, low pay, and frequent accidents. Many workers suffered from respiratory problems, hearing loss, and other ailments as a result of their work at the mill. Despite protests from the workers and their families, the Davis family refused to improve conditions or compensate the victims.

In the year 1909 the workers at the mill had finally had enough. Inspired by the growing labor movement in the United States, they organized a strike demanding better pay, safer working conditions, and the right to unionize. The Davis family responded with violence and intimidation, using their control over the town's law enforcement.

The situation quickly escalated, with the workers forming a picket line outside the mill and the Davis family bringing in scabs and armed officers to break the strike. The resulting violence led to several deaths and injuries, and the workers' demands remained unmet.

The strike received national attention, with labor leaders and politicians speaking out in support of the workers. The Davis family's reputation was tarnished, and they were forced to negotiate with the workers. Eventually, a compromise was reached, and the workers won some concessions, including a small pay increase and improved safety measures.

The mill largely expanded by the 1950s. The legacy of the mill and the Davis family's corruption continued to haunt Millhaven for decades. The toxic waste dumping that began in the 1970s only added to the town's problems, polluting the environment and causing health problems for many residents. The mill was eventually forced to shut down but the Davis family still held power over the town.

In 2023, the current mayor of Millhaven is Michael Davis, a direct descendant of the Davis family that founded the town. Michael's brother, Adam, is the pastor of the only church in Millhaven, which has long been a center of community life in the town. The Davis family still holds a significant amount of power over Millhaven, with Mayor Davis using his position to further their interests.

Mayor Davis is currently working on a plan to gentrify Millhaven, which he sees as a way to revitalize the town and attract new investment. His plan includes the construction of luxury apartments and homes, a new megachurch, and a shopping center, all of which would be aimed at wealthier residents and visitors.

However, the gentrification plan has been met with resistance from many of Millhaven's long-time residents, who fear that they will be pushed out of their homes and their community. The majority of Millhaven's residents are low-income, and many have lived in the town for generations. They worry that the new development will only benefit outsiders and leave them stuck with a higher cost of living that they cannot afford.