#environmentally friendly building material

[seonewnest]

A Guide to Eco-Friendly Construction with 10 Sustainable Building Materials

The construction industry has a significant impact on the environment, contributing to resource depletion, carbon emissions, and pollution. However, the tide is turning towards sustainable construction practices, focusing on minimizing environmental impact and maximizing resource efficiency. This necessitates the use of eco-friendly construction materials that are both environmentally responsible and durable.

What are the sustainable materials for eco-friendly houses?

Here are 10 examples of sustainable building materials:

Recycled Steel: This material offers exceptional strength and durability while minimizing the need to extract and process new raw materials. It reduces energy consumption and minimizes environmental pollution during production.

Bamboo: A fast-growing and renewable resource, bamboo provides a sustainable alternative to traditional wood for framing, flooring, and furniture. It is strong, flexible, and naturally resistant to pests and moisture.

Straw Bales: This natural insulator requires minimal processing and is readily available in many regions. Straw bales offer excellent thermal insulation, reducing energy consumption for heating and cooling.

Rammed Earth: A building technique using compacted earth and natural fibers, Rammed Earth walls are strong, durable, and energy-efficient. They provide excellent thermal mass, regulating indoor temperatures and reducing energy costs.

Reclaimed Wood: Giving new life to salvaged wood reduces waste and conserves natural resources. Reclaimed wood adds character and charm to any building project, offering unique visual appeal.

Cob: A mixture of clay, sand, straw, and water, cob is a traditional building material with excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties. It is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option for walls and structures.

Hempcrete: This biocomposite material is made from hemp fibers and lime, offering exceptional insulation and carbon sequestration potential. It is fire-resistant, breathable, and contributes to a healthier indoor environment.

Mycelium: This fungal material can be grown on agricultural waste and used to create sustainable building blocks, insulation panels, and even furniture. Mycelium is biodegradable, fire-resistant, and offers excellent insulation properties.

Fly Ash: A waste product from coal combustion, fly ash can be used as a partial replacement for cement in concrete. This reduces the need for virgin materials and minimizes the environmental impact of cement production.

Recycled Plastic: Plastic bottles and other waste can be transformed into lumber, flooring, and other building materials. Recycling plastic reduces landfill waste and conserves valuable resources.

What is an example of sustainable materials building?

The Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington, is a prime example of a sustainable building utilizing eco-friendly materials. It features recycled steel, reclaimed wood, natural light, and energy-efficient systems, making it a net-positive energy building that produces more energy than it consumes.

Environmentally Friendly Construction Options

By choosing sustainable building materials, developers and contractors can significantly reduce the environmental impact of construction projects. These materials offer long-lasting performance, contribute to occupant well-being, and create healthier living and working environments.

Making the Switch to Eco-Friendly Materials

As awareness and demand for sustainable construction grow, the availability and affordability of eco-friendly building materials increase. By making informed choices and adopting responsible construction practices, we can build a more sustainable future for the planet and ourselves.

Remember, choosing sustainable building materials is a crucial step towards achieving a greener and healthier future. Consider the environmental impact of your choices and explore the diverse range of eco-friendly options available to create a truly sustainable building project.

[newnestseo]

Eco-Friendly Construction Guide With Sustainable Building Materials

Build sustainably with our eco-friendly construction guide, featuring the latest sustainable building materials for a greener tomorrow.

[nnctales]

Basalt Fiber Reinforcement in Construction: A Sustainable Paradigm Shift

Introduction In the contemporary construction landscape, a notable shift towards sustainable and eco-friendly building materials is underway. Among the alternatives gaining prominence is basalt fiber reinforcement, positioning itself as a compelling substitute for traditional steel reinforcement. This transition is fueled by a collective desire to reduce environmental impact and elevate the…

[creativeera]

Green Cement: The Sustainable Alternative to Traditional Cement Production

Green cement refers to cement produced through sustainable and environmentally friendly means. Traditional cement production involves quarrying, mining, and manufacturing processes that release harmful carbon emissions and pollute the air and water. In contrast, sustainable cement seeks to minimize these environmental impacts through the use of alternative raw materials and production technologies. Alternative Raw Materials One of the primary ways sustainable cement is produced is by substituting traditional raw materials like limestone with more sustainable alternatives. Industrial waste products like fly ash from coal power plants and slag from steel manufacturing are often used to partially replace limestone in sustainable cement. These industrial by-products would otherwise end up in landfills as waste. Using them in cement production diverts them from the waste stream while making better use of resources. Supplementary cementitious materials like rice husk ash and silica fume from silicon manufacturing are other common sustainable raw material substitutes. Low-Carbon Production Processes In addition to raw material substitutions, sustainable Green Cement production focuses on employing manufacturing methods that reduce carbon emissions. Traditional cement kilns rely on fossil fuels to heat ingredients to over 2500 degrees Fahrenheit, releasing large amounts of CO2. Sustainable cement production may utilize alternative fuels like waste wood or tires to reduce fossil fuel usage. Advanced kiln technologies like the suspension preheater can significantly lower energy demands and emissions during the calcining process compared to older dry-process kilns. Carbon capture and storage technology can also help trap and sequester emissions. Some innovative producers are developing carbon-neutral cement through the use of renewable energy or direct carbon mineralization during curing. Additives for Performance Enhancement Certain admixtures and mineral compounds are sometimes added to sustainable cement mixtures to enhance technical performance properties without compromising sustainability goals. Lignosulfonates from paper processing and hydroxycarboxylic acids are examples of commonly used organic additives that can improve workability, strength, and durability at low dosages. Metakaolin, a pozzolan derived from calcined clay, serves as a supplementary cementitious material and microsilica additive in some sustainable cement s, where its fine particles act as nucleation sites facilitating more complete hydration reactions. These types of additives allow producers to engineer sustainable cement blends with properties on par with or exceeding traditional varieties. Get more insights on Green Cement

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Alice Mutum is a seasoned senior content editor at Coherent Market Insights, leveraging extensive expertise gained from her previous role as a content writer. With seven years in content development, Alice masterfully employs SEO best practices and cutting-edge digital marketing strategies to craft high-ranking, impactful content. As an editor, she meticulously ensures flawless grammar and punctuation, precise data accuracy, and perfect alignment with audience needs in every research report. Alice's dedication to excellence and her strategic approach to content make her an invaluable asset in the world of market insights.

(LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alice-mutum-3b247b137 )

[poojahedge5]

Build a greener future, Decarbonization in real estate projects with eco-friendly, sustainable solutions for lasting impact.

[sylvanply123]

The Environmental Impact of Plywood vs. Solid Wood: A Sustainable Choice by SylvanPly

As global awareness of environmental issues grows, the construction and design industries are increasingly seeking sustainable materials. Wood, a renewable resource, has long been a staple. But when choosing between plywood and solid wood, understanding their environmental impact is crucial. Contact us for more information.

[matteroftrustorg]

[jamaicahomescom]

Jamaica: Water Bottles and Construction

In countries filled with structures made out of brick and wood it is hard to believe that they can be made with anything else. Buildings are supposed to be sturdy and able to withstand anything from a clear day to severe thunderstorms. There’s a reason why kings built their castles out of stone, and why the two pigs who built their houses out of straw and sticks had their houses destroyed. It’s…

[thisismenow3]

We gotta start changing how we do things like transportation and building. Here’s something for that second thing

[eampact]

Bring sustainability to your home and solve all your roofing needs with all the significant details on sustainable architecture house design and eco friendly roofing. This information will help you; not only do you get a beautiful home structure that stands the test of time but is also energy efficient, saving money in long term costs associated with heating and cooling bills.https://www.eampact.com/books

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Bee Stings and Butterfly Kisses || SV5

Pairing: Sebastian Vettel x wife!reader Summary: Your husband takes nesting to a whole new level with the paradise he’s found to start his family. Warnings: established relationship, pregnant!reader, fluffiness WC: 1.4k

The property Sebastian had chosen to raise his children upon was everything you could have dreamt of and more. There were rolling meadows full of fragrant flowers, forests of conifers and evergreens, and even a lake with an abundance of trout. The house he had designed was built using recycled material and was sustainable to run with the dozens of solar panels on the roof. He had truly future proofed everything to live a life as environmentally friendly as possible.

“Did you know honey is the only food that doesn’t spoil if you store it properly?” Sebastian barely looked up from the old set of drawers he was upcycling into an apiary. “There were pots of honey found in ancient tombs in Egypt, around 3000 years old.”

“I still don't see why we need bees at our home.”

“Because, my love,” he said as he placed his hammer down and pulled you into his arms, “this is our future we are building. Without bees there’s no pollination, with no pollination there’s no flowers, or fruit and vegetables.” His hand splayed across your swollen belly, feeling his son’s kicks against his palm with a smile. “It’s our responsibility to protect our future.”

The outdoor sofa where you were reading was a current favourite place of yours. It was tranquil and warm and allowed you to get off your feet for a little bit while your husband pottered around in the garden. With only a few weeks to your due date everything ached from your neck to your ankles so you kicked your feet up and listened to the birdsong.

The hiss of pain was one you had come to know well recently and it only took a minute for Seb to appear at the edge of the garden, the metal gate squeaking on its rusted hinge. He cupped one hand over his cheek, one eye closed with a wince as he ascended the stairs to the deck.

“You wouldn’t get stung if you used the smoke, love,” you softly reminded him as he took a seat and pulled his hand away. “Oh dear, that’s a big one.”

“We don’t know the long term effect the smoke has on them, it could be poisoning them,” he said as he turned his head so you could use your nails to pull the stinger out without squeezing more toxin into his cheek. “They will recognise me soon and realise I’m not going to hurt them.”

“If you say so.” You loved your husband but you weren’t so sold on the trust building exercise he found himself in. More often than not after going to check the beehive you found yourself in this position, grateful he wasn’t allergic. “How is your queen doing?”

His lips pulled up into a smile and he sat down on the edge of the seat, pulling your feet onto his lap and massaging your swollen ankles. “You tell me, my sweet, how are you doing?”

Emotions swelled in your chest and you cursed as he laughed, leaning closer to wipe away the tear that escaped. “Damn these hormones. You should really stop being so nice so my poor tear ducts can have a break. Can’t you just be a jerk?” His laugh grew and with it the kicks increased. “Yes, yes, daddy’s laughing at me.”

“I would never laugh at your mother,” he chuckled, lifting your shirt to press his lips to your belly. Stretch marks littered the skin and you dared not to think about the other changes that you couldn’t see below the swell, but he still made you feel beautiful. “Everything she is going through is my fault.”

“That’s right,” you agreed with a smile. “Daddy spent a lot of time romancing and seducing me, and now here you are.”

Seb looked up, his long hair hanging in naturally soft waves around his face. “How could I not? You were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I could hardly concentrate on the race after seeing you.”

“It couldn't have affected you too much,” you said as you tucked his hair behind his ear, “you still won.”

“I had to make a good impression somehow, since I could barely speak a word when we were introduced,” he admitted as he looked out over the garden he tendered.

You followed his gaze knowing he was going to be a great father considering the care he gave to the garden, and you. “It was your eyes I fell for anyway, they looked sweet and kind.”

The rows of plants were just flowering and you traced them to see the little bursts of yellows that all too soon would become bright red ripe tomatoes. Next were the beans, too many varieties to count, all climbing the trellis Seb had made from the wood of fallen trees in the forest. Further beyond were your favourites, the bushes that were brimming with berries of every flavour. Each morning you would amble your way to them with Seb and a bowl, pointing out the juiciest looking berries for him to pick for your smoothie.

Patting his good cheek, you shuffled to sit up and swing your legs off the couch.

“Where are you going?”

With a groan you pulled yourself to your feet and rubbed the straining skin at your sides. “To get some ice to stop that swelling,” you said as you pointed to his face. “You need to be able to see properly if you are thinking about getting back in a race car this weekend.”

“I can get it, you rest.” He followed you into the house even after catching the roll of your eyes and watched you struggle to bend down to reach the ice tray at the bottom of the freezer. Unable to stop himself, his hands caught your waist and straightened you up before he grabbed the tray. “I don’t want you hurting yourself,” he said with a kiss to your temple.

“I said the same thing, but you still went and got stung.”

“But that’s because I have you to kiss me better.”

You smiled at the softness in his tone and gave him the gentlest of kisses to his swollen cheek, barely the touch of a butterfly's wing. “There, is that better?”

“Yes, I don’t even need this anymore,” he said as he turned to put the tray away until you stopped him with an amused look.

“Nurburgring,” you reminded him, grabbing a tea towel to wrap the ice cubes in.

He had been excited since he got the call from Christian Horner to drive the historic track, and in a car modified to run on eco-friendly fuel no less. He was not going to do anything to miss the opportunity to return to the racetrack, even though he enjoyed retirement and the quiet life he had built in the rural settlement. So, he quietly accepted the ice pack and carefully pressed it to his cheek.

“It’s a dangerous track, Seb,” you murmured as you took over holding it, cradling his other cheek with your palm. “Please be safe and come home in one piece.”

His hands came to rest on your stomach, nearly covering it all as he splayed his fingers apart. “Of course, my love. And you need to stay in one piece until I get home.”

You giggled and felt the strong kick responding to his voice. “I have a feeling your son will take his time. Would you resort to one of those dreadful planes if he decides to come early?”

His lips twitched in amusement, used to your jibing over the consciousness of his carbon footprint. “I could probably drive home faster, with a few speeding tickets along the way, but I might be able to lower myself to boarding a plane for him.”

“Ah, that’s a father’s love,” you giggled. “He doesn’t even know what a sacrifice that would be.”

Sebastian lowered the ice pack so he could dip his head and kiss you. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for the two of you.”

“Except get rid of the bees.”

His lips curled against yours in a smile you felt. “Except that.”

[olowan-waphiya]

of fucking course.....they fucking coated paper straws with pfas......its a fucking nightmare

--

Long-lasting 'forever chemicals', which can cause damaging health issues, found in 18/20 brands of paper straws

In the first analysis of its kind in Europe, and only the second in the world, Belgian researchers tested 39 brands of straws for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS were found in the majority of the straws tested and were most common in those made from paper and bamboo, the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants, found.

PFAS are used to make everyday products, from outdoor clothing to non-stick pans, resistant to water, heat and stains. They are, however, potentially harmful to people, wildlife and the environment.

They break down very slowly over time and can persist over thousands of years in the environment, a property that has led to them being known as "forever chemicals."

They have been associated with a number of health problems, including lower response to vaccines, lower birth weight, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol levels, liver damage, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

"Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic," says researcher Dr Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, who is involved in this study.

"However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that's not necessarily true."

A growing number of countries, including the UK and Belgium, have banned sale of single-use plastic products, including drinking straws, and plant-based versions have become popular alternatives.

A recent study found PFAS in plant-based drinking straws in the US. Dr Groffen and colleagues wanted to find out if the same was true of those on sale in Belgium.

To explore this further, the research team purchased 39 different brands of drinking straw made from five materials -- paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel and plastic.

The straws, which were mainly obtained from shops, supermarkets and fast-food restaurants, then underwent two rounds of testing for PFAS.

The majority of the brands (27/39, 69%) contained PFAS, with 18 different PFAS detected in total.

The paper straws were most likely to contain PFAS, with the chemicals detected in 18/20 (90%) of the brands tested. PFAS were also detected in 4/5 (80%) brands of bamboo straw, 3/4 (75%) of the plastic straw brands and 2/5 (40%) brands of glass straw. They were not detected in any of the five types of steel straw tested.

The most commonly found PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been banned globally since 2020.

Also detected were trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS), "ultra-short chain" PFAS which are highly water soluble and so might leach out of straws into drinks.

The PFAS concentrations were low and, bearing in mind that most people tend to only use straws occasionally, pose a limited risk to human health. However, PFAS can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over time.

"Small amounts of PFAS, while not harmful in themselves, can add to the chemical load already present in the body," says Dr Groffen.

It isn't known whether the PFAS were added to the straws by the manufacturers for waterproofing or whether were the result of contamination. Potential sources of contamination include the soil the plant-based materials were grown in and the water used in the manufacturing process.

However, the presence of the chemicals in almost every brand of paper straw means it is likely that it was, in some cases, being used as a water-repellent coating, say the researchers.

The study's other limitations include not looking at whether the PFAS would leach out of the straws into liquids.

Dr Groffen concludes: "The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows they are not necessarily biodegradable.

"We did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws, so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw -- or just avoid using straws at all."

[nnctales]

Building with Butts: The Rise of Cigarette Butt Bricks

Cigarette butts are a major environmental concern. Discarded improperly, they leach harmful chemicals into the soil and waterways, posing a threat to wildlife and ecosystems. But what if these pesky butts could be transformed from pollutants into building materials? Enter cigarette butt bricks, an innovative concept that tackles waste management and construction with a single solution. The…

[creativeera]

Environmental Impact of Cement Production and the Rise of Green Cement Alternatives

Cement Production and its Environmental Impact Cement production is one of the primary industrial causes of global greenhouse gas emissions. The cement production process requires heating limestone and clay to 1500 degrees Celsius in cement kilns, which emits large amounts of carbon dioxide. The cement industry currently accounts for up to 8% of global CO2 emissions. In addition, cement production also contributes to air and water pollution through particulate emissions from manufacturing plants and pollution from mining activities. With the global construction industry and cement demand rising each year, traditional cement is unsustainable for the environment in the long run. This raises an urgent need to develop greener alternatives to conventional cement. What is Green Cement? Green cement, also known as sustainable or low-carbon cement, refers to cementitious materials that are produced through innovative technologies or blended formulations to reduce the environmental impact during production and in the final application. Some key characteristics of it include: - Lower CO2 emissions during manufacturing compared to ordinary Portland cement - Use of industrial waste by-products such as fly ash and slag as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) - Potential for carbon sequestration or even carbon negative properties - Comparable or better performance properties for construction applications - Use of renewable, sustainable ingredients in the formulations - Lower overall environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle There are various types of green cement currently being researched and commercialized to offer more eco-friendly alternatives to traditional cement. Types Some prominent types of green cements include: Blended Cements: Ordinary Portland cement is blended with industrial by-products like fly ash, slag or silica fume. Green Cement reduces the clinker factor and associated CO2 emissions in production. Blended cements are the most widely used type currently. Geopolymer Cements: Made from aluminosilicate materials that are reacted with alkali solutions like sodium silicates. They can sequester carbon and offer high early strength. However, large-scale production faces challenges. Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements (CSA): Composed primarily of calcium sulfoaluminate clinker instead of Portland clinker. They offer lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions in manufacturing. Belite-Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements: Combination of belite-rich clinker and calcium sulfoaluminate cement. An emerging type with balanced properties and environmental footprint. Magnesia-Based Cements: Magnesium oxide cements are generated through carbonation of magnesium silicates or carbonation of serpentines. They can yield carbon-negative concretes but widespread use requires more research. Other novel formulations include alkali-activated magnesium cements, calcium carbonate cements, and hybrid inorganic polymer concretes which aim to disrupt conventional cement manufacturing processes. Continuous research and development is ongoing to improve the properties and viability of it alternatives. Adoption Barriers and Industry Efforts Despite the environmental advantages, wider adoption of it faces barriers related to high initial costs, setting properties, standards development and market resistance to changes. The cement industry is actively involved in overcoming these challenges through collaborative efforts: Get more insights on Green Cement

Vaagisha brings over three years of expertise as a content editor in the market research domain. Originally a creative writer, she discovered her passion for editing, combining her flair for writing with a meticulous eye for detail. Her ability to craft and refine compelling content makes her an invaluable asset in delivering polished and engaging write-ups.

(LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaagisha-singh-8080b91)

[mbta-unofficial]

If your city is a Brand, it’s already too late

Long post time. What is it that drives gentrification? Also, what is gentrification? Is it when a city gets blue hair and pronouns? No, it probably already had those.

Gentrification is the result of concentration of wealth in the hands of business owners, including landlords, over and above the hands of residents.

Let’s start with rent. Rent, like any good, is priced according to the laws of supply and demand. Supply of available rental housing is primarily determined by construction costs and estimated return on investment for new construction, and property management costs and estimated return on investment for existing units.

Breaking that down a bit, the higher construction costs get the higher the rent needs to be to break even on new construction. Construction costs include labor (which can always go down but you want it high for moral and practical reasons), materials (highly variable depending on the project) and bureaucratic costs. A bureaucratic cost is a cost that is based on how projects fit into the legal and practical environment, and are usually non-negotiable. Dig Safe, a program which requires three days of surveying local records before breaking ground, is an example where the function is to prevent crews from flattening a neighborhood by puncturing a gas main. Environmental Impact Statements, Fire Codes, Habitability Guidelines, and other regulations increase costs to projects. These programs are good and need to exist, but do stop smaller projects from happening at all because the capital investment required just to actually break ground on a new house might cost as much as the land and materials put together at which point you might as well build another 120$/sqft luxury midrise.

Property management costs for existing units are largely dependent on age and wear. A unit with no occupant is going to depreciate little, and may also appreciate in value. Depreciation and appreciation here are sort of unintuitive because they can happen at the same time. Imagine an old luxury sports car with a high resale price. Driving depreciates the value because it’s literal condition is poorer, even as the resale value goes up over time. The appreciation needs to beat both inflation and the value of depreciation for it to go up in real value. For companies with large capital holdings however, losses such as through the upkeep of empty apartment buildings are useful to a point because they reduce these organizations’s tax burdens. A company that makes a killing on the stock market only has to pay taxes if they keep it: if they buy houses they then don’t rent, they can claim they “lost” their stock market earnings with “bad investments” and then pay no tax while saving the real estate to rent later. Again, this favors the largest possible projects and the largest possible operators because small companies can be killed by an unprofitable quarter or 4 while large ones explicitly benefit from unprofitability in reducing their tax burden.

Expected ROI is the final piece of this, which affects both new and existing units. Every private developer and landlord wants to make as much money as they can, unless they are explicitly are renting as a service. An example of renting as a service would be families, who will rent to each other at favorable rates or for free, privileging people with large and/or wealthy families that are friendly with each other. Now, ROI is also subject to supply and demand. Everyone wants to build 120$/sqft luxury apartments but once everybody does nobody can sell/rent for those prices without setting a price floor and waiting for buyers to catch up. If you are a small developer, you can’t afford to do this. Your expenses will eat you alive. If you are a big developer, though, those expenses are offsetting the gains you make and serving to reduce you tax bill. Units at prices nobody can pay are effectively furloughed, meaning off the market, and, so long as they remain cheap to maintain, will remain that way, artificially restricting supply. It doesn’t matter if it’s for sale or not when it’s at a price you can’t afford. (Sidebar, anyone who tells you that the minimum wage depresses hiring because it artificially restricts demand is lying to you. It’s not strictly false, but like the above it’s a multi-variable equation and blanket statements about cost of labor are aimed at killing wages.)

What this alludes to also is a need for greater income equality. In order for rental to be a competitive option with furlough, not only does the price of furlough have to be increased, the real value of wages have to be increased in order to create opportunities for people to splurge. This is a twofold strategy, of both increasing the rewards of putting units on the market and increasing the costs of keeping them off. If real wages barely cover cost of living, or don’t cover cost of living, nobody can realistically spend more real wages on rent regardless of the percentage of their income it is. (Real wages here refers to the political power implied by dollar wages. A dollar is really worth whatever it can be exchanged for, whether that is a candy bar or a square inch of a 144$/sqft condo) The real value of everything except time and land are also constantly going down because of constant improvements in manufacturing. The cost in acres of land and hours of labor of a pound of beef, a bolt of cloth, or a pint of beer have dropped dramatically in the last century. Unfortunately, land is one of the few things that remains in marxist terms uncommodifiable, because it cannot be fully abstracted from the physical properties that make it valuable and we can’t make more of it just by making a better machine. This means that as the real value of things goes down because of supply and demand, the value of land only goes up because the supply is hard capped. If the value of everything under capitalism must go down because of increased production, while the value of capitalist assets must go up, or the system collapses, it makes sense that land would become a fixed point in that equation, the marxist speed of light observable from all reference points. The best approximation of land as commodity is, what else, apartments, which make available as living space the empty air above us. Because production never stops, the value of everything but land must go down. Therefore, as time passes, the price of land, and hence the price of housing, must tend upwards. Therefore, in order for housing to remain affordable, real wages must grow. This is the opposite of what is currently happening, as real wages have gone down for decades.

This income inequality which is one facet of capitalism is not new. For as long as people have lived in urban areas there have been issues between the abject class, the working class, the ruling class, and the professional class, a four part distinction I will seriously argue for in opposition to a lot of marxist theorists. The ruling and working classes ought to be familiar, or at least self explanatory. However, the other two classes I identify, the professionals and the abject, are useful to this analysis because they fill both a racial gap in the primarily marxist analysis I put forward and identify the two most likely groups to rent, which is to say the worker who works to produce but owns without governing and the professional who works to govern but does not own. The ruling class both governs and owns, but its court is full of courtiers who are there to push various agendas from within the rule of law without per se producing. Likewise, the working class pensioner exists in opposition to the abject who is denied the opportunity or the resources to be productive explicitly as a means to manufacture a threat against which inter-class solidarity between the workers and the rulers is developed. The textbook nazi conspiracy theory about “elites” doing a great racial replacement picks out perfectly what I mean by both the racial character of the professional and the abject and their utilization to foster solidarity between your plumber uncle and Elon Musk. This is relevant to both the broad theme of gentrification and the narrow theme of rent because gentrification is a wedge issue that divides the working class and the professional class far more than its impact on any other. The working class’ disidentification with doctors, lawyers, PMCs and other yuppie types, as well as the professional class’ disidentification with union politics, illegalism, and radicalism in general is brought to firecrackers in virtually any conversation about gentrification which seems in passing to be more about tapas bars than about real politics. Likewise, these groups shared distrust of and disdain for the abject, who are explicitly labeled by the state as constitutionally guilty, is the basis for the very broken windows policing strategy that empties neighborhoods of minorities regardless of class. The Rent is Too Damn High, and excluding homeless people from the “working” working class is a big part of how we got here specifically because the interests of small time owners and small time government functionaries, carried to their conclusions, are necessarily self defeating. These two groups eliminate the presence of the abject from their spaces at their own financial peril.

In addition to class, there is also a specific historical movement that is crucial to the understanding of gentrification as it exists, which is the movement of factories in search of cheap labor. The United States is not a good place to find cheap urban labor. You build a factory and suddenly everyone complains about air quality and labor violations and you can’t just kill them because everyone has lawyers. You kill one (us citizen) organizer and the NLRB is trying to get you in court for intimidation. What’s the country come to? But a shipping container costs a quarter cent per mile and the goods aren’t perishable so you go to Guangzhou or Cape Town where you can kill union bosses in peace. But for the American city, that’s a loss of what once made land prime real estate. What jobs can replace the insatiable demand for labor that a 24 hour paper mill once produced? Service labor, which crucially is site specific and therefore not outsourceable, is what the US has predominantly turned to. (and arms manufacturing which is not outsourced for very different reasons) However, service labor is only in demand if there is already a stable population that can be served, which requires a constant influx of capital holders in demand of service. This is why Airbnb exists and is hollowing out rental availability, why Boston as a college town is the way it is, and why there are in fact so many damn tapas bars. Fred Salveucci talked about being able to go north of the expressway in the 70s and being able to get a plate of mac and beans for half a buck. I went looking for a 5$ slice of pizza on my lunch break today around Government Center and found two places that were boarded up and ended up spending 20$ at Chilacates. Cities are being slowly turned into Cancun, complete with the fences to keep out the homeless.

What can be done about this? Obviously the factors we’ve discussed that favor consolidation of housing are mostly either contained within a gordion’s knot of tax policy or intrinsic to capitalism/goods as commodities. But, given that we narrow our objectives to making the rent lower, some obvious weaknesses jump out: increasing the cost of vacancy forces units out of furlough, because companies are no longer able to justify the losses, and increasing real wages increases the availability of capital for workers to spend on rent. These are the prongs I talked about earlier.

Legal means to pursue each prong exist. Both a minimum wage and a maximum wage, depending on their implementation, can potentially increase real wages, and vacancy taxes directly increase the costs of vacancy. The government can also ignore the market and directly mandate maximum rents within certain parameters. This tends to decrease the long term supply of housing for the reasons discussed at the outset, given that if the revenues from house building don’t cover the costs of building, less gets built. However, any political movement that exists exclusively within the white lines of the law fails to genuinely threaten change. Landlords, like bosses, break the law constantly with the impunity that a lawyer provides them against consequence. This is why a healthy dose of illegalism is an important part of any effective political movement. The most direct action one can take is property occupation, or squatting. Squatter’s rights are nearly non-existent in the United States. The most leeway that any state grants to any unknown persons occupying a dwelling is 60 days notice to vacate the property, and there are states that allow no notice evictions or lack statutes governing squatting at all. Every single state regards the occupation of owned property as trespassing, meaning most kinds of squatting are prosecutable offenses. However, squatting, even temporarily in ways that don’t expose the squatter to liability provided they don’t get caught, can seriously impact the value of properties. You have heard of rent lowering gunshots. This is the serious version of that. At the same time, illegal action needs legal defense, both in terms of non-compliance with police to protect those willing to take illegal actions from arrest and in terms of legal, 1st amendment protected disruption to keep focus on the issue. The most effective movements have a radical wing and a institutionalist wing who do not acknowledge each other but share the same tactics and objectives.

If you are housed, you need to be willing to protect and support homeless people because they are your front line. Start or join an Occupy movement, where they are your peers in occupying a public space illegally in a way that is too public to prosecute. Give to people on the street, and smash anti-homeless architecture if nobody is watching. Be willing to distract cops if you see someone doing something dodgy so they can get away. Remember that following the law is a tactic, and so is breaking it.

The case for this being on my transit blog is arguably weak, but I felt compelled after a particularly hateful experience looking at facebook memes about homeless people on the T. You should want those people there. You should want those people breaking down the doors of luxury apartments and setting up shop. You should want them keeping your city safe because the cops you hire to separate you from them will train their guns on you next.

And for gods sake, don’t let your city become a brand. Branding is marketing. Branding is clean, and bloodless, and a gloved hand around your throat that leaves no fingerprints.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Eco-friendly nanofibrous cellulose matrix has diverse applications ranging from textiles to medical devices

The efficient use of cellulose—the primary plant scaffold and a major natural building block—could address many issues associated with petroleum-based polymers across various industries. In the search for more sustainable uses of cellulose, Lithuanian scientists have developed a production method for a nanofibrous cellulose matrix, which has the potential to replace non-renewable industrial even in biomedical applications. Textile, clothing, toys, and sports equipment made from synthetic petroleum-based materials have a significant negative impact on the environment through their entire life cycle, from production to waste management. Scientists argue that it is necessary to replace petroleum-based materials with environmentally friendly materials and to demonstrate to consumers that products that have been in use for many years can be replaced while retaining their effectiveness. According to Ingrida Pauliukaitytė, a Ph.D. student at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and one of the creators of the new environmentally friendly cellulose nanofiber, the invention is a step towards a more sustainable industry.

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