Ignoring the cost of climate change is bad business – Globe and Mail, May 17, 2013

In an earlier blog post, I discussed what is worth preserving.

Are the shorelines of New York City worth preserving as sea level rise?

This topic came to mind when I read a May 17, 2013 Globe and Mail article by Eric Reguly entitled “Ignoring the cost of climate change is bad business.”

The article begins – in the second sentence, after an opening sentence about volatility in financial markets and everyday life – with the following comments about condos:

“Case in point: Toronto’s condos.

“They are everywhere, endless rows of cookie-cutter towers. Besides being bland, even hideous, they are obviously not built to cope with volatile weather patterns, such as the soaring number of extremely hot days. Acres of glass and thin walls are their dominant features. They are almost entirely dependent on energy, and lots of it, for heating, cooling and ventilation (in some condos, many of the windows don’t open).

“As temperatures rise, these glass boxes will consume more energy to prevent them from roasting their occupants alive. Some will get easily damaged by storms and flooding if a hurricane hits. Many are so shabbily built that they will have to be torn down and replaced within decades – construction is a highly energy-intensive activity.”

[End of excerpt]

Click here to access the article.