Zhi

Jian (David) Wong 021 115 7897

THESIS STATEMENT (DRAFT COPY)

Out of crisis arises opportunity; the devastating earthquakes in Christchurch provides the chance to implement green economic strategies to become a sustainable prototype model for the rest of the world to learn from. This thesis is about transitioning Christchurch to be a more sustainable economy in which it aims to make Christchurch a Zero-Carbon city by 2035. Architecture in this instance will act as an economic catalyst for this transition to happen because it is the very fabric of the city.

CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION

We are currently living in a world with finite resources. The age of the industrial economy is over and we are entering a new age defined by exponential innovation. Human beings have always used technology to overcome obstacles; the industrial age for instance was a product of cheap fuels and the invention of assembly line production. This was an age of manual labor and high costs to the planets natural resources. As a consequence today we are faced with climate change, dangerously high pollution levels and negative health effects due to how we have used our planets recourses, the time is now to use technology and innovation to solve the urgent environmental challenges. I agree with Einstein when he said, "we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." (Einstein n.d.) In order to solve our current global economic and environmental crisis, we need a completely new system and not just one where we improve the current way of operating. Fortunately because we live in an age of innovation there are many sustainable solutions being developed, at the moment they often remain as untested theories yet to be put into practice.

CHRISTCHURCH TODAY AND TOMORROW

After the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, the city of Christchurch was left with its Central Business District (CBD) in ruins and its infrastructure heavily damaged. At the time of writing this thesis it is estimated that approximately 8000 buildings will have to be demolished in the whole of Christchurch (3 News 2012) and the estimated total costs of the earthquake to the government will be $13 Billion New Zealand Dollars (NZD); with the estimated cost of rebuilding Christchurchs infrastructure (NZD) to be $2 Billion.(Fairfax NZ News 2011) Additionally 30,000 homes are in need of serious repair with each exceeding more than $100,000 in damage costs. (Fairfax NZ News 2011) Christchurch is now faced with the largest reconstruction project in New Zealand history, but with this they have the unique opportunity to reconfigure the urban plan to create a more efficient and sustainable city. The question is, will the people of Christchurch choose to rebuild in the same way it was before, or will they take this opportunity to rebuild a sustainable and resilient city that is prepared for the future?

Zhi Jian (David) Wong 021 115 7897

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE?
We hear the phrases, sustainable and green used often, but what does it mean to be sustainable and what are green principles? For the sake of this thesis, I have defined sustainability as the ability to sustain or maintain development without compromising resources for future generations for the sake of short-term gains. Through this research lead design thesis I will describe how a green economy could rejuvenate the city of Christchurch and at the same time dispel the common perception that economics and sustainability are mutually incompatible. Investing in a green economy is a viable catalyst for regeneration for Christchurch because: - Firstly because New Zealand claims to be clean and green and particularly the South Island which is known for its beautiful scenic natural environments. Further, Christchurchs identity is the Garden City, which if taken seriously could be the impetus behind promoting a green economy. - Secondly, with the impending global energy crisis, the age of cheap energy is over. Because we have passed peak oil, we need to start planning how to supply our growing energy demands with renewable sources. - Which leads me to my third point, Christchurch is fortunate with an abundance of water, long solar hours, and arable land. The geographic location of Christchurch is positioned well to take advantage of its natural resources and create a sustainable energy strategy to support the city. - And lastly, the size of Christchurch makes it a perfect candidate to be a prototype city to test a holistic energy strategy. Christchurch has a population of approximately 370,000 inhabitants; which makes it large enough to be relevant as a major city centre but also small enough for technology and infrastructure to be implemented quickly and efficiently. The speed of adoption and evaluation can be analysed a lot faster in Christchurch compared to a large metropolitan city, where various governing bodies may impede such a progress.

ENERGY
At the heart of a green economy is energy use. In Christchurch, electricity comes mainly from renewable sources, particularly the hydro electricity dams in Benmore, Manapouri, and Clyde. (EECA n.d.) The energy produced from these hydroelectric dams is then feed into a centralized grid and distributed across the country. A centralized power grid is vulnerable to failure due to unforeseen circumstances, which can leave large areas without power. The reason being is that it only takes one of the connections into the main grid to fail to leave an entire city without power. Such was the case following the February 2011 earthquakes, as was made evident in the increased amount of diesel usage as a back-up source for power. (Christchurch Agency for Energy 2012)

Zhi Jian (David) Wong 021 115 7897 Diesel and Petrol is a fossil fuel that powers the Internal Combustion Engine (I.C.E) of our cars in which these land transportation fuels is a majority of 60% of the citys total energy demand. The result of using these fossil fuels as a source of energy contributes to the air pollution in Christchurch; which is costing the city $168 million per annum. (Spronken-Smith 2002) There are more efficient forms of transportation such as the electric vehicles (EV) in which they run on electricity stored in batteries. The method in which we use our private vehicles can also be improved as above 90% of private car users are single occupants; which leads to inefficiencies and congestion. Another contributing factor to air pollution is the use of domestic log burning fireplaces which often heat homes that lack insulation and therefore demand greater heating loads particularly during the winter months. The unfortunate consequence is increased health costs due to the particulates in the air, which could be minimised substantially through retrofitting buildings and replacing the inefficient log burning fireplaces with more efficient lower emission design. Christchurch has the unique opportunity to rebuild and repair large parts of the city, which if managed appropriately means they could seize this opportunity and invest in upgrading their existing buildings to improve energy efficiency, while building new buildings to be superior in their energy use. For example, by adding ceiling insulation in a pre 1960s house, which typically does not have insulation, a cost to benefit ratio could be 7 times the investment over a 30 year period. In other words the cost of retrofitting this house with insulation would benefit the residents 7 more times than it costs to install the insulation over a period of 30 years. (Beacon Pathway Limited 2009)There is a common perception that the relationship between a buildings economic efficiency and its energy efficiency are mutually exclusive; but the truth is the opposite . In todays technologically advanced systems of construction and building techniques, we are able to design options that can reduce costs because of the savings in energy usage.

INVISIBLE ECONOMY
Unfortunately while the government purports to be green, their actions are often conflicting and they lack the ability to support planning for long term benefits, as is seen from their recent commitments to start oil and fossil fuel exploration at the expense of the natural environment. There are various examples of what happens when the government takes proprietary control over natural resources that show their short sightedness and motivation is focused on immediate gains. An example of this can been seen in China when they expanded their timber industry and caused excessive deforestation, which consequently effected the environment. The market price for timber was only half of what the Chinese had to pay due to external environmental costs such as desertification and loss of water runoff. (TEEB The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity 2011) The reason why this happens is largely due to the fact that the natural economy is an invisible one, by this I mean the cost of natural resources and their benefits beyond their commercial value are often not calculated into their true costs. Unfortunately when something is given for free,

Zhi Jian (David) Wong 021 115 7897 the human mentality tends to make this mean it has no value. Therefore when you try and weight the pros and cons of development at the expense of natural environments, there seems to be no loss of value but only profit to be made. However as described in the previous example, when you actually take into account the invisible economy of ecosystems; the remaining balance is quite different. The people who benefit from such short-term decisions are the few that stand to make a profit; where as it is the majority who will ultimately bear the costs of their actions. The reason policies like these have gone through in the past is because the hidden external costs of such decisions has be blinded by the illusionary great short term gains. Thankfully, this notion of the invisible economy is starting to be more prominent into todays politics. The Green party in New Zealand is strongly opposed to the exploration of fossil fuels and have reported the extreme risks that are related to deep sea drilling. If a major oil spill were to happen it could be a loss of over $20 billion in terms of external costs towards the New Zealand economy; and given recent events and catastrophic oil spills such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico, there is no guarantee to prevent these risks. (Green Party 2011) Given that the total value in terms of future royalties from the potential extraction of oil is only to be approximately $8 Billion (National Party 2011) and given the majority of the profits would go to foreign oil companies, one must ask are the risks worth the gains? The environmental situation is not so different when compared to Chinas example of deforestation, we can see that the external costs and potential risk is clearly more than the short -term benefits. And those that will pay the true costs will be the New Zealand tax payer. Prior to this, New Zealand was on the right track by concentrating on its renewable resources but sadly is now slowly shifting its focus to fossil fuels. Surprisingly, this is at a time when the demand and interest for renewable energy is increasing globally; hence it would seem unwise to stray away from the green agenda.

ECONOMIC CATALYST
The sustainable solution to the ever-increasing energy needs and a potentially very strong economic catalyst for Christchurchs recovery, could be one in the same. Solar energy is an unharnessed potential in New Zealand with less than 1% contribution to the total energy sector. The estimated solar exposure is 2,050 hours annually, which is equivalent to 1360kWh per square metre, or approximately $360 a year of energy at 27c per kwh. (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority 2001) Countries such as Australia and Germany are successfully leading the way in the implementation of solar power and have proven solar energy is a viable and promising source. Australia has similar solar conditions as New Zealand but has a solar adoption rate of 50% (the rate of which solar technology is being implemented in new infrastructure); whilst New Zealand is merely 2%. (B. Moore 2012) Australia is planning to intensify its clean energy industry by striving to become a zero-carbon country by 2020; to do this they have produced a ten-year plan with strategic energy saving strategies implemented in stages. By capitalising on this natural source of solar energy, Christchurch could learn from other global leaders and lead the way within the

Zhi Jian (David) Wong 021 115 7897 New Zealand context. Hence, for part of my thesis I will set out to establish a transitional energy strategy to make Christchurch a zero carbon city by 2035 by using solar energy as one of the economic catalyst in the energy scheme. New Zealand has an advantage over Australia as it is smaller country, which means less output for infrastructural projects. As well the majority of New Zealands energy is already from renewable sources, so if New Zealand wanted to set the same aim to achieve a zero carbon energy strategy, it could do so with less time and investment. Another country leading the green revolution is China, New Zealands second largest trading partner. New Zealand, and specifically Christchurch could take advantage of its good trading relationship with China and be a part of Chinas 10 Trillion Yuan investment plan to grow its clean technology industry by supplying innovative ideas and products to the Chinese market. If Christchurch invested in the technology driving the green energy industries, and lead by example it could becoming a truly green energy city, and potentially a source for producing and distributing both the solutions and the technology behind renewable energy sources. Christchurch is at a cross roads, it can either take the path of a Green Economy which would be ecologically and economically responsible, or continue down the road of Business as Usual which neglects the long term consequences of immediate returns. If Christchurch continues the path of the Business as Usual Scenario, nothing really changes, and a select few gets will become richer, mainly the people who have a share in the non-renewable sector. Energy prices will continue to increase as the supply for fossil fuels will inevitably run out, at which time New Zealand will be forced to import Clean tech from abroad, which by then will have become the norm for energy production and consumption leaving New Zealand to catch up rather then lead the way. This would have a negative consequence on New Zealands image as a clean, green country as well it would lend to the continued degradation of the air quality through pollution which has the related consequences of negative health effects. However, if Christchurch takes the steps towards a Green Economy and focuses on further investing in renewable energy technologies, it could lead the way for New Zealand in choosing a responsible and economically sound future. If Christchurch develops a renewable energy strategy, it could become a prototype city for the rest of New Zealand and the world, and instead of falling behind, it could lead the way. My thesis aims to outline a strategy for how this transition to a green economy is not only possible, but could be the catalyst for investment and future growth. I believe the city could build on New Zealands identity as a clean green country to capture the attention of foreign investors looking to invest in sustainable technologies. The green economy is about the bare essentials of everyday life, energy (food as a source of energy for humans), being affordable for every household in Christchurch and in New Zealand. The green economy is also about maintaining the priceless scenic natural environment of New Zealand to create an

Zhi Jian (David) Wong 021 115 7897 environment for innovative individuals who want to stay in Christchurch; where professionals gather to see how theories of sustainability are put into practice to rejuvenate life and activity within this fallen city. Being sustainable is not about getting rich quickly but rather creating a high quality of life that everyone enjoys.

THE FUTURE PLAN

To start the momentum for this transition towards a green economy, a few catalyst projects around Christchurch are needed to activate certain areas and aspects of the city; such as energy, transport and housing. The energy aspect of Christchurch will be re-evaluated and analyzed to find potential changes to make the existing energy scheme more efficient in the long term by only relying on renewable resources. The cost of the existing oil economy will be put to the test to see if it is really the cheaper option. The economically feasible energy scheme will aim to transition Christchurch into a Zero-Carbon city by the year 2035. The result of the plan will change the urban fabric of the city because of the necessary infrastructure that the proposal needs to be realized. Architecture has the means of reflecting and portraying the underlying spirit of the city, in the case of Christchurch; for a more sustainable resilient future. The logical prospect for the future of Christchurch architecture should be of an optimized and efficient nature; because of the scarce resources available to the city after the earthquake. Which will reflect the philosophy of, working together with nature rather than against it and ,the nature of Evolution. I believe once people start to experience the changes because of these catalyst projects; the notion of a sustainable future for Christchurch will spread like a bug, the Green bug.

Zhi Jian (David) Wong 021 115 7897

BIBLIOGRAPHY
3 News. Christchurch quake in numbers. 3 News. 2012 21-February. http://www.3news.co.nz/Christchurch-quake-in- numbers/tabid/423/articleID/243668/Default.aspx (accessed 2012 16-April). Beacon Pathway Limited. Valuing homes that perform well. Beacon. 2009 April. http://beaconpathway.co.nz/being-homesmart/article/valuing_homes_that_perform_well (accessed 2012 9-April). Christchurch Agency for Energy. "CAfE Graphing Tool." Christchurch Agency for Energy. 2012. http://cafe.gen.nz/db (accessed 03 28, 2012). EECA. Hydro energy. EECA. http://www.eeca.govt.nz/efficient-and-renewable- energy/renewable-energy/hydro-energy (accessed 2012 16-April). Einstein, Albert. Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein. http://rescomp.stanford.edu/~cheshire/EinsteinQuotes.html (accessed 2012 16-4). Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. Solar Master/Solar Max 2012. May 2001. http://www.solarmax.co.nz/downloads (accessed March 20, 2012). Fairfax NZ News. Earthquake Commission out of cash. stuff.co.nz. 2011 30-August. http://www.rebuildchristchurch.co.nz/blog/2011/8/stuff-co-nz-30-000-houses-munted (accessed 2012 16-April). Moore, Bill. "Deal set to boost solar venture." Nelson Mail. March 2, 2012. http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/6361304/Deal-set-to-boost-solar-venture (accessed April 5, 2012). National Party. "Energy and Resources Policy." 2011. http://www.national.org.nz/PDF_General/Energy_and_Resources_policy.pdf (accessed April 22, 2012). Spronken-Smith, R.A., Sturman, A.P., Wilton, E. "The air pollution problem in Christchurch, New Zealand - progress and prospects." University of Canterbury. 2002. http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/3507 (accessed April 4, 2012). TEEB The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. "TEEB Manual for Cities: Ecosystem Services in Urban Management." 2011. www.teebweb.org (accessed march 19, 2012).