We are just beginning to rebuild Europe after a period of unprecedented economic, social and personal turmoil. With this spirit of renaissance in our hearts, there has never been a better time to rethink and renovate the buildings that shelter us. Creating a renovation wave in Europe now is key to any economic recovery and will be central to getting the EU back on its feet.

Presenting proposals for a Recovery Package and revised EU budget to address the immediate economic and social damage brought by coronavirus, the European Commission said this was Europes moment. EU spending must be rethought in order to repair and prepare for the next generation, the Commission said.

This is the mindset we need for the coming weeks, months and years. Repair and prepare. Renovate. Make buildings fit for the future and the challenges it will hold: including climate change and energy poverty, along with the need for a healthy indoor environment, made only too clear by the long days spent at home to reduce the spread of the virus.

As Chairman of Eurima, the European Insulation Manufacturers Association, I was glad to hear the Commission state that investing in a large-scale renovation wave has enormous potential to get Europes economy growing, as part of the economic recovery package.

EU leaders are due to hold high level talks about the proposal at a summit meeting (online, of course) later this week. I hope they will take the opportunity to acknowledge this renovation potential.

Renovating buildings has the potential to positively impact every EU inhabitant and business. It supports local jobs and develops competitive EU business practices. Buildings including hospitals, schools, and houses, which have been pushed to the front of our minds by recent events, all need to be built or renovated to the highest energy-efficiency, health and comfort standards.

Together with my colleagues in the sustainable building sector, we were sorry not to see any clear renovation fund so far set out in proposals for economic recovery. Dedicating money to help the 50 million EU citizens who live in leaky houses that they cannot afford to heat or cool properly must now be a priority for the detailed Renovation Wave proposals the Commission has scheduled for September.

Europe must make financing quickly and easily available to deeply renovate some millions of the unhealthiest buildings across Europe over the next two years. That also means swiftly agreeing a supportive and coherent regulatory environment, one that enables coordinated national actions and clear data on buildings and renovation rates and costs.

Deep renovation can steer Europe towards a more sustainable and resilient economy. Introducing minimum energy performance standards is needed to help the EU hit both a renovation target of 3 percent per year while, at the same time, delivering its 2050 Climate Neutrality target.

It remains true that we need to keep flexibility in our renovation policies: there is no one size fits all template for every building and strategies need to be adapted at the local level. But agreeing now on specific, implementable, straight forward EU action can help us to avoid losing momentum while arguing about who does what.

This means setting milestones for different sectors of the existing building stock, in order to encourage market players and investors to support a highly energy-efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050. At the same time, we need to agree on specific measures for the sectors where demand can be increased more quickly, such as public buildings and in particular hospitals, schools and affordable housing.

Eurima, as part of the Renovate Europe Campaign, has set out the case for the creation of a Renovation Fund for all Europeans to address inequalities in building stock and ensure that energy renovation of buildings plays a central role in getting Europe back on its feet [add link or footnote https://www.renovate-europe.eu/about-the-campaign/renovation-fund-for-all-europeans/ ] Eurima has also published guidelines setting out the case for an EU-level scheme for minimum energy performance standards for existing buildings and explaining why they should become the cornerstone of an EU Renovation Wave [add link or footnote https://www.eurima.org/uploads/ModuleXtender/Publications/185/Eurima_Renovation_Wave_MEPS_4-pager_31_03_2020.pdf%5D.

Creating a renovation wave in Europe is key to any future economic recovery package, not only for the current generation but also for future generations. Expectations are high and needs are great, but the solutions are there. As we begin to tentatively move out this unprecedented health crisis, let redesign and renovation lead us to a brighter future.

Pascal Eveillard is the Director for Sustainable Construction of the Saint-Gobain Group, and the Chairman of Eurima, the European Insulation Manufacturers Association.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/QANDA_20_935

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Rebuilding Europe: Deep energy renovation should be the heart of EU economic recovery - EURACTIV

The green recovery and next phase of planning the Oxford-Cambridge Arc have created the perfect opportunity to realise all of these benefits, and the Natures Arc principles show how, says the Woodland Trust | Credit: Woodland Trust

Some of the UKs leading nature conservation charities have produced a blueprint for how plans for up to a million new homes can include nature to create happier and healthier communities for people and wildlife.

Nature must be at the heart of plans to build new houses.

With plans starting to take shape to build up to a million new homes in what is known as the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, conservationists are asking the Government to look at this as the perfect opportunity to invest in nature, improve peoples lives and realise the green recovery by building the new nature friendly towns and communities everyone wants to see.

This year the importance of being able to get out into nature and discover wildlife where we live has become clear, and this has been underlined by figures released last week by the RSPB that showed widespread public support for investing in and increasing nature and natural greenspace in our recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

To show how this could be done, the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (WTBCN); Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT); the RSPB; and the Woodland Trust have jointly published a set of principles for protecting and restoring nature and tackling climate change as part of growth and development proposed for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc.

The Natures Arc principles emphasise the importance of access to nature and natural greenspace for the health, wellbeing, wealth and resilience of people and communities.

Using these principles, Government can make a commitment to a new standard for sustainable development that will benefit wildlife, tackle climate change and build healthier neighbourhoods for people.

Investing in nature and increasing and enhancing the regions green infrastructure its parks, trees, woodlands, nature reserves and other natural green spaces would benefit local people, the economy and the environment, making the Arc a better place for people to live and work, and for businesses to invest.

The greenrecovery and next phase of planning the Oxford-Cambridge Arc have created the perfect opportunity to realise all of these benefits, and the Natures Arc principles show how.

Matt Jackson, Conservation Manager at BCNWT said: Recent months have underlined just how vital nature and greenspaces are for our wellbeing.

"We each have concerns about the impacts on nature from the growth arc, but we share aspirations for the area too. By putting nature first as the Arc evolves, people can benefit too - a thriving natural environment that supports healthy and sustainable lifestyles is achievable if these three steps are taken.

This could be a model for development that respects, protects and restores nature, in particular vulnerable natural heritage like ancient woodland.

Matthew Stanton, Head of Planning, Policy and Advocacy at BBOWT said: Given the nature and climate emergency we are in, business as usual for new development is not an option. Restoring our natural environment needs to be at the heart of plans for the arc.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a landscape in which people can benefit from a thriving natural environment that supports healthy lifestyles. Where growth is given the go ahead, the needs of nature must be a priority.

RSPB Operations Director for Central England, Jeff Knott: The importance of nature during the Coronavirus crisis and support for a green recovery have made the need for growth and development to help restore nature clearer than ever.

"This is a huge opportunity to do things differently. For the Oxford-Cambridge Arc to play its part in a green recovery it needs to have world leading ambitions to increase nature that match and underpin its aspirations for economic growth. The principles set out by our organisations show whats needed for the Arc to deliver for nature, for people, and for the economy too.

Jack Taylor, Lead Campaigner at Woodland Trust said:People have been connecting, or re-connecting, with nature so much more as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Theyve found comfort and strength from daily walks in green spaces, rediscovering the joys of trees, woods and the wildlife within them. Our response to this crisis must take this into account.

The Oxford Cambridge Arc is still in its infancy. Theres a real opportunity here for Government, local authorities and developers to put nature first so it can be delivered without damage.

"This could be a model for development that respects, protects and restores nature, in particular vulnerable natural heritage like ancient woodland.

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Oxford to Cambridge Arc: a chance for housebuilding to support a green recovery by protecting and restoring nature - PoliticsHome.com

HGTV Home Town fans, this ones for you!

Last week, Home Town featured not one, not two, but three firsts for the Laurel, Mississippi-based home renovation show, including its first 90-minute episode, first loft apartment renovation, and first Airstream renovation.

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While were excited for all of the firsts, its that last one that grabbed our attention the mostespecially since weve been nothing short of obsessed with Airstreams since Miranda Lambert added one to her fleet.

But it wasnt just the Airstream that made us watch in wide-eyed wonder. It was the fact that the shiny silver automobile was gifted to Home Towns husband-wife duo Erin and Ben Napier by country singer Chris Stapleton and his wife Morgane.

During the episode, Erin and Ben gave the Stapletons a virtual tour of the rebuild, to which they were as delighted as we were.

On Tuesday, May 26, Erin took to Instagram to share her gratitude for the gorgeous renovation. After thanking the Stapletons and all of the expert teams who worked to rebuild, reupholster, and re-design the camper, she went on to share how her little family is putting it to good use.

Weve taken 3 camping trips since quarantine began and have 4 more scheduled before summers end, she wrote. We have had our sweetest memories as a family to date inside this little airplane without wings and I cant wait to show Helen the USA as she grows up.

If you missed the episode, head over to HGTV.com or download the HGTV app.

New episodes of Home Town air on Monday nights at 9 P.M. central time.

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Erin and Ben Napier Renovate an Airstream on 'Home Town' - Erin and Ben Napier's Airstream Makeover - countryliving.com

A Norwegian couples home renovations have revealed what archaeologists suspect is a 1,000-year-old Viking grave, reports David Nikel for Forbes.

The pair were pulling up the floorboards of their house near Bod in northern Norway when they discovered a glass bead, an axe head and several other iron objects, report Preben Hunstad and Sondre Skjelvik for local newspaper Bod Nu.

Experts recruited to identify the artifacts dated them to the ninth century A.D.close to the beginning of the Viking Age, which lasted from roughly 800 to 1100 A.D. At the time, Norway was beginning to adopt Christianity and become a unified kingdom, Nordland County archaeologist Martinus Hauglid tells Bod Nu.

The Vikings were a war-like, seafaring Scandinavian people known for raiding and pillaging sites across Europe, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Also called Norseman or Northman, the Vikings were mostly Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.

Mariann Kristiansen and her partner discovered the glass bead after removing dirt and sand from beneath their floorboards. Kristiansen tells Truls Naas of Norwegian broadcast station TV 2 that her partner initially thought the bead was part of a toy.

It wasnt until later that we realized what it could be, says Kristiansen to Andreas Nilsen Trygstad and Benjamin Fredriksen of Norwegian state broadcaster NRK. We first thought it was the wheel of a toy car.

Once the couple realized the significance of their find, they phoned local authorities. Archaeologists from the nearby Troms Museum arrived to investigate the next day, reports Forbes. If the artifacts are definitively dated to the ninth century, they will be automatically preserved, as Norwegian law mandates the safeguarding of any artifacts or monuments that show traces of human activity prior to 1537.

Hauglid tells the Local that the iron axe head likely dates to between 950 and 1050 A.D. The dark-blue glass bead is likely just as old. The couple found the array of 1,000-year-old funerary items beneath stones that probably represent a cairn, or mound of stones erected as a memorial or landmark, says Hauglid.

The house-turned-archaeological site is now being fully excavated; the glass bead and iron artifacts have already been taken to the University of Troms for closer inspection, according to Forbes.

Viking burial sites are not uncommon in Norway, but as University of Troms archaeologist Jrn Erik Henriksen tells NRK, This is the first time I have experienced something like this [that] appears under a house.

Excavations have already yielded several new artifacts, including unidentified bones and an iron arrowhead. Henriksen tells NRK that he thinks the site may be a waste pit of the type often found near Iron Age burial mounds.

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Home Renovations in Norway Unearth Viking Burial | Smart News - Smithsonian.com

Restoration Hardware has released a copy of chairman and CEO Gary Friedmans annual letter to shareholders addressing what he sees as the next phase of the companys development including housing and international initiatives.

Friedman declared that fiscal 2019 was an outstanding year for the team at RH, with revenues up 5.4% over the year earlier to $2.65 billion, adjusted operating margins reaching 14.3% and adjusted diluted earnings per share increasing 49% to $11.66. The company, he stated, also generated $330 million of free cash flow in 2019 and achieved return on invested capital of 35.3%.

Under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Friedman noted that RH had deferred new business introductions and capital spending, while reducing costs to navigate through the short-term challenges of the crisis. He added, though, that RH is well positioned to take advantage of the many opportunities that present themselves during times of dislocation particularly due to the means most of the companys customers can tap at a time when they may be considering their domestic spaces whether on their own or through interior professionals. He asserted that the company strategy of opening new design galleries in every major market will unlock the value of a vast assortment, generating revenues of $5 to $6 billion in North America and positioning RH to become a $20 billion dollar global brand.

Friedman asserted that the company envisions:

Friedman added that the entire business ecosystem will come to life digitally as the company transforms its website into The World of RH, a portal presenting products, places, services, and spaces. He asserted that the ecosystem RH plans to create can expand globally, multiplying the market opportunity to $7 to $10 trillion.

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Friedman: RH Ready For Business Transformation - HomeWorld Business

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WASHINGTON The Great Lakes region took a beating last decade with the collapse of its manufacturing sector.

The regions economy has been in recovery but the pandemic threatens to deal another devastating blow.

Unemployment is spiking and cities and states are facing massive revenue losses, which have the potential to destabilize the regions renowned higher education system and other publicly funded programs and services. Wisconsins unemployment rate reached nearly 15% in April, an historic high.

A veteran Democratic lawmaker is devising a plan for a massive influx of federal aid to boost the region.

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, is exploring the possibility of a new federal entity to revitalize the region a project that could mirror the scale of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the eight states that border the Great Lakes.

Why is the Great Lakes always in the sink? she said in an interview. Why are we always forgotten? We have all these mammoth power needs and water needs, and the federal government just sits back and sort of turns its back on us. For me, that day is over.

A senior member of the powerful U.S. House Appropriations Committee and chair of its subcommittee on energy and water development, Kaptur is sussing out support for the concept among lawmakers from the region and leaders in Congress.

She may try to include the concept in a larger coronavirus recovery package, if and when Congress takes one up.

Rep. Debbie Dingell a Michigan Democrat who co-chairs the House Great Lakes Task Force with Kaptur and Republicans Bill Huizenga of Michigan and David Joyce of Ohio said that federal lawmakers from the region work closely together and are exploring ways to support and protect it. She did not comment specifically about Kapturs concept.

Wisconsin Reps. Ron Kind (D), Gwen Moore (D), Mike Gallagher (R) and Glenn Grothman (R) also sit on the task force, while Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) belongs to a Senate Great Lakes group.

In February, the House passed Joyces bill to renew and increase funding over five years for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a multiagency program created a decade ago to preserve and protect the lakes.

Seven of the states House lawmakers voted for it; the states other seat now held by GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany was vacant at the time.

The bills fate in the U.S. Senate is unclear. Baldwin has signed on; Sen. Ron Johnson (R) hasnt.

The passage was praised by members of Wisconsins congressional delegation from both sides of the aisle.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) cosponsored the bill. In Northeast Wisconsin, the Great Lakes are critical to our economy and way of life, said Gallagher. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has proven itself not only to be an efficient use of taxpayer dollars, but also an important way to preserve our waters for generations to come. Im glad were taking bipartisan action to dedicate more resources to this vital program.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), who is also on the task force, sent a letter shortly after that bills House passage requesting full 2021 funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees environmental and interior funding calling the program successful and results-drive.

We are pleased that the Administration agreed to bipartisan requests from Congress to include at least $320 million in its FY 2021 budget request for this important program, which supplies drinking water to millions of people and contributes billions of dollars to the economy each year, she wrote in a letter sent with her colleagues.

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Advocates for the region are also asking Congress to target the Great Lakes region in coronavirus relief bills. Funds are needed to help modernize water infrastructure, increase access to safe drinking water, prevent erosion and maintain navigation systems, a coalition of nine organizations wrote in a recent letter to congressional leaders.

Administering funds through existing programs could quickly spur job growth and economic activity in the region, they said.

Kaptur says a new entity may be needed to support long-term revitalization and reclamation throughout the Great Lakes region.

Such an agency would support access not only to safe drinking and wastewater but also to other utilities and clean up old and obsolete industrial and defense sites, which she said drag down the regions economy.

Existing agencies and programs address various aspects of these issues at the federal, regional and state levels, she said.

But she fears none is up to the monumental task of addressing them comprehensively and revitalizing an entire regional economy. Instead, she looks to federal models like the Bureau of Reclamation in the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Congress created the reclamation bureau at the beginning of the 20th century to undertake water storage and irrigation projects to help settlers farm or reclaim the American West. The bureau, perhaps best known for construction of the Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border, operates and maintains water and electricity projects in 17 western states.

In 1933 at the height of the Great Depression Congress launched the Tennessee Valley Authority to support impoverished mountain communities in seven southeastern states. The agency a federally owned power company was created to provide electricity to rural and underserved areas and address other problems such as flooding, erosion and migration.

Kaptur doesnt know what such an entity would be called perhaps the Bureau of Great Lakes Restoration or how it would work.

But shes prepared to move forward. Youve got to start with a big idea that could be transformational, Kaptur said. Other regions of America have figured it out. So should we.

The Great Lakes region also known as the countrys Third Coast stretches from Minnesota to New York and runs through Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania as well as parts of Canada. Wisconsins eastern border runs along Lake Michigan and its northern one borders Lake Superior.

The region holds nearly all of the nations fresh surface water and is known as its industrial heartland, thanks to its manufacturing industries. In Wisconsin, manufacturing accounts for nearly a fifth of the states gross state product and more than 16% of its workforce.

The sector collapsed in the early 2000s. From 2000 to 2010, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin lost 1.6 million manufacturing jobs, a 35% decline, according to a 2017 report by the Urban Institute.

Median household incomes in all but one of those states Minnesota dropped more sharply that decade than the country overall, the report found.

The region began to recover in 2010 but still struggles from income and revenue losses, as well as from segregation, poverty, violence and legacy manufacturing sites.

Utility costs are also crushing consumers, Kaptur noted a problem exacerbated by the loss of jobs and income amid the pandemic. Access to safe and affordable drinking water has taken on added urgency under shelter-in-place orders.

Over the next 20 years, Wisconsin needs $15 billion to repair and replace crumbling water infrastructure, and the region as a whole needs nearly $200 billion, according to Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition in Ann Arbor, Mich. The group aims to secure and fund a sustainable Great Lakes restoration plan.

In addition to supporting the public and environmental health, such funds would stimulate the regions economy, according to the groups director, Laura Rubin.

Ultimately, the region needs more robust federal investment soon, Kaptur said. If were going to have any kind of industrial America were going to have to modernize more quickly.

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A new federal agency to revive the Great Lakes region? - Wisconsin Examiner

Its official! The fifth season of Home Town is on its way!

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On Thursday, May 28, HGTV announced that Erin and Ben Napier (the co-hosts of the home renovation show) will be back on our screens in 2021 with 16 brand-new episodes to keep us entertained for weeks on end.

As excited as we are for the husband-wife duo to grace our screens with all the Southern charm and home projects we could hope for, it seems theyre just as smitten about the announcement.

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Following HGTVs announcement, Erin took to Instagram to share a few throwback photos of her and her husband from the past five years of Home Town adventures and fame.

These old photos from seasons past make me smile, she wrote. Weve been making #HGTVHomeTown since 2015 and its been the honor of our lives. Its been a hard secret to keep that well begin shooting SEASON 5 in a few weeks, as the pandemic dust continues to hopefully settle. We cant wait to meet 16 more families and bring 16 homes back to life. Thank yall for following the journey with us. See you on @hgtv!

To stay up to date on all things Home Town, be sure to click over to HGTV. And, dont forget: New episodes air on Mondays at 9 P.M. ET. While we dont know the exact date of the new season, we can anticipate an early 2021 release. Until then, re-watch old episodes of Home Town and make sure to tune into the special 90-minute season-four finale on Monday, June 8.

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HGTV Just Announced That Erin and Ben Napier's 'Home Town' Will Return for Season 5 - countryliving.com

Fox News senior political analystBrit Humetold "Special Report" Monday that President Trump hadset a "pretty strong goal for himself" by committing to bring an end to the riots and violent protests that have rocked dozens of cities across America.

"The president has clearlydecided to align himself withthose that feel that the restoration of order is jobone and everything else issecondary ... ," Hume told host Bret Baier. "It is amazing to see howthis will be received.He set a pretty stronggoal for himself to end therioting, restoration of order,and now it needs to happen forthis to pan out for him."

TRUMP UNLOADS ON 'WEAK' GOVERNORS OVER PROTEST RESPONSE

Hume was reacting toTrump's announcementin the White House Rose Garden that he is taking immediate action and mobilizing all available federal resources to stop the riots and looting, threatening to deploy the military if states dont send in the National Guard to protests.

Trump made the comments over thesound of teargas beingdeployed in Lafayette Park, just a few hundredyards away from where he spoke, as policein riot gear andhorseback moved protesters away from the vicinity.

"I never thought I would seethis moment where the president[is]speaking in the Rose Garden andthe sights and sounds youdescribe [are] just across the street," Hume told Baier."Just when we thought this year,this amazing year, could notbecome more tumultuous, it nowhas."

TRUMP VOWS TO MOBILIZE FEDERAL RESOURCES TO END RIOTS

Hume later statedthat those responsiblefor hijacking peaceful protests and organizing the violencehave turned a country united in shock and outrage over the death of George Floyd into a further divided one.

"We saw this hideous image ofthis man having his neck steppedonto his death.I think America was united aboutthat," he said, "but what we are seeing now is notuniting but dividing andthis is the contribution thatthose who have turned this intolooting and rioting have madeagainst, one might suppose, thecause they claim they aresupporting.It is damaging to that cause."

Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

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Brit Hume reacts to Trump remarks: President made 'restoration of order' the goal, 'now it needs to happen' - Fox News

Just before we were forced to spend 24 hours a day inside of our home, we finished with the last major piece of renovation that it required: a new bathroom. It was an opportunity to put my pledge to the test in the most substantial way yet, and finally fix up a room not only to be modern and nice-looking but also sustainable.

In fact, the process served only as a reminder of the difficulties faced by anyone trying to be green. Trying not to cost the Earth can mean costing a lot of money.

It is, of course, the most immense privilege to be able to have bathroom and the ability to re-decorate it, and one that I am grateful for each day. But, it turns out, even more privilege is required if you want to do that in a eco-friendly, green way.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Examples are everywhere you turn. It's true at the most disposable end of the market: if you want a shower gel that's made sustainably, for instance, or comes in a bottle you can re-use, then you're going to have to pay up. At the other end of the market comes the big ticket items, such as showers, many of the most expensive of which boast special technology to keep water use down but require you to spend a lot more to actually get it.

Our shower is resolutely normal, surely using up a fair whack of water, since we couldn't spend a fair whack on buying it. Likewise, our lights switch off and on at the tug of a string, with not a motion sensor or WiFi connection in sight. Our heating system is nothing smarter or greener than a radiator.

The bathroom is not even the most egregious room of the house for it. New windows and solar panels would make our home much more green, but would require the kind of investment that we can't afford even in the best of times; new televisions promise energy efficient panels but would of course require you to throw away your old one first, and them stump up for a new one.

None of this is to whinge or moan. People have products to sell, and those products need new features; it is certainly something to be celebrated that those new features are things that make the products more sustainable rather than less.

But it will surely be to the detriment of the environmental movement if green credentials turn into little more than a feature, and one you have to pay up for. It is wonderful that people are hankering after green bathrooms and not just clean ones but it would be great if people did not have to hanker at all.

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20 pledges for 2020: When it comes to home renovations, why do we have to choose between costing the Earth and costing a lot of money? - The...