Fariha Bhatti Feb 19, 00:51

Controller agents are most viable on passive plays, but Valorant's most underrated agent, Viper, can be a menace on the attacking side thanks to her snake bite.

Painted in Paris green, the controller agent may be visually pleasing but is extremely deadly when used correctly. A few players who main Viper use her for her bombshell ultimate or unique re-usable smokes. Her molotov's efficacy usually goes unnoticed.

Tackling a large map like Haven can be challenging for players. However, a good sentinel or controller can help make this map easier. These lineups for Snakebite prove that Viper's molotov is the ultimate key to clearing out tight corners on Ascent both on the attack.

A Site's Haven is a critical angle that defenders utilize to hold off attacker pushes. A smoke may help block their sight, but a well-calculated molotov can cause damage as well. To injure enemies at Window, stand atop the sacks on A Long. Aim at the corner where the wall connects with the house and shoot your launcher.

From this same position, you can create excellent post-plant molotov. Step down from the sacks and aim at the corner of the burnt building, as shown in the image. Launch the molotov to poison the enemies defusing the Spike on A Default.

For B Site-post plant, Viper's molotov works just as good as Brimstone's ultimate. Make sure the spike is planted is for the courtyard and position yourself towards the mid doors. Aim at the door's corner seal, peek enough to bounce your launcher against it.

Ascent's C Site is relatively easier to open as long as you have a solid initiator or controller. Viper's poison can help clear out corners before you push in, allowing a quick Spike plant without taking up unnecessary duels. The corner behind the generator is one of the most common hiding spots for defenders.

To burn them out, align yourself with the brick outside of C Long and aim up at the wood slats. Place your crosshair in the middle of the wooden bars and shoot the launcher. This will land right behind the generator, allowing your teammates to take the hiding enemies down.

C Entrance's left side is another pain point, which is just as predictable as it is dangerous. Enemies usually camp there to take the attackers by surprise. It's better to clear out this angle beforehand instead of dying to a close-range SMG spray.

Aim at the wood threshold outside of C Long and place your crosshair a bit far from the roof shingle. Shoot the molotov as soon as your team starts pushing as the launcher takes five seconds to land on the corner.

Using these Viper snakebite lineups, you may find it easier to open sites and play a crucial role even after the plant. The team could save up Brimstone, Killjoy, and Sova's ultimate if there's a Viper with two molotovs on the team.

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Use these Viper molotov lineups in Valorant to win rounds on Haven - WIN.gg

February 19, 2021

Radiation under a Staten Island park from a 1940s landfill and a fight over who should clean it up has again halted progress on the East Shore Seawall, a key climate resiliency project.

The radiation in the planned 5.3-mile seawall's path comes from Great Kills Park, where radium-226 was first found during an anti-terror aerial survey conducted by the NYPD in 2005. The vast majority of the park has been shut since 2009.

The seawall originally was supposed to be completed this year. But now more than eight years after Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of the borough and about six years after the project was announced, construction remains stalled as the feds, city and state differ on who's responsible for getting rid of the radiation.

Now it could be 2026 before the work gets done, officials say.

The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) told its state and city partners in August that it couldn't undertake the planned removal of hazardous materials on the land without a policy waiver from the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, according to various city and federal officials.

But the Army Corps would first have to recommend the policy waiver, which it hasn't done.

"Given there is very little precedent for [radioactive waste] remediation work to be undertaken by USACE as part of a civil works project, there is no guarantee a waiver would be approved," Jennifer Gunn, a spokesperson for the Army Corps, told THE CITY last week.

Citing federal environmental protection laws, Gunn asserted that the contamination is ultimately not her agency's responsibility.

"USACE is not a potentially responsible party for the contamination located within the project site," said Gunn.

"Remediation [is] the responsibility of the non-federal sponsor, New York State. USACE has every expectation the non-federal sponsor will comply with the terms of the agreements they sign," said Gunn in a statement Friday.

The Army Corps, city and the state signed an agreement in 2019 that assigned clean-up duties to the state, Gunn noted. The Army Corps has also suggested that either Albany or City Hall could take on the hazmat effort, since it is on land owned by the city, officials told THE CITY.

First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan told the Army in a January letter that making the city find a contractor to do the work would delay construction, currently set to end in 2025, by at least 12 months.

But Fuleihan affirmed that, as outlined in its 2019 agreement with the Army Corps, the city would pay for the entire cost of the Army Corps or state removing the radioactive waste.

"Staten Islanders were devastated by Hurricane Sandy and must be protected from future storms without delay," Jainey Bavishi, director of the Mayor's Office of Resiliency told THE CITY in a statement. "The city, state, and both of New York's senators are united in urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake the radioactive waste remediation work that will allow this project to move forward."

The state Department of Environmental Conservation's commissioner, however, didn't acknowledge any responsibility to clean the site and implored the Army Corps to take on the task in a Jan. 8 letter seeking to "clarify New York's position" regarding waste cleanup.

"It was the understanding of New York State that USACE would manage any radioactive material that might be excavated during the construction of the levee/floodwall," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos wrote, citing a project agreement.

A DEC spokesperson, Maureen Wren, pointed THE CITY to the letter when asked about the state's responsibility to carry out the remediation.

Gunn said the Army Corps can provide technical oversight for clean-up sites, but it would still likely also need to contract out the work.

The urgency of the 5.3 mile seawall, which would stretch from the foot of the Verrazano Bridge at Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach, near Great Kills Park, is twofold for Staten Islanders.

The marine structure is intended to protect thousands of residents from potential rising waters, but it will also trigger immediate decreases in flood insurance premiums for East Shore homeowners once the project is half built.

Construction hasn't even started, according to Gunn. The original completion date for the project was 2021, but it's been plagued by delays since its inception in 2015.

A formal contract among governmental partners wasn't signed until four years after the seawall project which includes a new boardwalk, drainage improvements, road elevation and tide gates was announced.

Staten Island Borough President James Oddo told THE CITY that this latest obstacle is especially frustrating because the city, state and federal agencies all knew about the issue of radiation when they entered into an official agreement in February 2019 to jointly execute the $615 million project.

"The issue of the radiological material and the need for a clean up was not necessarily new news," said Oddo, who said that all parties were aware of this as far back as 2015.

Oddo said the key to forward momentum may lie with now U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who also implored the Army Corps to take on the clean-up in a December letter with fellow Democratic New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand

"An inability of the Army Corps to move forward with remediation threatens to significantly delay completion of the seawall estimated to be at least two years," the senators and then-Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island, Brooklyn) wrote.

The stalemate likely means that the clean-up contract likely won't be awarded anytime soon, but the state and Army Corps will "initiate construction at other segments, to expedite coastal storm risk reduction for this long-suffering, low-lying community."

New York City dumped about 15 million cubic yards of waste fill from 1944 to 1948 into the park's low lying wetlands. The National Park Service took over jurisdiction in 1972.

Chemical contaminants, including incinerator residue, sewage sludge and coal ash from a city-run incinerator used at the site are also present in the park, according to a 2017 report from NPS.

This story was originally published on Feb 15, 2021 by THE CITY. Sign up here to get the latest stories from THE CITY delivered to you each morning.

THE CITY is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.

The rest is here:
A Five-Mile Seawall Was Supposed To Protect Staten Island By 2021. A Fight Over Radiation Cleanup Stands In The Way - Patch.com

Posted on Feb 16, 2021 in Latest News, Newsroom

(Waimnalo) Just after dawn, two officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) drove around the 16-acre former site of the Dragon Garden-Hawaii Bonsai Cultural Center in the back of the valley Waimnalo. They entered numerous structures to make sure there were no squatters, in advance of an enormous clean-up of the property.

Based on lease violations, lessees Walter Liew and Ann Liew lost their lease after a ruling from the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR), last December.

Abandoned vehicles, illegal structures, an infinite variety of rubbish, and possibly hazardous chemicals leaking from discarded barrels or mixed in soil that was illegally dumped create a literal potpourri of useless junk.

During the clean-up work crews and heavy equipment will be working and could pose safety hazards to anyone in the area. DOCARE officers will continue to patrol the property. Anyone trespassing onto the property could be cited or arrested.

When the head of the clean-up crew from the DLNR Engineering Division surveyed the extent of the mess this morning, he estimated it will take several weeks to clear everything out.

The land is designated for agricultural purposes and is expected to remain as such, once the remediation is completed.

# # #

(RESOURCES)

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

HD video Property and SOTs (DOCARE officer Fagota Tataipu):

Photographs Property and DOCARE sweep:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cxrju2ggcwp60jx/AAAusKi3YtsNuFNTNt_mTJkra?dl=0

Media Contact:

Dan Dennison

Senior Communications Manager

(808) 587-0396

[emailprotected]

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DLNR NEWS RELEASE: DRAGON BONSAI GARDEN IN WAIMNALO IS SITE OF MASSIVE PROPERTY CLEAN-UP - David Y. Ige | Newsroom

The companies claimed to have made significant strides in reducing the use of child labor, but have failed to meet their goal because "the real magnitude of child labor in the cocoa supply chain and how to address the phenomenon were poorly understood" when they made the pledge in 2001, as Timothy S. McCoy, a World Cocoa Foundation vice president, explained to the Washington Post. They further stated that the blame for child labor cannot lay entirely with them, saying the West African government, NGOs, and other members of the international community must also accept some responsibility for the problem.

"This lawsuit does not advance the shared goal of ending child labor in the cocoa industry. Child labor is a complex, global problem, and tackling this issue is a shared responsibility. All stakeholders including governments, NGOs, communities, and the broader cocoa industry need to continue to address its root causes to have an impact," a Nestl spokesperson said in an email statement sent to Business Insider. Hershey's concurred in a similar statement, saying: "We have worked hard over the past several years to implement meaningful programs and work with our cocoa suppliers and West African governments to combat these issues and use our influence to make a positive impact," but addressing child labor "requires significant investment and intervention on the ground in West Africa, not in the courts."

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The Horrifying Reason These Major Chocolate Companies Could Be Facing Legal Action In The US - Mashed

SINGAPORE - Large swathes of Kranji woodland along the rail corridor were mistakenly clearedwhile the authorities were in the midst of biodiversity impact assessments there.

Aerial photos of the site showing the destruction of the woodland, a 70hagreen patch home to around 40 species of birds, emerged on social media on Sunday (Feb 14). One picture showed a narrow strip of trees surrounding the rail corridor, with much of the rest cleared.

In response to these posts, a JTC Corporation spokesman said on Tuesday that the land was "erroneously" cleared by its contractor before the completion of environmental assessments.

The National Parks Board told The Straits Times that it is investigating the unauthorised clearance at the site.

"We take a serious view of unauthorised greenery clearance and will not hesitate to take the appropriate enforcement action," it added.

Development projects in Singapore near sensitive nature areas are subject to greater scrutiny and may be required to carry out more detailed environmental studies.

Beginning at the end of last December, green patches were cleared on the site, slated for the Agri-Food Innovation Park, which is part of the Sungei Kadut Eco-District (Sked). The master plan for the latter, which seeks to support new growth sectors such as agri-tech and environmental technology, was announced in February last year.

Upon discovering the mistake during a site inspection on Jan 13, JTC instructed the contractor, Huationg, to stop all clearing works immediately.

No further clearing has taken place at the site since then and the contractor has been issued a stern warning, JTC said.

According to the statutory board, it had engaged an environmental specialist to conduct a biodiversity baseline study last December to create an environmental monitoring and management plan (EMMP) for specified plots of land within the area. These were expected to be completed around April before plans to engage stakeholders.

"JTC will continue with the baseline study and EMMP and will work closely with all relevant stakeholders...to ensure that the Sked redevelopment plans are carried out with due consultation and in an environmentally responsible and sensitive manner," the spokesman said.

"The findings of the studies will be publicly available when ready."

In a statement, Huationg apologised and said it was working with JTC on investigations "to determine the cause of this lapse, and to prevent future occurrences".

"We are also reviewing internally and working with JTC to strengthen our project management processes," the contractor added.

Members of the nature community were shocked by what had happened.

Mr Brice Li, who posted the photos, said: "My heart sank when I saw that around 40 to 50 per cent of the area was gone."

The green patches cleared were on a site slated for the Agri-Food Innovation Park. PHOTO:BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

Upon receiving a phone call about the situation, the creative art director visited the site to survey the damage on the first and second day of Chinese New Year.

"I usually share photos and videos showcasing the beauty of places but this was too much for me not to show," added the nature lover who had shot a video of the woodland in May 2019.

"This was a... human error that could have been avoided," he said.

One picture showed a narrow strip of trees surrounding the rail corridor, with much of the rest cleared.PHOTO: BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

On Monday, Nature Society Singapore (NSS) commented in a Facebook post that this was a "shocking and dreadful development".

"It's a huge oversight... We lost a sizeable natural habitat and a picturesque space for hikers along the northern sector of the rail corridor," said NSSconservation committee chair Leong Kwok Peng.

This will likely affect the ecological significance of the rail corridor, but the impact can be fully understood only with an environment impact assessment, said environmental consultant Tony O'Dempsey.

"If we take out the destinations that the rail corridor connects to, it has less utility as a corridor," he added.

Nature lovers recommended retaining the woodland as part of the design for the redevelopment.

The Kranji woodland is unique because it forms a direct connection between the mangrove-lined Sungei Pang Sua tidal canal and the rail corridor, said Mr O'Dempsey.

Birds and bats, which use the woodland for nesting and roosting, are important seed dispersers that contribute to the area's biodiversity.

"This would be a crowning feature of the (Sked) development, bringing some heart to the built environment," he added.

"We would have proposed a bigger width for the green buffer on both sides of the rail corridor and that the Kranji woodland be merged with Sungei Pang Sua as a single habitat," Mr Leong said, adding that wildlife tends to be richer with a water body.

"I am confident that whatever damage has been done can be restored... though it could take over a decade or so," said Mr O'Dempsey.

See original here:
NParks investigating after swathes of Kranji woodland along rail corridor were cleared by mistake - The Straits Times

Pierce Land Clearing has just included a new feature to their services recently which includes free lectures for the residents of the community of Texas.

WAXAHACHIE, TEXAS - Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) has announced a new offer for their services. As a result of rising demand for land clearing and tree removal, which is Waxahachie forestry mulching, a new innovative and more efficient method of land clearing in Waxahachie, which involves the clearing of land with a specified machine to get more work done in a short period with optimum results. The CEO of the company further explained in a conference held early this year that the company has noticed that the people of Texas have little or no understanding of what method is best used when it comes to land clearing. Hence the introduction of forestry mulching Waxahachie, site prepping and mesquite removal, and many other things that relate to the clearing of land.

Furthermore, in line with the compliance with the Covid19 guidelines and precautions, the company also organizes a free consultation for the citizens on the various types of services offered by the company. The residents of the community turned up in masses with their face masks on. They also observed social distancing during the lecture and consultation sessions.

Nevertheless, the free consultation is only opened to our clients who observe the Covid19 guidelines and precautions. This is to help individuals keep safe and to prevent the further spread of the virus.

About Us

Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) is a land clearing company that offers all kinds of land clearing services in Waxahachie, TX. The company has gained much relevance in the community since its establishment due to the quality of services provided.

Media ContactCompany Name: Pierce Land ClearingContact Person: Taylor PierceEmail: Send EmailPhone: (512) 883-1944Address:106 Hacienda Dr City: WaxahachieState: TXCountry: United StatesWebsite: piercelandclearing.com/

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Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) adds a new feature to its services for the residence of Waxahachie, TX. - Press Release - Digital Journal

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Instruction

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Flights canceled at Nashville International Airport due to winter storm - WSMV Nashville

Steven Spearie|State Journal-Register

Editor's note:The State Journal-Register is making this story about winter weather free for everyone to view as a public service. If you already subscribe, thank you. If not, please do so today at sj-r.com/subscribenow.

The Springfield area was expected to get close to eight inches of snow Monday accompanied by single-digit temperatures and wind gusts of up to 25 MPH making for wind chills in the 20-below range.

The snow affected areatravel and schools.

Alex Erwin, a meteorologist with theNational Weather Service in Lincoln, said Springfield and Sangamon County remains under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Tuesday

The University of Illinois Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College and Lincoln College all went to remote learning on Monday. Midwest Technical Institute was not in session Monday because of Presidents Day.

Lincoln Land Community College announced all of its facilities would also be closed Tuesday with classes operate remotely. Students with face-to-face classes should check Blackboard/Canvas for instructions.

District 186 schools will be conducting remote learning only for all students on Tuesday.

There will be no in-person hybrid learning for A-day learners. Tuesday will be a remote learning day, and not an emergency snow day. Remote attendance will be taken and students will be expected to engage in synchronous and/or asynchronous learning, as assigned.

The SCOPE child care program will be closed.

District 186 will be serving meals remotely from 7 to 11 a.m.at Springfield,Southeast and Lanphier high schoolsas well as Franklin and Washington middle schools.

There will be no school in the Auburn school district Tuesday due to the extreme weather. It is a traditional snow day and will be made up at the end of the school calendar, according to the district's website.

Sangamon Valley schools (Illiopolis, Nianticand Harristown) will go to remote learning Tuesday as will Ball-Chatham schools.

Jacksonville public schools and Routt Catholic High School and Our Saviour's Grade School, alsoin Jacksonville, are closed Tuesday.

Also closed Tuesday are Springfield Catholic grade schools, Calvary Academy Williamsville-Sherman schools, Riverton schools and Edinburg

The winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday with six to eightinches of snow predicted. Counties in that warning area include Sangamon, Christian, Menard, Macoupin, Montgomery and Greene.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Cass, Morgan and Logan counties.

Light snow began fallingin the Springfield area in the early morning hours of Monday, with the brunt of the snowfall--about four to six inches--falling Monday afternoon.

A Wednesday storm system was thought to have more of an impact south of Interstate 70, Erwin said. There could be minor accumulations in the Springfield area at the time, Erwin said.

Lincoln hit another record cold highof 4 degrees on Sunday, eclipsingthe old record of13 in 1943. The city also tied a record low temperature of minus-6 Sunday. The old record was from 2020.

Lincoln also set a pair of temperature records Saturday.

A map of Sangamon County roads showedall roads either covered in snow and ice or mostly covered in snow and ice.

Menard County sheriff's deputies were reporting that east/west roads are drifting shut in some areas. Motorists are also advised to use cautiontraveling on State Park Road where cars are sliding down the hill onto Route 97.

Illinois State Police District 9 units respondedto several crashes in the surrounding Springfield area along Interstates 55 and 72.

Motorists were urged to useextreme caution if traveling through the area and allow extra time to get to a destination.

Taylorville Police reported a number of slide-offs, but no serious accidents, said Chief Dwayne Wheeler. There were up to two-hour waits for tow trucks, he said.

Sangamon Mass Transit District was asking passengers "to prepare for the possibility of suspended service Tuesday morning."

The City of Springfield has declared a snow emergency continuing through7 a.m. Friday. The declaration means the public is required to remove cars parked along snow emergency routes.

"It allows us to more efficiently remove the snow," said Nate Bottom, director of the Office of Public Works, about the snow emergency routes.

Sangamon County declared a Level 2 winter weather emergency late Monday afternoon until further notice.

County spokesman Jeff Wilhite said motorists are encouraged to stay off county roads unless it is absolutely necessary.

Under the Level 2 emergency, roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow and maybe icy. There are areas where the roadways may be partially closed by the elements.

The Villages of Southern View and Jeromealso declared snow emergenciesthrough 7 a.m. Friday. The City of Jacksonville was under a snow emergency until at least Wednesda

Bottom said he anticipated the backshift drivers plowing most of the overnight into early Tuesday.

"We're definitely focusing our attention on the major arterials and then we'll move into the secondary roads," Bottom said.

Crews were using salt sparingly on trouble spots, Bottom added. While salt is less effective with the colder temperatures, it is alighter snow that crews were able to push off more easily, he said.

With the winds, snow has been drifting on Lenhart Road and Bissell Road "so we need to make sure we're clearing those areas as efficiently as possible," Bottom said.

It was light year in terms of use of salt until the pasttwo weeks when itpicked up substantially, Bottom said.

Public Works has used approximately 4,500 tons of its 6,000 ton allotment, though that cane be added to, Bottom said. Both of its salt domes are about three-quarters full, he said.

Motorists are reminded to watch for snowplowcrews and give them space to do their work. Residents and private snow removal crews clearing sidewalks and parking lots are prohibited by city ordinance from plowing the snow into the streets.

During a severe winter storm, residents can call the Office of Public Works toreport any problems or concerns at (217) 789-2246.

Residents and businesses need to make an effort to clear their sidewalks as a safety precaution, according to the city.

An ordinance cites that all sidewalks adjacent to their property shouldbe cleared of snow by 10a.m. on every morning of a snow event. Residents or businesses could be subject to a $250 fine for refusal to comply with the city ordinance.

Any concerns or complaints regarding sidewalk obstructions should be sent to the Citys Housing Division at (217) 789-2167.

Contact StevenSpearie: 622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

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Springfield area hunkers down: What to know about road conditions, upcoming weather - The State Journal-Register

Ocala Star-Banner

I never did get around to reading English novelist George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel (frequently shortened to the minimalist 1984) but my parents decided we would see a movie based on that book decades ago when I was a teenager. It was playing at the old Boulevard Drive-In Theater in Miami.

I was a bit too young back then to fully appreciate what the production was trying to portray with its depiction of a totalitarian society, but I do remember thinking the film was interesting but thoroughly unbelievable with its Ministry of Truth, Ministry of Peace, Newspeak, Doublethink, Room 101, Thought Police, Big Brother and other plot devices dreamed up by Orwell. The film was aimed at American audiences, while a later version with Richard Burton released in October 1984 targeted United Kingdom audiences. The one we saw was the 1956 version with Edmund OBrien in the starring role.

I re-watched the entire film a few days ago, and no longer found it so thoroughly unbelievable as I had all those decades ago.

COVID VACCINE: I received a note fromLynn Miller,who wrote: We signed up for the Marion County Board of Health site in late December. We got numerous emails and finally Wednesday, a call for one of us to get a shot at Paddock Mall.

Last week I signed us up for the statewide list to ensure we were on all lists. The Publix one is a 1 hour 45 minute wait and when the window opens up, if you are lucky, you get an option to get a shot in DeLand or St. Augustine. You have to have your Medicare number for Publix but not for the Board of Health. The BOH only requires proof of residency. We used our drivers licenses but you can use a photo ID if you live in a 55 plus community.

My husband asked the fine lady who called from the Board of Healthif I was on the list, and I was. Later at 7:30 p.m., I got a call from them asking if I still wanted the shot. Of course I said yes. It is the Pfizer vaccine.

We got our first dose last Thursday night with staff from AdventHealth and some great folks from the EMTs of Marion County at the Paddock Mall. My left arm is still sore, though at the time of the shot I felt nothing. They had a great group of people and were very organized.

However, though we have had cancer and bypasses, other pals and neighbors have not gotten the call yet. Some have who are much older than we are.

I believe it is because there are not a lot of doses.Some neighbors have gotten shots previously from the Marion Department Of Health and one from Publix. We just have to sit tight, I suppose.

PLEASED CLIENT: I have written several times aboutRobert Hughesof B&H Tree Services. Hes a crackerjack handyman who can take care of most chores around your home, including land clearing, painting and many other tasks.Teresa Kerznerwrote: I would like to thank you for the recommendation of B&H Tree Services. He came the same day I called to give me an estimate, and showed up with a crew the next day. Theydid an excellent job in a very tight space. The wrangling they had to do to avoid damaging fence, landscaping, and non-replaceable lighting was amazing to watch. They were done in one day and left my yard cleaner than they found it. Thanks!

Yes, Teresa, Bob and his crew do a great job. Other readers who may want to use his services can contact him at 572-9911 and tell him Emory (and Teresa) sent you!

Please send your comments toslyguy73@gmail.comand include your FULL name, town and telephone number. This column appears eachThursday and Saturday on the Local & State page and atocala.com

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Emory Schley: Reflecting on the meaning of '1984' - Ocala

When considering sustainable building materials, timber is an obvious option. As a renewable resource we can replace the timber we cut down and grow more. Other building materials are finite, with raw materials being depleted rapidly.

However, this is only one consideration of the sustainability of materials. Other factors, using the Declare label criteria, are: what is it made of, what is the life expectancy, where is it made, what is the embodied energy and where does it go at the end of its life.

Briefly addressing the first two points, timber is a natural material which can be very durable if properly maintained. Glue and varnish/paint used for fixing and finishing can have high VOCs so their use should be carefully considered.

The timber industry in Australia is well regulated and relies on plantation timbers and harvesting of natural forests. Land clearing iis a major contributer to carbon emissions and increases biodiversity loss, but according to the ABC, the primary reason for land clearing in Australia is agriculture, not the timber industry.

The use of Plantation timber from USA, Canada and Europe is acceptable, provided it is certified. There are certification programs for timber sourced elsewhere overseas, but the validity and transparency of logging and manufacturing are harder to verify.

Although timber is carbon neutral and renewable, it has to be correctly sourced. There are great opportunities for saving carbon emissions by using timber as a structural material rather than concrete or steel. Using locally sourced plantation timber reduces transportation related emissions. The most sustainable option is recycled timber. (A conversation for another time).

Timber lends itself beautifully to prefabrication, being easy to dismantle and reuse and perfect for frameworks such as Buildings As Material Banks (BAMB), where circular economy principles drive the design process. It means that buildings are designed to be dismantled, and the components can be reused in other buildings, rather than using new materials and creating waste. Fixing methods are critical, as mechanical fixings make deconstruction and reconstruction easier.

Overall, considering timber through the above criteria, it is a sustainable option, provided it is correctly sourced and certified. By understanding how to work with timber as a structural element while maintaining fire and acoustic performance, we can unlock the potential for economic and environmental sustainability benefits. There are benefits for using prefabricated timber structures for reduced construction time and waste. There are also possibilities for modular construction that can be deconstructed for reuse. The agility and flexibility of timber make it ideal for adaptive construction systems while reducing the carbon footprint of construction.

Yaara Plaves is the head of the National Sustainability Forum (NSF)

*Hames Sharley has established the National Design Forum (NSF), tasked with promoting and educating ourselves and our clients about sustainability.

Original post:
Yaara Plaves: ' Is building with timber really sustainable?' - Architecture and Design