Today we celebrate the autumn equinox, the time of balance between the day and the night, and the first day of fall. We joined thousands of others around the globe this weekend, calling for policy changes that will bring the Earth back into balance and counteract the effects of climate change.
We at Pirie Associates are extremely sensitive to the impact our designs have for our clients, users, and beyond the project boundaries. We find that considering multiple stakeholders yields a better project for all. This weeks’ Global Climate Strike, which coincides with an emergency climate summit at the UN in New York, is an opportunity to think about how design affects future generations. Inaction from the generations that caused the climate crisis has spurred youth all over the world to fight for a better future for themselves, and we are inspired by these young leaders. Friday, September 20th, marked the largest climate movement to date with over 4 million people marching in the streets.
We attended the march in New Haven, organized by the youth-led New Haven Climate Movement where hundreds of people marched to all four corners of the green ending up at the front of city hall where we blocked Church Street and reclined on the pavement for 2 minutes to recognize the current and future victims of the climate crisis.
We at Pirie are expressing our support for climate action with a 60-foot long sign in our windows facing Whitney Avenue. We are also taking this opportunity to join the AIA 2030 Commitment which calls for increases in energy efficiency to achieve carbon neutrality in new construction by 2030 and the Embodied Carbon Network to reduce the embodied carbon associated with materials and construction. Taken together building operations and construction contribute 39% of annual global greenhouse emissions. The building industry must be a part of the solution to the climate crisis and we are committed to be a part of that solution.
