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W. Ranald Boydell

W. Ranald Boydell

Lecturer, Heriot-Watt University
I have taught sustainable development for masters courses at both Edinburgh and Heriot Watt Universities. At the heart of my teaching is the premise that sustainable is "normal" - that it is an essential part of how societies operate and integral to the history of human civilisation - and that by understanding it in this way we can more readily see how to integrate the principles of sustainable development into every aspect of our lives in the face of the climate and biodiversity emergency.

I have a particular interest in sustainable homes, looking at how we can readily build to net-zero-carbon standards now, using natural non-oil-derived materials which help to achieve low embodied carbon and high indoor air quality as well as broader environmental benefits.

In architecture, I obtained my Part 1 from the University of Sydney and Part 2 from Edinburgh College of Art (awarded by Heriot Watt University). I am registered as an architect in Australia and am (still) studying for my Part 3 in the UK.

Electric cars might not yet be green, but we should buy them anyway

Dec 03, 2019 03:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Transforming the way we travel is an essential part of tackling the climate crisis. The transport sector contributes about 20% of global carbon emissions. In the UK the figure is 33%, and the country has made virtually no...

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