A senior architectural official told a development
forum in the western province of Gansu on
Monday that many buildings are demolished in China whilst still
useable, resulting in a great waste of resources and serious
environmental pollution.
Song Chunhua, board chairman of the Architectural
Society of China and former Ministry of Construction vice minister,
was speaking at the 8th experts' forum on scientific progress and
economic and social development in western China in the provincial
capital Lanzhou.
Large-scale demolition and construction of
buildings is a common aspect of urbanization, but measures should
be adopted to regulate the demolition of buildings, Song
proposed.
Structures that need to be demolished due to
structural defects or poor quality should be examined by qualified
institutions first, while those being demolished for other reasons
should seek approval from experts and responsible government
departments, said Song.
He said the country should encourage maintenance
and renovation of existing residential and public buildings by
providing technological and policy support for sustainable
utilization of resources.
He said the energy consumption of China's buildings
has soared from 10 percent of total energy consumption at the end
of the 1970s to the current 26.7 percent, close to the world
average of 30 percent.
From the experiences of other countries, that 26.7
percent is expected to rise to 35 percent. When taking energy
consumption during buildings' construction into account, that
proportion could reach 46.7 percent.
Greenhouse gases emitted due to buildings' energy
consumption takes up 25 percent of total emissions by volume, and
the pollution index of soot in northern cities has exceeded the WHO
maximum by two to three times in winter.
Song said greenhouse gases have increased summer
temperatures, which in turn increase use of air conditioners. As a
result, the power supply is put under greater strain and energy
shortages are intensifying.
He also said people should reject the consumerist
idea of purchasing larger apartments to show off their wealth or
compete with others, and that economical and rational housing sizes
should be the first preference when a purchase decision is
made.
(China Youth Daily, translated by Yuan Fang
for China.org.cn, August 18, 2005)
