He is an advocate of vegetarian building, is irritated by the 'blind' focus on CO2 and argues that sustainable building starts with drastically reducing the use of materials and energy. Time for an interview with sustainable book author Ronald Rovers: "The state of the world is because we are energetically doing the wrong things."
He has been sweet on the sour side of construction for years and has written numerous confrontational books about it. As it were, he is building a sustainable bookcase. Not everyone is waiting for his research findings and publications. Especially not when he states that the construction industry is acting criminally, because it unnecessarily wastes materials and energy. We spoke to Ronald Rovers, one of the most fundamentalist thinkers in the field of sustainable building that the Netherlands has ever known, in the Speys restaurant at the Jaarbeurs trade fair to record the podcast Bureau Stoer.
How do you see yourself?
"As a full-time thinker regarding sustainable construction. And indeed: I am fairly fundamental. Not always loved no, because I proclaim that we need to do a lot of things differently in construction. But it's also not like I get a lot of crap thrown at me on social media or anything..."
One of your books listens to the name Post fossil life...
"If we are all very honest we should stop fossil fuels tomorrow and implement a lockdown. Live without gas, oil and coal. Just ask yourself how you will survive then as a person or company. "Make sure you have an emergency kit for three days," says the government. But what if such a lockdown lasts three years?"
You sacrifice your whole life for sustainable construction. Why are you so concerned about it?
"It's pure curiosity. My wife also keeps saying: are you working again? No I say, I'm puzzling. One puzzles with sudoku, I puzzle with building materials and cycles."
How far along are you with that puzzle?
"Well quite a bit ... I can already map some metals and show how much is 'regrowing' each year."
I feel that we in the Netherlands are already making quite some strides with sustainable building. Do you?
"The movement towards bio-based materials and timber construction - I call that vegetarian building - is hopeful, but it needs to accelerate. Look at the state In the world. That is because we are doing the wrong things energetically huh. We need more and more energy, so soon there won't be enough for everyone. We have to do something about that, but nobody is looking at it. Anyone can make an idiotic or arbitrary request for energy and then companies are obliged to supply. That's ridiculous, isn't it?"
In Utrecht, virtually no construction activity can go ahead because of grid congestion, and in Brabant, they're not allowed to build tall towers anymore either....
"...High-rise buildings higher than 4 or 5 layers should not be done anyway. If the power goes out, everyone above can't get out. And as for grid congestion: once again, where does the idea come from that you (as a country, ed.) should be able to supply energy endlessly, no matter where that demand comes from?"
We would like to be all electric right?
"We shouldn't... We should use public transportation more and start biking again instead of replacing all cars with electric cars. A huge material burden."
You are also annoyed by the blind focus on the CO2 problem right?
"Yes, because CO2 is not a problem, but a consequence. The real problem once again lies in the fact that we use energy and materials unnecessarily."
Would you call yourself a cross-thinker?
"No, I'm a reality thinker. I just try to think realistically..."
Your message is uncomfortable. Do you live a lonely existence?
"Occasionally, yes. But I also experienced numerous European research projects with numerous fantastic students and researchers, with whom I had fantastic conversations and shared insights..."
How sustainable are you yourself anyway?
"Average sustainable I think. I made my carport from second-hand materials. Even old nails I gave a second life."
Will it stay up, too?"
"Haha. Yes it still is.
In a nutshell, what is your vision?
"... That you can relate everything to land. You can express the evaluation of buildings and of other activities in acres of land... If you do that, then as building materials you end up with wood, among other things... Building without installation or low installation is also wise."
You've already written books full. Already working on another book?
"Yes."
What's it going to be called
"Enough is enough."
This interview is a condensed version of the entire interview with Ronald Rovers in the podcast Bureau Stoer (episode 30). You can listen to the episode here and via Spotify.
All episodes of Bureau Stoer can be found here.
