Informal dispatches from COP 26

DAY 7 — Talk and Action in Glasgow

By Thomas Vonier
FAIA RIBA
Immediate Past President, International Union of Architects
Former President, American Institute of Architects

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All the talk about carbon is wearing thin on some, and the term doesn’t really register with others.

“Well, I suppose it’s something quite dirty, isn’t it?” said a Scotsman at the pub last evening. He wasn’t necessarily wrong, but it wasn’t a very technical take.

“Yes, excess carbon in the atmosphere is one possible cause of air pollution,” said one of my companions.

“So there you are, then,” the Scot said, turning firmly back to his pint—and away from us.

Would we do better to speak —and even to think —strictly in terms of reducing greenhouse gases, extreme heat, and air pollution? “Carbon” comes from science and chemistry . . . daunting subjects to many, alien to more.

Everybody knows about air pollution and extreme heat, too often from firsthand experience.

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Tom is sending DesignIntelligence daily dispatches from COP 26 and offering his seasoned insights and observations along the way.