Payap Warming

Environmental Sustainability is a required class at Payap - a general ed. I'd like to propose a name change. It would be better named, Environmental Problems: Why Everyone Should Walk.

Why a name change? The teacher was convinced that the poor pollute more than the rich and that cars pollute more than houses or buildings. In addition to this misinformation we only talked about the problems and never of the solutions. I found it strange that we never discussed how building construction affects how much air conditioning is used. People like Mike Reynolds have proven that homes can be built without grid power, without grid water and without grid sewage - but we never talked about this.

All of the buildings at Payap University, save the language institute and the religious studies buildings are hot boxes. Those buildings are still hot boxes by design but someone had the foresight to put them under large trees.

Buildings at Payap are not designed with humans in mind. Square brick buildings of thermal mass. They soak heat from the sun all day and radiate it out all night. The roads on campus are not shaded either. More thermal mass, more heat. And the parking lots - like ovens. No trees, no shade, more thermal mass.

There's a new building to be constructed behind the International College. A research center for economic and social development of Southeast Asia. Are you going to build another uninspiring hot box? Something that requires a mass of air conditioners? Something that does not represent the economic development you hope to encourage.

You have an opportunity. Will you create something remarkable?