Climate change-nature or human nature? -- Predictions -- Renewable technologies: the marine environment -- Renewable technologies: the wider spectrum -- Low energy techniques -- Insulation -- Domestic energy -- Advanced and ultra-low energy houses -- Harvesting wind and water -- Existing housing: a challenge and opportunity -- Low energy techniques for non-domestic buildings -- Ventilation -- Energy options -- Lighting: designing for daylight -- Lighting: and human failings -- Cautionary notes -- Life-cycle assesment and recycling -- State of the art case studies -- Integrated district environmental design -- An American perspective -- Emergent technologies and future prospects

Seeks to set out reasons why long-established practices should be replaced by arguing that there is convincing evidence that climate changes now under way are primarily due to human activity in releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Promotes a creative partnership between the professions to produce buildings which achieve optimum conditions for their inhabitants whilst making minimum demands on fossil-based energy.