Australia Teetering on the Brink of Mold Apocalypse

Folks, I warned you about a year ago about the ill-advised plan of Obama to upgrade buildings with energy efficiency. But now Australia is beginning to see the effects of government-mandated energy-efficient reforms in the form of mold.

In the land Down Under the government decided to provide $3.9 billion over four years to improve the energy efficiency of Australian homes through the installation of insulation and other energy efficiency systems. It was part of their own economic stimulus package that would at the same time save on energy costs. The government would pay up to $1600 for existing houses without insulation to be insulated with ceiling insulation. For most home owners, this would cover the entire expense.

Now we are beginning to see the reports of the price that comes with saving on energy. Poor ventilation, combined with these government-encouraged modifications is trapping water and moisture in homes. Water that pours into homes through pipes and from our own bodies has no way to escape thanks to this insulation. Instead it pools and condenses in places within homes. This leads to flourishing mold growth of the most dangerous varieties.

The mold doomsday is expected to hit in Australia next April and May, as the full effects of the insulation boom from that $1600 rebate are seen. The Australian Institute of Architects’ building advisory service and the Masters of Builders Associations are raising concerns about the problem.

The problem is that government regulation is being passed without thorough consultation with the building industry. The government considers excessive ventilation wasteful of energy. I consider it necessary to make a structure habitable. Saving energy is an important and wise goal for America. But we can’t overlook things like this that will cause more problems in the long run.

We learned this lesson during the energy crisis in the 70s which lead to the first mold boom twenty years later. Why do we have to learn the same lesson again? 10 years ago the EPA said that “the current trend toward sealing off homes to conserve energy may have serious health consequences.” Someone ought to be listening to them.