...With all these new residential buildings going up, it is time to start thinking about, “How can we make residential high-rises more sustainable in Toronto?” in terms of energy conservation and efficiency. If this significant problem is overlooked it could cause serious issues with our city, our ecosystems could be wiped out completely, our air and water could be entirely con-taminated, and it could diminish our natural resources. It affects more than just the residents whom live in the buildings, it affects the developers/builders, the residents of neighbouring buildings, even the kids that play in the park across the street. This paper will look at the problem and some possible solutions in terms of using renewable energy sources to sustain residential high-rises. Methods including Geothermal energy to heat and cool the building, Green-roofs that can be used to grow plants/food and can gather rain water, Cistern tank to catch all the rainwater that can then be used to wash clothes and flush toilets and possibly also for irrigation purposes if need be, Wind energy to provide electricity, as well as Solar energy to provide electricity can all be used to minimize a building’s ecological footprint. Geothermal energy is literally the heat from the earth, energy obtained from the hot areas under the earth’s surface. Geothermal energy is becoming very popular in Canada, taking the natural energy from the earth to heat and...
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...GREEN TECHNOLOGY 2 What is Green Technology? Green technology is a relatively recent branch of research into making systems and products cleaner. The aim is to reduce the amount of Carbon Monoxide released by the user of the new technology. There are three types of Green Technology the most important ones are: Energy, Building and Purchasing. Green Energy is made of wind, tide and solar. Green Building is the process of building houses and offices that are efficient. Purchasing green just like it sounds. Green energy technology has always existed ever since civilization began. For instance, we have been utilizing water, wind, and the sun, among others for decades now. But of course, how we use these technologies now is completely different than what it was before. However, green technology has come again to the forefront because of the changes that our home, the Earth, has been experiencing thanks to our actions. There are different technologies that were developed that made “green” technologies feasible ones. What exactly are they? When we think about green energy, the first thing that comes to our mind is the sun. The center of the solar system, capable of generating near-infinite amounts of energy. Before, it is just being used for functions such as drying and heating, but now it is now used to harness electricity. Because of the previous strength of the sun, it is undisputedly...
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...2, 2013 GREEN TECHNOLOGY Even though Green Technology is expensive, we should use the technology. Green technology is a technology that is environmentally friendly, and will encourage innovation and changes to one’s daily life. There are three types of green technology. There is green energy, green transportation, and green building. Pollution must be diminished to moderate global warming. The encouraged use of green technology may increase the healthiness of the Planet. Green energy is renewable energy source, unlike fossil fuels. Even though green technology appears unaffordable, it is more efficient and lessens greenhouse gasses. Energy is extremely essential to everyday life. Individuals use energy to warm the home, keep the lights on, and the groceries refrigerated. Solar power is another energy source. There are currently one-hundred and sixty-five customer-owned solar electric systems in Madison, Wisconsin (Green Power Tomorrow, 2013) The expense for the installation of solar power for the home in Dane County, Wisconsin is thirty-thousand dollars. The cost-effectiveness of solar power depends on the following; how much sunlight one receives, where one lives, electricity usage, and the size of the solar system. (Chua, 2006) Solar panels are an excellent way to acquire the suns energy to deliver one with energy. Solar panels consist of a series of photovoltaic cells connected together. When the sun heats up these cells, it stores the charged energy into batteries...
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...Green Wind Energy All we hear about anymore is green this and green that along with what are you doing to contribute to the green way of living? What changes have you made in your daily life to ensure the future of our earth? A lot of information and talk centers on our energy generating techniques and safer ways it can be done without the use of fossil fuels. One of them being the use of wind energy, harness the air that it already moving around without causing anymore damage to our earth. Sounds like a reasonable request but what does it all entail… Lets do some research into how long this idea has been used and the different approaches that have been taken to make it happen. Wind is caused by sunlight unevenly heating the surface of the Earth. During the day, air over the land heats up more quickly than air over water, making it expand and rise. As it does so, cooler, denser air rushes in beneath it, creating an air current. Some giant wind currents are drive by hot air at the equator and cool air at the poles (Aldred, 2007). I was surprised to find that wind energy sources have been around since the tenth century in Persia and the thirteenth century in China. The uses focused on windmills with the grinding of grain, pumping of water and sailboats. Windmills and water mills were the largest power sources before the invention of the steam engine. The main long-term use of wind (except for sailing) has been to pump water for the irrigation of fields (Nelson, 2013,). The...
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...Green Technologies Green technology, also known as environmental or clean technology, minimizes impacts on the environment and natural resources. It’s based on concepts such as conserving water and energy, reducing waste and pollution, harnessing renewable energy sources, finding ways to reuse materials, and developing less polluting technologies. Green technology is everywhere these days; in the news, politics, fashion, and of course technology. Green Technology is becoming so widespread throughout the world. People are becoming more energy efficient in their homes by buying water-efficient showerheads that are low-flow models, adjusting their refrigerator and freezer temperatures, buying compact fluorescent light bulbs, buying energy efficient appliances, and by recycling rechargeable devices like cell phones or digital cameras. As awareness grows about environmental issues such as pollution, human impact on climate change, and depletion of natural resources, so is interest growing in environmentally friendly products and services. For example, the popularity of green cleaning products has increased in recent years. Nontoxic, biodegradable cleaning products are safer for use in the home meaning they are less likely to cause health problems. They also keep harmful chemicals out of the environment. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are another popular eco-friendly product; compared to traditional, incandescent light bulbs, CFLs use way less electricity. ...
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...Basic Knowledge of Wind Turbines The purpose of this presentation is to inform the audience about general information on wind energy. I want to inform the audience of the basic design of a wind plant. I will also introduce them to the basics of wind turbines and what a wind turbine site consists of. The best audience for this presentation is anyone without previous knowledge of wind turbines. This presentation is designed to generally educated people on wind turbines and wind sites. It is not designed to go into real depth with wind turbines. If there was anyone interested in getting wind turbines on their land this presentation would help to let them know what to expect. They type of audience that would resist this knowledge is any group that works in fossil fuels. These communities usually worry that their jobs our in jeopardy because of green energy. This topic is important because of the increase in wind turbines throughout the United States and world. It is important for us to understand the basics of what they do and what a plant is made up. The reason this is important is because we the people vote to allow turbines in our communities. The more information we have on the technology the better decision people can make for their communities. Research shows that due to better technology and the demand for green energy Wind Turbine development is increasing across the United States. Today I’m going to give a brief back ground of the history of...
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...GREEN TECHNOLOGY Catherine Drake Instructor Minor July 27th 2013 Green technology what is it, Where does it come from and how do we use it? I am hoping to answer these questions to the best of my ability. “The green movement evolved considerably since the early days. Since there are some popular assumptions about environmental history that are incorrect.” (A brief history of the modern Green movement in America, WEB ECoist). The green movement can be dated back to the 19th century possibly even as far back as 1830. Back then it was called “Environmental movement.” Since this time Green technology has been referred to as environmental wako’s, tree huggers, and many more unfriendly names, however what they failed to see was what these green technology people were doing was helping the environment and the way we live our daily lives. The green movement started with Americans thinking that we should cultivate land instead of leaving it alone to be wild and free. This was a big clash between Native Americans and Americans. This soon would be forgotten until after World War II and the 1948 disaster at Donora (called the Death Fog) that prompted a national outcry. (A brief history of the modern green movement in America; Web Ecoist). Green technology took a more personal issue in the green movement, such as the issues we more centered on food safety and consumer goods. In the late 60s early 70s is when we started to see a rise in the modern green movement. Closer to...
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...Is Wind Power Green? Is the future of green energy written in the wind? This is the question of many researchers and scientists alike, who want to move our planet into a more greener state of existence. There are many alternatives to creating energy, according to leading future technological experts. These same experts claim that, "Most of the technology needed to shift the world from fossil fuel to clean, renewable energy already exists" (Bergeron, 2009). Almost all of the research put into this topic leads to the fact that it is the right thing to do and that it is what's best for our world. Experts are all for a clean energy source and the move of our world away from depending upon fossil fuels. The question is not, "why do we want or need to move to clean energy?" It is, "How are we going to do it with the smallest footprint as possible?" The answer to wind power being green is very clear, it is clean and can be used as a major key player in getting the planet off of fossil fuels. Politics, money-loss, and loss of jobs could be the outcome of converting all of our energy source from fossil fuels to wind. While this is scare and absolute change is going to have to occur, there are very hard facts that are going to have to be considered, if the planet was to flip over to more natural energy sources, like Wind Power. "Implementing that technology requires overcoming obstacles in planning and politics, but doing so could result in a 30 percent decrease in global power...
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...resources to be utilized such as the wind for wind turbines, sun for solar power, free flowing streams for irrigation, and geothermal energy from the Puna Volcano. The initial cost may be high because of how remote the islands are therefore making getting supplies difficult due to shipping. The purpose of a green community is to reduce energy consumption, improve health and reduce impact on the environment. Well-designed green buildings will save money by off-setting the rise of electricity and increase comfort for people by improving air quality. The cost of using electricity will continue to rise which will increase the demand for renewable energy. Since Hawaii is made of islands, we thought it would great to use green buildings to save the resources left in Hawaii without destroying anymore trees or using fossil fuels for energy that’s having an effect on global warming. Also, there would be a limited amount of land left as the population continues to grow. Another purpose of a green building in Hilo is save money on people’s pocket since the cost of living is pretty high through lowering monthly bills by an estimated $92. We would be buying 18.2 acres of land for $500,000. The average cost of a use shipping container is between $2,500- $4,000. Having a full functional container will probably cost roughly $50,000. The cost for ground mounted solar panels to cover 20,000 sq ft is in the range of $370,000- $500,000. The cost of a wind turbine is approximately $50,000- $80...
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...The Economic Impacts of Going “Green” Mike Miller Economics 201 Professor Gary Reinke University of MD University College May 9, 2007 Abstract The U.S. economy is dependent upon nonrenewable fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal) to thrive. Because of this, it faces big problems due to that economy failing and an environment that is being devastated by carbon emissions. This dependency has to stop. Consumer demands for greener products and services are putting increased pressure on businesses and the federal government to be the catalyst in ensuring the change efforts succeed and at the same time help to grow the economy. The environment has become a scarce resource and with that scarcity come impacts to the economy of the United States. According to Van Jones, founder and president of Green for All, two of the biggest problems facing the United States are “a failing economy and a devastated environment.” (Van Jones, 2008, pg 5). Focusing on how the environment is impacting the economy is key to getting on the right track toward solving these problems. The U.S. economy is dependent upon fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal) to thrive. All of these fossil fuels, unfortunately, are nonrenewable resources that are in high demand by the American people. When you apply the laws of supply and demand into the equation, scarcity of resources with increasing demand means higher prices to consumers. Americans...
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...China’s Wind Industry China’s Wind Industry Members of Group * ASSIM A IREH Roméo * DJOUBI TEMCHE Gilles Adam * DYER Claude Members of Group * ASSIM A IREH Roméo * DJOUBI TEMCHE Gilles Adam * DYER Claude * * * INTRODUCTION * * * Fully aware of the environmental issues coming with a rapid and intensive economic growth, the Chinese government has made of green energy a top priority. The latest Chinese five year plan sets strong goals in that regard. And wind energy plays a key role in the promotion of green energies. Harvard researchers have put forward that wind power could account for the totality of energy use in China within two decades (Michael B. McElroy). Wind energy could even provide 24 700 TWh of electricity annually which is seven times the current Chinese consumption. China has become the leading power in the field of wind energy. Once leader in that field with a production of 40 GW, the US have been surpassed by China with a production of 42,3 GW in 2010. As the growth in certain countries has considerably slowed down due to the global financial crisis (minus 50% in the US), China’s wind energy market has continued to soar. According to Li Junfeng, secretary general of China Renewable Energy Industry Association (CREIA), China could reach a production of 200 GW by 2020. Even though China’s market is developing incredibly quickly and that the Chinese market offers huge opportunities for Chinese and international...
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...which are mentioned above are non-renewable resources, and their reserves will certainly, continuously and greatly decrease, so, exactly it is vital to reverse the irrational use of non-renewable resources. In recent years, in virtue of the greatly decreasing of non-renewable resources, scientists and researchers are accelerating the development of the Green Energy, such as wind, wave and solar energy, strenuously making the new green energy more acceptable and popular among individuals, countries and the world. "For example, Renewable energy is seen by the UK government as one vital component of a climate change strategy, for which it has set a notional target of 10% of electricity production (Department of Trade and Industry, 1999)."( Citizen versus consumer: challenges in the UK green power market S.L. Batley, D. Colbourne, P.D. Fleming, P. Urwin). But, there are some critical problems which people cannot ignore, such as the green energies' exploration, technology, exploitation and prices. Consequently, how to explore and use the green energy, instead of the non-renewable energy, to the most degree and enable the green energy to be affordable to the public have become a tough and challenging task not only for scientists and managers, also for human beings. In the past, amounts of emphasis on the climate change events were mainly based on several objective factors, such as the crustal movement, planets and stars motion, and gas concentration in the air. But now, some human...
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...Energy Tammy Malugen Professor Trena Woolridge Environmental Science and Sustainability SCI201-1501B-15 When you were a child you always heard the phrase “turn off the lights!” or “close the door you weren’t raised in a barn!” The Law of Conservation of Energy is the corporeal code that the entire extent of energy in a method is perpetual, even though energy is different from some form to a different or moved from one purpose to another; this can too be called the first law of thermodynamics. What this means is that since you cannot destroy energy but you can transform it into another form of energy. By using energy efficient appliances doesn’t mean you don’t use energy it just means that that energy is being converted into a different form of energy within your home. There are many forms of energy: Fossil Fuels, Nuclear Energy, Solar Energy, Wind Power, Water (hydro) Power, and Bioconversion (biofuel). Fossil Fuels: In 2007, “The U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA)” has determined that 86.4% of the main energy depletion that can be traced back to non-renewable sources. Pros: Well Developed: the reason fossil fuels is used is because it is the one that is well developed and has been used all around the world Cheap and Reliable: this is cheapest source of energy and the most reliable to use for the base-load. Cons: Contribute to Global Warming: this source of energy is not “green” and contains high amount of carbon Non-Renewable: Fossil fuels are a...
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...Alternative Energy Sources: Ending Human Dependence on Oil Craig A. Rockwell SCI 207 – Dependence of Man on the Environment Instructor Gomillion July 13, 2012 Alternative Energy Sources: Ending Human Dependence on Oil We live in a world where oil is the primary source of energy. It is used to produce heating fuels, gasoline, propane, and many other lesser-known fuels. Globally, we are consuming approximately 88 million barrels of oil daily. The Central Intelligence Agency (2012) shows that the United States consumes 19,150,000 barrels daily (pg. 1). Many will argue that we need to end our dependence on oil by finding other sources of energy that we can use in place of oil. This is where the question comes in on whether or not alternative energy sources are the answer to ending human dependence on oil. While alternative energy sources may be a big step in reducing our dependence on oil, they are not a solution to it due to our lack of knowledge on how to harvest and use them efficiently, as well as the limits of what they can do for us. If we are going to talk about alternative energy sources, we have to look into some of the sources that fall into the category of “Green Technology”. Sheer (1995) writes, “The economic and social advantages of renewable energies are enormous: they offer the way toward saving both the earth’s atmosphere and human health; they ensure an independent, safe, long-term energy supply as well as economic development; they will provide...
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...Renewable Energy With a growing population around the world, the need for energy is grows as well. In modern society, we use electrical energy for multiple tasks such as operating vehicle, machines, for everyday uses. Every year the electrical energy needed requires mass amounts for such purposes. Which is created in power plants, for example, the Hoover Dam. Scientists continue to look for alternative sources to quench our thirst for more power. Renewable energy is a great example of what scientists are striving for to help quench the thirst. It is a natural resource that can also be naturally replenished. Renewable energy is the best solution for energy consumption, to ensure our survival. Renewable energy is the most reliable resource due to that it provides benefits globally and to human individuals. It helps maintain our energy infrastructure, well as provides long-term benefits. It helps combat global warming and other problems associated with fossil fuels. The environmental quality and preservation is the goal of the use of renewable energy. Renewable energy should be considered throughout the world because of the potential impact we may have on the environment. Renewable energy is the best solution because it provides long-term and environmental benefits. On a global scale renewable energy supplies a significant benefit to our planet such as, lowering energy costs, job creation, and preserving the environment. With energy costs continuously on the rise and more frequent...
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