Focus the Nation
My Focus the Nation Plan at the local classroom level would involve the students having to take a multiprong approach in their home. First I would break the class into teams and have them develop a chart comparing various items common in the household, ie. refrigerator, television, freezer, computer, hot water heater, heating element. Then look at how many lightbulbs are in their house both florescent and regular. After they had that data compiled I would have them figure out approximately how much electricity it takes to 'run' their house for a day and approximate what their carbon footprint is per year. After they compiled they would look at the new energy efficient models of appliances and lightbulbs and see what impact that might have on their families carbon footprint yearly.
Labels: FTN
posted by danumf @ 6:27 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Good job on the second part of the assignment. How does this tie into our concentration? Is this a geography, history, or government lesson?
The first part of the assignment was to do something to learn more about Global Warming and list 3 things you learned.
3/5 so far (directions and content)
After I published this post and reviewed the instructions, I realized I had skipped half of the work and didn't get back to it before Dr. Theresa got to it. The issue that I found interesting when looking at FTN was green buildings and the technology that goes into them versus previously constructed buildings.
Since the concept of green buildings has become more and more prevalent, see the EDU building on campus, there has been substantial investment in buildings that have a zero carbon footprint. The building that appears most often is the Aldo Leopold Foundation building in Wisconsin. Although it cost over $4 million to construct the building actually produces 15% more energy than it consumes. This is accomplished through solar panels on the roof, the use of earth tubes and by utilizing wood stoves for heat. Although it seems that wood burning is not necessarily 'green' the fact that it utilizes cast off from local logging operations.
A second major undertaking is the Solar Two building project in New York that will utilize a green screen to help reduce heating and cooling costs, low flush and waterless toilets, recycling the waste water and being a fully solar powered building.
The most far reaching project to date is the undertaking near Shanghi work is underway to construct a completely carbon neutral city. The design is such that buildings are constructed to funnel cooling winds in the summer and block the cold winter winds. Eighty percent of waste will be recycled as will all of the water. Biomass will be utilized as fuel with the carbon dioxide produced used to grow plants. The goal of designers is to have 500,000 living in the city in the future.
The one concern that I have about this green technology is that some owners are buying carbon offsets. Where do these 'offsets' come from? How are they calculated? If something is to be fully 'green' should offsets be allowed?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home