Kristen Zelenka
World Changing
Response #7
“Knowing What’s Green” pg 114
This past semester during our lectures, Trumpey has shown us labels and brands, mostly pertaining to food products, that are fair trade and are conscientious about the environment, however there are many items that we have to buy, such as shoes and clothing, that do not have such a label. How are we supposed to know what is good to buy and what isn’t? A lot of the information about the origin and manufacturing process of a product is untraceable or ambiguous. There are many things to consider like the materials used, the conditions under which the item was made, the working atmosphere that the employees are in, and then whether or not it can be broken down again to be recycled or can be decomposed.
Right now there aren’t many regulations; “Companies are operating totally within their rights when they make appliances in toxic soup and sell them to us on the cheap. But while regulations set a low minimum threshold that products have to meet, certifications are the standards that products get to live up to” (115). This whole scenario reminds me of Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” where there was no standard for meat production until the general public knew what they were really eating. I feel that it’s the same now with the products we buy. If the general public was educated and there were more government regulations about manufacturing practices then as a whole we would consume wiser.
However, right now we are not there yet because many regulations that are set up are only regional (115). We need a third party agency to monitor businesses and their practices to make sure that consumers aren’t being fooled. The article mentions two groups that have started this process. One is called Cradle to Cradle and the other is the Corporate Fallout Detector (116). Cradle to Cradle has developed its own strict standards for green production and awards certifications to companies and their products that comply with them. The Corporate Fallout Detector is a scanning system that emits clicks depending on how eco-friendly the product is. The more clicks you hear the worse the product is (116). Down the road, another feasible option would be to use RFID chips that have the information about an object and how to recycle it embedded into it (117). This information would be available to everybody who had the appropriate scanner. However there are still many aspects about this technology and infrastructure that still need to be developed.
Ultimately, if consumers were more conscientious about what they were buying, they could pressure manufactures to comply with the green standards. People just need to have more information available to them and understand the consequences of how things are made.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
KRisten Zelenka World Changing Response #6
Kristen Zelenka
World Changing
Response #6
For my sixth response, I chose the article “Cars and Fuels” on page 74 because of the upcoming oil crisis, its prevalence in the news, and it being a main topic in lecture. I own my own car and I have it with me on campus this year so I am very conscious of gas prices. A car is part of the American identity where everybody wants to own an SUV and be able to drive upon the open road. Unfortunately, most of these inefficient gas guzzlers are only used to get to the grocery store or drive to work which negatively effects our environment and contributes to global warming. We need to start conserving fuel, support clean energy vehicles, and back legislation that makes good regulations about the future of our energy use (75).
I agree with the article when it urges people to put pressure on the auto industry to design, manufacture, and produce the fuel economical prototypes (79). The long-term solution probably lies in electric or hydrogen fuel-cell (74). What I found most interesting about this article was the incredibly fuel efficient car called the Aptera. It gets an estimated 330 miles per gallon at 65 miles per hour (78). It is extremely low weight and streamlined and uses high-output supercapacitors (78). I had never heard of this car before which surprises me. If we have developed something this efficient why haven’t we put ore research into in and tested it more?
I have also never heard of Honda’s FCX design , which is a car that runs on hydrogen and I never conceived of the FCX/Home Energy Station combo that potentially could “slash carbon emissions by 40 percent” and “cut combined electricity, gas, and fuel costs in half” (80).
I believe that more people should be educated about the new developments and technology and how to reduce their fuel consumption. A lot can be done. Before I read this article I did not know about all the different alternative fuels available or how to save gas mileage when I drive.
World Changing
Response #6
For my sixth response, I chose the article “Cars and Fuels” on page 74 because of the upcoming oil crisis, its prevalence in the news, and it being a main topic in lecture. I own my own car and I have it with me on campus this year so I am very conscious of gas prices. A car is part of the American identity where everybody wants to own an SUV and be able to drive upon the open road. Unfortunately, most of these inefficient gas guzzlers are only used to get to the grocery store or drive to work which negatively effects our environment and contributes to global warming. We need to start conserving fuel, support clean energy vehicles, and back legislation that makes good regulations about the future of our energy use (75).
I agree with the article when it urges people to put pressure on the auto industry to design, manufacture, and produce the fuel economical prototypes (79). The long-term solution probably lies in electric or hydrogen fuel-cell (74). What I found most interesting about this article was the incredibly fuel efficient car called the Aptera. It gets an estimated 330 miles per gallon at 65 miles per hour (78). It is extremely low weight and streamlined and uses high-output supercapacitors (78). I had never heard of this car before which surprises me. If we have developed something this efficient why haven’t we put ore research into in and tested it more?
I have also never heard of Honda’s FCX design , which is a car that runs on hydrogen and I never conceived of the FCX/Home Energy Station combo that potentially could “slash carbon emissions by 40 percent” and “cut combined electricity, gas, and fuel costs in half” (80).
I believe that more people should be educated about the new developments and technology and how to reduce their fuel consumption. A lot can be done. Before I read this article I did not know about all the different alternative fuels available or how to save gas mileage when I drive.
World Changing Response #5
Kristen Zelenka
World Changing
Response #5
I decided to read an article entitled “Big Green Buildings and Skyscrapers” on page 245 because I believe that it is important as we develop new and bigger cities and more encompassing infrastructure that we consider how to design better buildings. Cities are and their skylines symbolize its peoples’ cultural thoughts and progress. The Reichstag in Germany is a perfect example of this because of its transparent glass structure that is green while reflecting the political culture of its people (246). Cities need to transform from cold mechanized sites into upstanding cultural centers.
Some of the design practices being implemented into Green buildings that I found most interesting are in the Editt Tower in Singapore, the Reichstag in Germany, and the Bank of America Tower in New York. The Editt tower will have an onsite water filtering system so that when somebody flushes the toilet it can be cleaned and then used in the irrigation lines for all of the plants to create a closed system (245). The Reichstag uses biofuels, such as refined vegetable oils, for energy that resulted in a 94% in the building’s carbon dioxide emission (247). I think that number is incredible and that if it was applied as a building standard everywhere what a drastic improvement that could mean for our global environment. The Bank of America Tower will have glazed windows to maintain temperatures that are controlled by running hot or cold water beneath the floors (248). This reminds me of what the Greeks and Romans did in the baths to heat or cool the room. It is interesting that we are reverting to ancient technology in our contemporary architecture.
We need to increase the natural greenery in our world, especially in the cement industrial areas in the inner cities because it will benefit the environment and our own health; “We can revolutionize offices by bringing in more daylight, growing indoor plants, improving airflow, and providing access to outdoor spaces” (245). I believe that everything that our design practices from now on should be monitored and meet the standards of the United States Green Building Council in order preserve the environment and improve our social standards of living.
World Changing
Response #5
I decided to read an article entitled “Big Green Buildings and Skyscrapers” on page 245 because I believe that it is important as we develop new and bigger cities and more encompassing infrastructure that we consider how to design better buildings. Cities are and their skylines symbolize its peoples’ cultural thoughts and progress. The Reichstag in Germany is a perfect example of this because of its transparent glass structure that is green while reflecting the political culture of its people (246). Cities need to transform from cold mechanized sites into upstanding cultural centers.
Some of the design practices being implemented into Green buildings that I found most interesting are in the Editt Tower in Singapore, the Reichstag in Germany, and the Bank of America Tower in New York. The Editt tower will have an onsite water filtering system so that when somebody flushes the toilet it can be cleaned and then used in the irrigation lines for all of the plants to create a closed system (245). The Reichstag uses biofuels, such as refined vegetable oils, for energy that resulted in a 94% in the building’s carbon dioxide emission (247). I think that number is incredible and that if it was applied as a building standard everywhere what a drastic improvement that could mean for our global environment. The Bank of America Tower will have glazed windows to maintain temperatures that are controlled by running hot or cold water beneath the floors (248). This reminds me of what the Greeks and Romans did in the baths to heat or cool the room. It is interesting that we are reverting to ancient technology in our contemporary architecture.
We need to increase the natural greenery in our world, especially in the cement industrial areas in the inner cities because it will benefit the environment and our own health; “We can revolutionize offices by bringing in more daylight, growing indoor plants, improving airflow, and providing access to outdoor spaces” (245). I believe that everything that our design practices from now on should be monitored and meet the standards of the United States Green Building Council in order preserve the environment and improve our social standards of living.
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