It is time to turn back time and reduce the amount of devastation humans have caused the environment. This environmental cause has already been started and is led by groups around the country and around the world. Companies like the U.S. Green Building Council works with companies both within the United States and abroad to encourage more eco-friendly buildings. Furthermore, municipalities spanning the country are getting involved in finding greener, more cost-effective ways of producing energy and running a city.
Municipalities often install public transportation systems to reduce carbon emissions. Unfortunately, these buses can actually increase pollution levels if there are not enough riders on a bus. Each diesel bus releases 130 tons of carbon dioxide annually. To ensure that public transportation lowers emissions, Oakland had the revolutionary new idea of using zero emission buses. This new fleet is powered by hydrogen so the environment is completely undisturbed. As Oakland grows their fleet from three to eight buses, the city will be able to serve as an example of environmental awareness for the rest of the United States.
One of the most exceptional ideas in use today is the water use reduction system at Destiny USA, an enormous shopping mall in Syracuse, New York. This program is designed to harvest rainwater from the rooftop. It is projected to save 4 million of gallons of water every year. Overall, this lowers the buildings water usage by an impressive 78 percent. The roof of the expansion has a system in place to collect rainwater that will be used to flush common area and tenant toilets. Also, there are retention ponds located in the parking lots to hold excess water and replenish the ground. In times of severe storms the roof collection system and water retention ponds will hold rainwater and reduce the volume of water sent to the city waste treatment facility. After installing this noteworthy program, Destiny was credited with an Exemplary Performance award from the USGBC.
Whenever a power plant creates electricity, it actually releases one third of the energy into the environment as heat. Instead of wasting this source of heat, some officials in Chicago have found a solution. The heat that is produced during fuel combustion is used to create more electricity. Chicago uses co-generation plants to use all of the heat produced in the electricity generation process. Each co-generation plant produces just a third of the carbon dioxide that is made with a traditional coal powered plant. Chicago took a step further and set a goal of having 25 percent of the city’s electrical consumption made with in a co-generation plant. These plants basically work by collecting steam from the gas combustion processes. This steam can then be used to heat buildings or water. This process helped Chicago become much more efficient.
Each of these initiatives has one thing in common: a commitment to building a better world. Through the innovative green initiatives and new design concepts, cities like Chicago and Oakland are making a difference for their residents and the world. Other companies and cities can copy the methods used to lower carbon dioxide emissions and create a healthier planet.
