Cool City – Towards sustainable urban development and architecture

When the industrial revolution was start late in 18^th and early 19^th centuries, the world has made major changes in all life aspects. This revolution helped a lots of countries to make remarkable achievements especially in economics, but along with this event heaps of problems appeared on the surface. One of the problems that we are facing is earth and environmental issues. Raise in population, traffic delays, increase in energy consumption and increase of carbon dioxide are the main causes of the environmental issues.

SDCJ had suggest a project called the Cool City as one of the solutions. This project is environment friendly. It’s the ideal model city architecture for sustainable urban development for the GCC in particular. This project is use different friendly type of transportations such as solar ships, light rail transit and hybrid cars. This city is divided into four main zones. Starting from the middle called Business and public zone which surrounded by the residential zone. The third part is culture and sports zone and finally the resort zone. Some of the techniques that the city is using are trees and buildings that help to reduce the heat and generate cool air inside.

As we can’t replace our earth with another planet; cool city sounds a great project to solve and make earth almost 50% worth living in.

Summary of Johann Hari: We will save the planet only if we are forced to

I had read Johann Hari article’s and it was about in general people will save the planet when they forced to do. He gave a lot of methods and things that will help us to protect it and decrease of pollution.

Now I will outline the ways which were mentioned in this article and also say details how to be used.

The mostly important that he said was people have to be much friendly with our planet and to ban the factors which effect it. So he displayed some how to be solves these effecting factors. For instance, the climate is heating from many thing especially carbon offsets and he suggested buy things that which friendly for environment and could be recycle which using for shopping basket it to decrease the heat. Another point he worth mentioning, is the climate stability because the people has caused by revolution civil, damaged a huge of agriculture places.

Yet another important thing he had mention that people have freedom to buy what ever do they want so that will help to increase the warm of our planet. For example, lightbulds most people keep it working all time so the atmosphere be warm.

In conclusion, I want to say that I enjoyed in this article and agree with his opinion also with his advises for all people because we need to protect our planet of global warming issue.

Cool Cities by TDIC

• Which development do you think is the coolest (most interesting)?

Saadiyat Island.

• Write two blog posts about the planned developments by TDIC. How green do you think these developments will be?

Build healthy cities and resorts that are scope to protecting of the environment from pollution which causes from people activity.

• What is your opinion of these developments?

In my opinion this is a huge step for this company to share the global with their problem for solution. In another ward they protect our planet by reduce the amount of carbon footprint.

• Will they make Abu Dhabi a 'cool city' or do you think they will cause problems?

For sure Abu Dhabi will be as a cool city in the future. Of course if there development is crossing with new strategy which is help to save the air from the pollution.

One Planet Living and Masdar City

If everyone lived like an average North American we would need five planets.

If everyone lived like an average European we would need three planets.

If everyone lived like an average Emirati we would need 11 planets.

Our global footprint grew by 150% between 1961 and 2003. It is now 25% above the planet's biological capacity to support life on earth.

• Explain the ten guiding principles using your own words.

1. Zero Carbon: Start to use renewable power that not produce CO2.
2. Zero Waste: Using the material the can be recycle, compositing and also that could be re-use.
3. Sustainable Transport: Using the hybrid for all type of vehicles and also the people should decline number of traveling.
4. Local and Sustainable material: Being using of local materials will help the pollution environment be increase.
5. Local and Sustainable food: They should to start to have their food from their earth.
6. Sustainable Water: It must found and have many sources of natural water to supply for the city.
7. Natural Habitats and Wildlife: Being to save the wildlife and natural life of environment from changing of our lifestyle.
8. Culture and Heritage: Because of globalization the local identity will be loss so they should be save their history culture.
9. Equity and fair-trade: The people who living in the city, they should be have income high level to live inside the city.
10. Health and Happiness: when there is increasing of income for the human they will be more healthy and happy.
    

• Which principles do you think will be difficult for Masdar City to maintain?
  

- Local and Sustainable food.

What are the three goals of the One Planet Living programme?

1- Build a world-wide network of One Planet Living Communities and other exemplary projects to demonstrate One Planet Living in action.
2- Establish One Planet Living Centres in each One Planet Living community as a focus for education.
3- Promote the imperative for One Planet Living and its guiding principles to catalyse change with governments, business and individuals.

• Masdar is one of the Emerging One Planet communities, where are the others?

Japan, USA, France and Australia.

• Where are the Officially Endorsed One Planet Communities?

Only Japan.

American Cool Cities

Charlotte North Carolina

The government has changed the fuel of cars to a hybrid gas.

Washington DC

Has changed their buses to natural gas which is less than the diesel fuel to improve air pollution and cut global warming pollution.

St Paul Minnesota

Providing electricity by using a renewable resource as its primary fuel.

Houston – Texas

The government has started to reduce emissions by using hybrid vehicles. By the year 2010 they will have no petrol cars. A hybrid vehicles are produce about 43 tones of carbon less than the average of other cars.

Seattle

They have replaced old vehicles with a “ clean and Green fleet and have sett strict rules about CO2 emission. They have already reduced green house gases by 60 percent.

Fort Collins

Frt Collins uses renewable energy wind to reduce global warming and has reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 472,000 tons.

Waverly Lowa

Waverly Lowa municipality has used wind energy to reduce the emission of CO2 in the city. This method who helps provide local economic development.

Twin falls-Idaho

They reduce energy costs and cut pollution by increasing the energy efficiency of its 11 schools. This include the lightning, ventilation and air condition systems by this the city saved $3.5 million in energy savings.

Recording about global warming

http://up5.m5zn.com/ilm0t16whf54/The_world_is_richer_and_healthier.doc.html

Photostory of global warming

Carbon Footprint

A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases we produce. The result of my footprint calculator is 2.49 planets. Regarding that, it means I am living as if there were 2.49 and I have a big footprint. So I effect the atmosphere by different ways.

At the first, my stuff pollution is accounts for 30% which is the highest percent. For instance, every 3 months I have maintenance for a new design of my home which produce waste as that period. With respect to foods and home, this factor comprised 25% and 24% respectively. That means, for the former factor I don’t eat organic food and I eat also much meat which is from out of our country. The latter factor, I have three plasma TV show at my home and these are opening for the whole day and I also have a lot of lighting.

Now, let’s turn our attention to some solutions for these factors. I think I have to reduce my waste by doing the maintenance for long time and I will stop changing the design my home. For the second factor, I am going to control my eating habits and try to buy organic food. Finally, for the home factor, I will use green tariff and reduce and replace plasma TV to that which switch on by sun light power.

To sum up, I want to say the further will be very dangerous if we don’t reduce our footprint which effects global warming. That means we must rethink to give a big chance for our children to live.

An Inconvenient Truth

Summary

This film is a documentary to make the issue of global warming a problem worldwide. It is not a story but it’s about how to protect the one earth we all share. An Inconvenient Truth focuses on Al Gore and his travels in support of his efforts to educate the public about the climate crisis by funny, emotion and feeling.

He would like in this film to say the facts. Global warming is real and it is caused by human activity. Mankind and its governments must begin immediate action to halt it. If we do nothing, in about 10 years the planet may reach a poor or down point and it begin to destroy our civilization and most of the other things on our planet. After that point is reached, it would be too late for any action. All these are based on the pictures and scientific statistics.

The film shows us the primary cause of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels. Also it tells us how the ice is melting, lakes are shrinking and the level of sea is rising.

At the end of the film, Al Gore gives us many of solutions that we can avoid this crisis.

Reaction

I feel the film is the truth and he says logically about this international crisis situation for our earth. In addition is the fact that humans are the major cause of effecting the environment. Also I start to put my hand with him to reduce the heating of our earth by taking control of me and family negative factors that let the crisis became bigger.

Introduction to cool cities

These days the earth and environment is facing a big international crisis. It is called a “global warming”. It is caused by human activities like industries, building, traveling and all these and more help to increase the temperature of the earth. So the countries are trying to build cool cities which will be eco-friendly cities. I think it is a good step to avoid this crisis and have a good life in the future.

Critical Thinking

“An Inconvenient Truth”

• Why is it called “An Inconvenient Truth”?

Because the government and the people don’t want to face of the global warming problem and how far it will effect our lives. If we face the facts we will have to change our lifestyle.

• What should be done in Abu Dhabi to make people more aware of the situation?

I think Abu Dhabi ‘s government, has to make people aware of the global warming situation by different ways to make sure every one get the information so that they will help to solve the problem. For instant, I suggest using all different media like interviews on TV or on the radio because most of people watch TV and listen to the radio. Also, they should include it as a subject in education to teach the students because that we will make aware them. Although, they have to give workshops for them in schools. Then they should find environmentally friendly material to not effect the atmosphere and recycle more items.