Tag:

green house gas

Renewable Energy Sustainable Architecture

Green Building – Sustainability is transforming our world

by Editor December 28, 2021

written by Editor

As awareness has grown about the effect of any human activity on our amazing ecosystem, there’s been an ever-increasing interest in the use of techniques that minimize the harm done to the environment, as well as lowering the cost and amount of energy use.

Green building practices developed out of this worldwide desire to put aside harmful practices and create a sustainable building model. Nearly every country nowadays recognizes it’s crucial to minimize energy use and eliminate the waste of valuable resources.

In the last two decades, green building has advanced from living a barely recognized movement to prominent status. The mainstream market for sustainable construction, along with more beneficial work and living places, springs from two main sources: government agencies and individual clients.

Sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2016 include various aspects of climate protection, water management, and recycling or repurposing materials, as well as endowing innovations to produce clean energy.

When you consider the huge amount of energy (mostly electricity) used for the construction and supervision of buildings, the volume of water that buildings require, carbon emissions created, and the amount of landfill waste made by the demolition of buildings, it’s easy to acknowledge that a shift toward energy-efficient and sustainable building is imperative

Green Building - Sustainability is transforming our world — Green Energy

Aside from a lower impact on the environment, green buildings also create healthier, more comfortable indoor environments for the people who use them. Saving the planet and promoting the physical well-being of the occupants are equally significant.

What exactly is green building?

The Environmental Protection Agency describes the green building as the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction.

In other words, it’s the whole package – from the first planning stages to construction and throughout the entire lifespan of the building. Reducing the consumption of energy and cutting back on the use of water are two chief resource aims of green building.

Structures that create just as much energy as they use, mainly through solar, wind or geothermal sources, are quickly gaining in popularity. An exciting current development in buildings that create even more energy than they down, feeding excess electricity back into the grid. Imagine the possibilities of other eco-friendly solutions that weren’t envisioned a decade or two ago.

But energy-efficiency and fabrication aren’t the only concerns behind green building practices. The human health factor is high on the list of desirable features too. Indoor air quality is significantly better in green buildings, and these buildings play a part in securing better mental and emotional health for occupants.

Unlike their ancestors, human beings in industrialized areas spend most of their time in buildings throughout the day and night. Contaminants from many of the synthetic building products developed in the last century expose us to various types of chemical and biological pollution. Dust, fibreglass, gases, asbestos, and formaldehyde are just a few of the problematic materials that have been used traditionally in constructing homes and other buildings.

Eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in building materials is the healthiest practice. Off-gassing from carpet, paint, and glue, for instance, can create or add to sensitivities and cause headaches, coughs, asthma, and eye irritation. These fumes have even been connected to serious bouts with fatigue, memory loss or depression.

Construction methods and materials used in green buildings strive to eliminate this harm, along with preventing or minimizing further depletion of the natural resources in our environment. Modern building materials that are considered ‘green’ now comprise quite a lengthy list.

The concept of sustainable building incorporates and integrates a variety of strategies during the design, construction and operation of building projects. The use of green building materials and products represents one important strategy in the design of a building.

Green building materials offer specific benefits to the building owner and building occupants:

Reduced maintenance/replacement costs over the life of the building.
Energy conservation.
Improved occupant health and productivity.
Lower costs associated with changing space configurations.
Greater design flexibility.

Overall material/product selection criteria:

Resource efficiency
Indoor air quality
Energy efficiency
Water conservation
Affordability

What are the desirable materials for green building?

No doubt you’ve heard many concerns about the destruction of numerous acres of forest land. That’s just one reason that popular materials for sustainable construction include renewable plant materials.

Sourcing lumber only from well-managed and certified forests – that meet third-party sustainability standards – is the preferable green practice. Bamboo persists to grow in popularity because it’s fast-growing, sustainable, and versatile.

Recycled metal, concrete, and stone are common materials for green structures. Paper and cardboard can be fashioned into wood-type products that are very sturdy. Glass can be reclaimed into the shape of bricks.

Up-to-date methods of fabricating adobe, clay, compressed earth block, rammed earth, or baked earth into building components utilize older forms of architecture in new ways. These materials are safe for humans and cause less shortage of the ecosystem.

Many other non-toxic, reusable, or recyclable products broaden the choices. Even materials like flax, wool, linen, sisal, cork, and coconut have been added to the list of possible building resources. Moving away from synthetics (which are mostly plastics) to the use of natural fibres instead reduces the presence of chemicals in everyday life.

The merits of green building are much broader than the reduction of poor indoor air quality that leads to lung and breathing problems. Aside from the obvious physical need for reducing pollutants, there’s a growing emphasis on structures adding comfort and beauty. “Going green” doesn’t mean boring, unattractive structures.

An eco-friendly building involves better lighting, especially the introduction or increase of natural light. The addition of greenery and stunning interior design along with pleasant views for the occupants create a sense of well-being. There are even commercial green buildings that adjust indoor oxygen levels when necessary to keep occupants more alert.

The step involves gathering all technical information to be evaluated, including manufacturers‘ information such as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) test data, product warranties, source material characteristics, recycled content data, environmental information, and durability information. In addition, this step may involve researching other environmental issues, building codes, government regulations, building industry articles, model green building product specifications, and other sources of product data. Research helps identify the full range of the project’s building material options.

What are the most popular techniques for green home building?

Green building used to be equated with luxury home construction but that’s no longer the case. Builders and investors are now finding that many green products and techniques are competitively priced, and homeowners benefit from lower energy costs throughout the lifetime of their homes.

The process springs from good planning and design, well before any materials are chosen. Careful site location and consideration of the sun’s orientation to the structure will cut down on energy and heating needs. Some homes can be partially built into a slope or hillside to provide a buffer and conserve energy.

Heating and cooling are responsible for up to half of a home’s energy use. Using High-R value insulations (that also meet “green” standards) inside the walls and sealing any places prone to drafts prevents air leaks and mean lower operating costs for homeowners. High-efficiency windows block out heat in the summer and prevent warm air from escaping the home in colder temperatures.

Design elements such as placing windows on all sides permit cross-ventilation of the interior. Light tubes and skylights add brightness to darker interior areas so that less artificial light needs to be used. Awnings or overhangs protect the home from the sun when it’s high in the summer sky, but allow natural light and warmth to penetrate in the winter when the sun is lower.

There’s also been a move toward using panels or pre-made trusses. This mode of construction can be more energy-efficient than doing all of the building on site. Many of these pre-fab systems need less labour and earn points toward gaining green certification. There’s less waste material left on-site, too.

Well-executed landscaping, such as deciduous trees or vines on the south side of buildings, provide shade for the structure during hot summer days but allow the entrance of natural heat and sunshine during colder winter months.

Using only native plants reduces the need for water or chemical fertilizers. A “green roof” (which is a roof literally covered in sustainable plants) lowers cooling costs, adds oxygen to the atmosphere, and reduces stormwater runoff. Many of these unexpected gardens are being added to urban and suburban areas.

What certifications does a building need to be called a certified green building?

Many of these were the result of concerns about toxic materials and their potential impact on either children’s health or general indoor air quality. Later the emphasis grew to include concerns about global warming and using fewer resources.

Hundreds of green product certifications are in use around the world. It can be tough to wade through which standards apply to a specific building project. The benefit of meeting certifications is threefold: to have buildings that cost less to operate, that have optimal energy performance, and can be promoted to the public as environmentally friendly. Studies show that occupants typically have high satisfaction rates with these buildings.

One of the best-known green building rating certifications is called LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The managing organization for LEED is the U.S. Green Building Council, which ensures independent third-party verification for both new construction and remodelling of existing structures.

LEED certification focuses on finding sustainable sites, ensuring good practices for energy use and a clean atmosphere, water efficiency, materials and resources that are sustainable, and indoor environmental quality.

The number of other green certifications is growing yearly – supportive programs that help to cut down on energy usage and lower costs while providing healthier living spaces to protect the environment. With the advances of the past fifty years as a foundation and all the progress that still lies ahead, green building practices promise to be of great benefit to the billions of people populating our precious planet.

Tags: Construction, carbon emissions created, Eliminating volatile organic compounds, High-efficiency windows.

December 28, 2021 0 comment

Climate Change: Expiration in Disguise-Its Causes & Effects

by Editor December 28, 2021

written by Editor

Climate Change guides a location’s overall weather conditions over a long period of time. Maine, for example, has a chilly and snowy winter climate, but South Florida has a balmy environment all year.

Many individuals believe that climate change primarily entails higher temperatures. However, the rise in temperature is merely the beginning of the report. Changes in one place can impact changes in all others since the Earth is a system in which everything is complementary. Emissions are continuing to climb. As a result, the Earth has warmed by around 1.1°C since the late 1800s. The previous ten years (2011-2020) were the hottest in recorded history.

Climate Change: Expiration in Disguise-Its Causes & Effects — Climate Change Effects

some people justify imperfect action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by arguing that there may be an economically ‘optimal’ amount of climate change that we can cope with. Relying on such an inference allows us to continue burning fossil fuels, and delay the transformation needed to get our emissions to zero and limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The past weeks and months have been a wake-up call for this kind of thinking. So far, 2021 has seen a summer of climate extremes in the Northern Hemisphere, getting even the most developed and seemingly well-prepared nations to their knees.

Countries in western Europe (Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands and others), as well as India and China, were hit with unprecedented and catastrophic flooding, killing over 600 people. Thousands are left homeless and the areas are overwhelmed by power cuts and infrastructure collapse.

In contrast, some parts of the world (e.g. Greece, Turkey, Finland, India, Northwestern USA and Canada) have suffered from wildfires and unprecedented temperatures attributed to human activity this summer.

This is only a small part of the picture. Many nations around the globe, nevertheless of their development or preparedness status, face similar climate impacts which affect millions of people.

What is Climate Change?

Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns are directed to climate change. These movements might be due to natural causes, such as changes in the solar cycle. However, human activities have been the direct cause of climate change. The reason? Combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and oil.

Why is Climate Change taking place?

Climate change has occurred in the past, but the current changes are faster than any known happening in Earth’s history. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, are the primary reason. Additional sources include agriculture, steel manufacturing, cement production, and forest loss. These factors, taken together, accelerate global warming.

For example, the Climate Impact Explorer shows that the annual damage Germany faces from river flooding will likely increase by 72% if we simply follow current climate policies. Days with extreme precipitation, that would only occur every 10 years, are expected to double in Europe with every degree of warming. Higher temperatures will also lead to more frequent storms that move more slowly, increasing the risk of flash floods and significant damage.

It has been clear for years that science underestimates the scope of increasing extremes, as climate models perform better for the mean than for extremes. We also know that assumptions used for infrastructure design significantly underestimate the intensity of extreme precipitation events.

Causes of Climate Change

Natural causes of climate change

Long before humans were on the scene, the world experienced periods of warming and cooling. This happened due to:

The sun’s intensity
Volcanic eruptions
Variations in naturally existing greenhouse gas concentrations

Human Induced causes of climate change

Greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activities are the primary cause of today’s rapidly changing climate. Since olden times, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 46 per cent. This makes it the planet’s primary contributor to climate change.

Combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas for power, heat, and transportation
Deforestation
Logging, Clear-cutting, fires, and other types of forest degradation
Fertilizer usage (a significant source of nitrous oxide emissions)
Animal raising (cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats are important methane emitters)
Industrial operations that create fluorinated gases

Our planet’s woods and seas interest greenhouse gases from the atmosphere via photosynthesis and other processes. Then also, they are unable to keep up with our increasing emissions. As a result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases, the earth is warming at an alarmingly rapid rate. During the twentieth century, the earth’s average temperature climbed by around 1 degree Fahrenheit. If you don’t think that’s a lot, consider this: when the last ice age ended, average temperatures were just 5 to 9 degrees lower than they are now.

How is it affecting the environment?

Nature and wildlife

Climate change is projected to lead to the extinction of a large number of species. Many terrestrial and freshwater species have migrated poleward and to higher altitudes as a result of recent warming. Heatwaves and drought have lowered and bleached coral reefs. Ocean acidification makes it difficult for species like mussels, barnacles, and corals to form shells and skeletons. Harmful algal blooms reduce oxygen levels, disrupt food webs, and result in a significant loss of marine life.

Sea levels are rising and oceans are becoming warmer. Longer, more intense droughts threaten crops, wildlife and freshwater supplies. From polar bears in the Arctic to marine turtles off the coast of Africa, our planet’s diversity of life is at risk from the changing climate.

Climate change poses a fundamental threat to the places, species and people’s livelihoods WWF works to protect. To adequately address this crisis we must urgently reduce carbon pollution and prepare for the consequences of global warming, which we are already experiencing.

ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

To avoid the worst effects of climate change, we need to dramatically reduce global carbon emissions. But we must also prepare for the significant and unavoidable consequences of carbon emissions such as increasing temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, ocean acidification, sea-level rise and the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. WWF works with local communities, governments and others around the world to help nature and people prepare for the many impacts of a changing climate. To do this we:

Increase resilience of communities in Nepal by promoting new farming techniques, community weather monitoring and creating seed banks
Restore beach vegetation to shade marine turtle nests in the Caribbean
Secure access to fresh water for elephants in Thailand during periods of drought
Identify areas where polar bears can live on solid Arctic sea ice for decades to come

Global Temperature Rise

Since the late 1800s, the planet’s average surface temperature has climbed by around 1.18 degrees Celsius. This is mostly because of rising carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and other human activities. The last 40 years have seen the most warming, with the last seven years being the hottest. 2016 and 2020 are tied for the hottest year ever recorded.

That extra heat is driving regional and seasonal temperature extremes, reducing snow cover and sea ice, intensifying heavy rainfall, and changing habitat range for plants and animals—expanding some and shrinking others. As the map below shows, most land areas have warmed faster than most ocean areas, and the Arctic is warming faster than most other regions.

Warming Ocean

Although the waters have warmed more slowly than land, plants and animals in the ocean have moved to the frigid poles at a speedier rate than land-based species. The water has absorbed much of the extra heat, with the warming of more than 0.33 degrees Celsius in the top 100 meters since 1969. 90% of the surplus energy on Earth is stored in the ocean.

Rising amounts of greenhouse gases are preventing heat radiated from Earth’s surface from escaping into space as freely as it used to. Most of the excess atmospheric heat is passed back to the ocean.

Shrinking Ice Sheets

The bulk of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets has shrunk. Greenland lost an average of 279 billion tons of ice every year between 1993 and 2019. Antarctica lost roughly 148 billion tons per year.

Glacial Retreat

In the Alps, the Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska, and Africa, glaciers are disappearing practically everywhere.

Decreased Snow Cover

The quantity of spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has reduced during the last five decades and the snow is melting sooner.

Sea Level Rise

In the previous century, the global sea level rose by around 8 inches (20 cm). However, in the recent two decades, the rate has approximately doubled that of the previous century and is increasing slightly each year.

Declining Arctic Sea Ice

Over the last several decades, both the area and thickness of Arctic sea ice have significantly decreased.

Extreme Events

Since 1950, the number of record hot temperature occurrences has increased in the United States. While the number of record low-temperature events has decreased. In addition, the United States has seen an increase in the number of severe rainfall events.

Ocean Acidification

The acidity of surface ocean waters has grown by around 30% since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This rise is due to people putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is then soaked by the ocean in greater amounts. In recent decades, the ocean has absorbed between 20% and 30% of total human carbon dioxide emissions.

Food and health

Climate change’s human values are considered by the WHO to be the biggest danger to world health in the twenty-first century.

The indirect effects such as undernutrition caused by crop failures have a negative influence on health. Reduced food availability and quality are expected to result in over 500,000 more adult deaths annually by 2050. Between 1981 and 2010, worldwide mean yields of maize, wheat, and soybeans were reduced.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2030 and 2050, climate change is anticipated to result in an extra 250,000 fatalities per year. The resason being heatstroke in the elderly, increases in diarrheal illness, malaria, dengue fever, coastal flooding, and childhood malnutrition.
Air and water quality are two more key health problems linked to climate change.
Warming seas have an influence on fish stocks, resulting in a global reduction in maximum capture potential. Only polar stocks are showing signs of improvement.

Climate Change Effects on Health and Life

Why is climate change the biggest threat?

According to research, present warming is 10 times higher than the average pace of ice-age recovery warming. After the last Ice Age, carbon dioxide from human activities increased more than 250 times faster than it did from natural sources.

Temperatures on land have risen twice as quickly as the worldwide average. Heatwaves and wildfires are getting more prevalent, and deserts are growing. Many species are forced to move or go extinct when their habitat changes in areas like coral reefs, mountains, and the Arctic. Food and water shortages, higher flooding, excessive heat, more disease, and economic loss are among the threats posed by climate change. It has the potential to cause human migration. Climate change, according to the World Health Organization, is the greatest danger to world health in the twenty-first century. Even if attempts to reduce future warming are successful, some consequences will last generations. Sea level rise and warmer, more acidic waters are two examples.

Further glacier melt, ocean warming, sea-level rise, and ocean acidification are all long-term repercussions of climate change. The amount of climate change will be dictated mostly by manmade CO2 emissions over a period of hundreds to millennia. This is owing to CO2’s extended lifespan in the atmosphere. Ocean acidification will last thousands of years due to the slow absorption of CO2 by the ocean. The present interglacial era has been predicted to have been extended by at least 100,000 years as a result of these emissions. Sea level rise is expected to continue for many centuries, with an increase of 2.3 meters per degree Celsius after 2000 years.

Scientists believe that if nothing is done, global warming would approach 4 degrees Celsius in the future. This will result in deadly heatwaves, millions of people losing their homes due to rising sea levels, and irrevocable extinction of plant and animal species.

As cropland transforms to the desert, certain locations may become uninhabitable as a result of continued warming. In other parts of the world, excessive rainfall is producing record floods, as witnessed in China, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands recently.
People in impoverished nations would bear the brunt of the consequences because they lack the financial means to adapt to climate change. Many farmers in poor nations already have to deal with excessively hot conditions, and things are only going to grow worse.
Our seas, as well as their ecosystems, are in danger. Due to warmer oceans caused by climate change, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has already lost half of its corals since 1995.
As the glaciers melt in regions like Siberia contained greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.
Animals will have a tougher time finding the food and water they require on a warmer planet. Polar bears, for example, may go extinct when the ice melts away. Elephants may struggle to get the 150-300 liters of water they require each day.
If nothing is done, scientists estimate that at least 550 species will be lost this century.

Tags: Higher Temperatures, Carbon Emissions, Community Weather Monitoring, Greenhouse Gases.

December 28, 2021 0 comment

Due to climate change, the budget of the house may degenerate like this

by Editor December 20, 2021

written by Editor

Climate change can have a direct impact on your bank account i.e. on your pocket.

It is not that only the prices of things will increase and every month your bill will rise. If you live in areas where floods or hurricanes are more likely, your home may be destroyed or your job may be lost.

Since the year 1980, the number of days in a year has almost doubled when the mercury remains beyond 50 degrees Celsius. According to the latest report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), even after reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the earth’s temperature may increase by 1.5 °C by the year 2040. With the temperature rise, the occurrence of natural calamities like storms, droughts and floods is also expected to increase, which will increase the risk to the lives of individuals. Due to human activities, the temperature of the world is increasing and due to this climate change has now become a threat to every part of human life. Climate is the average weather of a place over a long period of a few years, and climate change is a change in those average conditions.

What is the impact of climate change?

The way there has been a sudden change in natural events is the result of climate change. The number of storms has increased, the frequency of earthquakes has increased, the magnitude of floods in rivers have raised more than ever before, which is presently affecting the means of life and survival. If the temperature continues to rise, some areas may become uninhabited and fields may turn into deserts. In some areas, due to the increase in temperature, the opposite result can also happen. Heavy rains can cause flooding.

If the temperature is not kept within 1.5°C then

The only way to control the temperature of the earth is that the countries of the world to come together on this issue. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, all the countries of the world had promised to control carbon emissions so that global warming would not be allowed to go above 1.5 °C.

With the coming changes in the weather, the risk of crop failure due to such happenings will be high. This can affect our daily needs and facilities like food, water and electricity, and their prices can increase. Climate change will also have an impact on people’s health and their expense on it will grow. Talking about homes, with climate change, people’s use of air conditioners and heaters will increase to stay in the rising heat and harsh cold. That is, energy consumption will increase and your expenditure will also increase.

1. The prices of food items will increase

The most severe effect of climate change will be on crops. In current years, there has been an increase in the occurrence of natural disasters like drought, flood, fire and storm. Scientists expect that if the temperature of the earth continues to rise like this, then things will get complicated in the coming time.

Due to frequent droughts and a temperature rise, the number of people engaged in agricultural work will start decreasing. Experts say that people will lose their livelihood and the impact will be on production as well as on the availability and prices of food grains.

2. Water and electricity bills will increase

The rise in electricity prices will not be the same everywhere, because “it depends on how electricity is produced and what subsidies governments provide. But in countries that depend on hydroelectric projects for electricity and will be impacted by drought due to climate change, the impact on electricity costs is bound to happen.

3. Accident Insurance Prices Will Rise

On the one hand, the prices of insurance for the agriculture sector, homes and all kinds of emergencies are rising, on the other hand, many insurance companies are rejecting those consumers whom they believe to be more at risk. As the damage caused by climate change increases, it is possible that the cost of insurance will also increase.

4. Health expense will increase

Air pollution has a bad effect on human health. According to the World Health Organization, about 7 million people die every year due to air pollution.

5. Slow economic growth

If the Earth’s temperature rises by 3.2 degrees Celsius, then the worst scenario (a fall in GDP of up to 18 per cent) can be seen in the middle of the century. Other estimates speak of a possible decline of around 10 per cent in GDP over 80 years. Estimations vary due to measurement methods. But one thing is clear that the economic side effects are increasing rapidly.

Climate change is impacting various globes of everyday living. It is one of the biggest issues facing us today. From shifting weather patterns to rising sea levels that have made certain areas around the globe increasingly prone to flooding, the largely negative effects of climate change are an existential threat to planet earth.

Climate Change Effect on Earth — Climate Change

Our atmosphere is designed to keep some of the sun’s heat and ensure that the earth remains inhabitable—thanks to greenhouse gases (GHGs). These gases (including CO2, water vapour, methane, and nitrous oxide) occur naturally and have been essential to the success of life on earth.

However, human activity such as deforestation, industrialization and extensive scale agriculture means that there are record levels of GHGs in the atmosphere today. This has led to deeper absorption of thermal radiation from the sun, hence global warming.

Tags: Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, flooding, Paris Agreement, Agriculture Sector, deforestation, industrialization.

December 20, 2021 0 comment