"Pahang News"

Green Building as a Solution for Saving Our Environment

Green Building

A sustainable building, or green building is an outcome of a design which focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting, design,construction, operation, maintenance, and removal.

Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

• Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
  
• Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
  
• Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation

Furthermore, Green building practices aim to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Buildings account for a large amount of land use, energy and water consumption, and air and atmosphere alteration. In the United States, more than 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km²) of open space, wildlife SUPS habitat, and wetlands are developed each year.

As of 2006, buildings used 40 percent of the total energy consumed in both the US and European Union. In the US, 54 percent of that percentage was consumed by residential buildings and 46 percent by commercial buildings. In 2002, buildings used approximately 68 percent of the total electricity consumed in the United States with 51 percent for residential use and 49 percent for commercial use. 38 percent of the total amount of carbon dioxide in the United States can be attributed to buildings, 21 percent from homes and 17.5 percent from commercial uses. Buildings account for 12.2 percent of the total amount of water consumed per day in the United States.

The environmental impact of buildings is often underestimated, while the perceived costs of green buildings are overestimated. A recent survey by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development finds that green costs are overestimated by 300 percent, as key players in real estate and construction estimate the additional cost at 17 percent above conventional construction, more than triple the true average cost difference of about 5 percent.

Besides that, Green building brings together a vast array of practices and techniques to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs,rain gardens, and for reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques, such as using packed gravel for parking lots instead of concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water, are used as well. Effective green buildings are more than just a random collection of environmental friendly technologies, however. They require careful, systemic attention to the full life cycle impacts of the resources embodied in the building and to the resource consumption and pollution emissions over the building's complete life cycle.

On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design is the philosophy of designing a building that is in harmony with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are several key steps in designing sustainable buildings: specify 'green' building materials from local sources, reduce loads, optimize systems, and generate on-site renewable energy.

However, there are some practices that we should take into consideration in order to reduce building impacts on human health and also the natural environment. They are the efficient use of materials, reduced energy use and reduced waste of energy.

The efficient use of materials

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo (because bamboo grows quickly) and straw, lumber from forests certified to be sustainabl managed, ecology blocks, dimension stone, recycled stone, recycled metal, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable (e.g. Trass,Linoleum, sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes, compressed earth block, adobe, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite, flax linen, sisal, seagrass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut, wood fibre plates, calcium sand stone, concrete (high and ultra high performance, roman self-healing concrete) , etc) The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also suggests using recycled industrial goods, such as coal combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in construction projects Polyurethane heavily reduces carbon emissions as well. Polyurethane blocks are being used instead of CMTs by companies like American Insulock. Polyurethane blocks provide more speed, less cost, and they are environmentally friendly. Building materials should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site to minimize the energy embedded in their transportation.

Reduced energy use

Green buildings often include measures to reduce energy use. To increase the efficiency of the building envelope, (the barrier between conditioned and unconditioned space), they may use high-efficiency windows and insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors. Another strategy, passive solar building design, is often implemented in low-energy homes. Designers orient windows and walls and place awnings, porches, and trees to shade windows and roofs during the summer while maximizing solar gain in the winter. In addition, effective window placement (daylighting) can provide more natural light and lessen the need for electric lighting during the day. Solar water heating further reduces energy loads.

Finally, onsite generation of renewable energy through solar power, wind power, hydro power, or biomass can significantly reduce the environmental impact of the building. Power generation is generally the most expensive feature to add to a building.

Reduced energy waste

Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during construction. For example, in California nearly 60% of the state's waste comes from commercial buildings. During the construction phase, one goal should be to reduce the amount of material going to landfills. Well-designed buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as well, by providing on-site solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going to landfills.

To reduce the impact on wells or water treatment plants, several options exist. "Greywater", wastewater from sources such as dishwashing or washing machines, can be used for subsurface irrigation, or if treated, for non-potable purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater collectors are used for similar purposes.

Centralized wastewater treatment systems can be costly and use a lot of energy. An alternative to this process is converting waste and wastewater into fertilizer, which avoids these costs and shows other benefits. By collecting human waste at the source and running it to a semi-centralized biogas plant with other biological waste, liquid fertilizer can be produced. This concept was demonstrated by a settlement in Lubeck Germany in the late 1990s. Practices like these provide soil with organic nutrients and create carbon sinks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, offsetting greenhouse gas emission. Producing artificial fertilizer is also more costly in energy than this process.

In conclusion, as a mankind on the Earth, we should take our responsibility to save our environment before it being destroyed. So, we need to make full use of green buildings by using building materials efficiently and thus reducing the use and waste of energy. Let's save the Earth!

The Effects of Deforestation

Deforestation is the process of converting forested lands into non-forest sites that are ideal for crop raising, urbanization and industrialization. Because deforestation is a serious concept, there are also serious effects to the surroundings.

When forests are killed, nature basically requires people to renew the forest. Reforestation is one concept that is in the opposite direction as deforestation, but is proven to be a much harder effort than deforestation.

So the rate of deforestation has not been offset by the rate of reforestation. Thus, the world is now in a troubled state when it comes to issues concerning the environment.

Pollution is rapidly growing along with population. Forests are greatly helping reduce the amount of pollutants in the air. So, the depletion of these groups of trees is greatly increasing the risk that carbon monoxide would reach the atmosphere and result in the depletion of the ozone layer, which in turn results to global warming.

Well, because deforestation basically involves killing trees in forests, there are so many effects that can be enumerated as results of the activity. Thus, effects of deforestation can be classified and grouped into effects to biodiversity, environment and social settings.

Effect to biodiversity

Forests are natural habitats to many types of animals and organisms. That is why, when there is deforestation, many animals are left without shelters. Those that manage to go through the flat lands and residential sites are then killed by people.

Through the years, it is estimated that there are millions of plant and extinct animal species that have been wiped out because they have been deprived of home. Thus, biodiversity is significantly lowered because of the savage deforestation practices of some people.

Wildlife advocates have been constantly reminding that several wild animals left in the world could still be saved if deforested forests would only be reforested and the practice of slash and burn of forests would be totally abandoned.

Environment change

Another major effect of deforestation is climate change. Changes to the surroundings done by deforestation work in many ways. One, there is abrupt change in temperatures in the nearby areas. Forests naturally cool down because they help retain moisture in the air.

Second is the long process of global climate change. As mentioned above, deforestation has been found to contribute to global warming or that process when climates around the world become warmer as more harmful rays of the sun comes in through the atmosphere.

The ozone layer is a mass of oxygen or O3 atoms that serves as shield in the atmosphere against the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. Because ozone is made up of oxygen atoms, oxygen react with carbon monoxide. Such reaction would use up oxygen atoms.

It follows that when there are more carbon monoxide atoms going to the atmosphere, the volume of oxygen would decline. Such is the case of ozone depletion.

The third effect to the environment would be on the water table underneath the ground. Water table is the common source of natural drinking water by people living around forests.

Water table is replenishing. That means, the supply of water underground could also dry up if not replenished regularly. When there is rain, forests hold much of the rainfall to the soil through their roots.

Thus, water sinks in deeper to the ground, and eventually replenishing the supply of water in the water table. Now, imagine what happens when there is not enough forests anymore. Water from rain would simply flow through the soil surface and not be retained by the soil.

Other than that, the water from rain would not stay in the soil longer, for the process of evaporation would immediately set in. Thus, the water table is not replenished, leading to drying up of wells.

Social effects of deforestation

Deforestation is hardly hitting the living conditions of indigenous people who consider forests as their primary habitats. Imagine how they are rendered homeless when forests are depleted. These natives would be forced to live elsewhere, and are usually left to becoming mendicants in rural and urban areas.

Overall, effects of deforestation cannot be offset by the contribution of the practice to development. While it is logical that progress is very much needed by mankind, it must also be noted that nature knows no defeat. Destruct it and it would certainly retaliate, one way or another.

Last but not least, as we can see, the effects of deforestation can cause a lot of problems and inconveniences to the living things such as animals, plants and of course the people. Hence, protecting our forest is the priority issue that we must achieve and at the same time, to save our Mother Nature. Let's save our environment from being destroyed in order to live with a harmony n healthy life.  So, what are we still waiting for? Just do it!

The

Global issue?

Regarding the Ozone Layer depletion issue, I always hear..
"Zomg! The Ozone Layer is depleting!"
(not so bombastix la..usually is "Yea la, Ozone layer gettin thinner and thinner liao.")
"Everyone's gonna get Skin Cancer!"
" Yeah! We're Moving to Mars!!
So..my point is everyone is aware that OUR ozone layer is depleting,even now, is a bad thing.

The bad guy..CFC A.K.A chlorofluorocarbons

"One of the elements that make up CFCs is chlorine. Very little chlorine exists naturally in the atmosphere. But it turns out that CFCs are an excellent way of introducing chlorine into the ozone layer. The ultraviolet radiation at this altitude breaks down CFCs, freeing the chlorine. Under the proper conditions, this chlorine has the potential to destroy large amounts of ozone."

OK?

Actually the worst culprit of all..The..

Human, example of an irresponsible human

Anyway, thanks to our barbaric nature, we (human) are basically ripping off our earth..CFC were used in air conditioning/cooling units, as aerosol spray propellants prior to the 1980s, and in the cleaning processes of delicate electronic equipment.

Well, all is not lost, our Ozone layer can regenerate itself. However, regeneration of the ozone layer would take at least 50 to 60 years..provided we continue to eliminate emissions (of ozone-depleting chemicals) from electrical appliances, such as Air Conditioner and Refrigerator by reducing its usage. This task is even harder than shuffling..

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Fire BURNS us alive!!!!! (Ahmed Kumayl)

Fire burns us alive while we are breathing and walking and talking like normal things that human does but we doesn't realize that fire burns us up in many ways.One of it is our food.

HOW DOES BURNING FOREST OR DEFORESTATION RELATED TO OUR FOOD???

WELL,
the answer would be the forest that has been deforestation are mostly generates the ingredient for our food.Spices and herbs and other natural material to create our food like pizza, hot dog and so on are being destroyed.Since its being destroyed by either humans or nature,our food has been jeopardized and this cause big impact to nature food chain and to our food.

Food can be develop or create or found in any species and plants but most our food are mix with lillte bit of animal's flesh and plants.For example,Mc Donald.It produces burgers and as we all know,that burgers contain a piece of beef or meat and add with vegetables and sealed with two piece of bread which is come from wheat which is also from plant and most importantly the spices that been use to make the burger an extraordinary.

So,the point that im trying to point it is that our food basically must contains mixture of meat and plant.When our food doesnt has the plant or vegetables,our food will become unhealthy as well as boring and does not give satisfaction for those who are food lovers and food experts.

When plants or our main resource being destroyed by fire,not entirely but it is increasing in many parts of this world especially for developing countries,the demand for food is increasing as well as the price for it.Many people are desperately buy anything to fill up their stomach to live as long as possible.It sounds lillte bit dramatic for us that lives in modern city that food can be found anywhere but it doesnt for poor and unfortunate people like those in Africa or any part of country that has poor people.The deforestation are burning their hope of living because its destroying the only thing that make them survive in this world.Eventhough that we that live in the city that full of food,our money are burning easily and a lot just to satisfied our stomach because the food are hard to produce that is due deforestation.

The effects of deforestation is tremendous.It gives a big impact to our lives and also to animals and plants and most importantly to this world that we are living in.Referring to food,our food not only decreasing that i mentioned in early paragraph, its contagious.Its become poisonus.

How does it poisonus our food?
Deforestation are forest that being burn intentionly or accidentally by humans or nature,so, when forest get burns,animals are affected.Animals that we usually eat like cows or chickens or goats are going to suck the dirty fillty air and stuck in their body,Thus,it destroys the animals by destroying their body little by little.Mostly it will destroy their flesh,the meat that we are always eats.So,when these animals are send to the factory to be slaughter and turn into small packaging to send to all kinds of restaurants and they will produce burgers,hot dogs and chicken chop and so on.So,we are the consumers happily eat the food and we end up being sick or die of poisonus food.

So,as you can see deforestation......

BURNS the forest,
BURNS the animals,
BURNS the good air to breath,
BURNS our money that we've worked hard for,
BURNS us alive till we die!!!

Brazil....you're fired!!

Compared to last year, the 2004 burning season in the Brazilian Amazon has gotten off to a raging start. Data from Brazil's Environmental Protection Institute's (Ibama) Amazon Forest Fire Prevention and Control Program show that the number of hot spots observed by the NOAA-12 satellite is up 19%, compared to last year.

More than half of the Amazon region fires observed (70,000 out of 116,574) were in the state of Mato Grosso. In second place is the state of Pará, with over 24,000 fires. The areas in the two states where most of this year's fires are located lie in the so-called Arch of Deforestation, which curves along the eastern and southeastern edges of the rainforest.

It is exactly where the greatest amount of deforestation and burning in the Amazon take place.
Amazon fires have been monitored in Brazil since 1985.
Alberto Setzer, who monitors Amazon fires, says that if data from other satellites (NOAA-16, Terra, Acqua and GOES-12) is fed into the system the total number of fires nationwide is close to one million.
Setzer says slash and burn farming is traditional in Brazil and fire is used indiscriminately throughout the country, even in industialized areas.
Setzer points out that Brazil is paradoxical in that it has a state-of-the-art monitoring system but is unable to control the burning. Brazil, he says, can fine a vehicle that emits too much carbon dioxide, but has not managed to deal with the problem of smoke from forest fires that are deleterious to human health, attack the ozone layer and harm the environment.