I'm going to use this blog post a rant. Our Seminar class deals with issues of sustainability and climate change, both architecturally, socially and politically. In the past weeks we have seen charts and graphs and many depressing statistics about how we are reaching the "tipping point". The tipping point is the point at which all the damage we have inflicted on the planet becomes irreversible and there is nothing we can do to slow down the process that will make an impact. We have also seen examples of architects and planners who are trying to change this. Both in their designs and writings these people believe that we have not come too far and we can live comfortably without destroying the planet in the process.
Here in Germany the idea of a sustainable lifestyle is paramount. Recycling is encouraged, buildings don't use air condition or heating, and there are solar or photovoltaic cells everywhere. Germans live very comfortable loves too. They don't suffer in the Summer or the Winter. They understand that fossil fuels and the waste of energy is lead to the eventual demise of our own society.
So what is understood here is not even accepted as fact in America. If you were building and office building in New York and you said for reasons of energy efficiency I plan on leaving out the HVAC systems you would be laughed out of the city. But that is because Americans don't understand proper building techniques like it seems most of the rest of the world does. If a building is properly insulated on all sides and there allowed adequate room for cross ventilation on all floors they building won't need to run air conditioning except for hot days and won't need heating except for bitter cold days. Then if the building is made from a thermal mass, ie: concrete, it won't require heat at all. Concrete draws heat from its surroundings, like office workers and electronics and then at night can be cooled down through the use of ventilation and will cool the building the next day through the same means. Also radiant heat can be used to heat building too. This heat is usually in the floor in most American cities but that is extremely inefficient. If you have radiant heat in the floor when it is being emitted if you are sitting on a bed or chair or desk you will not feel any heat because you are in what's called a radiant shadow. So the structure between you and the floor is absorbing the heat before you can. Having it in th ceiling like all European buildings that employ it is much more effective. Since radiant heat is not air driven it doesn't only rise. It spreads evenly. so since there is less furniture on the ceiling of buildings there is no radiant shadow.
There are plenty of other techniques that majority of Americans are ignorant to. And it isn't just designers its politicians too. Although my political leaning is left our president is equally as ignorant to the sustainable issue too. They cut funding from schools and infrastructure that research these technologies and will not fund companies that are already developing the technology. John Boehner is equally as stupid on this fact. Saying that he " not believe it has been proven that CO2 is harmful to the atmosphere" sighting that the CO2 we exhale can't be that harmful because its in our body. he then adds that when cows "do what they do" the CO2 they release can't be harmful either. This infuriates me that an elected politician can be so naive and stupid about basic information. 1st its been proven by scientists that CO2 is harmful to the atmosphere. 2nd our exhalation isn't harmful because it is immediately absorbed by plants. 3rd cows release methane which is up to 4X as harmful as CO2. Now maybe he's playing stupid for political gain but either way it forces me to lose a lot of faith in our government. They play on the minds of the ignorant and purposely retard the countries progress forward.
America has all the resources to develop a new source of energy or something beneficial to a sustainable future. If they ever did it would provide such an economic boost and revolutionize energy production and transportation for ever. Revenue would be generated like wild since new companies would pop up, old oil companies would adapt new business models for this technology and there would be plenty of healthy competition. But ignorant politicians like Mr. Boehner and President Obama refuse to think that this is their problem. Truthfully it's not their problem its mine. My generation is going to have to deal with the ensuing planetary crisis. I just wish more people would see this and educate themselves and make informed decisions and maybe create enough noise so that the politicians have no choice but to act. If rebels in every middle eastern country can organize and execute a revolt via Facebook we should be able to reach our politicians some how.
We only get one planet and we need to save it.
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