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Green Technology Movement and Impact on Global Environment. COMM 12 Fall 2007 Erica Eaton, Page Nichols, Kate Devlin. 1. What is Green Technology?.
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Green Technology Movement and Impact on Global Environment • COMM 12 • Fall 2007 • Erica Eaton, Page Nichols, Kate Devlin 1
What is Green Technology? • Environmental technology or “green technology” is the application of the environmental sciences to conserve the natural environment and resources, and by curbing the negative impacts on human involvement 2
Who is involved in the Green Technology Movement? • With rising energy costs and the threat of global warming, any businesses are now recognizing the benefits of using technology to reduce their carbon footprint and minimize waste • Go to: http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp# and see what your carbon footprint is. 4
…continued who is involved • As “Green” becomes trendy, businesses benefit from becoming part of the movement • “Green” products sell = overall revenue increases • THE EXPERTS! Those most familiar with the material who can teach the technologies to push for a greener world 5
Why are companies choosing to go Green? • Because people are requesting environmental technologies • Example: hybrid versus non-hybrid most people want the hybrid for a variety of reasons • Green is a trend that is going to be around for a while. It will stay important as long as climate change is an issue 6
…continued why companies are going Green: • Companies benefit from going Green because: • a) it’s a trend so it sells • b) although the cost of going green may be high, the cost of staying green is significantly cheaper in the long run 7
How are companies going Green? • By working with experts who know the material well • Using sustainable building plans • Implementing restrictions on waste • -example: Wal-Mart has been aggressively pursuing a variety of environmentally friendly strategies over the past few years. The impact on the retailer and it’s suppliers could be significant. Wal-Mart suppliers are required to meet certain waste standards. 8
GREEN SYNDICALISM • “green syndicalists have understood that labor struggles and ecological struggles are not separate.” • Definition: a radical political movement that advocates bringing industry and government under the control of federations of labor unions by the use of direction such as general strikes and sabotage. 9
…continued Syndicalism • Green syndicalists insist that overcoming ecological devastation depends on shared responsibilities towards developing convivial ways of living in which relationships of affinity, both within our own species and with other species, are nurtured. 10
GREEN BUILDING • Green Building is the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and their use of energy, water and materials and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment through better citing, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal - the complete building life cycle. 11
Daily Water Waste: • Some Facts: • Dishwashers use 14-18 gallons of water per cycle • Top loading washers use 45 gallons per wash • A dripping faucet wastes 15-21 gallons of water per day 12
How people can contribute to Green Building: • Think small • Heat with the sun • Use renewable energy • Conserve water • Use local/natural materials • Recycle materials 13
Renewable/ Alternative Energy Sources • Energy obtained from sources that are essentially inexhaustible. • Have less of an impact on the environment 14
Solar Power • Heat Transfer • oil in a pipe is heated, then runs through reservoir of water. Heat from oil causes water to boils, creating steam which turns turbines. • Photovoltaic (common solar panel) • photons from sunlight knock electrons into higher sates of energy causing potential voltage difference (electricity). 15
Solar Power • CIS Tower, Manchester England. Was covered in mosaic tiles, which with photovoltaic panels turned grey due to pollution. • Tiles replaced, costing £5.5 million. • Began feeding National Grid in 2005. 16
Water Power: Tidal Flux • Captures energy of waves in the ocean or large lakes • Repairs are more costly at sea 17
Water Power: Hydroelectricity • Rivers are dammed, and water is released slowly • Force of rushing water creates electricity • Environmental concerns of building dams 18
Wind • Wind rotates turbines to create electricity. • Has potential to take over all of our electricity needs (on 13% of all land area) 19
Geothermal • Pipes are routed near geothermal activity. Boiling creates steam, which turns turbines. 20
Why are businesses going green? • Saving energy = saving money • Gaining consumer confidence • Managing dependence on oil and other fuels that could spike in price, or become regulated. 21
What are businesses doing? • Wal-Mart recently began cleaning up its environmental practice, dropping customer complaints by 10% • GE spent $1.5 billion on new technology to help reduce waste products and energy consumption 22
What are businesses doing? • FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service have invested in vehicles that run at least partly on alternative fuels. • DuPont, a chemical company, was once America’s main producer of greenhouse gasses. Now, they are slowly reducing their production of carbon emissions. 23
Triple Bottom Line • Businesses are taking into account their effects on the environment. • CLP Group, a Hong Kong based power plant operating company, now includes data in its annual reports such as “waste produced” and “effectiveness of environmental programs”. 24
Green Business? • Big business is a leading producer of greenhouse gasses, but according to Janet Ranagathan, the director of the World Resources Institute, businesses voluntary reducing waste and energy consumption is the fastest way to curb greenhouse gasses • Many companies claim to be “green”, while only making unsubstantial changes 25
Hybrid Vehicles • Chevy Tahoe • Dodge Durango (2008) • GMC Yukon • Lexus RX 400h • Toyota Highlander • Mercedes ML 450 (2009) • Mercury Mariner • Porsche Cayenne (2010) • Saturn Vue Green Line • Toyota Sienna Minivan • Pick-up trucks coming in December: • Chevy Silverado • GMC Sierra • Honda Civic • Honda Accord • Ford Escape • Volkswagon • Chevy Malibu • Honda Subcompact (2009) • Hyundai Accent (2009) • Lexus GS 450h • Lexus LS 600H L • Saturn Aura Green Line • Nissan Altima • Toyota Camry • Toyota Prius 26
Driving Trends • Since 1770, miles increased 150% while population increased 40% • 200 million vehicles in the U.S. • 700 million in the world • By 2008, one million hybrid gas-electric cars in the U.S. 27
Vehicles and the Environment • 1 gallon of gas weighs 6 pounds • When burned… • Carbon + Oxygen = 20 pounds of CO2 • CO2 is the dominant greenhouse gas causing global warming! 28
Connect the Dots • Driving is our most air polluting activity • We spend an hour per day in the car (on average) • That’s 8 BILLION hours per year collectively • 3 out of 4 people drive to work alone • Families take about 10 vehicle trips per day • Less than 5% use public transportation • Health care from transportation pollution costs $60 billion per year 29
Health Effects • Automobile pollutants have an impact on health and the environment • Respiratory problems • Impair the body’s immune system • Increase a person’s risk of cancer • Birth defects, low birth weight, infant deaths • Asthma 30
Total Impact of Green Vehicles • Smaller, lighter cars • Fewer materials • Decreases emissions • Eases environmental impact • No proven reduction in car’s safety! 31
Solar Power • * power from the sun * 32
Benefits • Reduces local air pollution • Offsets greenhouse gases • Conserves energy • Reduces the need for dry-cell battery disposal 33
The Green Grid • The Green Grid is a global consortium dedicated to developing and promoting energy efficiency for data centers and information service delivery • How? • By defining user-centric models and metrics, • Developing standards , measurement methods, & new technologies to improve performance, • Promoting adoption of new energy efficient standards 34
Conclusion? • More and more corporations are jumping on the green bandwagon. • It’s trendy • It’s important! • It’s good for the environment • It saves companies money • It benefits our health 35
Bibliography • HybridCars.com, Bradley Berman. "HybridCars.com." Hybrid Cars. 2007. 5 Nov. 2007 <http://www.hybridcars.com/about.html>. • Solar Electric Light Fund. "Solar Electricity in the Devloping World form the Solar Electric Light Fund." Benefits of Solar: Environment. 2007. 4 Nov. 2007 <http://www.self.org/shs_envir.asp>. • “The Conde Nast Building at Four Times Square.”Building Green. Accessed on 2 November 2007. http://www.buildinggreen.com/hpb/overview.cfm?projectid=32 • “Green Syndicalism.” Answers.com. Accessed 5 November 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/green-syndicalism?cat=technology • Green Technology Forum. Accessed on 4 November 2007. http://www.greentechforum.net/index.php • Simon, Timothy A. “Curbing Global Warming.” Green Technology. Accessed on 4 November 2007. http://www.green-technology.org/green_technology_magazine/simon_oped.htm • http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17969124/page/2/ • http://home.utah.edu/~ptt25660/tran.html • http://edition.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/12/14/environment/index.html • http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/index.htm 36
Images Used for Educational Purposes: • Solar Panels grid tied roof.jpg • Traffic Jam 060801_trafficJams_hmed_1p.hmedium.jpg • Sun sun_main.jpg • Honda Prius prius.jpg • Lexus Hybrid SUV 96_1.jpg • Solar building solarwww.hartleynature.org/.../ buildingbest.jpg • 7 R’s www.jwri.osaka-u.ac.jp • GreenTechwww.alrdesign.com • Oragnic Farmerswww.orcasrec.com • Solar panel http://www.caseelectricalservices.co.uk/images/solar-panel-1.jpg • Wind turbine http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/wind_turbines_html_html_62376622.gif • geothermal http://www.rise.org.au/info/Tech/geo/image002.jpg • dam http://www.bpa.gov/Corporate/KR/ed/nwpower/pics/bonny%20dam.jpg 37
GO GREEN! 38