Conferance Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conferance Paper - Essay Example As a result of this governments in various parts of the world have come up with creative ways of reversing this predicament. 1. Introduction Zero carbon urban design is a revolutionary move that has been favoured by many governments in the past few years with the aim of curbing the damage caused by adverse climate changes. From a documentary by Al Gore (2006), the major causes of greenhouse effect are the by-products of industrialization, and especially carbon dioxide. The level of Carbon dioxide, the main constituent of emission by vehicles, is linked to consumption of fuel by the vehicle. Due to this there is need to regulate the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere and this is effective by fuel economy. The construction of better energy efficient buildings has also been established as a way of reducing the reliance on other forms of energy which pollute the environment and has promoted environment-friendly building. Braathens (2010) seeks to show how the transport activity levels in maritime, road, rail and aviation have impacted on globalization and vice versa. This paper will focus on the various methods that can be applied to ensure zero carbon emissions as a way of improving the quality of life in the urban centres. In particular, fuel economy will be evaluated in detail to determine its application in promoting the success of zero carbon emissions from vehicular automotives. 2. Zero-Carbon Urban Centres Greenhouse gases are those that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, and they include carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbon, hydro fluorocarbon and sulphur hexafluoride among others. In both industrial and developing countries alike, cities use fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil to produce energy and they emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. A zero-carbon city is a term used to refer to an urban centre that has zero emissions of carbon and other greenhouse gases and one that is unlikely to cause any harmful effect on the planet. Such a city would run completely in renewable energy as the sole energy source and it maintains an optimal standard of living while reducing the impact on the environment. The process of making an already established modern urban centre into a zero carbon city would involve reducing the amount of emission of greenhouse gases to zero and increasing the use of renewable energy above other sources. This would further be coupled by the use of renewable electricity and transport modes that have zero emission of carbon dioxide. Initiatives in Eco-Cities 1. Energy The use of fossil sources energy such as coal is one of the core reasons the planet is experiencing global warming due to the emission of greenhouse gases. An ideal eco-city would be self-sufficient in energy production and use. The use of natural and environment friendly sources of energy in a city would reduce the levels of carbon released into the atmosphere. The use of skylights and cl ear walls of glass would ensure sufficient lighting during the day and reduce the dependency on electrical power for lighting. Most of the energy utilized by an eco-city would most likely be solar energy, generated using photovoltaic panels, solar collectors and thermal tubes (McKenna 2008). A design in which streets are narrow would ensure maximum shaded areas in the city which would be coupled with wind cooling towers which would aid in