The Carbon Crisis

Diet

animals, carbon footprint, emissions, farmed animals, food, GHG, greenhouse gas, meat

5.16 Energy Sources: What is Energy?

Author: Yang Zhou Date Submitted: April, 29th, 2022 ABSTRACT: Energy contributes to civilization’s growth. Humans have advanced through the gathering epoch, agricultural epoch, pre-industrial epoch, and industrial epoch, each phase promoting and advancing energy use. Energy historian Vaclav Smil explains the relationship between energy and economic growth in his recent book, Energy and Civilization, with a…

Lloyd Alter

Energy Sources

energy, energy system, energy transformation, fossil energy, fossil fuel, oil and gas, photosynthesis

4.4 Carbon: What are emission scopes?

Author: Dannan Yan ABSTRACT: A city’s ability to mitigate climate change and take action depends on whether the city has accurate data on greenhouse gas emissions. The first thing to determine in urban greenhouse gas accounting is the urban greenhouse gas accounting boundary, which is divided into direct emissions, indirect emissions and “scope.” Direct emissions…

Lloyd Alter

direct emissions, emission scopes, emissions, GHG, greenhouse gas, indirect emissions

4.3 Carbon: Carbon Life Cycle

Author: Renée Trecroce ABSTRACT: Carbon lifecycle is a “cradle to grave” approach to assessing the carbon footprint of a product or resource. Emissions produced during production, manufacturing, operation and disposal phases contribute to a complete carbon audit. The application of carbon lifecycle assessment to international agreements can address issues of accountability in the global marketplace.…

Lloyd Alter

carbon lifecycle, embodied carbon, emissions, environmental sustainability, operational carbon

4.2 Carbon: Operational Carbon

Author: Amanda Jara ABSTRACT: Operational Carbon is the CO2 emissions that are associated with the operations in the buildings / infrastructures themselves. MAIN Operating carbon is the most basic term used to describe the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse gases into the world when buildings are built and in full operation. Energy…

Lloyd Alter

2030, carbon, CO2, emissions, operating carbon

4.1 Carbon: Embodied Carbon

Author: Patricia Alves ABSTRACT: Embodied Carbon refers to all CO2 emissions associated with material and construction processes throughout the whole lifecycle of a building or infrastructure. MAIN: “Buildings are currently responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions: 28% from operational emissions, from the energy needed to heat, cool, and power them, and the remaining…

Lloyd Alter

builders, buildings, carbon, embodied carbon, emissions, infrastructure, net-zero, operational carbon

15.9 Urban Design: Transition Towns

Author: Biancah Roe ABSTRACT: Transition Towns are the product of a neglectful government and communities that are determined to come together and make a change. MAIN: In order to understand what a Transition Town is, we must understand that movement is a response to various social, ecological and economic problems. The last two centuries have…

Lloyd Alter

carbon, environment, sustainable

15.7 Urban Design: Transit Oriented Development

Author: Olivia Miller ABSTRACT: One of the most significant steps to reducing a city’s carbon footprint is to minimize the number of cars on the road. This has proven effective in cities like New York where there is an increasingly large population, yet the city’s carbon emissions are nowhere near proportional to its population. This…

Lloyd Alter

carbon, density, emissions, sustainable

15.6 Urban Density: Missing Middle / Goldilocks Density

Author: Erika Cunanan ABSTRACT: The missing middle is an arrangement of diverse homes selections that provide solutions to a dense population and unaffordable housing. MAIN: Between the common detached house and a mid-to-high rise apartment building, there is a selection of different scaled homes. These are called missing middle housing which range from duplexes, triplexes,…

Lloyd Alter

carbon, density, emissions, sustainable, walkable

15.5 Urban Design: Smart City

Author: Danielle Zinniger ABSTRACT: According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITC), the definition of a ‘smart sustainable city’ is “an innovative city that uses information and communications technology and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring…

Lloyd Alter