Responce

Of all of the features that could be implemented in green building design, I think the two most important features to include are actually a part of the planning stage rather than the building itself, and those are a life-cycle analysis of the materials used and the sustainable sourcing of those materials. A life cycle analysis of a planned building is essentially as snapshot of its long-term environmental footprint, showcasing the environmental effects of all the products used during the construction process, the effects of acquiring those materials, how long they will last, and the effects they will have when disposed. This allows architects to understand the energy use, various emissions, resource requirements, and habitat destruction potential for the building before construction has even begun, and to plan around using the best materials (AIA, 2023) . Sustainable sourcing of materials can refer to a few different scenarios, as it could mean choosing the most sustainable option available, or choosing an “unsustainable” material that it acquired through more sustainable practices. An example of the former could be the use of sinker cypress wood in the construction of building facades, as sinker cypress wood is weather resistant, meaning that no harmful coatings or sealants need to be applied to protect it, and long-lasting due to the minor mineralization that occured while it was submerged. On the other hand, there are some materials that are requirements for construction that just are not sustainable, such as concrete, which emits a hefty amount of CO2 during production. In this situation, sustainable sourcing of materials could be choosing a company like CarbonCure, who mixes CO2 with concrete during production to immediately store a large quantity CO2 rather than emitting it (Henderson, 2023).

For sustainable cities, I think that sustainable sourcing of resources and waste diversion are the two most important features needed. Sustainable sourcing of resources good apply to construction materials, however I think that it is more relevant when discussing meeting the food, water, and energy needs of a city. Cities operate under a much higher population density than most of the world, and thus it is not possible to retain suburban practices in an urban environment sustainably. If we look at New York City for example, their water supply comes from a series of reservoirs scattered across the state, most of which is transferred through aqueducts for over 100 miles. Transporting all of this water, almost 1 billion gallons per day, removes it from its initial environment, where it could be used to support those ecosystems or cities instead (NYC Environmental Protection, 2023). If NYC had the infrastructure to say, capture and filter rainwater for usage, based on their area of 302 square miles and annual rainfall of 46.6 inches, they could theoretically reduce their water needs by 67% (I did the math, it was too much to type), which would be a much more sustainable approach. This is even more of an issue for desert cities like Las Vegas, that require imports of all of their necessary resources, because the desert cannot supply them. Additionally, this increased population density is going to require some significant planning to handle all of the increased waste, and so a strategic waste diversion plan could seriously limit the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, while diverting it to be composted, recycled, or incinerated for energy production

• What features are most essential to include as part of a green building? Why are these the most essential to include?
  • When I think of a green building the first thing that comes to mind is plants. However, this shouldn’t be the case. Though form matters function is important, features that make a green building important are energy, water, and sustainability (Theis, T. & Tomkin, J. (2015)). In terms of energy, where or how does the building draw its energy? Is it solar panels and where are they located? Is it thermogenerated ? Maybe wind or hydroelectric depending on location. How does the building either produce water or take care of its waste? Does it have things in place to reduce and use as little water as possible? And finally, did it incorporate anything sustainable material, or how were the materials gathered? These to me are the most important things because as long as the building functions as it should then these concepts will help form the beauty of the building.
• What features are most essential in sustainable cities?
  • Features that are important to sustainable cities are climate-resilient infrastructure, green spaces, green technology, depending on location, dunes or parks, and finally bike or electric scooter lanes (Theis, T. & Tomkin, J. (2015)). I chose these specific features because they are all key features that are incorporated into making sustainable cities. Climate-resilient infrastructure is important because it will protect the surrounding cities from storms and property damage. I chose green technology because the aim is to create a cleaner city that doesn’t produce emissions and uses fewer resources. Green spaces are always welcomed when creating sustainable cities. Depending on the geography of the city one could make room for dunes or parks. Not only could this infrastructure be used to help with climate change it can also become a space for people to gather and relax. And finally building lanes for bikers or electric scooters is important. Having lanes for riders is important because they encourage people to not use their vehicle but instead ride a bike or scooter and to get exercise while creating less emissions.

Hawaiian Monk Seals

COLLAPSE

Neomonachus schauinslandi, or the Hawaiian monk seal, has been on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2014. There is an estimated 632 mature seals, with the numbers declining and they are found exclusively in and around the state of Hawaii (Littnan). According to Littnan et al. there are many threats this species faces including a lack of resources, human activities, an increase in invasive species, pollution, and habitat alteration. The main three concerns around the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) are 1) getting trapped in commercial and non-commercial fishing gear such as nets and lines, 2) transmission of disease, and 3) intentional killing and harassment of these animals. The concerns outside of this area include lack of food resources due to changes in the ocean, predation of sharks, and loss of habitat. 

            Thankfully, there is a plan in action in order to attempt to protect and regenerate this species. They are covered by the US Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1973, which aims to prevent mammals from going extinct (NOAA Fisheries). The primary focus is to clean up debris and toxic chemicals from the ocean, minimize human interaction especially while these seals are on the beach, limit shark pup relocation, and regulate fisheries in order to avoid interactions (Littnan). They are also working on a vaccination that would protect them from two viruses that these seals are high risk for. Overall, Hawaiian monk seals face the same problems a lot of other animals do (like habitat loss) and we need to work on reducing the impact we have on different species habitats. 

Littnan , C., Baker , J., & Harting, A. (2014, November 18). Hawaiian Monk Seal . IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/13654/45227978 

NOAA Fisheries. (2023, May 2). Marine Mammal Protection Act policies, guidance, and regulations. NOAA. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-protection-act-policies-guidance-and-regulations#:~:text=The%20Marine%20Mammal%20Protection%20Act%20was%20enacted%20on%20October%2021,which%20they%20are%20a%20part.

1 hour ago

Kathleen East

The Red Wolf

COLLAPSE

I have always had an appreciation and love for wolves. They are beautiful, majestic animals. When I was young, my parents adopted Matzi for me to help fund research and reintroduction efforts. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Red wolves, Canis Rufus, were enlisted on the federal endangered species list in 1967. The IUCN has red-listed red wolves as critically endangered with declining populations. Today, there are only 20-30 mature red wolves in the federal lands of Dare County. Red wolves live in different habitats: temperate forests, grasslands, and wetlands, formally, southeastern United States. Essentially, humanity will determine the red wolf’s fate.

First, the spread of civilization threatened the red wolf’s population. Colonization destroyed countless viable habitats to build settlements and protect livestock. Then, we alleviated even more of their viable habitats by diminishing their food source through overhunting and killing their prey, consequently driving more wolves into settlements looking for food. In turn, we developed a fear and perception that wolves were dangerous predators out to destroy us, so we persecuted them. In fact, we misunderstood them and their ecology, which led to further mass exterminations. In 1919, the government passed a law for the extermination of all wolves on federally owned lands. By 1942, the government estimated the killing of more than 25,000 wolves (Clark, 2018, p.46). We continued persecuting wolves well into the 1980s, which became the beginning of our conservation efforts.  

For the red wolf, conservation efforts came a little too late; they were hunted to extinction throughout their natural range in the southeast United States. We tried to understand the wolf’s ecology better and educate the public, but we failed to fully understand that humanity and further urbanization are wolves’ biggest threats. To thrive, wolves need “vast” viable habitats with low human density and minimal disturbances. Today, urbanization, humanity, construction, and roads continually deplete their habitats through habitat fragmentation, compacting their range into smaller communities and increasing vulnerabilities to disease and parasites. Furthermore, hybridization is a massive threat for red wolves; with minimum populations, reintroduced wolves started mating with coyotes. Biologists chose this NC Wildlife Refuge due to no coyote populations; however, in the 1990s, coyotes became well-established (Phillips, 2018). Once again, conflicts developed between wolves/coyotes and landowners in northeast NC, which caused the slaying of wolves.

In 1991, a second reintroduction project commenced. The USFWS released 37 red wolves in the wild in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Only 5 pups survived and were recaptured, and 26 died from disease, predation, malnutrition, and parasites.  Due to their low survival rate, in 1998, the Tennessee reintroduction project was terminated (Phillips, 2018).

Faith Bush

Sustainable Fashion

COLLAPSE

The article of clothing I chose to analyze is the ‘Real Me’ leggings from Aerie. I own multiple pairs of these leggings and wear them, collectively, almost every day for work. I like these leggings because they seem to be durable, I’ve owned them for over a year and they are still in perfect condition. They are originally $54.95 but you can often find them on sale. For the purposes of this analysis, I will use the full price. Since I have owned these leggings for around a year and I wear them at least once a week, I will estimate that I have worn them 60 times. $54.95/ 60 times = $0.915 or $0.92 per wear. Since these leggings are still in great condition I will definitely get more use out of them, lowering the cost per wear but what was the environmental cost of creating these leggings? 

           Aerie, as a company, has made a commitment to become a more sustainable company. With goals that focus on lowering greenhouse gas emissions, being carbon neutral in operations by 2030, and reducing the carbon footprint of the supply chain by 40% by 2030 (Environmental Efforts). With that being said, they aren’t at that point yet. According to the Aerie Environmental Efforts website, they are part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) which works to improve the social and environmental impacts at factories. 

These leggings are made with 88% nylon and 12% elastane. These fabrics are both made primarily from or of plastic. A big issue with the use of nylon is the amount of microplastics that end up in waterways from the production, use, and waste of the end product (Holmes). Aerie claims to use recycled plastic bottles, repurposing them into yarn especially for the leggings in questions. This has saved approximately 400,000 pounds of plastic waste from ocean and landfills (Environmental Efforts). In general, it seems this company has made efforts for creating more sustainable fashion, but the most changes have been in the actual stores and not as much on the supply chain. They claim to use shopping bags produced in factories that run on wind power and with wood from sustainable forests and they made the switch to LED lighting in stores. This is something that looks good from the outside, but I think they need to focus more on the supply chain

Response to the essay.

The City of Norfolk’s Storm Surge Resilience plan seems to be a great addition to the city. Not only will it protect the citizens and ecosystem of Norfolk, it will also save money in the long run by lessening damage caused by storm surges. I think the part of the plan that will create the most success is the combination of different risk reduction features. By using structural, property-specific, and nature-based features, they are preventing flooding, reducing the damages of flooding, and creating a healthier ecosystem. Based on the videos we watched, these features are a necessity in order to protect Norfolk.

One concern, which is shared by the citizens of South Norfolk, is the equity of the project. Southside Norfolk is set to receive only nonstructural features, such as home elevations and basement fills (Hafner, 2023). While this is helpful to those who live there, it doesn’t take care of the issue of flooding in itself. Not only is this a social issue, it impacts the environment. This area will continue to flood if they don’t put the same resources towards it as they do in other areas, continuing to dump human waste, oil, and other toxins into the waterways (NOAA). 

This is a concern that is easily addressed by ensuring areas that are prone to flooding receive more than just one type of risk reduction feature. This is already an expensive project but in order to be sure that it will be successful now and in the future, it’s best to attempt to cover all bases. If this project is done correctly, storm surges shouldn’t be a problem for the foreseeable future. If it’s not done correctly, there will be a need for further additions in the future. Overall, the resilience plan is long overdue and will be a great addition to Norfolk. Hopefully, they expand this plan to neighboring cities such as Virginia Beach and Chesapeake that experience the same flooding. For now, this is a great start

Response Posts

Your response to your classmate’s posting should be approximately 150 words (100-250 words); and be thoughtful, substantial, and polite – not just a “well done” phrase or “I agree.” 

In this discussion, your response posts should address the other possible environmental concerns, and should elaborate on those issues.  You should post at least 1 response to a classmate that has selected a different topic (if at all possible), and you should respond to all of the others that reply to your post.