WASTEFUL ENERGY USE FOR SHOW: TRIUMPH OF THE IMAGE-SEEKERS
Most commercial buildings of the world leave their lights on all night, every night. Some say this is for theft prevention; others say it is to show off the building for potential tenants. Still others discuss the sense of pride when their city is lit up in an eye-catching glow of light. The fact is, that 35% or more, of a building’s total daily energy consumption is used to keep the lights and air-conditioning on at night when no one is in the building. This means that 12 to 13 hours a day the multi-levels of the building are running with no human benefit. Globally, this is a huge amount of energy use. Why? As one Chinese architect put is, “Blazing lighting and abundantly available power are considered almost sensual experiences, more than just metaphors for modernity.” This hints to the image-driven paradigm of “modernity”, of selling the image of modern arrival, of “blazing” development, of saying, “we have arrived” in this age of one-up-man-ship which is decimating our living environment.
So could it be, that these building owners, these corporate presidents and CEO’s, are competing for the, “mine is bigger and brighter than yours”, award in the context of cityscapes? Whoever has the brightest, most visible building, wins. And so the competition marches forward. The electricity surges on, and the air conditioning and HVAC system hum at full speed. This is the mentality that is our challenge. This is the paradigm that we are up against—and we must this, or die, by our own folly and the foolish vanity of hedonistic individuals.
Global sea levels are rising: three countries of the UN are already gone
RISING SEA LEVELS AND OCEAN ACIDITY
FACT: Arctic sea ice is melting at a far faster rate than originally predicted and could disappear completely within 40 years. The actual rate by which summer sea ice has shrunk per decade during the past 50 years was more than three times faster than 18 of the most reliable original sources. Four effects are predicted to occur due to rising sea levels: 1) Salinity will affect our water supply. The oceans rising will increase the salinity of estuaries (the lower course of a river where currents are met by tides) and underground aquifers. When this happens the extra salt will infiltrate water supplies and reservoirs decreasing the areas where fresh water is available. 2) Lakes, streams and land locked water is affected. When sea levels rise it will make coastal agriculture impossible. Land will become too saline for cultivation. 3) Waves increase in size which erodes the coast line further with the help of rising sea levels. 4) Coastal wildlife is threatened with the death of many species and plant life.
FACT: Within the next 50 years 25% (1 million species) of all the animals of the world will die. Much of the loss is already irreversible because of gases already released into the atmosphere. 21 species of butterflies are dying out in Australia. South Africa’s Kruger Park is losing 60% of its species. In the Brazilian Savannah 40% of the tree species are dying. Between 39% and 48% will disappear forever. The continent of Europe is losing nearly 17% of its plant species. In Mexico, one-third of the studied species is dying out. In South Africa, one-third of the studied species is dying out. The risk of extinction increases as global warming combines with other factors; landscape alteration, human influx, species invasion and build-up of carbon dioxide.
FACT: Research indicates that if humanity continues to burn oil, coal and gas at the current rate, up to 1/3 of all life will die by 2050. The countries of Bangledesh, Papua New Guinea, Phillipines, Barbados, Kiribati, Egypt, Tuvalu and Maldives are slowly going underwater now. Sea level rise is accelerating so it is possible that these countries will be underwater by 2050. New Moore Island, in the Bay of Bengal, is now completely submerged. The Island of Lohachara is completely submerged since 1996 and the island of Ghoramara is more than half submerged. The sea level at the Bay of Bengal is rising 5 millimeters per year.
As the sea level continues to rise more and more island nations will be destroyed and mainland coastal beaches, tourist coastal areas and agricultural areas and habitats will be totally destroyed. When will it end? The melting of the polar ice caps, of the entire country of Greenland and the disappearance of glaciers and lakes all contribute to the increase in global temperatures. As ice and water disappears from melting the earth has no way to reflect sunlight. The earth absorbs the sun’s rays and heats up—and will continue this cycle. The “Greenhouse effect” created by pollutants in the atmosphere produces a layer of gaseous clouds which reflect and trap pollutant gases on the surface of the planet. With no way for heat to be reflected back to outer space, sunlight warms the surface and heats it up melting ice, evaporating water and generally heating up the entire surface layer. The result is sea level rising as each body of ice melts around the world.
It is our behavior of using technical/industrial machinery that infects the air with foul materials. These infiltrate the soil, the water and the air. Air pollution acidifies the salt water of the ocean making sea life impossible to survive. Already 33% of the ocean’s water is becoming acidic by some calculations. Increased use of fossil fuels means more carbon dioxide is going into the air and will be absorbed by seawater. Once in the water it will react to form carbonic acid. This makes it difficult for calcifying animals, plankton, shell-producing animals and corals, to reproduce. In other words, structures creates by marine life will eventually disappear.
In essence, we humans are killing nature’s teachers before we can learn their lessons for sustainable survival. It is predicted that the oceans will be dead within 30 to 40 years. 90% of the oceans life is already gone. There will come a day when the oceans disappear. When the oceans go—we go.
The polluting effects of long-distance flight travel
TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHTS AND SHIP TRAVEL
FLYING
FACT: Large airports of the world pump 1.3 million gallons of gas per day. 494 planes fly every day. A commercial plane burns 4 liters of gas every second. Over the course of a 10 hour flight a commercial plane burns about 36,000 gallons of gas. A flight from London, England to Miami, Florida, USA (14,207 kilometers) produces 2415 kg of CO2 per passenger –more than the 2,255 kg of CO2 produced annually by the average British motorist. The industry has cut emissions from engines by 50% but the growth in the number of planes and travelers vastly outweighs any such improvement in gas emissions.
FACT: Air travel is the fastest growing mode of transportation in the world growing 100 fold in the last 50 years and is expected to grow another 10 times by 2050. The Institute of Public Policy Research has stated, “Flying by jet plane is the least environmentally sustainable way to travel and transport goods.” Aircraft pump out carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases high in the atmosphere, where they do the most damage. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calculates that aircraft flight contributes the same amount of greenhouse gases as the entire country of Canada; about 4% globally. By 2050 this will increase possibly to 17% or more.
FACT: Studies confirm that airports are the biggest polluters of whatever city they may be in. New York’s JFK Airport is the biggest nitrogen oxide polluter in New York. Frankfurt’s airport produces 75% of the City of Frankfurt’s emissions of unburnt hydrocarbons and 50% of its load of carbon monoxide, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide. A US government study found that pollution from aviation has increased cancer rates around Chicago-Midway airport.
FACT: Noise pollution is another not-talked about issue that affects human health. Excessive noise damages health ranging from hearing damage to heart disease. Studies around Munich airport and New York’s La Guardia and JFK airports conclude that it impairs memory and reading ability. Studies show that air travel has little benefit on aircraft companies. They are subsidized by governments which support air travel and this, in turn, supports the increasing expansion of air travel.
FACT: Over time, as many gas pollutants are released in the air, carbon dioxide stays twice as long in the air because it stays at high elevations—which captures heat for decades—and keeps heat on the surface of the planet. Air travel destroys good ozone and creates bad ozone. In the stratosphere where many supersonic and military jets fly, pollution from the jets destroys the ozone layer. Ozone in the atmosphere is a good thing because it shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
FACT: Military aircraft use more fuel per plane than commercial airplanes. Military aircraft are 25% less numerous than commercial jets but consume one third total fuel use. They also produce more toxic gases in the air. Aircraft release huge plumes of exhaust during taxiing, idling, take-offs and landings. One airplane take-off and landing from JFK airport in the 1990’s would produce as much nitrogen oxide as a car driven 26,500 miles. Many airports are among the top ten polluters of their cities.
SHIPS
FACT: One giant container ship can emit the same amount of cancer and asthma-producing chemicals as 50 million cars. Governments around the world have been neglecting or underestimating the harmful effects of shipping. Confidential data based in engine size and quality of fuel typically used by ships (Low grade ship bunker fuel or fuel oil) show that just 15 of the world’s biggest ships now emit as much pollution as ALL of the world’s cars—760 million cars. Low grade ship bunker oil has up to 2000 times the sulphur content of diesel fuel used in US and European cars.
FACT: Pollution from the world’s 90,000 cargo ships leads to 60,000 deaths a year in the US alone and costs up to $330 billion per year in health costs from lung and heart disease. A new study by the Danish Environmental Agency reveals that shipping emissions cost the industry 5 billion EU a year in health costs, mainly treating cancer and heart problems. 1000 Danish people die each year from shipping pollution.
FACT: Shipping in China has escalated in the past 15 years. The Chinese container ships are cost efficient but the fuel quality is of the lowest kind. Ship pollution affects the health of communities around the world. The calculations of ship and car pollution are based on the world’s largest 85, 790 kw ship’s diesel engines which operate 280 days a year generating 5,200 tonnes of sulphur dioxide a year.
FACT: The world’s biggest ships container ships have 109,000 horsepower engines which weigh 2,300 tons. Each ship expects to operate 24 hours a day, 280 days a year. There are 90,000 ocean-going cargo ships in the world. Shipping is responsible for up to 30% of the world’s nitrogen oxide pollution and 9% of the world’s sulphur oxide pollution. One large ship can generate 5,000 tonnes of sulphur oxide pollution in a year. 70% of all ships emissions are within 400km of land. 85% of all ship pollution is in the northern hemisphere. Shipping is responsible for up to 4% of all climate change emissions.
The deadly affects of coal
THE DEADLY AFFECTS OF COAL
FACT: What is coal? Coal is created by the pressure of the earth on dead plant materials that has been preserved by water and mud from oxidation and biodegradation, preserving the atmospheric carbon. Or, A bunch of dead plants become crunched together and pressed into chunks of coal. If you add huge pressure, heat and millions of years, you will get a diamond. Coal is composed carbon and hydrogen and small amounts of other elements and can be extracted from the ground from either underground mining or surface mining. Coal is primarily used as a solid fuel to produce electricity and heat through combustion.
FACT: World coal consumption is 6.2 billion tons annually. 85% of China and USA’s electricity is produced from coal. The USA consumes 1.053 billion tons of coal each year, using 90% of it for electricity production. China consumes 3.6 billion tons of coal annually. Coal is the planet’s largest source of electrical fuel. When coal is used for electricity generation, it is usually pulverized and then burned in a furnace with a boiler . The furnace heat converts boiler water to steam which is then used to spin turbines which turn generators and create electricity. On average, 65% of the coal energy is wasted heat released into the environment.
FACT: Coal is the largest world-wide source of carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and causes global warming and climate change. Coal generates hundreds of millions of tons of waste products like mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic and other heavy metals. It creates acid rain. It contaminates ground water, aquifers and water table levels. It renders land unfit for other uses because of its poisonous presence. Coal-fired plants shorten the lives of 24,000 plant workers a year and 2,800 from lung cancer.
FACT: China is the largest coal consumer and producer in the world and the largest user of coal-driven electricity in the world. China’s mining industry needs great safety improvements because currently an average of 13 people die every day. At current levels of production China has 48 years worth of reserve. China’s consumption of coal has increased 46% since 2002.
FACT: Many places of the world use coal in unvented stoves causing tremendous exposure to toxic substances such as Arsenic, Fluorine, Polycyclic hydrocarbons and Mercury, all deadly poisons. Health issues are very serious. In China, over 10 million people have Skeletal Fluorosis, esophageal and lung cancers, and Selenium poisoning. In 2007 the use of coal for domestic purposes put the number of premature deaths from indoor pollution at 420,000 persons per year and, outdoor, at 300,000 per year. In 2008, the Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund and The Energy Foundation published The True Coast Of Coal, a report that said that the by-products of coal burning, such as water pollution, air pollution and mining deaths are costing China 1.7 trillion yuan per year, or more than 7% of GDP.
Oil and its lethal presence on everything it touches
OIL: THE DEADLY KILLER
FACT: A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of in a body of water, contaminates up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water. Motor oil never wears out. It just gets dirty. It can be recycled, refined and used again—reducing reliance on imported oil.
FACT: The Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill has affected species of animals: 1500 crustacean species; 1400 mollusk species; 1,200 fish species; 4200 other species of sea life; 200 bird species. Over 2000 dead animals collected; over 1500 were birds; nearly 500 sea turtles; over 60 dolphins and other animals. 1) Petroleum toxicity and oxygen depletion to the environment. 2) Oil breaks down the insulation of feathers, sickens the bird and affects their ability to fly. 3) Only one quart of oil makes 250,000 gallons of sea water toxic to wildlife. 4) If the animal ingests the oil it can create level of toxins in their system that causing poisoning to other animals. 5) Direct contact and oil inhalation causes dizziness, nausea and headaches. Long term effects include cancer, respiratory diseases and hormonal disruptions. 6) Spill is responsible for thinner bird and turtle shells and shells. 7) The oil can instantly kill animals at .4% concentration. 8) Causes deformities in fish larvae. 9) More than 400 species of marine life are at lethal risk.
FACT: Petroleum based products are being found to cause significant attritional effects to the nervous system and immune system after prolonged exposure. Illnesses identified in the medical research include adult and child cancers, neurological disorders, immune system weakening, autoimmune disorders, asthma, allergies, infertility, miscarriages, child behavior disorders, learning disabilities, mental retardation and attention deficit disorders. Petroleum-based products attack the DNA routing and patterns. Identifying a specific chemical as a singular cause is difficult. Many petroleum chemicals appear to work in tandem to combine their harmful effects. Once a chemically induced illness presents itself, a decline in health appears rapidly as long as exposure continues.
SOLUTION: Oil is a killer of living things. It is messy, dirty and contaminates everything it touches. The products created by oil also leech into our drinking water and the food we eat. The products we fashion from oil pollute the world with environmentally harmful products. If any substance harms us, our children, our home (the earth) then it must not be used—for any reason. Are we so economically driven that we will sacrifice our own bodies, minds and children, for the sake of profit? No. We must remove the objects of harm from our lives and find other solutions to our needs—and question the basis of those “needs” to see if they are genuine needs at all. Oil has controlled our lives long enough. It is time we free ourselves from its insidious grip and create new solutions that may step into a harmless and healthy world.
What real benefit is it if we travel 400 kilometers in 3 hours and breath in the toxic fumes of gas vapor and harmful chemicals from our plastic water bottles? We can arrive at our destination faster yet we may have cut short our life by 20 years. No one deserves to die for the sake of convenience and the saving of a little time. But this is what we are doing if we allow oil-based goods, services and transportation to structure our lives.
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