Developmental progress in cities has been associated with cringing of environmentalists who believe that such missions destroy natural resources. However, a recent trend that has gained major support is the eco-incentive programs. Now developers who actively propose eco-friendly designs in public projects are coming onto the front.
One good example a city in this case would be that of Chicago. A creative use of the eco-friendly is the natural cogeneration plant at the Museum of Science & Industry and the Veterans Affairs Medical Centre. Instead of wasting gas produced as a result of power generation, it’s used to heat the interiors.
Another major incentive is developing an eco-friendly approach towards public transportation. The U.S Green Building Council is offering eco-friendly certification for companies that take such initiatives. Therefore it wouldn’t be a surprise if public bus rentals and transport programs that have environmental friendly features started popping up in cities.
One major success in this regard is that of San Francisco. A plan was proposed to use empty roof space for generating power, and it was shunned as naïve. The reason purported was that the city didn’t get enough sunlight for meaningful generation. The environmentalists argued back with solar cells, that didn’t depend on full and direct sunlight for electricity.
So the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco had 60,000 sq feet of photovoltaic cells installed. The installations were a success and similar trend has been seen for libraries and municipal buildings. The Moscone Convention Center has received a gold certification from the council.
Preservation measures are also significant like in the case of Rochester, New York, 70,000 trees are being maintained. Rochester has taken a lot of initiatives as compared with other cities. The city has employed both officials and the public for protecting the area’s natural resources. Among the popular projects that have been launched, City Hall Green Roof Project is expected to be the most productive one.
Additionally, the Golisano Institute for Sustainability (Rochester Institute of Technology) has launched a Clean Energy Incubator to raise finance for clean energy setups.
The city of Reno, Nevada may be known for a number of things, but is now being heralded for its focus on alternative transportation. The concept of bike shares is becoming quite a phenomenon in Reno and other cities including Washington D.C. The idea is to travel in the most energy efficient manner possible.
A different approach has been adopted by Kirkland, Washington where a Green Kirkland Partnership is specifically focusing on green businesses. The idea is to promote businesses at large scale so that they can launch their products in a cost effective manner. This also includes non-profit organizations that are focused on preserving the natural beauty.
The Infill incentive program in Chandler, Arizona is also worth reporting in the sense that it’s focusing on renovating old buildings in the city eco-friendly style. This would not only decrease the energy cost, but also promote usage of alternate energy. The Environment Education Centre has been specifically set up in the area in order to manage awareness programs and also allow people to give their feedback on carbon footprint reduction.
All of the initiatives that have been reported show a trend of eco-development and its importance in the study. While some cynics are of the opinion that these are not enough, this is a worthwhile mold to start off with.
Article by Samantha Peters, who is interested in bringing attention to the convergence of clean technologies and the environment.
