Image: istockphoto.com/Chad Anderson
U.S.A. communities
Take, for example, a community of 250 homes in Central Oregon. The residents in Three Rivers receive their power from solar panels either on their roofs or on nearby structures. Windmills are also used to supplement any power that that can’t be adequately generated from the panels. These clean sources of energy are extremely attractive: they are pollution free during use and operating costs are low, after the initial setup costs.
While going completely off-grid is difficult -- particularly for those who wish to live in metropolitan areas -- companies are voluntarily constructing “clean” homes and apartment complexes. Shambhala Apartments in Denver, CO uses wind power for their complex’s common areas, construct their flooring with the rapidly renewable bamboo, and used lower-VOC paint for each apartment.
When Emeryville, CA’s Green City Lofts were constructed, 95 percent of the demolition waste was recycled. They also encourage its residents to drive hybrids or ride bikes, as the underground parking garage offers four charging stations for electric cars and 46 spaces for storing bikes.
And while approximately 180,000 homes in the United States are going off-grid, with many new complexes offering cleaner living, this welcome trend is popping up across the globe.
Oriental eco-city
According to the International Herald Tribune, developers are planning an unprecedented project on an island near Shanghai China to create the “world's first fully sustainable, carbon-neutral city, covering an area roughly the size of Manhattan.” The governments of the Yangzhou and Changzhou municipalities are working with Germany to create Eco-City. This completely green city will use solar panels, windmills and the burning of discarded rice husks for energy. Sixty-five percent of the land will be dedicated to farms that will have access to automatic recycling systems built into the city’s infrastructure.
Green in the desert
The Masdar Initiative, desrcibed as the “world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city” is being constructed in Abu Dhabi by Foster + Partners. No cars will be allowed in this city. Instead, residents will use the city’s “rapid transport system” or walk along the shaded walkways and pedestrian friendly streets. The entire city will be powered by a Photovoltaic plant, which converts light energy into electricity.
Solutions for developing nations
Unfortunately, there are some global communities ravaged by poverty that are unable to construct and maintain alternative, clean sources of energy. Luckily, green technology is giving these communities access to cleaner devices that long-lasting and easy to charge and operate. India’s national newspaper The Hindu reports that about 4,000 homes in Kabul and Maidan Wardak in Afghanistan were donated lantern-like lighting powered by LED technology that must be charged only once a week.
These self-sufficient communities using and cleaner technology may be the prescription for our burdened planet. Whether its an entire community going off-grid, or apartment complexes practicing and utilizing green technology, it is undoubtedly a welcome development.
Jason Antebi is an L.A. freelance writer broadcaster.
Green Living Network
