Danish Island Is Energy Self-Sufficient

In this video clip CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports on how the island of Samso is completely self-sufficient.












It's a two-hour ferry ride to the Danish island of Samso. The island of Samso is an area about 40 square miles long with a permanent population of about 4,000, all of them living a green dream.

Whats even more surprising and awesome is that its Carbon neutral, the net greenhouse gas emissions equals zero.

Website can be found at
CBS NEWS - Danish Island

Eaarth: Making Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben's Eaarth: Making Life on a Tough New Planet. The point of the book is very clear in that global warming is not something that is going to happen in the future but what is here now.  We better start figuring out right now how we are going to respond to it.  Going with the paradigm is only going to result in wars over the last drops of fossil fuels, and after they are gone, we will lose massive amounts of our population. This is very similar to my project of the "Green" Empire, in that the need for green cities and green innovations is of high importance, as our planet's life is dependent on us.

Eaarth

The book is laid out toward the importance to understanding global warming.  The author provides some factual information in that the six of the 12 largest corporations in the world are fossil-fuel providers, and four others are involved in the automotive industry (which depend on fossil-fuels).  An emphasis on why fresh water resources are being depleting.  This chapter explains all the reasons why we need to change are ways immediately, and not be reactive but PROACTIVE.

Global Warming

“High Tide” is the chapter that focuses on growth and progress. This brings together environmental concerns along with political regulations. We see that wars are being fought over environmental conditions brought on or exacerbated by climate change.  U.S. has always been perceived as a unstoppable force of growth, with unimaginable amount of innovations. We have relied on information of the past to assume our future, which will bring our demise. The next step is to accept our foolishness and welcome solutions to our never ending judgment day that is upon us.


Check out this YouTube clip (only about 3min long)

This book is a powerful message and a glimpse into the future “Eaarth represents the deepest of human failures.” To overcome such tremendous hurdles we must start now and start strong. To think against the paradigm and create new creative, innovative idea to insuring that our planet will surivive, which in turn will allow us to survive. 

Bill McKibben

Hope, Human, and Wild by Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben

In the book Hope, Human and Wild Bill McKibben states that "Curitiba is the classic example of decent lives helping produce a decent environment." This is why its so important for everyone in a city to be involved in the process of becoming a sustainable city, without the belief and purpose there is no solution. Curitiba is a city in southern Brazil, and not just a small town, it is the eighth most populous city in the country. The man behind the belief and purpose is the former mayor Jamie Lerner. He was appointed in the 1970's and revolutionized the entire city.

Curitiba

The bus system in Curitiba is one of the best in the world. Bill McKibben provides some insight in his book by stating "Because of its fine transit system, and because its inhabitants are attracted toward the city center instead of repelled out to a sprawl of suburbs, Curitibans use 25 percents less fuel per capita than other Brazilians, even though they are actually more likely to own cars." This is a great example of the cost efficiency of a sustainable program within a growing metropolis.

Another example of Curitiba going against the paradigm was when the city was granted federal money to install concrete viaducts so that they wouldnt flood the city with the heavy summer rain. Instead "At a number of sites throughout the city, engineers built small dams and back up the rivers into lakes. Each of these became the center of a park; and if the rains were heavy, the lake might rise a foot or two..." and Park Chief Nicolau Klupel stated "Every river has a right to overflow".

When reading about Curitiba brings me and hopefully other readers hope in building sustainable cities. It all starts with a purpose and belief behind change against the paradigm. Everyone within a community must help with the change and believe in it to make it work.

Purpose of a Green City

A sustainable city is a city designed with consideration of environmental impact, inhabited by people dedicated to minimization of required inputs of energy, water and food, and waste output of heat, air pollution, and water pollution. The purpose of my blog is to introduce new ways that cities try and implement to become sustainable or "Green".