Creating Green Communities

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Creating Green Communities

The earth’s surface is composed of many ecosystems that exist in balance with each

other. Imbalances often come in following man’s activities on the earth’s surface that is

sometimes disruptive. For the balance to be restored, it is essential to plan, design, and promote

the green communities. In the process of restoring a balance in the earth’s ecosystem, the system

needs to be cooperative, adaptable, self-sustaining, and more resilient. In nature, everything

plays a particular role for the environment to remain sustainable. Trees give shades,

decomposing plants provide enrichment to the soil, plants feed birds and other living organisms,

and birds feed on insects that may act as a threat to other plants. When a large number of

individuals live together, they will require energy, water, transport, food sources, and a stable

government to stay in control. In this respect, the objective of green communities is to design a

plan that would enable such complicated human coexistence to be in balance with the

surrounding environment. Some green communities often adopt some systems that have long-

term positive effects on the environment. This paper seeks to discuss the problem of mobility to

the University of Utah, the problem regarding the buildings in the institutions, and one problem

regarding the life of a consumer.

The main mobility problems facing the University of Utah is the idea that human

movements towards the institution have been limited because a majority of people have

increasingly relied on the use of personal cars that create massive traffic congestion. For this

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reason, low-income communities often face poor access to reliable and affordable means of

public transport. The traffic congestions cause long travel periods among communities hence

affecting the time taken to reach the institution (McCamant and Durrett 94). The streets are

perpetually filled with private cars, taxis, and motorcycles. The public transport is mainly

dominated by minibuses and heavy rail system that is often overcrowded, which cannot

adequately meet the needs of the existing population. The need to adapt to environmental

concerns as relates to climatic changes and to accommodate new technologies shows that

mobility is a great challenge in this particular environment (McCamant and Durrett 189). This

implies that there is need to embrace new forms of transportation that would create green

communities and ensure a sustainable environment. Smart transportation is green, and in this

respect, there exist several beneficial types of green transportation that can sustain and improve

walkable urbanism (McCamant and Durrett 104). The green modes of transportation systems

make life easier, cut down on congestion, reduce dependence on the use of cars, are safer and

cheaper; and above all save the earth's surface.

The main solution to this mobility problem is to embrace the idea of landscape noise

reduction. Landscaping is instrumental in reducing noise in instances where one is living in a

noisy environment or living in a place where people have very loud conversations, thereby

making it difficult to adapt to and live in the environment (Roseland 122). In this respect,

landscaping will help in creating a private, cool, outdoor retreat. To properly block noise, the

type of landscaping chosen should be in a position to obstruct the living room or the classroom,

in the case of the institution, from the source of noise. Being that Utah College is located in an

urban area, it is close to loud sounds from hooting vehicles, industrial machines, and shouting

people. In this regard, this solution is quite applicable in this case because it will block the entry

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of noise into the buildings (Von 78). Noise-reducing landscaping provides necessary privacy,

which is important in the urban neighborhoods that have houses built side by side and close

together. It should be noted that landscaping does not serve to completely block noise but to

significantly reduce the level of noise.

The first landscaping method is to install a good fence. A tall fence works to reflect

sound waves originating from behind the fence. In this sense, the more the wall is solid, the more

it becomes effective. It is important to use items such as brick, stone, or concrete to put up such a

structure. A wooden fence that does not have gaps is not effective even as much as it can be of

help to some extent (Roseland 122). An effective noise-reducing fence should be that which does

not have gaps where sound waves can pass through into the private residences of individuals.

The second landscape noise reduction method is to install a water feature. It should be

understood that running water forms white noise that is pleasant to the brain and in this regard, it

helps to block undesirable sound. With the availability of water from the nearby lake, it is

possible to install water feature within the institution in an environmentally-sensitive and

friendly manner (Roseland 101). It works in such a way that it uses recirculating pump that keeps

water running without draining the fountain as more water is added periodically. The water

features can be filled with water from the lake that is kept in buckets around for convenient

refilling. The water feature should be placed next to the building for it to be effective, such as in

the outdoor seating areas depending on the source and impact of the noise.

The solutions discussed above will be instrumental in improving the social and

environmental needs of people around this area. To improve the quality of life of people learning

in this institution, it is crucial to put in place proper drainage systems to ensure that wastes do not

run into the lake to pollute the water. Learners should also be advised to avoid playing loud

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music within the institution because this is not healthy to the environment. Moderate sound

systems would reduce the level of sound pollution within this particular environment (Rogerson

35). To ensure adequate and free aeration in the college classrooms, the windows should be

erected at strategic points of the buildings. Adequate ventilation will reduce air pollution within

the classroom while providing fresh air to individuals as they are learning (Rogerson 54). Such a

step has the potential of improving the lives of individuals as far as their quality of life is

concerned.

The Downtown Salt Lake City is also facing degradation as a result of human activities,

which dwindles the size of Utah's Great Salt Lake. The shores of the Salt Lake City form the

ecotone between people living within the institution and the organisms living inside the lake,

such as birds. In this regard, there need to be a proper existence between human beings and the

lake organism by ensuring that human activities do not pollute the water. While the shift in water

levels of the lake is partly attributed to the role played in climatic transitions, such as floods and

droughts, the decrease is largely as a result of human causes. Research shows that the water level

has decreased by around 11 feet while its volume has declined by around 48 percent (Rogerson

54). With the increasing number of people settling around the lake, the water levels have

increasingly declined with net river inflow equally decreasing by 39 percent in the recent past.

The salt lake has an economic value of about 1.32 billion dollars in terms of recreation

(Rogerson 89). This implies that the reduced water levels have a negative economic impact on

most industries and even the residents.

The lowered water levels leave the lake bed exposed hence producing more severe dust

storms. For this reason, the Salty Lake City faces adverse air pollution, especially during events

of winter inversions. The events have made the city to experience the worst air quality in the

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recent past. The increasing levels of dust storms will also pose adverse effects on the health of

residents around that region. Also, millions of living organisms call the lake home since it acts as

a source of food and their nesting areas. For this reason, low water levels in the lake threaten the

natural habitat of the living organisms such as birds (Roseland 102). The decreasing water levels

also leave the salt exposed to the environment, which subsequently corrodes the buildings around

the lake. This is the reason most of the buildings around the lake appear old and wasted. To

avoid these massive levels of environmental degradations, humans should regulate their activities

to preserve the water levels and make the environment sustainable (Roseland 153). As much as

the lake may not face a threat of disappearing any time soon, environmental decisions made

today could avoid any dire consequences in future and reserve the benefits that come with its

protection.

One of the problems regarding buildings that may compromise greener community poor

air quality and old buildings that often causes corrosion when it rains. It is important to

understand that putting up structures that have a poor circulation often cause air pollution within

particular buildings (Roseland 102). This is an architectural problem that can be solved by

embracing methods that will reduce both air and noise pollution. This can be achieved by

transitioning from traditional building methods to embracing modern and sustainable methods

that involve site planning, architectural design, and barrier construction. There is the acoustical

site design that involves the arrangement of buildings that minimize the impact of noise by

making use of contours and natural shape (Von 54). Acoustical architectural design makes use of

noise reducing concepts that significantly reduces noise pollution. This encompasses room

arrangement, window placement, and building height. The windows and the height of the

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building are placed such that they allow free air circulation into and out of the building. In this

respect, the classes will have fresh air, which is favorable for the students while learning.

As portrayed above, there is a range of green construction standards based on the type of

construction an individual wishes to put up. As much as new design and construction in the

country has significantly slowed during times of recession, the level of change in the entire

industry has not slowed down in any way (Roseland 54). In the recent past, the adoption of new

construction methods has increasingly been observed alongside more environment-friendly

methods of building. It is without a doubt that green building construction has earned a place in

the country's construction industry.

With climatic change and environmental issues fast becoming a matter of concern,

sustainable construction has increasingly been embraced globally. However, these efforts are

faced with some impediments that need to be addressed if a greener construction is to be fully

achieved (Roseland 73). One of the challenges associated with these efforts is lack of proper

project management in the process of construction. Research shows that project cost is another

challenge facing the construction industry. To address the problem related to project costs, there

is need to widen government incentives to include usage of green products and other forms of

technologies that support green construction. Market and client demand form two of the primary

forces that drive green construction (Roseland 66). In the past few years, state and local

governments have been seen to support and adopt regulations and initiatives that support

sustainable buildings. Cutting down on the use of energy and water are among the top driving

forces for green construction.

Cutting down on construction waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are among

environmental concerns that dictate how buildings are constructed. Renewable energy and

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primary solar are fast becoming popular in terms of becoming alternatives to building a safer and

green environment. Constructing healthier buildings have become popular because developers

have increasingly realized the benefits associated with embracing healthy buildings (Roseland

92). One of the attributes of healthy buildings is the idea of adopting better air quality and

increased daylighting. Removing volatile organic compounds within the building structures is

one way of improving air quality. Volatile organic compounds often become gases, which can

irritate the eyes, dizziness, and headache. Long-term exposure to this kind of gas can cause

greater damage to major organs such as liver and kidney. Achieving transparency in the

buildings can go a long way in achieving a healthy and sustainable environment. Presently, every

individual is talking about going green and at some point in the future; they shall have joined the

green movement (Scarce 114). The rate at which the world is moving, it is evident that earth is

losing its sustainability due to issues related to pollution and poor construction methods.

One of the problems regarding people’s lives as consumers includes having to deal with

faulty household goods. People’s homes and lives are often filled with goods that are meant to

make life more comfortable and convenient. People are often surrounded by machines that serve

different purposes such that little thought is often given to the possibility of the products

becoming faulty. When the products meant to make life move more smoothly become defective,

the possibility of them causing harm becomes even higher (Scarce 82). For example, an electric

blanket that has defective wiring is likely to cause serious burns to the user while a

malfunctioning garage door opener has a possibility of causing head injury and other life-

threatening crushing injuries (Scarce 109). It is important to understand that when buying

household goods, the same legal procedures are applicable when it comes to buying any other

product. In this respect, the same consumer rights and laws should be applied if anything goes

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wrong. According to the Consumer Rights Act 2015, any type of good bought should be fit for

purpose and have satisfactory quality (Scarce 114). Anything purchased that lack these qualities

should be treated as defective, and for this reason, a consumer has the right to demand a refund

or order for repair or replacement if that particular good is damaged.

When a product is fit for purpose, it means that it should be in a position to accomplish

the role it is meant to play. On the other hand, goods are of satisfactory quality if they fit the

standards they are meant to meet. Consumer goods are expected to be safe for use and in this

sense; a person who sells unsafe products is committing a criminal offense and should, therefore,

face charges in a court of law (Von 54). On the other hand, such goods are also expected to have

satisfactory appearance short of things such as dents and scratches. To solve the problem of

defective products, it is important to put in rules that would ensure that the products sold meet all

the requirements of consumer goods and consumption. When safe products are sold to

consumers, the whole community benefits because people are likely to stay safe and healthier

(Von 77). Consumers should always strive to use eco-friendly products since they cause no harm

to the environment. Most people are often discouraged from embracing the use of eco-friendly

items because they tend to believe that achieving it requires a lot of money and effort. However,

it should be noted that embracing an eco-friendly home is not a very difficult activity (Von 54).

It should be noted that for every good bought from the market, there is often an eco-friendly

alternative that can be chosen by the consumer. For this reason, every consumer should embrace

the use of eco-friendly products because they do not cause harm to the environment and have a

low likelihood of causing injury to the users.

There is an increasing desire for most cities and towns to become green communities.

This is because of the benefits associated with sustainable transportation, renewable energy,

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clean water, and so on. In the process of transforming into a green community, the communities

equally promote the growth of new industries while improving the lives of citizens by giving

them hope and polishing their image. A green community will give organisms in that particular

environment an adaptive ability to transform themselves and make the environment a better

place to live. There is a range of quality resources that can be used by any particular community

to achieve sustainability. In this respect, most municipalities are increasingly appointing

sustainability committees to realize this objective. To create green communities, every state

should ensure that the buildings constructed are environment-friendly and do not put the lives of

people at risk. Consumers should also use products that are safe and healthy.

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Works Cited

McCamant, Kathryn, and Charles Durrett. Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable

Communities. Gabriola, B.C: New Society Publishers, 2011.

Rogerson, Robert J. Sustainable Communities: Skills and Learning for Place Making. Hatfield,

Hertfordshire: University of Hertfordshire Press, 2011.

Roseland, Mark. Toward Sustainable Communities: Solutions for Citizens and Their

Governments. New York: New Society Publishers, 2012.

Scarce, Rik. Creating Sustainable Communities: Lessons from the Hudson River Region. , 2015.

Print.

Von, Hausen M. Dynamic Urban Design: A Handbook for Creating Sustainable Communities

Worldwide. , 2013. Print.

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