AP Environmental Science e² video design “The Green Apple” questions

Jeffrey Sachs is seeking a job as the head of the World Bank. Don't think I've seen him before though..

Nouriel Roubini is an American economist who is known for predicting the collapse of the housing market in the United States and the recession. He is currently predicting that the Greek financial crisis will drag down the Euro if they do not leave the Eurozone.

1. Are cities like NYC greener than rural or suburban living? Explain.

Cities are actually greener than rural or suburban areas because everything is so densely packed together. People are able to walk to work, ride their bikes to work, or even take public transportation. Similarly, the cost to deliver items is lower because there is less distance between people.

2. What are the comparable health impacts of living in rural vs. urban areas?

People in urban areas are actually healthier because they are able to walk to places that they need to. Rural residents generally are only able to drive places they need to go because everything is so spread apart.

3. What opportunities do large buildings present for green building? How do these differ from smaller more distributed buildings?

Buildings use more energy than anything else in the United States.

Large buildings are able to harvest rainwater, solar energy, and waste water and energy to cycle back into the building for further recycling and use. Smaller, distributed buildings are unable to do this because the system needs to be continuous, which require single structures for recycling mechanisms.

4. What are the different ROI and TCO numbers for green urban structures? Why?

The ROI for a green building is around five years. The TCO depends on the building itself and what it is used for, but generally, savings can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in ownership or more. A green building will typically command a 30% premium price over a non-LEED building due to their economic benefits,

5. Note that 4Times square uses "fly ash" which is coal residue from power plants. Why is this illegal to use in Europe?

European building standards take into consideration what will happen to building materials when it is broken down. In this case, fly ash may present a health hazard as a particulate matter, which is why its use is regulated in Europe.

6. Why is "people cost" so crucial? What does this mean?

"People cost" means keeping the people inside happy. This cost is important because it is the people that are funding the buildings, and to have people happier because of it is worth it in terms of the added cost of making a building "green".

7. Is it conceivable that buildings could be the air cleaners for large cities? How?

Buildings can be built with particulate filtration system. That is, it takes in air, filters it, and then pumps out clean air into the city. 4 Times Square is a prime example of this.

8. The Solaire apartments sold out at a premium: was this just marketing, or something else? What is that "deeper thing"?

The premium covered the added cost of building green. Partly it was marketing, yes, but the marketing reflected a trend, a desire for something deeper. The deeper desire is the fundamental belief that we can make the world a better place, that sustainability is not out of reach, and for many people, living in green spaces is part of that.