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Understanding Urban Ecology: Sustainable Green Building

Dive into the world of urban ecosystems, exploring how biotic and abiotic elements interact, and how urban development affects the environment. Learn about sustainability and efficiency in green building practices.

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Understanding Urban Ecology: Sustainable Green Building

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  1. Beginning Urban Ecology: • What is an ECOSYSTEM? • An area where living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) things interact through energy flows. • Biotic: • a fancy word for living thing (plants and animals) • Abiotic: • a fancy word for non-living things

  2. What are the non-living things? • Every ecosystem has the same 4 abiotic, or non-living things. • We’ll refer to these as The L.A.W.S

  3. What are the non-living things in an ecosystem? • The L.A.W.S • LAND • AIR • WATER • SUNLIGHT

  4. Is this an ecosystem?

  5. POD: Urban Ecology • What is an ecosystem? • What are the LAWS? • What do the words biotic and abiotic mean? • Chat with your table about your answers to last night’s homework.

  6. Let's talk about the homework… • If the non-living things in two ecosystems are different, then the living things will be different. • Yes? No? Defend your answer. • Let’s talk about #6, 7,8 and 9 from your homework… • What do these words mean? • “Green” • Sustainable • Efficient • What does all this have to do with our project?

  7. Urban Ecology (what the heck is that?)

  8. Let's break it down: • Urban: City • An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures. • Ecology: The study of ecosystems. • So what’s Urban Ecology? • The study of urban ecosystems! • How biotic (especially humans) and abiotic things interact in cities. • How urban development effects the environment. • Creating environmentally sustainable urban areas.

  9. What does “GREEN” mean?

  10. Sustainable • General Definition: Able to maintain at a certain level indefinitely. • Non-mumbo jumbo: Using stuff so it doesn’t run out. • Example Sentences: • Circle breathing is a technique used by musicians to sustain notes indefinitely. • On my salary it is not sustainable for me to eat at expensive restaurants every night. • We can sustain the turning of a hydro generator as long as the water source is flowing. • Using fossil fuels at our current rate is not sustainable.

  11. What does “sustainable” have to do with our project? • SUSTAINABILITY: • A method of using a resource so it will not be depleted. • Human activity that uses nature's resources at a rate at which they can be replenished naturally. • Non-mumbojumbo: using stuff so it doesn’t run out.

  12. Efficient • General Definition: Capable of producing desired results especially without waste. • Non-mumbojumbo: NOT wasting time, energy, money etc. • Example Sentences: • Molly is always on task and meets deadlines. She is an overall efficient worker. • A bicycle is an efficient machine that uses minimal human energy to create movement. • Replacing ball bearings in a skate board maximizes efficiency. With new ball bearings the rider uses less energy to create motion. • It is inefficient to turn on your air conditioner and leave windows and doors open.

  13. So what does “efficient” have to do with our project? • EFFiCIENCY: Not wasting time or energy. • The ratio of the useful energy delivered by a machine compared to the energy needed to operate it. • In other words: • Efficiency = useful energy delivered energy needed to operate

  14. What is “Green Building” ? • Green Building is SUSTAINABLE and EFFICIENT building! • More specifically Green Building is… • The practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water and materials. • Reducing building impacts on human health and the environment.

  15. Basic Principles of Green Building • Use of natural materials • Efficiency • On-site generation of renewable energy • Reduce environmental and human health impact • Reduce waste (during building and during inhabitance)

  16. Green Building Methods (you are going to research these!) • Solar power (photovoltaic) and solar thermal • Passive solar design • Green roofing • Permeable surface use (reduction of rainwater run off/ renewing groundwater sources) • Grey water collection and recycling • Compost toilets • Straw bale • Cob • Cordwood • Adobe • Earthship • Bamboo • Permaculture

  17. Alternative transpertation options… • Biodiesel as a fuel/ Converting cars to use it • Hybrid cars • Electric cars • Ethanol as fuel • Hydrogen Fuel Cells

  18. Why should we do this? • According to the Worldwide Institute, building demolition, construction and renovation constitutes as much as 40% of raw material use, 40% of materials sent to landfills, and buildings consume as much as 40% of energy generated. • Why else? Who cares?

  19. Sounds great for The Earth but…is “Green Building” going to look cool? • Awesome straw bale and cob example: • http://www.potkettleblack.com/natbild/sarahtree/index.html

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