cct335-proposal

==== “Our generation has inherited an incredibly beautiful world from our parents, and they from their parents. It is in our hands whether our children and their children inherit the same world.” Richard Branson stated this before pledging to donate 3 billion dollars into developing alternative energy technologies (VirginFuels.org). Technology has marvelled what can be accomplished by man, but some of the world’s most prominent people have pointed out its impact on the environment. As the message slowly disseminates from world leaders to common people, we slowly start to understand the negative effects of our technological evolution. ==== ==== There are certain cities in the world that are rather unwilling to change their ways and reduce their ecological footprint. This is primarily because they have existing infrastructure that is hard to change, or they don’t have the funding to implement a sustainable solution. The most sustainable cities are the ones that are able to disregard the current economic costs of technology, and see the future long-term benefit of that technology. ==== ==== Hence, it is important to review potential technologies that a city might use in order to improve its sustainability efforts. This essay will take a look at devices and infrastructures that can be adopted both, at the consumer level and the government level. It will look at technologies that people can purchase that will reduce their ecological footprint in the city; while also examining technologies that governments can implement in order to reduce their environmental impact. By doing so, we are given a new way to do traditional things – without actually sacrificing the technological benefit. Hence, I will be examining how cities can “greenify” themselves using sustainable technology. ==== ==== Technically, I am not an environmental buff who has a heavy understanding of our present environment. I am more of a technology fanatic who understands technological devices and its uses. I would, however, like to learn more about what emerging green technologies exist today and how they impact and influence a city’s culture. Hence, I have chosen this topic for my research. I will research various present and futuristic technologies that exist in society, explain their uses, and outline how a consumer or government can use the technology in order to achieve sustainability. ==== ==== Rather than boring the reader with traditional topics like “solar panels”, I plan to actually discuss devices that harness the energy source in a sustainable manner. For instance, I will focus one discussion on solar-powered LED street lights that use the power of the sun and the low energy consumption of LED technology to provide light with absolutely no environmental or economical long-term costs. Another discussion will be focused on photovoltaic window glass, which is able to generate electricity while providing a natural tint to block the sun’s rays and provide privacy for residents inside a home. ==== ==== Of course, my discussions will be diverse and will explore a wide range of sustainable technologies. I will look at present examples as well as future examples of cities that are using green technologies. Furthermore, my research will not only focus on North American culture, but will explore what cities from around the world are doing to increase their environmental sustainability. I also plan on looking at distinct infrastructural elements such as transit systems and buildings and what they are doing to increase their sustainability efforts. By looking at all this, I am able to do a high level of research in order to better improve my understanding of green technologies and its potential benefits on a cityscape. ====