Green Living: New York City Carbon Print

Green Living Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Green Living Green living, also referred to as sustainable living is a practice that entails applying various techniques to reduce the use of natural resources, particularly non-renewable ones (Hagbert & Bradley, 2017). Different organizations, individuals and industries are practicing this method to reduce their release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and increase efficiency in energy consumption. They are transforming their means of transportation, diet, construction designs and energy use (Hagbert & Bradley, 2017). Thus, the principles and practices of sustainable living are closely linked to the practice of sustainable ecological development which is often seen as the meeting of current ecological and economic needs without negative impact on the needs of the future generations. The aspect of sustainability begun after publication of the study Living the Good Life by Scott Nearing and Helen. Following the study, several sustainability movements emerged in the 1960s and 1970s (Hagbert & Bradley, 2017). During this era, publications including Silent Spring by Rachel Carson were made which profoundly revolutionized the sector of sustainability. At the end of the 20th and the start of 21st centuries, the United Nations (UN) increased its vigor on campaigning for sustainable practices in various sectors such as construction, transport, and industries among others. The UN published a classic study known as the “Sustainable Consumption and Production, Promoting Climate-Friendly Household Consumption Patterns” (The United Nations, 2007). The study focused on the construction of structures using suitable techniques and materials to promote sustainability by reducing energy consumption, the size of carbon print and appropriate methods for the disposal of waste products. Thus, sustainable structures are typically constructed to have a minimum negative impact on ecosystems and are designed with natural resources in mind (The United Nations, 2007). The current study examines one of the most sustainable structures called Cornell Tech: Roosevelt Island Campus regarding how sustainability has been achieved by installations of various technological features. New York City Carbon Print The Cornell Tech: Roosevelt Island Campus structure is located in a thin two-mile-long piece of land between Queens and the boroughs of Manhattan in New York City (Pasion et al., 2017). Urban areas have been marked as the most significant contributors to greenhouse gases and subsequent global warming. Moreover, about 54% of the world population lives in urban areas and account for over 70% of global energy consumption (Pasion et al., 2017). Therefore, New York City contributes high amounts of carbon into the atmosphere like many other cities in the United States. New York City is the most significant contributor to carbon in the United States. In New York City, buildings are the most significant contributors to greenhouse gases and are responsible for approximately 67% percent of total emissions (Pasion et al., 2017). The transportation sector accounts for the remaining emissions with minute amounts coming from the treatment of wastewaters and landfills. Consequently, there is an increased need to implement sustainable techniques in building and transport sectors in the city to reduce its carbon print value (Pasion et al., 2017). Cornell Tech: Roosevelt Island Campus Cornell Tech is made up of three buildings that occupy a 12-acre space in Roosevelt Island and that were officially opened on 13th September 2017 (Harris, 2017). The three structures include the Bridge, a seven-story building that was designed by Manfredi/Weiss to bring students and entrepreneurs together, the Emma and Georgina Bloomberg Center, designed by Morphosis and the House, a 26-story building intended to be a students’ dormitory and various staff activities (Harris, 2017). The House was created by Handel Architects and is one of the largest passive buildings in the world. Cornell Tech to students and faculty also consists of tech business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is the first campus in the world to ever construct a structure that brings together academia and business sectors together to create influential leaders, transformational new research, products and social ventures (Harris, 2017). Cornell Tech: Roosevelt Island Campus and Green Living The Bloomberg Center The Bloomberg Center is one of three buildings in Cornell Tech designed by Morphosis, and it is regarded as one of the most prominent buildings in the United States with net-zero energy consumption (Harris, 2017). The building is roughly rectangular that rises four-story high and occupies a space of 14,864 square meters. Perforated metal panels and glass cover the structure. The top of the building is covered by a vast canopy containing 1,465 photovoltaic solar panels that generate power to be used for various activities in the facility such as heating and lighting (McKnight, 2017). Also, the canopy shades the fac...