There is one thing that most people agree on when considering the future of the human race: the ways in which the human race are currently utilizing their non-renewable resources and energy sources is highly irresponsible. Humanity has a habit of jumping into new types of technologies, often without thinking of the potential consequences for the future; however, some of the effects of the use of non-renewable resources and “dirty” energy sources were completely unknown when the technologies were developed. Today, humanity is dealing with the effects of more than a hundred years of irresponsible stewardship of the environment, and, looking forward, it is obvious that some large changes need to be made if the planet is to continue to be hospitable to human life for years to come.
One of the most important ways humanity will “go green” in the future will, undoubtedly, be the development of clean energies. Burning fossil fuels causes a lot of problems in the atmosphere of the earth, leading to problems like global climate change (Ettinger). There are a variety of ways in which humanity will probably try to utilize cleaner energy in the future. The first is the use of solar energy to complete tasks that burning fossil fuels used to be responsible for-- for example, solar power can be used to power homes and cars (Ettinger).
Most experts on green futures agree that changing energy sources is one of the most important things to be done in the fight against global climate change and environmental destruction as a result of human consumption. According to the Associated Press, “‘The biggest near-term opportunity is energy efficiency. How do we cut energy use in our buildings and vehicles? That’s the real low hanging fruit. It’s cost-effective today and now the challenge is how do we move a lot of money into efficiency improvement in our economy,’ said Dan Reicher, former assistant secretary of US Energy” (Ettinger). The problem with sustainable energy sources is not that they are not available-- solar panels and the sun, for instance, are widely available-- but that they are prohibitively expensive for many individuals.
If governments want to encourage their citizenry to switch from non-renewable energy sources to renewable energy sources, the citizenry must be rewarded for making this switch, not penalized. If only the upper-middle class and the upper classes can afford this type of technology, then the likelihood of making any real changes in energy consumption for humanity as a whole is very low. However, if the government provides proper opportunities for individuals to participate in using clean energy, these programs could be wildly successful in a very short time.
As of right now, making the switch from non-renewable energy systems to renewable energy systems is very expensive, and in some cases, completely impossible, even if the individual feels compelled to do so (Building Green Futures). For example, a homeowner may be able to afford to place solar panels on his or her roof, but an individual living in an apartment in a city does not have this kind of autonomy or control over his or her living space, and must rely on the landlord to make these types of choices.
Another often-overlooked aspect of the green future will be the green city. Today, more people live in the cities than live in the countryside; the world’s cities are responsible for the bulk of the pollution that occurs in the world today (Building Green Futures). As a result, it is fundamentally important to find a solution to the problem of cities, and one of the ways in which this could be done is the development of a new type of city planning that encourages the construction of a “green city.”
Green cities, will, of course, use sustainable energies throughout the infrastructure, but the idea of the “green city” goes much deeper than merely the inclusion of bike paths and public transport. Green cities, as many experts see them, will not only be environmentally neutral-- they will be environmentally friendly.
According to Pilkey et al., the idea of the “green city” was born from the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in the 1990s. Pilkey et al. write:
It's uniquely challenging for urban areas to be green. They have a high volume of people, traffic congestion, trash and air pollution to name just a few obstacles. Seventy-five percent of the world's energy is consumed by the world's cities. Green cities have to strike a balance of managing their current needs without compromising the city's (and environment's) future In the 1990s, industrialized countries around the world joined together to make progress against global warming and climate change. Together they drafted and approved the Kyoto Protocol. The agreement aims to reduce the effects of climate change through the reduction of six recognized greenhouse gases. (Pilkey et al.)
Different cities have adopted the Kyoto Protocol in different ways, but many cities have begun to utilize different strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for their cities. For example, Seattle, Washington, USA is well-known for its bike-friendly streets; other cities, like Paris and Tokyo, are known for their excellent train systems.
However, city planning for a green future cannot stop at public transportation and the removal of car emissions to ensure that the future is green. Architects are also becoming involved in creating green cities, which is an exciting and new prospect. Many new building materials are being developed, which are both sustainable in the long-term as building materials and excellent for the long-term “greenness” of the building itself (Ettinger).
Some architects and city planners are even suggesting that cities can utilize vertical space to plant more foliage; it is becoming more and more common to see roofs with plants atop them. This is a new concept in architecture and city planning; the plants act as an insulator and as a way to support the natural ecosystem (Building Green Futures). Supporting the local ecosystem rather than destroying it and driving out the natural wildlife is one of the other goals of many organizations that are concerned with the sustainability of the future.
The individual is responsible for the future of the planet as much as those in power are; however, many individuals do not take responsibility for their actions, perhaps because they feel that their actions are small and insignificant. However, research has shown that when people are educated in the small ways to take actions that support the environment and sustainability, they take advantage of them (Building Green Futures). For this reason, educational programs are some of the most important programs that can be developed when considering a green future.
Unfortunately, there is no cure-all for the future of the planet. The solution to slowing and eventually stopping the destruction of the environment will be the result of a series of changes made by people who were willing and driven to make a difference. Unfortunately, these changes require participation from a vast number of people who have, as of yet, shown themselves to be mostly apathetic to the problems facing the environment, both today and in the future.
Works cited
Building Green Futures. "Building Green Futures." 2013. Web. 18 Jun 2013. <http://www.buildinggreenfutures.com/>.
Ettinger, Terry. "Going Green: The future of green energy." Associated Press, 15 April. 2013: Print.
Pilkey, Orrin H, Keith C Pilkey and Mary Edna Fraser. Global climate change. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2011. Print.
Union of Concerned Scientists. "Greentips." 2012. Web. 18 Jun 2013. <http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/>.
