Informative Essay About the Twin Towers Going Green free essay sample

Now, a most amazing discovery among environmental issues has been found. The rubble of the world trade center could be a key point in rebuilding our ecosystem. This rubble, which causes so much pain for all those affected, is a horrifying sight to see. But this rubble is the basis for a future that sees a greener world. The greenest skyscraper in American history is being built out of the remains of the world trade center. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a verification system that was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. They use this system to determine if a building, or even a community, is energy efficient. These standards include improving energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions, indoor environmental quality, and intelligent resource management. The new world trade center complex qualifies for the LEED gold certification, the next highest attainable status (below platinum). To achieve this status, the complex had to meet a number of huge r equirements. We will write a custom essay sample on Informative Essay About the Twin Towers Going Green or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Among these requirements, this complex must have a net zero carbon footprint for all base building electricity consumption and reduction of the complexs energy consumption to 20 percent below New York States energy code requirements. The building is designed to achieve a gold level certification. Which, for a project of its size, would be a first of its kind. There are other buildings who’ve achieved platinum standard, but most definitely not on this scale. Since reducing the amount of energy is a huge factor in building the WTC, here are technological advances being used. If enough daylight is coming in through the window, then it automatically dims the interior lights. These will be located throughout the entire building. The occupants will also benefit from this. This reduces the rate of minor illnesses, promoting bone health, and increases the activity of natural killer cells simply by improving the quality of the light. Since the human body needs exposure to UVB light to synthesize vitamin D, they dim artificial lights and use ultra-clear glass to allow more natural light in. Also, when there’s no sun, the WTC complex employs hydrogen fuel cells to provide 1. 2 megawatts of power and steam turbines which take away the wasted steam that happens during steam generation and converts that into electricity. While the building is under construction, the Construction unit is requiring its contractors to use only ultra-low sulfur diesel fuels. These are a â€Å"clean diesel† that reduces nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions. These are considered to be the cleanest fuels available. This requirement was so effective on New York State that non-road construction equipment must be used on public construction projects. Plus, all construction vehicles are equipped with extra particulate filters to reduce the impact. CO2 monitors control ventilation and make the building healthier and improve indoor air quality. If the CO2 Sensor sends a signal to the air handler software, telling it you need more fresh air in a certain space because there’s more CO2 than there should be. Then, it automatically increases the fresh air mix coming into that space. In addition, the WTC will improve the air of the greater Manhattan Financial District by reducing the amount of vehicular traffic in the area by providing ample public transportation access and extensive facilities for bicycle commuters. The rain in New York City averages about 60 inches per year. Rather than lose the precipitation by letting it run out of gutters or into sewage pipes, the World Trade Center will collect that water and store it for later use in its new high-efficiency evaporative cooling towers and for irrigating greenery within the 16-acre building. New York requires significant air-conditioning service throughout the year. The occupants of the new WTC complex will stay frosty in even the muggiest of Autumnal weather thanks to the new and highly efficient 12,500-ton Central Chiller Plant (CCP) that uses water from the Hudson River to cool the WTC Transportation Hub, National September 11 Memorial and Museum, retail space and other non-commercial areas. Located in the far Southwest corner of the complex—roughly in the same area as the previous plant—the CCP employs water extracted through the River Water Pump Station on the other side of the West Side Highway, to chill (and heat, during the Winter) water for distribution to the rest of the complex. It will circulate 30,000 gallons of river water every minute. Thats enough to fill 750 bath tubs, flush 10,000 toilets, and cool the same amount as approximately 2,500 home air-conditioners. It uses the Hudson as a way of both dissipating heat and preheating water. Because water below a certain depth is a pretty constant temperature, during the winter it takes less energy to heat and circulate it, and conversely, in the summer it takes less to cool it. The new World Trade Center is already 75 percent old. Everything contains a minimum of 75 percent post-industrial recycled content. This reduces the environmental footprint, not only on-site, but reduces the stress on the natural resources and energy needed to produce them. At the same time, the WTC construction project recycles an incredible 80 percent of the waste generated at the site. The complex has exceeded the original target by about 20 percent. The contractors have been really good, and they’ve been watching and documenting how the material is recycled and sent back to the plants. So, as you can see, this is a phenomenal discovery, both environmentally and economically. This will benefit the future generations by saving energy. Starting with smaller buildings, and now to huge buildings like the new World Trade Center, human health, and environment health are getting better by day. With a healthy environment comes a healthy economy. We learn from our mistakes, and the USA will get better, one state at a time. A civilization can distinguish itself by how well it responds to disaster, and 10 years later, 9/11 is as much a story about recovery and rebuilding as it a story of terrible loss and tragedy. As a nation, our political and economic response has been imperfect, but the USA is focusing on the mechanical marvels that have helped us bounce back.