Safety of Green Roof

As I mentioned in the previous journals, the design of the green roof should be calculate the loading of the building. In last week , the one of the green roof building in City University of Hong Kong was collapsed. Luckily, there was no one dead and heavy injured in this case.  However, it caused the whole city concern about the risk of overloaded roofs.




Nowadays, the green roof planning is no need to summit to the government department for approval. As the owner of the building will consider that will be the minor case of construction. Therefore, it will have the risk that the government can not supervise this type of building. Not just the loading of the roof, but also the whole drainage system will affect the safety of whole building structure. Therefore , the green roof should be supervise by the professional approval  and maintenance.



Reference:
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1957404/green-danger-how-trend-put-vegetation-hong-kongs

Rain Garden

We all know that the urban storm water is one of the environmental challenges we are facing today. The storm water runoff will cause the serious issue such as flooding and the pollutant will enter city waterway. The storm water runoff carries heavy metals, nutrients, oil and other pollutants from the urban landscape. Every year, there are nearly 3,000 tones of storm water pollutants enters into Sydney’s waterways, it is very harmful to the environment.

The storm water management plays an important role in urban planning. However, the cost and material used to build and maintain these ‘grey’ storm water infrastructure will cause great expense environmentally and financially. 

In this situation, construction of rain garden is one of the possible solution to lighten this problem. When rain falls in rain garden, the water is absorbed and filtered by soil and plants. Storm water runoff is therefore cleaner before entering our waterways. Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and other elements and practices to restore some of the natural processes required to manage water and create healthier urban environments.

Reference:

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/issue/stormwater_runoff

http://www.watertechonline.com/group-presents-strategies-to-manage-urban-stormwater-runoff-as-el-nino-nears/

http://www.lsrca.on.ca/programs/rainscaping/LID-raingardens.php

Hand dryers vs Paper towel

Most of the toilet will set the BOTH hand dryers and paper towel to dry their hand. Frankly speaking, I will use paper towel more in my daily life because the paper towel is cleaner than hand dyers in my concept. There are some rumors also said that the hand dryers will help to spread the bacteria in the toilet.

In this video, which it provided by Dyson, said that the hand dryers is more cleaner than use the paper towel They tested and the result show that the hand dyers will leave less bacteria on hand. Not just cleaner, ther hand dyer can replace the paper towel and save the paper. Therefore, the hand dryer should be promoted.

Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKxT1k1cmXc
http://www.restroomdirect.com/hand-dryers-vs-paper-towels-hygiene-studies.aspx

Over-packaged food

Nowadays, when we shop in the supermarket, there is not hard to find that the problem of over-packaged food. As we can see in the photo, most of the food are used too many plastic box to store the food, However, those plastic material will not reuse. We called it one-off  or used by only once. The purpose of this maybe just let the food good looking.

Some of food, not just the fruit, are single item package. For example, some candies are individually wrapped. However, the consumer will use the plastic bag. It will become useless to add on to use and other individual wrap. Therefore, the food manufacture should face on the over-packaged problem.  

Reference:

http://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/5-more-absurdly-over-packaged-food-products/

http://earth911.com/food/wasteful-food-packaging/

Food waste

Sydney is the city have many good and wonderful food. However, Australia is the city waste many food per annual. According from the OzHarvest (which charity which collects food from businesses ), it shows that there are around 4 million tonnes of food will send to land fill per annual. Those food were worth around $7.8 billion.

The below table show the estimate of  household will waste in each type of the food, which is purchased without consume. There are two main reasons that the consumer will waste the food is that the food will left in the fridge too longer which can not eat and the other reason is the people can not finish their meals.

The above figure show that the Australian people will cause a lot of economic and energy lost due to the food waste. As we also can see in the below charts, the food waste become the most important source of the rubbish in NSW. However, the recycle rate was the lowest in the different sectors. Therefore , the government should encourage the food saving and food waste recycle. The citizen can consider to food donation to the charity to the needy. 

Reference:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-08/food-waste-value-australia/4993930

http://www.ozharvest.org/what-we-do/environment-facts/#_ftn1

Frozen Office

In summer,most of office will also turn on the air conditioner. The temperature of some office maybe type of company are settled too low . The staff need to wear jacket or blanket to keep warm in the office. The office are mostly used theCentral air-conditioning so the office can not change the degree of the temperature easily. This type of frozen office not just unhealthy for the human, but also energy wasting. There are "Freezing Summer" in the office.

In Hong Kong, there are many in-door environment are turning the air-con to the low temperature. In 2006, the Hong Kong government try to promote the in-door temperature should be set to 25.5C. According to their research,  25.5 degree C is the most comfort human thermal. It will affect the humidity of the air. Moreover ,this 25.5 is must more energy saving in this range. For every 1 deg C decrease in temperature setting, the reduction of electricity consumption in the air-conditioning equipment is about 3%. It can reduces the GHG emission in the same time. Therefore, Try to avoid turn on the air con. If the air con must turn on, please try to set the temperature to 25.5C

Refernce:
http://www.emsd.gov.hk/filemanager/conferencepaper/en/upload/22/HKIE_Environment_Annual_Seminar_Paper_25.5_deg_C_and_Human_Comfort.pdf

Air pollution

In 7 May 2016, the Sydney sky is full of fog and the air quality become very poor. The main reason is that the Blue Mountain had a range of hazard reduction fires. According to NSW Rural Fire Service, there are more than 40 placed are started hazard reduction burns in the near region of Blue Mountains ,

For the ashes of the hazard burnt will create a big smog. It will affect the viable of the city. Moreover, the greenhouse gas, for example the carbon dioxide, will be released during the tree burnt. Although hazard burn can help to reduce the risk of forest fire, the bad effect of hazard reduction burns will cause many side-effect. Therefore, I suggest the government should use the cut replace the burn of the hazard.

Reference:
http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me

Light Pollution

When the first night arrived in Sydney, I was attached by the dark sky. That is full of star in the sky. I can see them clearly. However, when i am in Hong Kong, due to the serious light pollution, there is hard to see the star in the night. 

starry night at Southern Hemisphere

Hong Kong has a nickname called "Never Sleep City". That mean most of the shop or office will work till overnight. Due to the spotlights and LED billboards on the streets, Hong Kong's sky is brighter than other cities.It cause Hong Kong become the world's worst city for light pollution.

 

The light pollution will create many side-effect, First, the strong light will affect the residential area, the bright light will pass thought the windows. It will affect the people sleep.  The biological clock will be affected and health may become worse. On the other hand, that is the most famous thing in Hong Kong and it create a great income in tourism. In my opinion, the Hong Kong Government should try to make a balance of tourism development and the light pollution. Not to let the light pollution problem become serious.

Reference:

http://lighttalk.via-verlag.com/2013/03/light-pollution/

 

Urban Renewal

Many well developed cities are also facing the same problem - the inner city become old and full dilapidated buildings.

 

There are two ways to renew these type of building: 1.  Rehabilitation of dilapidated buildings to prevent urban decay, these can maintain and restore the buildings which have the historical and architectural value, and to sustain local characteristics; 2. Demolish the whole building and rebuild it.

Most of the cities are willing to use the second method because it can save the maintenance cost of the old building and also can release the plot ratio for the building. It can create more economic benefit. Moreover, the whole city will have the new look and become more attractive.  However, this method will cause the whole city lost many historical building and collective memory. Therefore, when renew the city, the developer should consider about the historical value of the building, not just the economic value.


Reference:
http://www.ura.org.hk/en/about-ura/vision-mission-and-values.aspx

Gutter Oil

In China, the cooking oil is the essential element for every meal. Everyday Chinese consume many oil. Therefore, some of the bad guy try to save the cost to product the cheaper oil. Gutter oil is a cheap way to produce cooking oil, which is wasted or used oil came from the gutter. Those "oil" will mix will another chemical to make the taste and smell become better. After all the proceed,the oil will be repackaged and sold to small restaurants at below market prices. These gutter oil is full of chemical elements  and may cause careers or other side-effect to the health.

Actually this kinds of oil is also common in western country, but used in industrial , not cooking.In 2014, Boeing company try to use the gutter oil to be the bio-fuel for the aircraft. It can be save the cost and make the environment become better.

Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp92BlLLVEI

Noise Pollution

IN recent days, due to the Sydney light rail construction, the night work was started on Anzac Parade which near my living place. There are some construction noise during the midnight. Although the noise is not really loud, it still affect my sleep  quality .

It makes me check about the noise problem about the construction site. However, it just apply for the city centre. In the regulation of the City of Sydney,  the construction must be carried out between 0700 and 1900 on weekdays and in Saturday can just be started from 0700 to 1700. There are also have the noise criteria. During the first working hour, there is no more than 5dB above the background. After that, there is no more 10dB above background noise level at all other times. 

The neighbor  have right to complain if the noise problem is too disturbing. The City of Sydney can restrict the equipment and time of the construction 

Reference:

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/live/report-local-issues/noise/construction-sites

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/word_doc/0010/136882/Combined-Construction-Noise-Factsheet.doc

Zero- Waste Lifestyle

https://www.facebook.com/insiderpeople/videos/526689684205335/

This video is shown that the 25- year old singer try to enchase the Zero-waste Lifestyle. After four years, the trash that she used which can be store in the little jar.

She discovered that the main waste of our daily life is the plastic waste and hard to avoid to use plastic. Then she decide to use the homemade product to reduce to buy the product in the store, for example toothpaste and body butter. She also brings her own containers when she buys somethings each time.

Honestly, this type of lifestyle maybe really can save money and reduce to produce the waste. However, it is hard to promote to public. The main reason is that everyone want to be the be convenient. For example, the people would like to buy a drink in store rather than bring the bottle to fill the water in outside because the cost is not high for them and bring the bottle is quite inconvenient to them. Moreover, for the normal office hour working, they do not have so much time to do the handmade product.

Therefore, the concept of the zero-waste lifestyle is good, it is hard to promote to everyone. What we can try to eliminated to produce the waste.