Dubai has built a sustainable community called “The Sustainable City”, consisting of 500 villas. By having a net zero carbon footprint, the city hopes to slow climate change. As well as providing environmental benefits and supporting residents’ wellbeing, the city has many other amazing features. The city sets an excellent example for what other cities…
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Offshore turbines capture wind energy from above the ocean surface. The majority of offshore turbines are situated in deep waters, so engineers are developing technology to anchor the turbines down while allowing them to float. Coastal environments are naturally breezy, therefore, it is the ideal spot for harnessing wind energy. Offshore wind turbines produce more…
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Climate Change has far reaching impacts. One surprising effect of climate change involves coral reefs. Since the late 19th century, the ocean temperature has risen by 1.3 degrees celsius. Changing ocean temperatures can negatively affect coral. This can cause coral bleaching, where coral loses its vibrant color. Although coral can survive after bleaching, it is…
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Solar power is becoming more and more prevalent. The University of Massachusetts has made great efforts to include solar energy on campus. The University has been creative in the way they place and utilize solar power. First, the university has installed solar panels in the parking lots. UMass has many parking lots due to the…
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Sustainable buildings are important to fixing our energy expenditure problem, because 40% of our global energy expenditure is from buildings alone. Globally, architects are trying to incorporate sustainability into their construction. The University of Massachusetts has its own collection of sustainable buildings that meet the LEED standards. Some of the buildings with this designation are…
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UMass has made efforts on campus to grow food sustainably. A significant example of this is the UMass permaculture gardens. A permaculture garden produces crops and is not harmful to the ecosystem. The garden regenerates itself from year to year. Permaculture gardens take advantage of previously natural resources. Soil health is a goal of permaculturists.…
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Biomimicry means taking ideas from nature and incorporating them into modern engineering, technology and chemistry. For example, most plants get their energy from sunlight and we get our energy from burning fossil fuels. Doing so would help us reduce the use of toxic chemicals and the amount of pollution. We should look to nature to…
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The University of Massachusetts Amherst was named number one in collegiate dining by the Princeton Review for the sixth year in a row. In addition to having great food, the university of Massachusetts tries to source its ingredients sustainably and locally. The university participates in the real food challenge. That means at least 20% of…
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Sustainable Shrewsbury 