Increased Temperature

The global climate changes quite obviously for me. When I was a child, the winter usually comes in November and leaves in around March in Hong Kong, which means the Chinese New Year is always freezing for me. We have to wear lots and lots against the cold weather. However, the temperature rises abnormally. It’s like 30 something degree in the previous Chinese New Year that has never happened before. I hope people can be signified by such temperature rise and then play more attention to what they can do to maintain a sustainability for our next generation.

 The temperature rise, not only in HK, is noticeable in Australia too. Study has shown that Australia’s annual temperature will increase 0.4-2.0°C above 1990 levels by the year 2030 and maximum 6°C by 2070. Several folds in human emission of greenhouse gases is a main reason for such rise. It is interesting to know that Australia is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of global warming in the next 50 to 100 years. Firstly, as Australia is dominated with arid areas with high rainfall variability, the high temperature may worsen the water supply problems in shortage areas. In addition to this, the Great Barrier Reef, which is an important tourism spot, may encounter disappearance due to the increased temperature. Higher temperature may deteriorate the bushfire hazard in central Australia too.

References:

1. Preston, B.L.; Preston, R.N. (2006)."Climate Change Impacts on Australia and the Benefits of Early Action to Reduce Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions"

2. http://my.whirlwindsteel.com/blog/bid/378458/Stay-Safe-During-Hot-Weather-Construction-Projects

Importance of public transport

Public transport is an efficient element for a sustainable society as transportation contributes to a big sector in the personal greenhouse gases emission. Reduce the car use seems difficult for people live in Sydney. In this age, with the ease of affordability and availability of having a motor vehicle, young adults buy car when they come to an age of 18. When I went to a high school for site visit, I saw some high school students already have their own vehicles, which surprise me a lot as in Hong Kong does not have such culture.

According to a research taken in 2012, over 71% adults aged 18 who travelled to work or school by their own vehicles. On the contrary, less than 20% Australians used public transport. Statistics in Sydney shows the similar percentage to the national number. Compared to Sydney, prevalence of public transport is seen from Hong Kong. Hong Kong has the most sophisticated transport system in the whole world. More than 90% of population take public transport for their daily travels. The octopus card system plays an essential role for this glorious result. Considering such electronic payment system makes the public transport experience more convenient, we can wish the opal card that can encourage Australian residents to use public system.

Inconvenience, comfort, privacy and no service available are the main reasons that people in Australia tend to travel with their own cars. Therefore, in order to make a more efficient transportation method, there is a need for the government to design a system with more alternatives and deepness.

References:

1. Use public transport

http://www.sustainablelivingguide.com.au/transport/use-public-transport

2. 4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, July 2013  

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features40July+2013

3. Car Travel in Sydney:

Changes in the Last Decade

file:///Users/horruschung/Downloads/car-travel-mar-2005.pdf

4.  Lam, William H.K. [2003] (2003). Advanced Modeling for Transit Operations and Service Planning. Elsevier publishing. ISBN 0-08-044206-4

Is that possible to live without electricity?

Everything human do cause pollution to the environment, even we breathe, we expire CO₂, which is a green-house gases. And when we brush our teeth, the chemicals in the sewage cause water pollution. When we cook our breakfast, we need to use electricity, which is in fact generated from burning fossil fuels that is non-renewable resources. Let alone those events we do after we go out from our apartment, we drive, which emits air pollutants, we work with our computers, which takes electricity to recharge, etc.. Born in this urban age, is that possible for anyone of us to go back and SURVIVE without electricity? From my birth, there were two times that I use least electricity, first is an electricity outage, second is the site visit last semester.

Last semester I went to South West Rocks for my studio’s site visit. That was a nightmare to me during the first two days. There are no lighting devices after 6. After it’s dark, we cannot do anything except sleeping or playing with our phones. And there is only one power outlet for a tent that carries 8 people. What makes things worse is the location of the site, which is a cliff next to a river mouth connects to the sea. This makes the breeze freezing to us at night. The tent shakes with annoying noise and the breeze sneaks into our tent through gaps underneath. This is simply a terrible experience. And after I go there, I finally realize that I am a patient of terminal Internet addiction. I felt choking without living with my computer.

I find this a valuable experience after the first two days. Living without electricity shows myself how much I rely on modern technology. When I get back, I searched online how can I live without technologies and electricity, the suggestions are quite close to the discomfort I experience in South West Rocks. The most important thing is insulation and lighting. The website remind us that as we don’t have electrical heating device, we need to insulate our building well. And for lighting, it advises us to use kerosene lantern. Alternative electricity generator such as solar panels, hydropower system and bicycle generator are suggested. For food, livestock is a good choice. We can make can food, dry fruit and dairy product such as cheese to preserve to redundant food we get.

The website is quite interesting and useful to some extent.

http://www.wikihow.com/Live-Without-Electricity

But for me, what do I need to do first is to reduce the time I use computer for entertainment as if I continue wasting time without studying, the materials I consume will really become destructive and non-sustainable. Making my life meaningful is also a way to be sustainable.

References:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/witnesskingtides/8378058623/

https://wanderingwrites.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/day-13.jpg

Between city and the natural environment

Hong Kong is a condensed and highly urbanized place. But as opposed to what most people think of, this city, which impressed people with tones of tall building and high population, has green space that carries 70% of total area. This 70% land is mostly hills and green land. In addition to this, Hong Kong locates at the path migratory birds have to pass through from summer to winter. Therefore, in order to differentiate these two types of land use, the Hong Kong Wetland Park is constructed in New Territories for such purpose.

As I am a NT residence, I have visited the Wetland Park for numbers of times when I was a child. Going into an air-conditioned space after exercising in a hot weather feels great for me. The Park, where I enjoyed watching lots of special birds other than the air-con., in fact carries more qualities than I can expect as a 10 years old kid.

During the semester break this summer I revisited the Park with my girlfriend. This Park differentiates the urban context with the natural wetland into three parts, the building body for exhibition, the intermediate space with access and introduction to wetland, and finally the inaccessible wetland space where we can only look at it. In addition, path in the space doesn’t have handrail in order to encourage the interaction with natural space.

The building itself is designed for sustainability as well. Reinforced concrete with grey colour, although seems to be boring by itself, enhances the natural colour of plants and water. The building façades are a clear double level glazing, allowing visitors to look through into the wetland. The roof is a gentle slope filled with lawn and tree. At the top of this slope roof is a panoramic view to the wetland, reminding the beauty of the environment.

It feels good for me that Hong Kong has a building that concerns the need of sustainable design.