Thought question:

Waikoloa Village was created as affordable housing for those working at the resort hotels on the coast. How have gentrification and vacation rentals changed this? How would you fix it, and how would that impact what you might see here in Waimea?

http://physics.hpa.edu/physics/apenvsci/videos/e2_videos/e2%20design%201/1%20green%20apple.mp4

e2: NYC The green apple

1. Why is it confusing to think of NYC as an ecosystem?
2. Why does it make sense to say it is the "most efficient" ecosystem?
3. Why is per capita a more accurate measure than pollution per square foot?
4. What is meant by the “individualization of consumption”?
5. How does mass transportation change this equation?
6. Why did the guy who moved into the country gain weight?
7. A wise person once said that the greatest cities are those built with walking in mind. How is this different in LA?
8. What uses more energy in this country: cars or buildings?
9. Is this energy used in operation or construction?
10. The old house may seem more efficient, why and why not?
11. Why would a skyscraper be more energy efficient than a smaller building?
12. How did “environmental” become “smarter”?
13. How was 4 Times Square a prototype? What other prototype buildings do you know of?
14. Why are these projects useful beyond their occupants?
15. “A major real estate developer” vs. “tree huggers” is a common argument. How was this different?
16. The e2 series is all about smarter, intelligent building, transport and others. What things are combined in the e2 series?
17. 4 Times square set a high bar to reach, how did this impact the next project next to it?
18. Why is glass historically so inefficient, and how is it different in the energy lab glass? (hint: look up double glazed glass). Is this just an energy issue?
19. Transparent PV panels enable energy harvest on both sides. How would this change the frit concept?
20. Walt Whitman is brought in-ties this into one of the quotes from our earlier weblog.
21. “Crazy” ideas are often the route to progress. Here’s to the crazy ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjgtLSHhTPg
22. “Blast furnace slag” and fly ash are used for the concrete in the film. Why is fly ash banned in Europe?
23. Instead of using drinking water to flush toilets, they use what? Have you seen things like this elsewhere?
24. In Germany, owners are taxed on the runoff from their roof and driveway. When they create a garden, tax officials show up in blue coats to measure the gardens for a change in taxes. How is this NYC project similar?
25. Why is a 5 year ROI basic business sense?
26. How is the payback calculation different in Europe and Japan?
27. What is the most expensive part of operating a building?
28. Look up “sick building syndrome” and explain how it relates to these projects
29. What parts of the Living Building Challenge resonate with this video?
30. How does the lady define “sustainability”
31. We learned about “transit time” for rain water. How does a smart roof impact this, as well as energy costs for the building beneath it?
32. What would make you want to live in the Solaire, near Battery Park?
33. What are the blue things on the side of the building?
34. We are 4.6% of the global population, consuming how much of the world’s resources?
35. Climate change and other challenges can create a “culture of helplessness”. What steps can you take as a voter, a consumer, and as one who understands and can explain sustainability to others?