Our carbon footprint & zero carbon cities

Today, global warming is a major threat to us all; we should all take up certain measures to reduce our carbon footprint. In case you do not know what a carbon footprint exactly is, it is the direct impact our activities have on our environment, as every resource we consume, leads of an emission of CO2. Right from the car we drive to the manufacturing of the clothes we wear.

There are several plans, ideas and inventions people have come up with and proposed in order to reduce the global carbon footprint. One of such ideas is the concept of having zero carbon cities. A zero carbon city runs entirely on renewable energy and in no possible way hurts the planet. There are two such cities that have been proposed at the moment. One is Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and the other Dongtan, which is situated in China.

Masdar City will accommodate 50,000 people and will run completely on renewable energy like solar and wind power. This carbon and waste free city will be powered by a large central photovoltaic power plant. Masdar City promises the highest quality of life with the lowest carbon footprint. All automobiles will be banned in this city and instead a mass public transit service will help people commute. The city’s wall will keep out the hot dessert winds and ensure the circulation of cooler winds across the city.

Dongtan is situated at the eastern end of Chongming and plans to house 80,000 people by 2020. This will be the second project for a zero carbon city, and the entire city will be linked by a self sufficient zero greenhouse gas emitting transport system. People will walk or cycle and use sustainable public transport vehicles for longer distances. Waste will be a major resource as everything in the city will be recycled.

The concept of zero carbon cities marks a way forward and could help us save the environment which we have ourselves destroyed. If these cities are a success it could make a significant difference in our battle against global warming.