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Building Eco-Friendly Communities

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EDUVALA, DENISE ABIGAIL
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14 views6 pages

Building Eco-Friendly Communities

Uploaded by

EDUVALA, DENISE ABIGAIL
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Module 10

Eco-Friendly Communities

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the essential components of an eco-friendly community


2. Conceptualize an eco-friendly community

Note to learners: This module contains useful links that will give you further explanation
about the topic.

INTRODUCTION

Most of us are living in communities that are very dependent on fossil fuels,
plastics, synthetic fertilizers, and other things that are not sustainable. We turn on our
smart TVs to binge-watch our favorite shows. We are so addicted to single-use plastics
because they are cheap. We eat foods largely produced by energy-intensive agricultural
practices. Most of the times, we do things without thinking that these simple activities can
directly or indirectly contribute to environmental problems that we have talked on the last
modules.

As organisms, we need to use and consume resources. Nature provides us with


what we need. But as the human population grows, resources become limited. How can
we cope with this problem? There is no magic pill for that, but there are lots of pills to
choose. One of these is by turning our community into an eco-friendly one.
LET’S LEARN!

When we are thinking about solving environmental problems, we become human-


centric – we worry about what we should do for us humans. We worry about where to
live, what to eat, and how to live. But as you have learned earlier, we cannot live on our
own. Oftentimes human lives weight more than any other species in the world in terms of
planning and decision-making. We need others; not only your family and friends but also
other organisms around you. We are talking about community and not just human
population only.

Community is an interspecific group of interacting population. And so, we should


keep in mind that planning to be an eco-friendly community involves other species too. It
is very difficult to solve human problems and environmental problems at the same time.
Mass unemployment, transport crisis, lack of basic services, and uncontrolled human
Credit: [Link]
population growth seems bigger problems than pollution, deforestation, and localized
extinction of species. But there are a number of communities that are managing and have
managed to solve both of these problems, and that is by going eco-friendly.

Our current community structure is not sustainable. And being eco-friendly means
being sustainable too. What makes an eco-friendly community? Let’s have a look at
Curitiba – an eco-friendly community in Brazil.

Credit: Pinterest

Aerial view of the City of Curitiba, Brazil. Curitiba has managed to harmonize human
settlements with nature.
Browse This
Read Frontier’s article about how Curitiba became Brazil’s most
sustainable city by visiting this link:
[Link]
sustainable-city

Watch This

Watch WRI’s video presentation


about Curitiba, Brazil by visiting this link:
[Link]

Mobility is important to a community’s inhabitants. It makes them productive by


reducing travel time, providing extra time for themselves and their families. It also makes
goods and services more accessible. Reducing travel time also cuts carbon emission
because vehicles spend less time being stuck in traffic while their engines run. Prioritizing
mass public transport increases mobility by reducing private vehicle volume on the road.
Bike lanes and spaces for pedestrians are also keys to mobility. In Curitiba, this was given
focus. There are other components that make a community eco-friendly.

As small towns grow, they became cities. Cities are where two-thirds of the world’s
population will live by 2050, but many cities are already straining at the seams with
immense problems on every level. And reading the word “city” makes our mind picture it
as crowded, polluted place with high-rise buildings and noisy thoroughfares. But cities
can become eco-friendly too. This is by evolving into what we called smart eco-cities.
Smart eco-cities combine ICT and green technologies to solve or prevent environmental
problems. This combination makes resource consumption more efficient and therefore
reducing waste and improving the city’s living condition.

Renewable energy sources are also vital for a sustainable eco-friendly


community. Some examples of renewable energy sources are biomass, hydroelectric,
geothermal, wind, and solar. Another renewable energy source that catches the world’s
attention is hydrogen fuel and some automobile companies like Toyota and Hyundai is
making progress in developing hydrogen-powered cards.

Watch This

Watch DW’s video presentation about


hydrogen-powered cars by visiting this link:
[Link]
A single source of renewable energy is not enough to satisfy the current demand
for clean energy and therefore a combination of the aforementioned renewable energy
source is needed. Europe is the leading continent in terms of shifting from non-renewable
to renewable energy sources. As mentioned earlier, mobility is an important factor in
making and sustaining an eco-friendly community. Spain is currently testing the reliability
of wind-hydrogen tandem to power its transportation sector.

Browse This
Read DW’s article about how hydrogen and wind
can power Spain’s cars by visiting this link:
[Link]
19330382

Efficient waste management is also very important. Wastes are by-products of


every system, natural or artificial. Nature has its own way of managing its wastes
efficiently. But human system produces wastes that overwhelm the capacity of itself to
the point that we dump our wastes outside it, causing environmental problems. How can
we efficiently manage our wastes? About 40,000 tons of municipal solid wastes are
generated by the Philippines alone in a day. Surely, the 3 Rs of proper waste
management are not enough. We need innovation in terms of waste management. And
a Southeast Asian country is efficiently managing its wastes by burning it. Yes, burning.
Guess the country. It’s Singapore. How?

Watch This

Watch Nas Daily’s video presentation about how Singapore


efficiently manage its trash by visiting this link:
[Link]

Where are we, in the Philippines, in terms of being an eco-friendly country? The
Philippines has among the highest trash collection rates in Southeast Asia yet it is the
world's third biggest source of plastic leaking into the ocean. Walking by the streets of
your community will tell you that. The Philippine government has legislated a number of
laws to address environmental problems but these are not enough. If we want the
Philippines to become an eco-friendly country, collaboration among the government,
businesses, and ordinary citizens is important.
Credit: Department of Energy
The Philippines has a long way to go in terms of shifting to renewable energy sources.
The infographic from Philippine’s DOE shows that the country will still be heavily
dependent on non-renewable energy sources.

There is a government-private megaproject that aims to be the Philippines’ first


sustainable green city – the New Clark City. Formerly known as Clark Green City, this
planned eco-friendly community is currently undergoing development and is located
within the Clark Special Economic Zone in the towns of Capas and Bamban at the Tarlac
province, Philippines. It has an area of approximately 9,450 and will accommodate up to
1.2 million people. It is managed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. It
is not an administrative city; rather it is a “business district” like the Bonifacio Global City.
Out of 9,450 hectares of the city, only 3,500 hectares will be developed, leaving the rest
for green and open spaces, making it a green city.

The BCDA signed a 50-year contract with Filinvest to develop the 288 hectares of
land allocated for the project. BCDA also managed to make partnership with foreign firms
to develop Clark Green City such as Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corp.
which plans to connect Clark Green City to Manila as well as surrounding cities by rail,
and IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute which will assist the BCDA to come
up with "smart and disaster-resilient" features for the planned community. In July 2020,
the BCDA and the Department of Agriculture are planning to put up an Agro-Industrial
Hub in New Clark City aimed to support farming communities, and strengthen food
security in Luzon. The New Clark City promises an opportunity for people to live and work
in a city that is safe, prosperous and sustainable while caring for the environment.

Common questions

Powered by AI

Transportation systems can support eco-friendly communities by prioritizing public transport, creating bike lanes, and using reliable renewable energy sources. Curitiba's efficient public transport reduces vehicle emissions, while Spain explores wind-hydrogen power tandem for transportation. Such systems improve mobility, reduce pollution, and integrate renewable technology, thereby supporting sustainable urban environments .

An eco-friendly community integrates sustainable practices across various domains, focusing on reducing dependency on fossil fuels, plastics, and non-renewable resources. Essential components include prioritization of public transport, implementation of bike lanes, renewable energy sources like solar and wind, efficient waste management, and maintaining biodiversity by harmonizing human developments with nature. Curitiba, Brazil, exemplifies these features with its efficient public transport system and integration of green technologies .

Innovative waste management approaches, such as Singapore's incineration for energy recovery, can be adapted to the Philippines by improving existing infrastructure for trash collection and processing. Implementing waste-to-energy technologies and enhancing recycling and composting practices could significantly reduce the environmental impact of waste and aid in creating sustainable communities .

Cities transitioning to eco-friendly systems face challenges like managing increasing population, reducing pollution, and enhancing public transport. Strategies such as smart infrastructure, renewable energy integration, and efficient public transport systems alleviate these challenges by improving resource efficiency and reducing waste and emissions, as shown by the example of Curitiba .

Curitiba exemplifies sustainable urban planning by prioritizing public transport to reduce vehicle emissions, increasing mobility through bike lanes and pedestrian spaces, which also limits the impact on natural resources. The city effectively combines ICT and green technologies to create a harmonious living condition that reduces waste and resource consumption .

Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydrogen, are pivotal for reducing reliance on non-renewables and minimizing environmental impact. Europe leads in transitioning to renewable energy, exemplified by Spain's testing of a wind-hydrogen power system. Advances in automotive technology, like hydrogen-powered vehicles by companies such as Toyota and Hyundai, further exemplify the role of renewables in sustainable community development .

New Clark City aims to become an eco-friendly community by dedicating only a portion of its area to development, leaving significant green spaces. It plans to integrate sustainable infrastructure, including a transit system connecting to Manila, developed with international partnerships. The city will also feature smart and disaster-resilient technologies and incorporate an Agro-Industrial Hub to support local agriculture and enhance food security. These strategies illustrate a comprehensive approach to sustainable urban planning .

Smart eco-cities utilize technology by integrating Information Communication Technology (ICT) and green technologies to enhance resource efficiency, reduce waste, and improve living conditions. This technological integration facilitates real-time data monitoring for effective management of energy consumption, waste, and public services, offering scalable solutions to urban environmental challenges .

Collaboration among government, businesses, and citizens is crucial for comprehensive eco-friendly transformation. In the Philippines, despite high trash collection rates, ineffective management leads to significant plastic pollution. Collaborative efforts are needed to enhance regulation, implement innovative waste management, and shift to renewable energies to address environmental challenges effectively .

Efficient waste management reduces environmental pollution and enhances the sustainability of communities. Singapore exemplifies this by employing innovative waste management techniques, such as incineration to reduce waste volume and generate energy, thus addressing waste accumulation and pollution. This method complements the broader eco-friendly strategies essential for sustainable urban living .

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