Essay on "Glasgow Will Be Hosting"

/>

Energy

Energy and carbon dioxide emission are the most important categories with respect to the Code for Sustainable Homes. Since the aforementioned factors are dependent on each other, they are considered to be one category. The importance of this category cannot be underestimated since the percentage of carbon dioxide emission reflects the sustainability of a construction project, in this case the Athletes' Village. The approach that will be used to make the construction of the Athletes' Village is a sustainable is to make use of the renewable energy sources. The use of solar panels and that of wind energy has been recommended by the Code and is included in the proposal of the project. The estimated power demand of the Athletes' Village is about 31.5 GWh. This suggests that use of fossil fuel is not enough, and other sources need to be used. As for the solar energy, the initial cost will be 6.3 million pounds, which is many-fold greater than the cost of fossil fuel. However, 1902 tons of carbon dioxide can be prevented from being emitted in the air. Also, this energy will become profitable in 13 years, which is as of now uncertain since factors that determine the efficacy can change in such a long period of time. The use of wind power and biomass is also recommended meeting the energy requirement. It is high yield to note here that the initial cost of wind energy is 5.5 million, and the payback is expected in 14 years. It will not be wrong to say that the cost-benefit analysis as of now will not support these approaches; however, they have an extremely positive affect on the environment since the amount of carbon dioxide emitted can be tremendously decreased by these approaches.

Water

The demand and supply of water and the use of the reclaimed water, all are considered important with respect to the Code Levels. The water supply will be attained from the River Clyde, and it is recommended that low flow fixtures are used so that water is conserved. It should be noted here that the reclaimed water can be used for sanitation and irrigation purposes later on. The uncertain area in this category is that the demand and supply of water are dependent upon personal habits of individuals. This suggests that there should be an urge among all the athletes, spectators and local residents to conserve the water and not use it excessively so that it does not get wasted. In order to provide attenuation, the sustainable urban drainage system also needs to be installed.

Building Material

A great amount of energy is wasted when the buildings are not well insulated. This is the main reason why especially attention has been given to the selection of building material. Structural insulated panel system (SIPS) has been included in the proposal since it has outstanding thermal properties. The CSH Level that has been awarded to this system is Level 6, which implies that 64.9 credits are awarded to this system. SIPS is also associated with decreased carbon dioxide production embodiment and build time. This implies that the construction cost will also be decreased, and the games schedule will also be met by making use of SIPS.

Waste

Site Waste Management Plan has been included in the proposal of this project. It should be noted that 3 credits are given when SWMP is implemented, according to the Code. However, the behavior of the community and that of the athletes and spectators is important in ensuring that things are properly recycled and reclaimed to conserve maximum energy.

Community

One of the issues that will hold significance in the sustainable construction of the Athletes' Village and even after the construction has been completed is that of the behavioral changes within the community. The awareness among the community about the Code for Sustainable Homes and the target of level 4 that needs to be achieved by 2014, and that of level 6 by 2016 needs to be created. Once the construction of the Athletes' Village is complete, and the Commonwealth Games have started, the community of Glasgow has to be involved in the 'Green Incentive'. This suggests that there are certain behavioral changes that will have to be adopted so that the emission of carbon dioxide is decreased. One of such adaptations would be the maximum use of public transport so as to reduce air pollution and conserve energy. However, it cannot be said as to how many people would be willing to give up their own transport for the sake of decreased carbon dioxide emission.

Conclusion

The Scottish government and the Glasgow City Council recently convened for a conference to discuss implementation of such methods that would yield positive results for sustainability and a healthier environment while the Commonwealth Games are held. Toward this end, it has been declared that the target amount of a minimum of 80% waste produced during this 11-day event will be reused or recycled.

This endeavour was jointly taken up by the two official bodies and the Games Partners who are working under the banner of "Go for Green" for Glasgow in 2014, an advent which has been met with encouragement and publicity using popular media like social networking websites and animated videos. The Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee and affiliated Partners have made it a high priority to support sustainability at all levels that may affect the city and its people;socially, economically or environmentally. Here, we focus on the environmental aspect of sustainability and methods through which it may be achieved.

The first of these is the reclamation of contaminated land through thorough cleaning of any venues that are affected by trash or harmful byproducts of the Commonwealth Games. This decontamination will be mandatory for all venues before they are to be used for other purposes, especially building.

One of the most enterprising solutions towards the reduction of harm towards the environment has been the upgrading of Hampden Park, a national football stadium, to a facility worthy of holding competitions among world class athletes. The SECC, also, will be converted into a stadium to hold a greater number of spectator sports instead of only being used as an exhibition centre. The merits of this are twofold: the economic cost of renovating existing facilities is much lower than constructing a new one, and the environmental strain involved in heavy construction will be cut back to a much less degree by opting for upgrades..

The NISA software and Velodrome will be introduced to a centre for sustainable energy designed to be built specifically for the Athletes' Village. These two technologies will help monitor the environmental situation of Glasgow during the competition.

There are 750 buildings to be used as homes in the Athletes' Village will be built with the help of low-carbon, energy-efficient materials The building and use of these eco-friendly houses will give off around 60% less carbon than usual, cutting down energy costs and encouraging environmental sustainability.

What finally remains is the tackling of probably the largest and most significant contributor to environmental depletion. This would be carbon and its compounds emitted by vehicles in such a busy time; carbon emissions concentration is sure to go up… READ MORE