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Dockside Green
The green movement is catching on in many pockets of the world. This is especially true in the construction industry. Today's buzz words, which include global warming and zero emissions, are causing everyday people (not just celebrities) to look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Purchasing an environmentally-friendly home is a good investment for those who are concerned about their own health and the well-being of our planet. Based on this trend, entire districts, known as eco-communities, are being designed with green initiatives in mind. One of these communities is Dockside Green in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its goal is to become the world's first zero-emission neighbourhood.
Dockside Green is a mostly self-sufficient community along the harbour front of Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. The community is home to around 2,500 people and includes residential, office, and retail space. It includes a variety of environmental features, some of which are unprecedented.
The planners and builders of Dockside Green have the environment in mind with every choice they make. They ensure proper ventilation and guarantee residents clean air indoors. Interior and exterior building materials, such as paints and wood, are natural and non-toxic. One of these is bamboo which is used because it's very durable and can be grown without the use of dangerous pesticides.
Energy efficiency is one of the top priorities in eco-communities like Dockside Green. Not only do energy-efficient appliances and light fixtures reduce the environmental impact of heating, cooking and lighting, they also save residents money. Dockside Green claims that home owners use 55% less energy than the average Canadian. Though many residents are sharing space by investing in condo-style living, they have their own individual utility metres for electricity and gas. Studies show that people use around 20% less energy when they are billed for exactly what they use.
Eco-communities also take the future into account by recycling waste and reducing carbon emissions. At Dockside Green, waste water is treated and reused on-site for flushing toilets, and a biomass gas plant converts waste wood into a renewable form of gas for hot water systems, stoves and gas heaters. The community also reduces carbon emissions by using local suppliers for all their transport and maintenance needs, and residents are encouraged to use a mini transitsystem and join the community's car shareprogram.
The first two stages of development at Dockside Green were completed in 2011, and additional plans to increase sustainability are in the works. Similar green communities are now found all over the world, especially smaller ones known as ecovillages or "intentional communities". Most have 50 to 150 residents, all of whom are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and create a model for sustainable living in the future.
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bamboo noun | a woody plant that grows quickly without pesticides and has many uses |
| biomass noun | organic material or waste that can be used to make fuel |
| buzz wordnoun | a word that's popular at a certain time, especially in the media |
| carbon-dioxideor carbon(colloq.) noun | a greenhouse gas that's released when fossil fuels are burned |
| carbon footprint noun | a measurement of the total amount of carbon a person adds to the atmosphere by travelling by air, driving a car, using fossil fuel-generated power, etc. |
| car share program noun | a program that allows members to share one or more cars instead of buying their own car |
| durable adj. | strong, long-lasting |
| eco- prefix | related to the protection of the natural environment and ecosystems |
| eco-community orecovillagenoun | a community with environmentally-friendly buildings, technology, and energy sources like solar, wind, biomass, etc. |
| energy-efficient adj. | able to use less energy (esp. of vehicles, appliances, buildings, etc.) |
| global warming noun | increasing temperatures and the rising sea levels, melting ice caps, coral reef bleaching, unstable weather, etc. this is causing |
| green adj. | 1. concerned with protecting the natural environment and the planet 2. having the colour of grass |
| green initiativenoun | an effort to protect the natural environment |
| in the worksidiom | being developed now |
| non-toxic adj. | not harmful to people or the environment, esp. of chemicals, waste products, etc. |
| pesticide noun | a chemical used to prevent insects from destroying crops |
| self-sufficientadj. | able to function, or produce all that's needed, without outside help |
| unprecedentednoun | never done or achieved before |
| utility metrenoun | a device that records how much water, electricity or gas is being used in a house, apartment or building |
| ventilationnoun | the replacement of unclean air or smoke with clean air |
| zero-emissionadj. | releasing no waste products, esp. carbon-dioxide (or "carbon") |
生词表:
n.建设；修建；结构 (初中英语单词) n.投资；(时间等)投入 (初中英语单词) n.行星 (初中英语单词) a.加拿大的n.加拿大人 (初中英语单词) n.省；领域；范围 (初中英语单词) n.哥伦比亚 (初中英语单词) n.变化；多样(性)；种类 (初中英语单词) n.&a.内部地(的) (初中英语单词) n.活力，精力；能力 (初中英语单词) vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词) n.碳；(一张)复写纸 (初中英语单词) n.运输；流放 (初中英语单词) n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词) a.附加的，额外的 (初中英语单词) n.测量；尺寸；宽度 (初中英语单词) n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词) n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词) n.说明v.为…安排节目 (初中英语单词) n.警戒；护照；通行证 (初中英语单词) a.有害的 (初中英语单词) a.化学的 n.化学制品 (初中英语单词) n.机能；职责 vi.活动 (初中英语单词) n.装置；器具；策略 (初中英语单词) n.一套房间 (初中英语单词) a.每日的，日常的 (高中英语单词) a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词) n.团体；社区；公众 (高中英语单词) n.郊区；周围；条件 (高中英语单词) n.保证；担保 vt.允诺 (高中英语单词) ad.在屋里 (高中英语单词) n.效力；效率；有能力 (高中英语单词) n.电；电学；电流 (高中英语单词) n.保持；主张；保养 (高中英语单词) n.&a.&v.零售(商品的) (英语四级单词) n.&a.外表(的) (英语四级单词) n.照明，发光 (英语四级单词) a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词) n.老顽固 a.化石的 (英语四级单词) n.脚印，足迹 (英语六级单词) n.幸福；健康；福利 (英语六级单词) n.影响，作用；冲击 (英语六级单词) n.通过；运行；运输 (英语六级单词) n.温室，玻璃暖房 (英语六级单词) a.不清洁的；讨厌的 (英语六级单词)章节正文
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