What would a good city look like?
To make a better city, planners aimed at creating a city in which the insalubrious environment and social structure would be defeated by a reordering of physical and social arrangements, so that all the citizens could attain the benefits of beauty, community, and democracy. In Harvey’s opinion, the better city should confront on the postmodernist challenge to political economy, and deal with environmental sustainable.
However I think green buildings could make good cities, and also citizens will have a best quality of life. According to the World Green Building Council’s definition, “to significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and on the building occupants, green building design and construction practices address: sustainable site planning, safeguarding water and water efficiency, energy efficiency, conservation of materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.”The green building, which is sustainable in the built environment, can reduce environmental impact but also provide better buildings. The technologies associated with green buildings include:
-Energy conservation
-Water conservation
-Material selection
-Use of renewable materials
-Occupant health and indoor environment quality
-Site ecology
-Recycling
The green building can be residential, commercial, retail and industrial buildings. For example, the green building uses water-mining plant to recycle water on toilet flushing, watering the garden, and washing cars. The building also uses phase-change materials for cooling, automatic night-purge windows, wavy concrete ceilings, which saves a lot of money and become more sustainable.
The idea of green and healthy cities is becoming more important nowadays. The better city should be planed for health and well-being by planners, and they will mainly focus on service facilities, educations. The good city will also need to be safe in community, and make community more walkable, and has an urban design with exquisite streetscape. However the planner keeps developing new ideas of how cities should be changed, therefore the city will become more livable and sustainable in the future.
Reference:
Susan S. Fainstein, can we make the cities we want? The urban movement
Richard Reed and Sara J. Wilkinson (Oct, 2006) Green building-issues for the valuation process, Uiversity of Melbourne
还一篇。。。
打好环保比赛、创建绿色北京
尽管2008北京奥运会离我们还有3年之遥，但有一项规模宏大的特殊比赛已经拉开了序幕。这场比赛的参加者并非来自世界各国的体育选手，而是身处北京的每一位公民，比赛的场所就是我们身边的街区小巷。我想大家已经想到了我所说的这项特殊比赛，这就是"创建绿色北京、保护美好环境"。那么在这场环保大赛中，我们究竟要与谁一比高低？是繁华现代的洛杉矶、风光迷人的悉尼、还是古老神奇的雅典？都不是！比赛的对手就是我们自己，就是我们自身淡漠的环保意识。
几年前有幸在美国加州度过的一段时光，既让我享受了那里宜人的环境，更让我领略了当地人民高度的环保意识。每当说到城市环保，我的眼前总会浮现出加州那蔚蓝的天空、明媚的阳光、碧绿的草地以及嬉戏在树枝间的松鼠、彩蝶和百灵鸟。
记得刚到美国时，常去爸爸工作的美国地质调查局玩耍，每次均能看到许多人骑自行车上下班，而其中一位满头白发的骑车老人，引起了我的好奇。我问爸爸，"那个爷爷为什么总骑车上班，是不是没钱买车？"爸爸笑道："没钱买车？嘿，说出来吓死你，他可是世界上顶级的大科学家。要论钱，他可以买一个车队呢。" "那他咋不买车呢？骑车多累呀！" "他有车，但平时除非下雨或购物，一般不去开。在美国有许多人都是环保主义者，为了节约能源和减少汽车尾气对大气的污染，他们用实际行动倡导人们尽量少开车。而我们所居住的这座美国城市，还特别将每年的5月19日定成了'骑车上班日'，以支持和宣传这种有效的环保行为。"
后来，我还在经常的搭车出行中获知了他们的另一件环保趣事：在美国的许多州，政府为了鼓励大家多坐公交车或几人合用一辆车，以节省能源和缓解交通压力，在城市内一些主干道路上开辟有专门的'钻石车道'，只有乘坐了二人或二人以上的车辆才从此通过。美国人民这种自觉的环保意识和政府有效的环保措施使我从内心对他们充满了敬佩。并深刻地影响了我的环保理念。
回国后，常常有人问我："美国好吗？"我总会脱口而出："确实好！最好的是环境。"说句真心话，回国三、四年，美国那边同学和老师的面孔已经逐渐模糊，但加州那宜人的自然环境，却每每清晰地浮现在我的眼前，成为我最深的记忆和期盼故地重游的缘由，也成了我心目中北京环境的蓝图。2008奥运会为我们倡导和实施北京的环保提供了契机，北京能否有朝一日也拥有象加州那样美丽的环境？答案是肯定的。但需要我们以真正的环保之心和切实的环保行动去一步一步地实现。
从现在开始，如果每一位有车的朋友一星期可以少开一、两次车，每个让家长用车接送的同学一周能主动让家长少接送一两趟而改乘公车或骑自行车，我们就会有拥有更多的蓝天……。只要我们每一位北京市民都能够自觉的从身边的环保小事做起，加州的蓝天、白云和绿草地就会在北京安家，美国的松鼠、彩蝶和百灵鸟就会来北京落户。
涓涓细流可以汇成滔滔江海，片片绿叶能够造就莽莽森林。只要我们每一位北京市民都拿起手中的环保之笔，在我们所处的街头巷尾，为北京这幅美丽而古老的画卷添上自己的一抹绿色，就能使北京掩映在绿色的海洋中。让我们一起行动起来，用我们集体的力量来打赢这场环保之赛，向全世界展现一块最大的金牌，这就是"绿色北京、精彩奥运"。
Win Competition of Environment Protection for Beijing
Although the 2008 Olympics are still three years away, another special competition has already started in Beijing. This time, the competitors are not the athletes from all over the world, but the people living in Beijing. The special competition is not held in a stadium, but in every street and every corner of Beijing. I suppose some of you may have already guessed what the special competition is. Yes, it is the competition of protecting our environment and creating a green Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Someone may ask who is our rival in this competition? The modern Los Angeles, the charming Sydney, or the historic Athens? No, none of them. The real rival is ourselves. It is our bad habits of neglecting to protect environment in our daily life.
Several years ago, I was very lucky to have an opportunity to live in the United States for about two years. I not only enjoyed the beautiful environment there, but also appreciated the American people's active way of protecting their environment. Now, whenever the environment protection is mentioned, a beautiful view of California will arise in my mind: white clouds flying across the blue sky, green grassplot sprinkled with colorful flowers and small animals playing happily among the trees.
I remember that at the beginning of my coming to America, I often went to my father's working place, the United States Geological Survey, to have fun. Each time I found a lot of people riding bicycles to their offices. Among the cyclists, an old man with white hair attracted my attention. Curiously, I asked my father," Why does the old man ride his bike to work every day? Doesn't he have enough money to buy a car?" Father laughed, "No, not because of money. Actually, he is one of the greatest scientists in the world. He can afford to buy a motorcade if he likes. He is just an environmentalist and usually doesn't drive unless going shopping, or in bad weather. In America, there are a lot of environmentalists, who actively protect their environment. For example, in Palo Alto city we are living now, there is even a bicycle-to-work day on May 19th every year to encourage people to decrease air pollution caused by cars".
Later, I also learnt another interesting fact of environment protection there. In some states of America, in order to decrease air pollution, save energy and reduce traffic jams, state governments encourage people to take buses to work or to share a car among several people. They even set special "diamond lanes" in some main streets, which are only for the vehicles with 2 or more people.
The positive actions of American people and the effective measures the American government takes in environment protection fully won my respects and deeply affected my consciousness in environment protection.
When I was back in China, people often asked me: " What do you think of America?" I always bolt out:" Wonderful, especially the beautiful environment." Frankly speaking, after several years, the faces of my American teachers and friends have gradually faded away from my mind, but the blue sky, green grass and lovely animals in California often arise in my mind, and became my dream of visiting there again.
The 2008 Olympics provide us with the opportunity to publicize and practise environment protection in Beijing. Is it possible for Beijing to Is it possible for Beijing to become as beautiful as California? The answer is "yes", but the dream needs every Beijing citizen's full support and active moves to accomplish.
From now on, if every student who is driven to school can take bus or ride bicycle to school once a week, if every car owner goes to work in a car pool once a week, we can make a difference. If everyone can actively protect the environment in our daily life, the blue sky, green grass and lovely animals in California will appear in Beijing.
Tiny streams can combine into a vast ocean, small trees can together be an immense forest. Beijing is often described as a beautiful and aged picture. If every Beijing citizen adds a trait of green on the picture, the whole Beijing will become an ocean of green. Let us unite together to win the competition of environment protection in Beijing, and present the world a big gold medal. That is "Green Beijing, Great Olympics "
还一篇。。。。。。。。。。。。
Ladies and gentlemen:
good morning!
Today, my speech is "I am the part of the Green Olympics".
"Green Olympics" is one of the Three Themes of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Therefore the Beijing government had made a great effort in order to protect the environment, build more "Green project", keep the ecological balance, push the recycling economy, and protect the water resource. But if only the government take the action to realize the Green Olympics in 2008, its not enough. As a Beijing high school student, we should play an active role in the actions aimed at the realization of Green Olympics. So we should start it from ourselves, our family, our friends and other people around us.
In 2001, in the Moscow world trade center, when the former chairman of the International Olympic Committee, Samaranch had said: "Beijing, China!" As a Beijing citizen, as a Chinese, I had a great joy for my city, for my home country from the bottom of my heart! But after the excitement that Beijing had been succeed in the race to host the Olympic Game in 2008. I started to worry about the dusty air, the sandstorm, the polluted rivers and lakes; the streets without any green and whether we could successfully host the Olympic Games in 2008.
Four years later, today, we can see 229 day blue sky in one year, we can hardly catch a glimpse of the sandstorm, groups of wild duck comes back to Shishahai Lake in the spring, and all the streets are dressed in green. All these make me deeply believe that Beijing will surely succeed in 2008! And all these achievements are not only the result that made by the Beijing government, but also by the 14 millions Beijing citizens. As one of the 14 millions normal citizens, I am also adding my contribution to our Green Olympic!
I used to have a habit, which is to take two longtime showers every day. It was a big waste of water. One day, I saw a piece of news in Beijing Daily that about the lack of the Beijing water resource. Its said every year Beijing use up about 3.7 billions cubic meter of water. But Miyun reservoir only contains 0.77 billions cubic meter of water, and Guanting reservoir only contains 0.19 billion cubic meter of water. This shows we are really short of water now! After reading this news, I start to change my habit, and only take one quick shower each day. I have calculated that if everyone economizes one cubic meter of water during they are taking the shower in a month; the Beijing citizens will economize 14 million cubic meter of water in only one month! In 2004, as the Beijing Irrigation Apartment reported that since 2001 Beijing has succeeded in the application of hosting the Olympic game in 2008. Beijing government had started 26 programs in order to economize the water resource. After 3 years doing this, these programs have saved 0.437 billions cubic meter of water. Its as big as a four-sized Huairou reservoir! And now, in my daily life, in my family, we always think about protecting the environment and saving the resource whenever we doing what. The batteries, the aged newspapers, the empty glass bottles and all the recyclable garbage, we will classify them then put them in different trash cans; we make the most use of the nature light and shut off the electrical light conveniently; and when we shopping, we will bring a nylon bag with us instead of plastic bags; during the feast, I do not send any card in order to protect the forest resource; after washing the clothes, we wont dump the used water but use it to flash the toilet… All in all, we should start from every little thing around us to truly realize the "Green Olympic".
I still remember clearly that in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, when Liu Xiang stood up on the award platform, he was wearing a coronet, which made by olive branch. Does this green olive branch stand for the "Green Olympic"? Olive branch is the symbol of peace, and the Olympic Game is the carrier of the "peace". We should not just simply think, "No war is the meaning of peace". "Nature and human beings living in harmony" is also the root meaning of "peace". "Save the resource, protect the environment", this kind action of pursuing "Nature and human beings living in harmony", is the way that shows the core of the Olympian spirit. So we say, peace is the spirit of Olympic, Olympic is the carrier of peace, and "Green Olympic" means that we are standing in a higher platform to seek the peace.
So the "Green Olympic" should be started from every little things in our daily life, start form me, from the people that around me. Express the spirit of Olympic, publicize the theme of "Green Olympic", and let Beijing really reaches the "Green Olympic" in 2008. This is the responsibility of anyone who loves peace. And it is also the responsibility of our Beijing high school students!
Thank you!
September 11, 2005, in Beijing
绿色奥运我参与
尊敬的各位评委们、女士们、先生们：
大家好！今天我演讲的题目是"绿色奥运我参与"。
绿色奥运是北京2008年奥运会的三大理念之一。为此北京市政府无论是在环境的治理、绿化的建设、生态的保护、循环经济和水资源的保护与利用，都做了大量的工作。但实现"绿色奥运"仅仅靠政府行为是远远不够的，作为北京的中学生更应该积极的投身到"绿色奥运"的建设与宣传当中去。从我做起，从我的家庭做起，从我身边的朋友、同学做起。
2001年，当前国际奥委会主席萨马兰奇在莫斯科高声宣读："Beijing， China"的时候，作为一个北京人，一个中国人，我发自心底的为我们的祖国，我们的首都感到高兴。但在高兴之余，那灰蒙蒙的天空，那漫天的沙尘暴，那污绿的护城河，那见不到一丝绿色的街道，又使我深为北京能否在2008年成功办好奥运而感到担心。
四年之后的今天，一年之中有了229天湛蓝的天空，那滚滚的黄尘也早已不见，那一群群久违的野鸭也在春天飞回了北京的什刹海，街道也被绿色装点的生机勃勃。这一切不知不觉的变化都在回答着我，北京一定能办好2008年的奥运！而所有这些变化不仅仅是北京市政府的努力，更是在政府领导下的无数北京市民们努力的结果。作为这一千多万普通北京市民的一员，我也在为我们的绿色奥运贡献出自己的一份力量。
以前我曾有个习惯，每天早晚冲澡两次，而且冲洗时间特别长，很浪费水。一天，我在北京日报上看到了一则关于北京水资源短缺的文章，说北京市每年用水量大概是37亿立方米，而密云水库的蓄水量仅有7.7亿立方米，官厅水库的蓄水量仅有1.9亿立方米，水资源的供需矛盾十分尖锐。看到这则报道后，我开始改变我的习惯，每天只洗一次澡，尽量在很短的时间内洗完。我算了一笔帐，每人每月洗澡节约一吨水，北京市1400万人口将节约1400万吨水。据北京市水利局2003年统计数字表明，从2001年申办奥运成功后，开始实施市政府制定的26项节水措施，3年来节水达到4.37亿立方米，相当于4个怀柔水库。现在，在我的生活中，在我的家庭里，环保、节约的思想和行为时常都有体现。电池、报纸、玻璃瓶、油壶等可回收物，我们是分别处理、存放；购物、买菜的口袋使用尼龙口袋，基本不使用塑料袋；洗衣的水重复使用于冲洗马桶……而实现绿色奥运也正是应该从身边的这些小事做起。 爱爱英语学习网站
我们清楚的记得在2004年的雅典奥运会上，当刘翔登上领奖台时，他头上戴了一个由橄榄枝编成的头环。这绿色的橄榄枝不正是代表着"绿色奥运"吗？橄榄枝象征着和平，而奥运正是传递"和平"的载体，我们不能简单的理解"没有战争就是和平"。"人与自然和谐相处"也是"和平"最本质的含义。"节约资源、保护环境"这种追求"人与自然和谐相处"的具体行为正是奥林匹克精神的具体体现。所以我们说：和平是奥运的灵魂，奥运是和平的载体，绿色奥运是我们从更高的境界在追求和平。当伟大的精神被"平凡"广泛的具体化以后，这种精神就被弘扬和光大了。
看来"绿色奥运"应该从点滴做起，从我做起，从我周边的人做起。弘扬奥林匹克精神，宣传绿色奥运理念，让2008北京奥运真正做到"绿色奥运"。这正是每一个爱好和平、追求和平人们的义不容辞的责任。也是我们北京中学生的一种思想境界和追求。
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