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Preserving finite resources As architects and engineers, we need to be on the front line in the campaign against inefficiency and waste.
I just listened to an excellent edition of National Public Radio’s TED Radio Hour titled “Finite,” which speaks of the way in which we, as a civilization, are squandering so many of our resources. The episode begins with a lengthy description of two of the most perilous issues facing human civilization – water and oil. Forget about global warming for a moment, think about a planet without either water or oil.
Ed Friedrichs
short period of time before they become broken and tossed in a landfill. That’s not a very effective chain of events when you add in the cost of fuel profound effect on the usage and preservation of precious natural resources.” “As architects, engineers, designers, developers and building materials manufacturers, we can have a
A Stanford University professor I heard speak a few years ago tackled the controversial topic of the connection between carbon dioxide and global warming, but he declared his deeper concern was the finite deposits of complex hydrocarbons on our planet, formed over millions of years, with no way to replenish the supply. We use petroleum for much more than burning it for power. An example from the TED talk described oil being pumped out of the ground in Saudi Arabia, refined in a neighboring country and shipped to China where it is used for plastic to manufacture children’s toys. These toys are shipped around the world, frequently used for a
See ED FRIEDRICHS, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 16, 2017, ISSUE 1183
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