The Green Apple

THE GREEN APPLE
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The Green Apple
Technological advances are aiding in the creation of ecologically sustainable architecture particularly in the New York City. The Green Apple case study bases its arguments on the technological optimism theory as discussed in The Limits to Growth by Meadows and colleagues. The issues of concern that bring up conflicting opinions in the Green Apple revolve around pollution levels, waste production, and ecological dangers. As demonstrated in episode 2, technological advances have helped the people in the New York City to expand sustainably. The Green Apples attempts to address the concern of Meadows and colleagues that Technological Optimism can be dangerous to the environment.
The Green Apple insists that its Technological Optimism does not pose any danger to the environment since people can still grow within their limits. I other words, humans can utilize the advances in technology to grow within their limits. It is true that technological advances in the past have made people try to break their limits instead of trying to develop within those limits. However, times have changed, and now the New York City demonstrates that the advancement in technology neither insinuates environmental pollution nor breaking of limits. The Green Apple has made a good effort as in case study 1 to show that some claims about Technological Optimism are false and that technological advancement is providing better ways for people to achieve genuine sustainability within their limits.

PBS’s Design e2 of The Green Apple has shed more light on the way the New York City is leading the way of environmental sustainability through technologically advanced buildings. Good examples of these buildings in the New York City are the Byrant Park and Four Times Square. The buildings’ architecture and material usage give a useful idea to the rest of the world on how to ensure environmental responsibility. Human lifestyle can be changed to ensure a sustainably less eco-stress. The architects of these buildings have indicated that technology the Technological Optimism theory can be applicable in today’s ecological world without posing any danger to the environmental sustainability. Slag, for instance, replaces concrete which is a high carbon emitter thereby an environmental pollutant.
The first episode of PBS TV show also supports the idea of creating eco-friendly skyscrapers and apartment buildings. Besides the New York City buildings, the Bank of America’s upcoming building is also discussed in detail. The design of this building is done in such a way that it can recycle its water and contains filters that filter some of the city’s air. These buildings and skyscrapers also face opposition from the political class who are using the Public Goods Theory to oppose their construction. These buildings address the aspects of the Public Goods Theory very well by providing the public goods for selecting group and private goods to the entire community. The Bank of America’s new buildings will contain an efficient water system for filtering and recycling water as well as an air filtration system to filter air thereby ensuring that people inhale clean air. That shows that as much as the building utilizes private goods, it also creates a public good as well in the form of clean air. There is also no point of resource overuse with this new building’s since there is no way this clean air can be overused.