Energy & Environment

"Politicians may hotly debate issues like security and the economy, but global warming, if left unchecked, will eclipse all other political discussions."  - Ross Gelbspan, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

This photo shows smog in Los Angeles, but Chicago and most other large cities also consistently violate federal air quality standards.  Cities have a problem known as the "heat island effect," which is caused by all of the equipment, lack of vegetation, and heat absorption of dark pavement and rooftops.  This phenomena can raise temperatures within the city by 8°F.  Cities also have high concentrations of air pollution, created by dense traffic and fossil fuel power generation.  Smog is caused when heat reacts with air pollution, and causes respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other health problems.  Therefore, to fight smog and improve health, we must reduce both the ambient temperature along with airborne pollutants.  This may seem like a "city-only" problem, but it affects the entire planet as wind carries these pollutants around the globe.

Within environmentalism, evarts' focus will be on conservation, clean/renewable energy, and urban planning.  America, with 5 percent of the world's population, consumes 25% of the world's resources and creates 25% of the waste and emissions.  Many people, myself included, believe it is imperative that we seriously consider alternative energies, planning models, and building technologies.

The automotive industry is the largest single source of the problem, however, manufacturing, transport, and heating and cooling of our homes and offices is also a big contributor.  The products we consume, the materials they require, and the distance they are shipped can all be redeveloped around a "True-Cost" economic model which takes into account costs on the environment, health, and other considerations which are currently overlooked when a product is priced.  A True-Cost model would provide the economic pressure necessary to encourage the development of green products and energies.

As global population and economies continue to expand, consumption and waste rise with them, so every day it becomes more important that we look for new ways to manage and protect our resources and environment.

There are many areas to look at, and much that can be done when considering how to improve the health of our planet.  evarts will explore, implement, and educate on the following sustainable design & construction strategies:

·         recycled materials

·      salvaged materials

·         renewable materials

·      low energy materials (in harvest, manufacture, transport & installation)

·     organic/low-toxin materials (in manufacture and use)

·     clean, renewable energies

·         construction methods which minimize waste and material consumption

·         construction methods and materials that produce more energy-efficient buildings

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"It is a win, win, win case.  You have a better environment, lower temperature, and you save energy.  This is not rocket-science type of business."

  -  Hashem Akbari of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (a rocket-science lab)

"We don't inherit the Earth from our parents, it is on loan to us from our children." - indigenous proverb

Myth/Distortion:   Developing ecologically sustainable technologies is costly to business and hurts the economy.

Reality:  Developing ecologically sustainable technologies creates good, high paying jobs - scientists, engineers, managers, skilled laborers - and over the long run, will save businesses and individuals billions of dollars.  It will also stem the illness and disease caused by toxins in our soil, air and water.  To offset costs, some of the subsidies to oil, coal and nuclear companies could go to green energy R&D.

We are not leaders but followers in this arena.  If we don't take action soon, these high-quality jobs will wind up in Germany and Japan.