I’m a big fan of environmentalism that doesn’t change the way we live. Mainly because I think it’s just impossible to get the majority of people to make sacrifices for something that they can’t see as tangible. Any effort by the rest of us is pretty meaningless if the majority isn’t joining in.

I’m also a big fan of architecture and architectural engineering. And science.

That’s why I’m so fascinated by the developments that continue to take place with materials sciences and all of the interactivity between architects and other engineering fields that are working to incorporate energy producing and/or green technologies into new buildings.

A recent article in Wired called Scrubbing Bubbles Hit the Streets talks about a concrete that can break down vehicle exhaust. The “Dives in Misericordia church” in Rome is one example of a building made of self-cleaning concrete. The more expensive material was chosen not because of it’s green properties, but because of it’s self-cleaning properties that would help keep the ultra-white facade of the building pristine for years to come.

The Dives in Misercordia Church

The proposed Freedom Tower, proposed to replace the World Trade Center buildings, will have a wind farm, solar farm, and employ energy efficient technologies all in an effort to reduce it’s impact on the environment. You can read a Wired article about that here. Putting a wind farm on top of a skyscraper just makes sense. It certainly doesn’t make the skyline any less attractive, especially if the turbines are incorporated in narrow tunnels inside the building. Along with solar windows and natural lighting tubes that feed sunlight throughout the building, the impact of these buildings can be greatly reduced.

The Proposed Freedom Tower

Last week HGTV ran a show called I Want That! that featured solar roofing shingles that look like shiny shingles. They actually look more attractive than the ugly black tar shingles you typically see on most roofs and they don’t appear to reflect more light than your average tiled roof, so they won’t blind your neighbors. With subsidies you could recoup the cost of the shingles in 7-10 years and they have a lifespan of 25-30 years.

It’s always fun reading about these projects and it makes you feel good about the future. However, without widespread adoption, we are right back where we started with little to no actual benefit. Hopefully the rising costs of fossil fuels, continuing government subsidies, and some economies of scale will combine to create the perfect storm for widespread adoption of even a few of the green technologies that are out there.

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