Why is global warming happening? How green cities can make difference?
Living in society today, it’s hard to imagine a bright outcome for the fate of our planet due to global warming. We can reduce global warming in many different ways. One of them is to create sustainable green spaces in cities which will be a positive impact on our changing climate. We would like to share with you our case studies and efforts on providing sustainable green spaces in cities as Lotus Design Studio Landscape Architects.
What is Global Warming?
The Earth’s average surface temperature is rising unnaturally and frighteningly fast, threatening to snuff out a staggering number of plants and animals in the very near future and have far-reaching impacts on human civilization — with many endangered species already feeling the heat.
Why is global warming happening?
Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface. Normally this radiation would escape into space, but these pollutants, which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter.
What is the impact of global warming?
The impacts of global warming are being felt everywhere. Extreme heatwaves have caused tens of thousands of deaths around the world in recent years. In an alarming sign of events to come, Antarctica has lost nearly four trillion metric tons of ice since the 1990s. The rate of loss could speed up if we keep burning fossil fuels at our current pace.
Perhaps the most overarching consequence of global warming is its devastating effect on biodiversity as it threatens to wipe out an astounding number of Earth’s plants and animals. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt completely, sea level would rise about 20 feet, leaving hundreds of millions of coastal residents — people, plants, animals — homeless.
How can Green Cities help to make difference?
A green city improves the environment, enhances rich biodiversity, reduces air pollution, prevents flooding, enables energy-saving and lessens the ‘Urban Heat Island’ (UHI) effect which causes global warming and helps cooling down the cities in warm periods.
A green city inspires people to harvest their own food in a sustainable way and to engage them in healthy outdoor activities. Research has widely demonstrated that gardening and harvesting can have a very positive social, economic and environmental impact on communities.
We would like to share some examples of our projects to provide some ideas about how we can reduce the impact of global warming as garden designers and landscape architects with a sensitive, innovative and sustainable design approach.
Our Case Studies;
AIPH Community Garden, 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition
The design concept is based on combining various functions of sustainability, ecology, landscape and air quality improvement.
It demonstrates how green spaces in cities improve the environment, society and health and focus more on what cities can do in a country where most people live in apartments and don’t have their own garden or outdoor space. The idea behind this is to encourage healthier and more sustainable living in cities.
This particular community garden (See here) resulted in not only beauty but function also leading to benefits for their inhabitants and the environment
The Green Oasis Garden, EXPO Antalya
This particular project encompasses the value of “living green” and investing in sustainable spaces is vital. The garden included twenty-one large specimen trees, water fountains, a green roof, a rain garden, a pool, solar panels, edible plants and more. The garden allowed solutions for environmental problems and now complies with positive principles of social and ecological sustainability. See more here
Natural Treasure Show Garden, 2019 Taoyuan Agriculture EXPO
The design concept is based on showing visitors that contemporary gardens in the city can be environmentally friendly, with a sustainable design approach that uses a combination of ethically sourced materials, permeable surface, eco-friendly plants and innovative technology to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance habitats for wildlife.
Read more about the project here.
‘Our First Home, Our first Garden’, Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2012
You can make a big difference even in small spaces! This particular project had a small budget and a limited space. Using recycled materials such as reclaimed scaffold boards, recycled ceramic gravel and a salvaged part from a Model Ford T as a sculpture provided a low carbon footprint as well as low budget. This sustainable garden won a Gold medal and Best in the ‘Low Cost, High Impact’ category by RHS.
See the final look here.
With every project we take, we focus on creating high-quality, innovative, eco-friendly and sustainable spaces that benefit users and also the environment. Alongside that, we also contribute to planting trees in Madagascar to ensure we are doing what we can to reduce our carbon footprint and making the world around us a more sustainable and eco-friendlier place to be, to learn more about the initiative and how you can get involved visit www.n0co2.org.