The Pros And Cons Of Sustainable Cities

A sustainable city is a city designed with consideration of environmental impact, inhabited by people dedicated to minimization of required inputs of energy, waste output of heat, air pollution CO2, methane, and water pollution (A Sustainable City). In a world where society needs to be in constant motion to thrive, energy outputs are high and this equals pollution. There are some cities out there that have decided to look at the idea of reducing their energy outputs or find more efficient ways to create energy. These cities are called: sustainable cities. They are self-sufficient with their usage of energy and attempt to reduce pollution on environment. If humanity started to copy what some of these cities are doing than maybe there would …show more content…
Some people believe that there are no real alternatives that could sustain a city like fossil fuels do. There in fact plenty of alternatives to fossil fuels and one that is sweeping the planet is wind power (Small Wind Turbine, Big Difference | EniDay). Fossil fuels are an everyday resource used by people. It powers the trains, planes, and automobiles that help make cities run. Some people argue that cutting out fossil fuels, or even just reducing the amount used, would devastate the economy. Changing from fossil fuels to renewable energy forms would help the economy grow, by creating the jobs necessary to build the mechanics needed for forms of renewable energy (Potential for 1.9 Million Renewable Energy Jobs). This irrational train of thought poisons the minds of some. Another key problem with fossil fuels is its harmful pollutants it gives off. One of the key factors for a stainable city is to look at the topic of pollution and then find ways to help reduce …show more content…
They have also realized the benefits of public transportation. With the usage of public transportation, less people are driving individual cars and in turn less dangerous pollutants being emitted. People ask, “What is sustainable transportation?” well it is “A sustainable transportation system is one in which people’s needs and desires for access to jobs, commerce, recreation, culture and home are accommodated using a minimum of resources” (Plan / Transportation / Introduction). Public transportation helps create a sustainable city by minimizing resources while still helping the workforce and general population where they need to go. The usage of public transportation helps reduce the emissions of pollutants by using one transportation vehicle instead of multiple for individuals (Plan/ Transportation/ Introduction). This is an exact factor of sustainable cities, the ability to reduce harmful pollutants into the environment. Calgary’s main public transportation that is run by wind power which helps reduce emissions is the C-Train, also known as a tram (Calgary: Public Transportation). This tram system is used to transport people all over the city quickly and effectively. With this great system of public transportation, Calgary is a perfect example of a sustainable city. Its use of wind power to power a public transportation system that helps reduces dangerous pollutants, which is a key