Why is there so much energy wasted in big, rich, hot cities like Hong Kong? In part, it’s because real estate is so expensive that energy costs seem trivial, a tiny fraction of the building’s value. The main alternatives are oil, coal, nuclear, and renewables like solar. Little attention is paid to the “fifth fuel,” consuming less energy. This is surprising because energy efficiency and reduced consumption are relatively easy to achieve. A huge building boom is underway in developing country cities, so there’s plenty of opportunity to cut energy waste before blueprints become buildings. However, energy conservation and efficiency do have limits, so it’s important to seek new energy sources too. GR

CITY TECH BLOG
Impact of Climate Change & Alternative Energy Sources By City Tech Blogger Gamage Garusinghe
Climate change is one of the major topics everyone is talking about nowadays. The past two centuries have shown us in multiple ways the many impacts of climate change including the increase in atmospheric temperature, changing of the seasons, more precipitation in certain regions, more droughts in some