I need a question for my dissertation on Zero Carbon schools or sustainable schools or just zero carbon?

Question

I want to do my post graduate dissertation on either sustainability in schools or on the topic of zero carbon. However i don’t have a question nor do i know what to investigate... i have a great interest in this field...and what to increase my knowledge. Can some one kindly help me with any ideas and suggestions or even questions which I could answer or investigate? My dissertation will be 10,000 words...so I need a good question. So I could investigate and evaluate the topic. Please help! Thanks

Answer 1

Zero  carbon is like perpetual motion... we can strive to get there but in the end it's almost impossible. I am a straw bale builder... and one of my goals has been to build a structure with the same or less total carbon foot print as the weight of the structure. The devil is in the details. To accurately measure the carbon produced is a task requiring extreme detailed record keeping.

All I can tell you is that off-setting carbon production in some form is the key. I now include landscaping as big offset to try to hit my goal. I've looked into "living roofs", but with my load bearing methods I think the weight would be too much, and everyone I've talked to says sooner or later they leak.

So, my "question" contribution is; How much Carbon off-setting can be Incorporated in the design to achieve zero carbon?

*A nice thing about schools is they are not always in session, so there is some natural carbon production reduction that other structure won't have...

Good luck with your venture, fight on!

Answer 2

Our World of Carbon

Carbon content in 10^9 tonnes

Earth's biomass 1,000

Atmosphere today 400

Yearly fossil fuel 7

Atmosphere 500M years ago   4,000

Atmosphere 2100* 800

*Estimate of carbon content of atmosphere in 2100 assumptions:

1. ever increasing consumption of fossil fuels

2. endless supply of fossil fuels

3. biomass of earth remains constant

4. no new technologies in next 100 years

Is the earth's biomass really constant? No new nuclear plants in 100 years? Can consumption really continue at this pace? If not, the 800 is too high.

Read this:

World oil supplies are set to run out faster than expected

Enviros should be happy about this news, but only if our government controls the price as it runs out so that big oil doesn't get too rich. What they don't understand is how prices work - nothing better to increase Detroit's fuel economy than a $10 gallon of gas.

Wish they would do something about the obscene profits of big ipod.