A Home Of The Future
Stephanie P.
Living Room
Full View
Front View
My house is located in the Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome in Canada.
Feston Rose Plant
This is an example of plants that will be in the house. It needs little care, can handle water shortage and burning heat conditions. It purifies the air and leaves a nice scent.
Yellow Goddess
Parlor Ivy
How this home will be a "Green" environment:
-Have energy-efficient insulation, such as insulating concrete form.
-Have low-flow toilets, faucets, and shower-heads.
-Numerous windows to bring in more light
-Have biodegradable cleaning products.
-Reusable products such as glass plates and washable plastic containers.
-Use some recycled products such as bags
-Plant trees and shrubs on the west side of the house so that it would block out the heat in the summer and its bare branches in the winter would let in the heat.
Home Waste Management Systems
- Compost Bin
- Reduction and Reuse- Items purchases will be limited, therefore less waste. Other items, such as boxes can be reused for storing items, and create less waste as well.
- Recycling Bin
- Garbage Chutes
What will be farmed in the Garden:
I would have a small greenhouse so that I can plant vegetables that I use for cooking frequently and so that I can grow them in the winter and spring as well. In the winter it would be strawberries (native to the home's Biome), in the spring it would be blueberries(also native), in the summer I would grow tomatoes and potatoes(non-native), and in the autumn I would plant onions.
The greenhouse would look like this.
Pesticides and Fertilizers
I would not use pesticides because they are hazardous to human health. They cause skin and eye problems, vomiting, dizziness, and on long-term can cause leukemia, lung and brain cancer. Pesticides also frequently contaminate the food they're sprayed on, water, and air.
I would use organic fertilizers such as cow manure, compost, or grass clippings. I find this the most effective because it improves the soil, is safe for the soil, and environmentally friendly. I would avoid chemical fertilizers because they are made from non-renewable resources, do not sustain the soil, can over-fertilize the plants, and constant use of them can help release greenhouse gases.
Mode of Transportation in Driveway
A bike and two-person electric car. The bike is for commuting to nearby places using little energy and a car for long distances. I would park be an electric car because it is the most energy-efficient and least impacting on the environment than other types of cars. It would also be a two-person car because I would be living by myself, and needs to be smaller.
Sponsored At The Local Zoo:
I would sponsor the Javan Rhinoceros because there are less than 40 of them in the wild. They have lost most of their habitat, are poached for their horns, and are subject to diseases. Its subspecies, the Vietnamese Rhino, was completely wiped out in 2010. It is one of the most endangered large mammals in the world.
Hazardous Chemicals in Home
Bleach- As a household item, it is used to whiten clothes or remove stains, a disinfectant and is often kept in the kitchen or bathroom. Chlorine is in most bleaches. Breathing in or coming in contact with bleach causes headaches, stinging eyes, vomiting, skin cancer, and nervous system damage. Drinking bleach will create nausea, delirium, coma, and possibly death.
Gasoline- A liquid used for fuel in primarily vehicle engines, lawn mowers, or leaf blowers. Physical contact, inhalation, or indigestion of gasoline is toxic to the human body. Gasoline poisoning induces dizziness, unconsciousness, vision failure, throat pain, vomiting (with blood) and convulsions.
Isropropyl Alcohol- A liquid used for sanitation and as an antiseptic for scrapes and cuts, commonly known as rubbing alcohol. It is highly toxic and flammable. Severe doses of Isropropyl alcohol produces heavy breathing difficulty, coma, and serious gastritis.
Isropropyl Alcohol
It is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Carbon
Light Bulbs For Home
I would have LED light bulbs in my home design because they save a lot of energy, and last longer than other light bulbs.
Source of Electricity For Homes
- It saves money on electricity bills, as the sun's power is free.
- It is sustainable- solar power is a renewable energy source, and will provide nearly limitless energy. It also does not create any pollution and are environmentally friendly; it doesn't harm anything.
- It needs little care or support after it's set up.
Home Appliances
The appliances I would use are EnerStar clothes washers, dehumidifiers, refrigerators, freezers and dish-washers. I would choose these appliances because they take up a lot of energy and are important/used frequently. Also, choosing EnerStar appliances will increase their efficiency and make them more eco-friendly.
Physical structures that make the house more energy efficient:
Low-E windows (which help balance temperature inside a house; cuts down heating costs by 20%)
Recycled wood/plastic composite lumber (used on the porches, decks and fences). It is sturdier and more enduring than regular wood. It is better protected against mold and rot as well.
Recycled steel to build house frame. Reduces amount of energy and trees to build house. Is more ductile against earthquakes.
Rooftop Gardens- Insulates the house during winter and consumes storm water, lowering water pollution from city runoff.
Technology Developed Due To Space Exploration:
The Portable Cordless Vacuum
It was created by Black & Decker Company for the Apollo and Gemini missions. During 1963-1972, NASA needed a lightweight, self-sufficient drill adequate for removing core samples underneath the moon’s surface. Black & Decker was hired, and created a program to develop the drill’s motor layout. This program began the production of a small cordless vacuum cleaner named the “Dustbuster”, in 1975.
Freeze Drying Technology
For long period Apollo missions, NASA needed ways to preserve space food. One idea was Freeze Drying, originally evolved from Nestle in 1938. Then marketed by Action Products, the food is first cooked, frozen right after, and then gradually heated to extract the ice crystals from the freezing procedure. The final result of the food contains 98% of its nourishment.