Low-carbon not distant dream

Every World Expo aims to alter the world's perception. So too does the Shanghai World Expo.

The theme "Better city, Better life," which make cities the focal point for the first time in the history of the Expo, is not only in line with the fashion of urbanization, but also brings with it the concept of "low-carbon" life.

The ideas presented at the Copenhagen summit on climate change put forth the concept of "low-carbon" living in the abstract, but upon entering the Shanghai Expo Site, you will learn what it means in practice.

"Low-carbon" living is embodied nearly everywhere in the Expo Site, from design, construction, energy-use and the displays of the future life about which people have been dreaming.

The Vanke Pavilion is built by cornstock boards. It cuts the air conditioner's work load by maximizing the natural wind's effect to lower energy consumption.

The Meteo World Pavilion was designed to save energy and reduce emissions, and all the materials can be recycled. It has "breathing skin," which was constructed with a membrane structure, and a mist fountain to lower temperature, save energy and protect the environment.

The Danish Pavilion prepared 400 bicycles for visitors in order to promote a healthy and environmental way of touring. Visitors ride bikes to climb the 12-meter-high Pavilion spirally due to its shape.

Apart from showing "low-carbon" in buildings' design and construction, visitors could also easily feel it in ways of lifestyle.

There are more than 1,000 alternative-energy vehicles running in the Expo Site with 300 of them are super-capacitance and only-capacitance automobiles, and 200 of them are fuel cell cars. All of these automobiles help Shanghai World Expo to realize zero-carbon emission. Part of the water for more than 30 environment-protecting public toilets in the Expo site is collected from rain by Sunny Valleys on the Expo Axis.

With the high speed of urbanization, people around the world have realized what kind of future it will be if we keep consuming energy too quickly and destroying living environment. While, from Shanghai World Expo and its theme, we can figure it out that a better life and better future is, actually, close to us.

By People's Daily Online