Title: City-Transport
Course: GG 22/23 Leuphana-Copy

Q: Energy and material consumption in buildings contributes to global climate change significantly.  Green architecture can reduce the tremendous impact that the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings have on both people and nature. According to the Center for Sustainable Development at the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings consume 25% of the world's wood harvest.

Question: What percentage of the world's total energy use can be attributed to buildings?
- 40 %
- 56 %
- 23 %
- 34 %
- 14 %
A: 40 %
Feedback: Did you know...?! Sustainable architecture needs to go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive planning, resource efficient building materials, and other aspects. According to the Center for Sustainable Development, buildings nowadays consume 40% of the world's energy need, 25% of its wood harvest, and 16% of its water. In the USA, the construction industry is the nation's largest manufacturing sector, representing over 50% of the nation's wealth and 13% of its gross domestic product. >> Learn more about this topic and visit the Sustainable Cities Institute.

Q: The general trend to urbanization and the further expansion of megacities seems stronger than ever before. Efficient energy supply and consumption are set to become central questions of the 21^st century. Mankind's energy consumption is rising continuously and presents enormous challenges for climate protection and energy supply.

Question: Although cities cover only 2% of the earth's surface, they are responsible for what percentage of the world's energy consumption?
- 31 %
- 75 %
- 43 %
- 56 %
- 17 %
A: 75 %
Feedback: Did you know...?! Although cities cover only 2% of the earth's surface, they are responsible for approximately 75% of the global energy consumption! One the one hand, the concentration of people, housing, and businesses can help reduce the consumption of resources and energy: More people can be supplied using the same means of transportation, they share energy sources and space through modern planning and service concepts. However, at the same time an efficient distribution of energy, access to public transportation, and sustainable building and housing options need to be considered in order to minimise the damage and to control the risks of climate change. Weather extremes like floods, storms, droughts, and heat waves together with water scarcity are already today serious problems for rapidly growing cities. >> Learn more about this topic and visit the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Q: Public transportation provides personal mobility and freedom. Access to public transportation allows people to get around in a sustainable way. However, many people in the U.S. and Germany rely on cars for transportation.

Question: What do you think? How many cents of each dollar does an average U.S.-American household spend on transportation?
- 3
- 9
- 34
- 16
- 11
A: 16
Feedback: Did you know...?! Owning a car is convenient but also quite costly. The average U.S.-American household spends 16 cents of every dollar on transportation. 94% of this share goes to purchasing, maintaining, and operating cars. This makes owning a car the largest expenditure after housing! Statistically speaking, a household could save approximately $9,700 by using public transportation and living with one less car. The high costs and the improved access to public transportation have already helped increase U.S. public transportation ridership by 35% between 1995 and 2012. >> Learn more about this topic and visit the American Public Transport Association.