The Red, White, and Green

Photo via Flickr: Leandro's World Tour

The world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa (formerly called the Burj Dubai), opens its doors to the public today. Stretching 2,716.5 feet into the sky — that’s half a mile — and boasting 900 private residential apartments, an Armani Hotel, and a fountain extravaganza that makes the one at Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel look like a squirt gun, the architectural marvel is a symbol of the capitalistic superfluity Dubai has represented for over a decade.

But the world has changed drastically in the past couple years, both from an economic standpoint and an ecological one. With Dubai facing a debt crisis and a severe recession, and resources like water and oil growing ever more precious, you have to wonder how the electric bill is going to get paid for the monstrous Burj. Dubai has year-round hot, sunny weather; why wasn’t the darn thing completely blanketed in solar panels?

A look at the Burj Khalifa’s massive environmental footprint:

• Water: Around 250,000 gallons of water a day
• Electricity: At peak times, roughly 40,000 kilowatts — the equivalent of 500,000 100-watt light bulbs burning at the same time
• Raw materials: Nearly 40,000 tons of steel — enough to stretch a quarter of the way around the earth if laid end to end
• Wasted space: The upper 30+ floors are so tiny, they can only be used for storage

Still, the building does manage to have one green feature: Condensation produced by the structure during Dubai’s hot and humid summer months will be collected and used to water the tower’s plants and landscaping.

–Jennifer Grayson

Related posts:
Team Germany wins Solar Decathlon
‘Green’ architecture harming wildlife

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