Actualne.cz reported that the largest British retail chain Tesco plans to built in the Czech Republic a zero carbon footprint hypermarket, the first one in the world. It means such an object must not produce any carbon dioxide known as greenhose gas emitted by illuminating, cooling and heating systems while functioning. The company is intended to employ efficient green techologies and measures that bring greenhouse emission to nought.
The actual details of this project are kept in secret at the moment. Eva Karasova, a Tesco’s representative reported only general information and said that the company would like to utilize an unique technology that would be unveiled only at the green hypermarket opening. The place where the object would be located and the exact time of its launch are not divulged.
So specialists can only speculate on specific details of the project. Viktor TÅ™ebický, an expert on carbon and ecological footprint of human activities, told Actualne.cz that photovoltaic panels to produce electricity for the whole building could be mounted on its roof. The Tesco people can also plant forests somewhere near the location to absorb carbon dioxide.
The Tesco’s representative also informed without providing any details that the company wants to use carbon dioxide in the building’s cooling and refrigerating systems. Other smart ecofriendly measures like wider use of sunlight are to be employed but customers are unlikely to note any visual difference in comparison with traditional shopping complexes.
But some experts think that thing are not as great as it may seem. Vojtech Kotecky of Organic Rainbow Movement warns that the biggest harm caused by hypermarkets and shopping malls is due to transportation because retail chains mostly sell goods originating from far away even if the local equivalents are available. One more problem is that people drive to big shopping centers instead of walking to nearest shops in their neighbourhood, thus emitting carbon dioxide.
So it is quite prematurely to speak about zero carbon footprint hypermarket in the literal meaning of these words but a good initiative deserves a try.
Date: 26/04/2010
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