9. Build a Skyscraper

Almost everything about the Bank of America tower, a soaring skyscraper under construction near Times Square in New York City, has been designed to minimize the use of energy. Take the concrete. Making the stuff from scratch is very energy intensive, so the builders are using a mix of 55% concrete and 45% slag, a waste product from blast furnaces. Mixing slag with concrete saves energy and makes the concrete stronger. The tower will save so-called gray water from washrooms and use it to flush the toilets. The building will also generate much of its own electricity from natural gas, a less potent carbon emitter than coal. These features will account for $3.5 million of a total building cost of $1.2 billion, but the owners expect to recoup that in a few years with all the energy they'll save. When it's finished next year, the tower will be the second highest in the city, but it stands alone as the greenest building in New York.

正在建设中的美国银行塔楼位于时代广场附近，它设计充分考虑了能源消耗。平地起楼是非常耗能的，所以，人们用了55%的混凝土和45%的煤渣。混有煤渣的混凝土，节约能源，而且更加结实。大楼将使用洗过手的水来冲马桶,同时，还利用天然气发电，比煤更（？）。这需要350万美元，而塔楼的总投资为12亿。业主们希望能在未来几年里，通过节约能源收回成本。明年，这幢大楼将竣工，届时它将是纽约第二高楼，但是，在环保却是第一。

under construction :正在建设中

Making the stuff from scratch ：白手起家

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