Please talk to me about green infrastructure

[Rosie_0801]

I've been watching lectures on climate change, and while I was aware of green infrastructure ideas for individual properties, I hadn't heard the term before and don't know a whole lot about solution on a community scale. During the drought here in Oz, there was a big move towards installing gardens with low water requirements both on a domestic and municipal level.

 

I'm hearing about creating water systems along coastlines, but I don't live by the coast. The lecturer hinted at using such systems to manage storm water and flooding. Large parts of our state flood, so I'd be interested if anyone could relate more about it.

 

I don't think I have enough info to form into questions, but if you know anything about how green infrastructure is being used in your area, I'm all ears!

[duckens]

I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but I've seen over and underpasses for deer and other wildlife.  I know in Australia, the Kangaroos use them.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_crossing

 

Do a google search for "Wildlife crossing photo" for more examples.

[Rosie_0801]

Cheers! I wasn't even thinking about wildlife corridors, though we were working on linking up sections on our property last week. Duh! I guess I was thinking more about water management, but hadn't got to thinking about what else needs management. Well, I'm Australian, fire safety is always important, but there is only so much that can be done about that. Of course there may be techniques I'm not aware of though.

[duckens]

I wonder if green infrastructure would also reduce erosion (in a waterway/river/creek).

 

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There is also a "purple" water system in Phoenix or Las Vegas, if I remember correctly.  It uses purple pipes for non-potable water that is used for toilets, laundry, and watering lawns.

 

http://www.pdxpurple.com/resources/guides-and-publications-2/articles/what-is-purple-water-2

 

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There is a NYC park made from unused train line.

 

http://www.thehighline.org/

 

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Bike trails may be considered Green Infrastructure, too, if they link work and home and encourage bicycle commuting. I wonder if electric buses would be green infrastructure, too.  They would decrease greenhouse gases.

 

I don't really know if any of these listed above are green infrastructure or not.  I'm just throwing out ideas.

 

[Rosie_0801]

I wonder if green infrastructure would also reduce erosion (in a waterway/river/creek).

 

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There is also a "purple" water system in Phoenix or Las Vegas, if I remember correctly.  It uses purple pipes for non-potable water that is used for toilets, laundry, and watering lawns.

 

http://www.pdxpurple.com/resources/guides-and-publications-2/articles/what-is-purple-water-2

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

There is a NYC park made from unused train line.

 

http://www.thehighline.org/

 

------------------------------------------------------

Bike trails may be considered Green Infrastructure, too, if they link work and home and encourage bicycle commuting. I wonder if electric buses would be green infrastructure, too.  They would decrease greenhouse gases.

 

I don't really know if any of these listed above are green infrastructure or not.  I'm just throwing out ideas.

 

I really don't like this new way of quoting. I liked to be able to use html to break a post up. 

 

I guess some form of green infrastructure could be used to reduce erosion. I'm not sure what, other than tree planting. 

 

I don't really understand the purple water system. But where I live atm, I use rain water for drinking and pump dam water for almost everything else. The toilet is flushed with rainwater, which is dumb, because it is drinking water, but I didn't set the system up this way :p Ok, maybe I'm so used to rain water being caught and used that I take it for granted and don't see it as a "thing." So, with this purple water, why aren't people drinking it? I appreciate the page about rain gardens, I should like to know more about that. Not something I have any need to implement in my area, but it's interesting nonetheless. It might be useful some time. :)

 

I hadn't thought of bike trails as green infrastructure, but why not?

 

I don't think electric buses would be. I watched some lectures a while back on that technology and came away unconvinced of its merits.

 

People water their lawns? :svengo: That's illegal here! (Not all over Australia, but in many areas.)

[MistyMountain]

The greenest way to build communities is to use smart growth methods. Suburban sprawl is not sustainable in the long run. In smart growth you build mixed use and a little denser but the density is well planned. There is a space dedicated to play structures and other valuable community type stuff. The communities are walkable and bikable and built for public transportation options. There is a lot of park, green space, trails, bike lanes and bike trails. There is a large set back from riparian streams and no building in flood zones.

 

As far as reducing erosion or run off they do make permeable roads, side walks and driveways.

[Rosie_0801]

I hope I remember the word "riparian." 

I am interested in the smart growth communities as you call them, because I've not seen an example that impressed me. (I don't get out much, though.) I've only seen houses on tiny blocks and with too narrow streets. True, there is a lot of wide open park lands, but they never seem to be used because the kids are in before and after school care and both of their parents commute elsewhere to work. They have to, or they wouldn't be able to afford the overinflated prices. I'll be interested to hear about anyone or anywhere this has been made to work in practice. A big problem I see here is the lack of white collar jobs in regional centres. Well, the lack of jobs in general, I suppose, but it's the lack of white collar jobs that prevents people moving out of the capital city.

[MistyMountain]

There are not really any good examples in the US because it is very car-centric. Australia is probably the same way. Curitiba Brazil is a good example. They almost were going to start doing some examples of it in the city I am in now but a new conservative mayor shut done the 10 year process of compromise for the zoming plans.

[Arcadia]

The page has lots of examples and explanation. I'm only familiar with permeable pavements.

http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/gi_what.cfm

[Halftime Hope]

I hope I remember the word "riparian." 

 

This is a good resource for anyone really interested in the terminology.  http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/sr25.pdf

 

I think, if I'm understanding it correctly, riparian means (roughly) "pertaining to the edge of a body of water"  so you can have riparian habitat, riparian species, riparian ecosystem, riparian setbacks, riparian protection, but a riparian waterway (creek/stream/waterway) seems redundant.

 

Disengaging "word nerd" mode...

[Parrothead]

I really don't like this new way of quoting. I liked to be able to use html to break a post up.

 

I guess some form of green infrastructure could be used to reduce erosion. I'm not sure what, other than tree planting.

 

I don't really understand the purple water system. But where I live atm, I use rain water for drinking and pump dam water for almost everything else. The toilet is flushed with rainwater, which is dumb, because it is drinking water, but I didn't set the system up this way :p Ok, maybe I'm so used to rain water being caught and used that I take it for granted and don't see it as a "thing." So, with this purple water, why aren't people drinking it? I appreciate the page about rain gardens, I should like to know more about that. Not something I have any need to implement in my area, but it's interesting nonetheless. It might be useful some time. :)

 

I hadn't thought of bike trails as green infrastructure, but why not?

 

I don't think electric buses would be. I watched some lectures a while back on that technology and came away unconvinced of its merits.

 

People water their lawns? :svengo: That's illegal here! (Not all over Australia, but in many areas.)

Purple water - around here (the US) if it hasn't been sanitized and processed it can't be used. So instead of using rainwater caught in a bucket or cistern it must be filtered and purified first. Then pumped into the house. Otherwise someone may get sick from the bucket or cistern construction materials or in some other way related to the collection of the water and sue.

 

I'd be willing to bet the filtration system causes as much pollution as they are trying to not produce. Te filters have to be produced and disposed of if nothing else.

 

I don't know how humans survived for millennia without so much government regulation. /sarcasm

[amy58103]

In the US we have a LEED certification program for green building.  Its completely voluntary, but I believe most states and federal government offer tax breaks for the achieving the various levels of certification offered.  Plus, the owner's get bragging rights.  Essentially, LEED is a long list of items of "green building;" the more you include in your building, the more points you get.  Off the top of my head, here are some things that get you LEED points:

 

• Installing bicycle racks to promote bicycling to work (yep, that gets you points)
• Using geothermal wells to heat/cool the building
• Installing solar panels
• Installing dual-flush toilets, low-flow sinks, etc.
• Using green roofs (reduces heating costs and stormwater runoff)

Managing stormwater is a big issue.  We use to store the first inch-of rain during a storm event in large ponds; anything else would immediately flow into a nearby stream, wetland, etc; and the pond would slowly empty over a couple of days.  Turns out, this is really bad for the environment.  Stormwater runoff is really dirty (think of all the oil and grime on parking lots and all the chemicals used to maintain lawns).  Stormwater runoff is also hotter than groundwater (only a couple of degrees, but enough to make a difference.)  Then you also have all of the erosion problems associated with releasing a lot of water in one location.

 

Now, we try to keep stormwater "on-site" and mimic nature as much as possible.  Infiltration basins are really popular; they put the water back into the ground similar to what happened pre-construction, and they filter the water.  But there are lots of other things: bioswales, rain gardens, reducing pavement area, planting trees, restoring wetland areas, etc.

 

For the homeowner, there are many things you can do.  For example:

• Install a tankless water heater
• Use low-voc paint, carpet, etc.
• Use recycled building materials (i.e. recycled glass counter tops)
• Replace old windows with energy-efficient windows
• Maintain calking around windows/doors to prevent heat/cooling loss
• Use black-out curtains to block the sun during the summer
• Turn-off lights when you leave a room !!!  (this is a big pet-peeve of mine :tongue_smilie:)

Hope that helps !

 

[duckens]

 

Turn-off lights when you leave a room !!!  (this is a big pet-peeve of mine :tongue_smilie:

 

Ugh!  Me, too!

 

I think I'm the only one in the house that realizes that if no one is in the hallway, you don't need to have the hall light on! 

[Rosie_0801]

It's funny, isn't it? On one hand, these measures are being promoted. On the other, it's illegal (in very strange places) to hang your washing and plant a nature strip garden.

 

I don't think it's possible to buy anything other than dual flush toilets here. Back in the dark ages before they were developed, my parents put a brick in the cistern to reduce the water used. 

 

Now with this purple water, how does it have to be sanitised? If you aren't allowed to drink it, what does it matter if it has been sanitised? Do they have this kind of regulation in rural areas? I'd be in strife if the water police came out here! Not that this would happen. Rural Australians have too much respect for water!

 

[duckens]

As I understand it, the purple water is NOT sanitized.  It is called purple water for the color of pipes used to take the water into your house.

 

You would still have regular (sanitized water) from the city water plant to come out of your sink taps.

 

Purple water (from rainwater, or less santized from the city) is used for your toilets, laundry, and lawn.

Not all areas use purple water.  It is just starting in some bigger (SW United States) cities.  I think Phoenix is using it for all new building.

 

However, I live in Iowa, and I'm not sure that we will ever get purple water here.

I think of my Grandmother's story of the dustbowl years.  (She was born in 1920, and she lived in North Dakota).  She spoke of no rain for years.  At a certain point, her dad lost the farm or sold the farm, and they packed up to come to Iowa where her mother had been taking care of HER grandmother. 

 

When they got to Minnesota, everything was so GREEN. 

 

And when they got to the Iowa border, there was WATER ACROSS THE ROAD.

[Rosie_0801]

I understand the purple water hasn't been officially sanitised. I'm not understanding why it needs to be. Rainwater is only rainwater.