Posted by Kristyn Maslog-Levis on Wed, May 28, 2014 @ 8:17 PM

Arizona heat worsened by air conditioners, study says

Arizona heat worsened by air conditioners, study says:

In Arizona, the excess heat from air conditioners turned on during the night is causing an even worse condition in temperature outside.

As reported by Phys.Org, a new study from a team of researchers from the Arizona State University has found that the urban heat island (UHI) effect has been getting worse because of the waste heat from air conditioning systems running at night.

“We found that waste heat from air conditioning systems was maximum during the day but the mean effect was negligible near the surface. However, during the night, heat emitted from air conditioning systems increased the mean air temperature by more than one degree Celcius (almost two degrees Fahrenheit) for some urban locations,” said Francisco Salamanca, a post-doctoral research scientist at the university’s School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences.

It’s a vicious cycle as the research shows that releasing waste heat increases outdoor temperature and therefore results in the need to increase cooling indoors and increases electricity consumption.

The paper is called “Anthropogenic Heating of the Urban Environment due to Air Conditioning”. It focuses on “the anthropogenic contribution of air conditioning systems on air temperature, and examines the electricity consumption for the rapidly expanding Phoenix metropolitan area, one of the largest metropolitan area in the United States”.

Phoenix is in the semiarid Sonoran desert and its harsh summertime conditions raises the use of air conditioning systems.

“To keep people cool, air conditioning systems can consume more than 50 percent of total electricity during extreme heat and put a strain on electrical grids. Cooling demands for rapidly expanding urban areas like Phoenix are likely to increase considerably during the next several decades. To address future energy needs in a sustainable manner, the researchers determined it was essential to study current AC demand and assess AC waste heat.”

The researchers simulated a 10-day period from July 10 – 19, 2009. They used the “non-hydrostatic version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled to the Noah land surface model to analyse the contribution of AC systems on air temperature”.

Katharine Gammon from Take Part raises this question: “Does two degrees really make a difference in the environment? Even a small rise in temperature on hot days and nights can have a life-threatening impact on some populations, including the homeless, the elderly, and infants.”

Salamanca said in the report: “An increase of two degrees for the Phoenix metropolitan area represents around 1,200 megawatt-hours of extra electricity consumption each day to maintain our residences cooled in summer.”

“They found that the effect of the AC systems was more important during the night due to the limited depth of the urban boundary layer. The effect is stronger from late afternoon to early morning. A smaller quantity of excess AC systems heat ejected during the night can increase the air temperature more compared to a greater quantity released during the daytime when the hot sun is beating down.”

The research said that to turn this problem around, the waste heat could be “recaptured and used to heat water for homes”. In polluted areas, the research also said “waste heat might have the benefit of reducing the concentration of pollutants near the ground (because heat rises)”.

Salamanca recommends that residents raise their thermostat during the summer to a “tolerable 80 degrees”. “You will save money, you will reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and at the same time, you will reduce the impact of air conditioning systems on the air temperature.”

Biomimicry- Learning From Nature

Tags: , , ,

Posted by Kristyn Maslog-Levis on Wed, May 21, 2014 @ 8:02 PM

Detroit Residents Unite for a Greener City

https://www.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/0_pis9bds1/uiconf_id/12034901

(more…)

Tags: , , , ,

Posted by Kristyn Maslog-Levis on Wed, May 14, 2014 @ 7:46 PM

Bringing Kids Back to Nature

Image from Project Wild Thing

 

A report called Sowing the Seeds, Reconnecting London’s Children with Nature for the London Sustainable Development Commission, shows how “giving children access to nature promotes their mental and emotional well-being and may have a positive effect on the behaviour of some children”.

It said that too many of London’s children “have little or no meaningful contact with natural places in the city”. Because of this, the kids maybe be denied “the many and varied benefits that experiences in nature bring; experiences that many adults understand at a deep emotional level from their own childhood memories”.

The report said because of this lack of connection with nature, kids may grow up “indifferent to nature and unsupportive of the need for environmental stewardship”.

It has several recommendations that should be implemented over the years to “have the potential to make a real difference to children’s relationship with the natural world”.

It recommends that schools and early years settings give greater emphasis to offering children engaging everyday nature experiences within their grounds. “This should be done through the creation of natural play spaces and more extensive and easily accessible habitat areas.”

“Two thirds of London’s area is made up of green spaces or water, and 10 percent is designated as Metropolitan Open Land, yet children’s experiences of natural places in the capital have been in long-term decline, as a result of societal changes that have been unfolding for many years.”

Although London is quite a green city, its “green spaces are not uniformly distributed, and many parts of the city are deficient.” The report said that one third of families visit natural places every two months. One in seven had not made a single visit for a year. This statistic is also worse with children from poorer families.

“Initiatives are fragmented, and grappling with complex issues and challenges.” The report said that only four percent of London’s children are being reached by existing initiatives.

Some of the suggestions from the report include creating natural habitats or wildlife area on school grounds, the establishment of forest schools, the increase of natural conservation projects, and the creation of ‘natural play’ approach to the design of public play areas in parks and green spaces. Other initiatives include community-based projects, city farms, community gardens, horticultural projects, after-school programmes, play ranger schemes and so on.

A campaign called Project Wild Thing is pushing for parents to turn screen time into “wild time” playing and enjoying nature outdoors. The project is a film led movement to get more kids and adults outside, reconnecting with nature. The project, which started in 2010, has gained a growing following and has become a movement of organisations and individuals who share the same passion for the cause.

According to a report from Western Gazette in the UK, Camp Bestival has teamed up with the campaign to “help adults and children reconnect with nature” while being entertained. Camp Bestival runs from July 31 to August 3 at Lulworth Castle, Dorset.

Project Wild Thing’s David Bond told the Western Gazette that the campaign is all about how children need to get outdoors and into nature.

“We’re really passionate about connecting young people and adults with the outdoors because it makes them fitter, it makes them healthier, it makes them happier and it makes them develop better.”

Citygreen Stratacell Video

Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by Christina Greene on Tue, May 13, 2014 @ 7:28 PM

How to Harvest Stormwater in Urban Areas

By Richard J. Magill

One of the more important issues that green infrastructure professionals are discussing these days is responsible and effective ways to harvest stormwater in urban areas. Given the effects of global climate change (temperature increase, rising oceans, extreme weather outbreaks- not the least of which includes devastating drought conditions), we are consequently experiencing profound increases in pollution of drinking water supplies, diminishing recreational-water opportunities, and the widespread degradation of our natural waterways and oceans, among other negative implications. Municipal, state, and federal programs in some parts of the world seem to be responding by promoting legislation that requires urban development projects to include measures to proactively manage and re-use this scarce resource. The proactive approach is particularly apparent in Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Other parts of the world are just becoming aware of the possibilities and opportunities associated with wise re-use of this often neglected source of water.

For the purposes of this article, stormwater is defined as runoff collected from roof and ground surfaces, including roadways, driveways, parking lots, plazas, and other impervious areas. Rainwater is defined as runoff from roof surfaces or collection by other devices which don’t allow the rain to come in contact with imperious surfaces which collect pollutants.

The scale of stormwater harvesting and reuse systems can range from small residential systems to very large commercial systems. In the US, outdoor water uses represent 58 percent of the domestic daily water uses, while for hotels and office buildings, outdoor uses represent 10 to 38 percent of the daily water uses, respectively.

harvest stormwater and Re-use in Urban AreasAccording to the U.S. EPA, when harvested rainwater is re-used, it generally is best suited for irrigation and non-potable uses, such as water closets, urinals and air conditioning systems (HVAC), as these uses require a lesser amount of on-site treatment than potable uses. Due to the lower cost of treatment, one of the most common re-use applications of stormwater and rainwater is for irrigation of urban green spaces. Some of the uses include irrigation of athletic fields, golf courses, parks, landscaping, community gardens, and even public water features. The green infrastructure techniques utilized to collect stormwater include bio-swales (rain gardens), enhanced tree pits, and permeable pavements. The following goals are central to the principles of stormwater harvesting and re-use systems:

  • reduction of stormwater pollutant loads and flows to surface waters, helping achieve local stormwater management requirements;
  • reduction in the size of other, more traditional stormwater management practices used to achieve local stormwater control requirements;
  • reduction of the demand on potable water sources; and
  • reduction of stress on the existing water supply and associated delivery infrastructure.

Well-planned, designed, and implemented stormwater harvesting and re-use systems can also be used to obtain valuable Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and other sustainable design credits related to stormwater quantity and quality, and water efficiency. LEED certification is recognized as a cost-effective (especially long-term) and environmentally-responsible practice, and is often embraced by the development community as a necessary initial cost of doing business, in the United States at least.

Top Concerns Related to Harvesting Stormwater and Re-use

Although stormwater harvesting and re-use systems appear are viable alternatives to help achieve required stormwater management standards, as well as reducing the demand on the potable water supply, they are not without significant concerns.

Those concerns include:

  • Potable water supply cross-contamination;
  • Direct human exposure to pathogens;
  • Exposure to pathogens in food crops;
  • Risk of toxic spills (within the stormwater re-use catchment area, and potential for re-use of contaminated water);
  • Concerns with mosquito breeding; and
  • Contaminated pond sediments.
Additionally, there are often not locally well-defined operation and maintenance procedures for rainwater and stormwater harvesting and re-use programs. These operation and maintenance programs help ensure stormwater re-use systems are functioning as designed and are meeting the required water quality standards to protect the public health.

Potential Obstacles Stopping Progressive Stormwater Management Systems

In many areas of the world, rainwater and stormwater harvesting is largely unaddressed by regulations and codes. Many of the requirements that do exist were originally developed for the re-use of reclaimed water (treated wastewater) rather than stormwater. The confusion about the different types of water to be re-used (reclaimed, rainwater, stormwater, etc.) and the lack of legislative guidance for this topic has resulted in differing use and treatment guidelines and standards among federal, state and local governments. Because of the lack of guidance for rainwater and stormwater re-use, these sources of re-used water are often regulated at the same level as reclaimed water, which is typically more clearly defined by past management practices. Although the general guidance for the re-use of rainwater and stormwater is similar to reclaimed and grey-water, it can differ dramatically due to lower levels of initial contamination and the potential end-uses. Often, the treatment requirements ultimately come down to the risk of exposure to pathogens.

The perceived cost of improving stormwater management systems, relative to the actual long-term costs, is also an obstacle that needs to be overcome. The level of treatment required by each locality can influence the number of harvesting and re-use systems that are actually implemented. Simplifying the treatment requirements when public health is not at risk can lower the project cost for those entities intending to install stormwater harvesting and re-use systems and may encourage broader adoption of these improved practices.

What Can Green Infrastructure Professionals Do to Further the Cause?

Stormwater Harvesting and Re-use in Urban Areas

While some governments may resist the codification of more progressive stormwater and re-use practices and regulations, green industry professionals can be leaders in the education and promotion of ideas that advance the stormwater management systems of developed and un-developed countries alike. The most effective means that landscape architects and designers, urban arborists and foresters, structural and civil engineers, and urban and regional planners can use to further the cause is knowledge. If we as professionals continue to pursue innovative, and environmentally and financially responsible practices, and educate citizens, supervisors, and elected officials on these newer management techniques, there can be substantial gains made against the negative effects of inefficient and outdated stormwater management systems in urbanized areas of our planet.

Tags: , , ,

Posted by Kristyn Maslog-Levis on Wed, May 07, 2014 @ 7:21 PM

The Future of Cityscapes Depend on Green Infrastructures

An investigation by a research group called The Resilience of Cityscapes, published in the international Biotope City journal, showed that green roofs, living walls, and greened permeable pavements has a multitude of positive effects.

“The impact of green infrastructure on an urban fabric has been visualised by computer modeling tools. The computer model results showed that all tested green technologies provide benefits to the urban microclimate and water storage capacity,” the report said.

It showed that green infrastructure is the solution to the resilience of cityscapes worldwide. The report said there is a huge trend in urbanisation with more than 50 percent of the world’s population now living in cities.

“Two effects of this influx can be observed: the occupied city area grows and
density increases. At the same time citizens request more infrastructure from cities such as public transport, recreation and sewage systems. City planners are challenged to combine the pressure of growth and integration of satisfactory infrastructure.”

The research monitored 14 green roofs, five living walls and nine surface consolidation methods in the city of Vienna to see their microclimatic effects.

Compared to surfaces like plaster or brick, plants convert sun energy into oxygen and air humidity.

“It is assumed that plants ameliorate the urban microclimate (by adding humidity and reducing radiation and wind speed) while regular surfaces
reduce the thermal comfort of cities. Aside from the positive microclimatic effects plants are also able to store water.”

Plants also improve the predicted mean vote (PMV), which describes the human thermal wellbeing. The research tested an urban area in Vienna under different types of “scenarios”. These include the climate scenario, greening scenario, the minimum greening scenario, and the maximum greening scenario.

The tests found that green infrastructure can act as a buffer for climatic extremes.

“By means of computer simulation, the measurements at test sites have been transferred to representative urban typologies of the City of Vienna. To find out, which microclimatic effect could be achieved by green infrastructure, two greening scenarios have been applied on urban typologies and subjected to today’s and future climatic framework conditions. The simulations make clear, that the urban microclimate can be ameliorated by integration of green infrastructure.”

It emphasised that green infrastructure is the “one appealing solution to improve the resilience of cities against climate change”.

“Apart from the microclimatic effects and the positive influence on thermal comfort, green infrastructure provides a broad range of added values: water retention, health promotion and psychological effects (stress reduction), habitat and habitat connection for fauna and flora, biodiversity and urban farming.”

The report also realised the hindrances to the implementation of green infrastructures such as different types of value on facades where some are often protected. There are also things like different regulations in different cities or the fact that most buildings are privately owned and therefore needs incentives for their properties to be developed into green infrastructure.

These are things that need to be overcome as the report also said that just a single green infrastructure would not be effective in the bigger scheme of things. In order to have the full effect of the benefits of green infrastructures in cityscapes, “a combination of different types of green infrastructure and a network of green infrastructure throughout the city is necessary”. CTA_Full Treepit Library

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Load More...

“Great customer service, quick response times and a very in depth QA system with constant support.”

- Laura Wiesenekker, Project Engineer, Densford Civil -

“Citygreen is a very professional  business, and I found everything was great in terms of deliveries, product supply and information. It was all forthcoming and helped us to complete the project.”

- Keith Burns, Architect/Designer, Keith Burns Architect -

“Citygreen offered training and invaluable technical assistance during the works.”

- James Callan, Estimating Manager, Complex Co Pty Ltd -

“Our experience, in working with a Citygreen Design Studio was second to none. We found responses from the design studio to be very timely, and technically thorough. We went backwards and forwards a number of times, looking at different iterations of the design and, nothing was too much trouble to examine and explore different possibilities. I would highly recommend the Citygreen Design Studio to any future client considering using your services.”

- Sandra Smith, Principal Landscape Architect, City Of Monash -

“We are big on compliance on all projects, and the fact that their SmartCertify cloud platform covers all bases, and supports their 20 year warranties, is critical – especially that these pits are being installed under roadways and footpaths.”

- Johny Purkaystha, Civil Program Engineer, Central Coast Council -

"I reviewed all the previous projects that we have installed in the past couple years using your product and I can happily report back that we have 0% mortality in the soil cells, which is incredible!"

- Brendan Wilton, CEO, Trim Landscaping, Bedford, Canada -