Integrating nature's resources for a sustainable site saves money and improves our environment. Rather than minimizing impact, the landscape is one of the few activities that improves the environment. Landscapes filter our air and water, sequesters carbon, creates oxygen and reduces our our heating and cooling needs.
Recognizing sustainability as merely reducing energy waste, recycling, or conserving water is a common misconception. In truth, the greatest impact on the environment you can make is right in your own backyard. In this session, discover how to grow and prosper in the rapidly developing field of sustainable site development.
“Through the increase use of landscapes we can actually improve our environment," said Barrett. “and through increased awareness of landscapes as a functional part of our community, we can improve our water systems, cleanse our air, and create a better environment for plants, animals and people.” In his presentation, Barrett will explain just how essential some of these tools are to efficiently utilizing and managing resources.
Learning Objectives
• Understanding that stormwater is the largest source of water pollution in the United States
• Sustainability starts with the landscape. Developing a functional landscape is the most effective and efficient means of remediating the environment.
• Combining "green infrastructure" with existing, conventional "gray infrastructure," as well as combining new technology with old technology creating a sustainable future.
20. Rain Gardens Plant Choices Choose plants based on the need for light and soil type. Location Rain gardens are often located at the end of a roof or drain spout. Depth A typical Rain Garden is between four to eight inches deep. Size A Rain Garden usually five to ten percent of the impervious surface area. Soil A tpical mix is 65% sand, 15% top soil, 25% organic matter.
44. Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure Green • Water • Infrastructure
Hinweis der Redaktion
Tom Barrett is owner of Green Water Infrastructure. He has over thirty years of successful landscape industry experience and is known as an accomplished corporate growth and change agent. Mr. Barrett has held various leadership positions at such industry leaders as Rain Bird, Kenney Machinery, Ewing, Netafim, and MacAllister Machinery. He has worked with such projects as Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida. He has won numerous awards in Quality and Process Improvement, and is a frequent contributor of articles for numerous publications. Mr. Barrett holds a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy and Plant Genetics from the University of Arizona. He furthered his studies in architecture at Syracuse Univ. He holds multiple certifications in irrigation and water conservation. Tom is a member of the Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association, as well as the International Irrigation Association, in which he chairs the Communications Committee. He is an approved instructor for the Irrigation Association. Tom Barrett has been sharing his expertise and his ideas in energetic and dynamic presentations for over twenty years. He is a master trainer. His presentations empower people to become masters of change, rather than victims of circumstance by developing tools for transformative thinking. Currently, Tom delivers over thirty presentations each year to organizations around the country. He is well-suited to talk to us today about Rain Gardens & Bioswales. Please join me in welcoming, TOM BARRETT!
As of August 21, 2009 eighty-one banks have closed this year. Almost half of them are in July. This is 280% more than closed in the previous seven years combined.
actual unemployment is over 14 million.
Tom Barrett is owner of Green Water Infrastructure. He has over thirty years of successful landscape industry experience and is known as an accomplished corporate growth and change agent. Mr. Barrett has held various leadership positions at such industry leaders as Rain Bird, Kenney Machinery, Ewing, Netafim, and MacAllister Machinery. He has worked with such projects as Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida. He has won numerous awards in Quality and Process Improvement, and is a frequent contributor of articles for numerous publications. Mr. Barrett holds a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy and Plant Genetics from the University of Arizona. He furthered his studies in architecture at Syracuse Univ. He holds multiple certifications in irrigation and water conservation. Tom is a member of the Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association, as well as the International Irrigation Association, in which he chairs the Communications Committee. He is an approved instructor for the Irrigation Association. Tom Barrett has been sharing his expertise and his ideas in energetic and dynamic presentations for over twenty years. He is a master trainer. His presentations empower people to become masters of change, rather than victims of circumstance by developing tools for transformative thinking. Currently, Tom delivers over thirty presentations each year to organizations around the country. He is well-suited to talk to us today about Rain Gardens & Bioswales. Please join me in welcoming, TOM BARRETT!
I want to keep this light and informal. So here’s the last slide. I put it first because I wanted to make sure we covered it and after thinking about things I realized there’s a lot to talk about. We may not get to this slide.
Green Infrastructure, Green Highways, and Green Streets will be the foundation for the rebuilding and expansion of our nations infrastructure and a key to our economic growth in the 21st Century. Green is the development of innovative approaches and strategies on how to integrate integrate grey and green infrastructure in order to protect water resources and promote sustainable design and community development. We have an opportunity to use a comprehensive approach that takes advantage of our experience on pilot projects, research, the development of standards and specifications, manuals of practice, training, and environmental management systems in order to integrate and institutionalize green approaches.
At the largest scale, the preservation and restoration of natural landscape features (such as forests, floodplains and wetlands) are critical components of green stormwater infrastructure. By protecting these ecologically sensitive areas, communities can improve water quality while providing wildlife habitat and opportunities for outdoor recreation. On a smaller scale, green infrastructure practices include rain gardens, porous pavements, green roofs, infiltration planters, trees and tree boxes, and rainwater harvesting for non-potable uses such as toilet flushing and landscape irrigation. Picture the grime of city streets -- oil, grease and soot from cars and trucks; pet waste; trash and litter; sediment and debris from construction sites; and a mix of toxic chemicals. Now picture the same streets after a rainstorm. They look cleaner, right? Sure, but the debris and contaminants haven't just disappeared -- they've been swept through street drains and underground pipes then washed directly into the nearby river, lake or bay. Wherever humans have paved or built over the natural world, dirty rainwater tends to run straight into our waterways, contaminating the water, destroying habitat and damaging property. Known as urban runoff, this type of pollution can have serious consequences, from fouling drinking water to closing beaches and poisoning shellfish beds. Indeed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now considers urban runoff and pollution from other diffuse sources the greatest contaminant threat to our nation's waters. The good news is that there are a number of proven solutions that towns and cities can use to reduce runoff pollution. One new and exciting approach has emerged in recent years. Called "low-impact development," it uses both simple common sense and technology -- strategically placed beds of native plants, rain barrels, "green roofs," porous surfaces for parking lots and roads, and other tools -- to help rainfall evaporate back into the atmosphere or soak into the ground, rather than polluting the nearest water body. In effect, low-impact development mimics nature's own filtering systems. The result is less water pollution from dirty runoff, less flooding, replenished groundwater supplies -- and often, more natural-looking, aesthetically pleasing cityscapes.
Heat from Earth is trapped in the atmosphere due to high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other heat-trapping gases that prohibit it from releasing heat into space -- creating a phenomenon known as the &quot;greenhouse effect.&quot; Trees remove (sequester) CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis to form carbohydrates that are used in plant structure/function and return oxygen back to the atmosphere as a byproduct. About half of the greenhouse effect is caused by CO2. Trees therefore act as a carbon sink by removing the carbon and storing it as cellulose in their trunk, branches, leaves and roots while releasing oxygen back into the air. Trees also reduce the greenhouse effect by shading our homes and office buildings. This reduces air conditioning needs up to 30%, thereby reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity. This combination of CO2 removal from the atmosphere, carbon storage in wood, and the cooling effect makes trees a very efficient tool in fighting the greenhouse effect. (11) One tree that shades your home in the city will also save fossil fuel, cutting CO2 buildup as much as 15 forest trees. (16) App r oxi mately 800 million tons of carbon are stored in U.S. urban forests with a $22 billion equivalent in control costs. (1) Plan tin g tr ees remains one of the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess CO2 from the atmosphere. (15) A sin gle m ature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48 lbs./year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings. (10) Each perso n in the U.S. g enera tes approximately 2.3 tons of CO2 each year. A healthy tree stores about 13 pounds of carbon annually -- or 2.6 tons per acre each year. An acre of trees absorbs enough CO2 over one year to equal the amount produced by driving a car 26,000 miles. An estimate of carbon emitted per vehicle mile is between 0.88 lb. CO2/mi. – 1.06 lb. CO2/mi. (Nowak, 1993). Thus, a car driven 26,000 miles will emit between 22,880 lbs CO2 and 27,647 lbs. CO2. Thus, one acre of tree cover in Brooklyn can compensate for automobile fuel use equivalent to driving a car between 7,200 and 8,700 miles. (8) If every America n f amily planted jus t o ne tree, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion lbs annually. This is almost 5% of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year. (17) The U.S. Forest Se rvice estimates that al l the forests in the United States combined sequestered a net of approximately 309 million tons of carbon per year from 1952 to 1992, offsetting approximately 25% of U.S. human-caused emissions of carbon during that period. Over a 50-year lifetime, a tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water, and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion. (2) Reduction of Other Air Po llu tants: Trees also remove ot her gaseous pollutants by absorbing them with normal air components through the stomates in the leaf surface. (3) Some of the other major air pol lutants and their primary so urc es are: Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)- Coal burning for electricity/home heating is responsible for about 60 percent of the sulfur dioxide in the air. Refining and combustion of petroleum products produce 21% of the SO2. Ozone (O3) - is a naturally occurring oxidant, existing in the upper atmosphere. O3 may be brought to earth by turbulence during severe storms, and small amounts are formed by lighting. Most O3 - and another oxidant, peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) - come from the emissions of automobiles and industries, which mix in the air and undergo photochemical reactions in sunlight. High concentrations of O3 and PAN often build up where there are many automobiles. Nitrogen oxides - Automotive exhaust is probably the largest producer of NOx. Oxides of nitrogen are also formed by combustion at high temperatures in the presence of two natural components of the air; nitrogen and oxygen. Particulates are small (<10 microns) particles emitted in smoke from burning fuel, particular diesel, that enters our lungs and cause respiratory problems. (10) There is up to a 60% reduction in street level particulates with tre es. (1) In one urban park (212 ha.) tree c over was found to remove daily 48lbs. part iculates, 9 lbs nitrogen dioxide, 6 lbs sulfur dioxide, and 2 lb carbon monoxide ($136/day value based upon pollution control technology) and 100 lbs of carbon. (1) One sugar maple (12&quot; DBH) along a roadw ay removes in one growing season 60mg cadm ium , 140 mg chromium, 820 mg nickel, and 5200 mg lead from the environment. (1) Planting trees and expanding parklands im prov es the air quality of Los Angeles county. A t otal of 300 trees can counter balance the amount of pollution one person produces in a lifetime. (10) top Urban Forests Protect Our Water Trees re duce tops oil erosion, prevent harmful land pollut ants containe d i n the soil from getting into our waterways, slow down water run-off, and ensure that our groundwater supplies are continually being replenished. For every 5% of tree cover added to a community, stormwater runoff is reduced by approximately 2%. (1) Research by the USFS shows that in a 1 inch rainstor m o ver 12 hours, the interception of rain by the canopy of the urban forest in Salt Lake City reduces surface runoff by about 11.3 million gallons, or 17%. These values would increase as the canopy increases. (13) Along with breaking the fall of rainwater, tree roots remov e nutrients harmful to water ecology and quality. (13) Trees act as natural pollution filters. Their canopies, tru nks, roots, and associated soil and other natural elements of th e la ndscape filter polluted particulate matter out of the flow toward the storm sewers. Reducing the flow of stormwater reduces the amount of pollution that is washed into a drainage area. Trees use nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium--byproducts of urban living--which can pollute streams. (20) top Urban Forests Save Energy Homeowners that properly place tree s in the ir landscape can realize savings up to 58% on daytime ai r co nditionin g a nd as high as 65% for mobile homes. If applied nationwide to buildings not now benefiting from trees, the shade could reduce our nation’s consumption of oil by 500,000 barrels of oil/day. (12) The maximum potential annual savings from energy conserving landscapes aro und a typical residence ranged from 13% in Madison up to 38% in Miami. Proj ections suggest that 100 million additional mature trees in US cities (3 trees for every unshaded single family home) could save over $2 billion in energy costs per year. (10) Trees lower local air temperatures by transpiring water and shading surfac es. B ecause they lower air temperatures, shade buildings in the summer, and blo ck wi nter winds, they can reduce building energy use and cooling costs. (6) Help to cool cities by reducing heat sinks. Heat sinks are 6-19 degrees Fo warme r th an their surroundings (Global Releaf GA). A tree can be a natural air conditione r. T he evaporation from a single large tree can produce the cooling effect of 10 room size air conditioners operating 24 hours/day. (18) USFS estimates the annual effect of well-positioned trees on energy use in conventi onal houses at savings between 20-25% when compared to a house in a wide-open area. (US FS me teorologist Gordon Heisler)(13). top Urban Forests Can Extend the Life of Paved Surfaces The asphalt paving on streets cont ain st one aggregate in an oil binder. Without tree shade, the oil heats up and volatizes, lea ving the a ggr egate unprotected. Vehicles then loosen the aggregate and much like sandpaper, the loose aggregate grinds down the pavement. Streets should be overlaid or slurry sealed every 7-10 years over a 30-40 year period, after which reconstruction is required. A slurry seal costs approximately $0.27/sq.ft. or $50,000/linear mile. Because the oil does not dry out as fast on a shaded street as it does on a street with no shade trees, this street maintenance can be deferred. The slurry seal can be deferred from every 10 years to every 20-25 years for older streets with extensive tree canopy cover. (19) top Urban Forests Can Increase Traffic Safety Trees can also enhance traffic calming measures, such as n arr ower streets, extended curbs, roundabouts, etc. Tall trees give the perception of making a s treet fee l n arrower, slowing people down. Closely spaced trees give the perception of speed (they go by very quickly) slowing people down. A treeless street enhances the perception of a street being wide and free of hazard, thereby increasing speeds. Increased speed leads to more accidents. Trees can serve as a buffer between moving vehicles and pedestrians. Street trees also forewarn drivers of upcoming curves. If the driver sees tree trunks curving ahead before seeing the road curve, they will slow down and be more cautious when approaching curves. (16) top Urban Forests Can Improve Economic Sustainability The scope and condition of a community's trees a nd, colle cti vely, its urban forest, is usually the first impression a community projects to its visitors. A com munity's urb an forest is an extension of its pride and community spirit. Studies have shown that: Trees enhance community economic stability by attracting businesses and tourists. People linger and shop longer along tree-lined streets. Apartments and offices in wooded areas rent more quickly and have higher occupancy rates. Businesses leasing office spaces in developments with trees find their workers are more productive and absenteeism is reduced. (11) top Urban Forests Can Increase Real Estate Values Property values increase 5-15% when compared to properties with out t ree s (depends on species, maturity, quantity and location) A 1976 study that evaluated the effects of sev eral differen t v ariables on homes in Manchester, Connecticut, found that street trees added about $2686 or 6% to the sale price of a home. (10) A more recent study indicated that trees added $9,500, or more than 18 percent, to the average sale price of a reside nce in a suburb of Rochester, New York. (8) top Urban Forests Can Increase Sociological Benefits Two University of Illin ois researchers (Kuo and Sullivan) studied ho w w ell res idents of the Chicago Robert Taylor Housing Project (the largest public housing development in the world) were doin g i n their da ily lives based upon the amount of contact they had with trees, and came to the following conclusions: Trees have the potential to reduce social service budgets, decrease police calls for domestic violence, strengthen urban communities, and decrease the incidence of child abuse according to the study. Chicago officials heard that message last year. The city government spent $10 million to plant 20,000 trees, a decision influenced by Kuo’s and Sullivan’s research, according to the Chicago Tribune. Residents who live near trees have significantly better relations with and stronger ties to their neighbors. Researchers found fewer reports of physical violence in homes that had trees outside the buildings. Of the residents interviewed, 14% of residents living in barren conditions have threatened to use a knife or gun against their children versus 3% for the residents living in green conditions. (15) Studies have shown that hospital patients with a view of trees out their windows recover much faster and with fewer complicatio ns t han similar patients without such views. (13) A Texas A&M study indicates that trees help create relaxation and well being. A U .S. Department of Energy study reports that trees redu ce noise pollution by acting as a buffer and absorbing 50% of urban noise.
40% of our potable water supply systems exceeding the EPA’s permissible levels for atrazine.
Why Choose Green Infrastructure? Nature works best: Rivers, streams, wetlands, floodplains, and forests provide a suite of critical services like clean water and flood protection, and should be viewed as essential and effective components of our water infrastructure. New York City has great quality tap water because the city invested in water protection by purchasing land around its Catskills reservoirs to ensure that polluted runoff from roads and lawns doesn’t enter the water supply.The city’s $600 million investment in Catskills land protection and restoration did the job of $6 billion in capital costs to construct a water filtration plant as well as $200-300 million in annual operation and maintenance costs. We can’t waste money: Spending money wisely means investing in multi-purpose solutions that lower costs and provide more benefits. Recently, the City of Indianapolis announced that by using wetlands, trees, and downspout disconnection to reduce stormwater flows into their combined sewer system, the City will be able to reduce the diameter of the planned new sewer pipe from 33’ to 26’, saving over $300 million. We must enhance community safety and enjoyment: Traditional infrastructure isn’t designed to handle the increased floods and droughts that come with global warming, so we need a modern approach to protect public health, safety, and quality of life. Green solutions give communities the security and flexibility they need. Napa, CA solved flooding problems by choosing to restore the Napa River’s natural channel and wetlands, rather than lining the river with concrete. The effort has protected 2,700 homes and prevented $26 million in flood damage each year, and has created new parks and open space. Return to Top Green Infrastructure is Good for Jobs and the Economy These green solutions create good jobs in many sectors, including plumbing, landscaping, engineering, building, and design. Green infrastructure also supports supply chains and the jobs connected with manufacturing of materials including roof membranes, rainwater harvesting systems, and permeable pavement. New York City’s broad sustainability plan, PlaNYC, includes substantial investments in green infrastructure to reduce stormwater and sewage overflows and protect drinking water supplies. The City estimates that full implementation of PlaNYC will create 4,449 water infrastructure jobs of all types per year. Other countries are utilizing green water technologies at a much higher rate than the United States. We cannot afford to fall behind other nations in this vital area, it is a matter of economic competitiveness as well as quality of life and community security. Return to Top A New Visi on for Water We are at a crossroads today in how we manage our water. Traditional water infrastructure will continue to play a role, but it is static, solves only a single problem, and requires a huge expense to build and maintain. We must use this transformational moment to move from old 19th Century infrastructure to a wiser combination of green and traditional infrastructure that will meet the needs of the 21st Century.
www.inpaws.org Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society home page www.epa.gov/greenacres/ The Environmental Protection Agency Web page on landscaping with native wildflowers and grasses. Includes online handbook on building and maintaining a natural landscape, information on weed laws and more. www.for-wild.org Wild Ones - Natural Landscapers home page. Offers tips on landscaping with native plants.
I don’t know why this keeps popping up.
Floods. Droughts. Sewage overflows. Leaky pipes. Failing levees. Unsafe dams. America’s water infrastructure is crumbling and outdated, and communities big and small across the country are feeling the impacts. In its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure , the American Society of Civil Engineers gives the nation’s dams a D grade, and wastewater and drinking water systems a D-, the lowest grades of any infrastructure category. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that the public health and environmental gains achieved since passage of the Clean Water Act are rapidly being reversed due to crumbling infrastructure. Commenting on the current state of the nation’s infrastructure, New York Mayor Bloomberg said, “We under-invest, and we invest badly.” Clearly, we need to invest more to upgrade and maintain our failing water infrastructure. But we need to invest more wisely, too. We will make a terrible mistake if we simply rebuild 19th and 20th century water systems that are costly and inflexible. Instead, we need a 21st century approach that integrates green solutions and helps ensure community safety and security. We need to invest in approaches that utilize “green infrastructure” as a first line of defense along with engineered structures that together can effectively meet multiple needs, at lower cost, and help communities and natural systems be better prepared for the impacts of climate change. Return to Top What is Green Infrastructure? Green infrastructure is a term that can encompass a wide array of specific practices, and a number of definitions exist (see the EPA’s definition here ). In our vie w: Green infrastructure is an approach to water management that protects, restores, or mimics the natural water cycle. Green infrastructure is effective, economical, and enhances community safety and quality of life. It means planting trees and restoring wetlands, rather than building a costly new water treatment plant. It means choosing water efficiency instead of building a new water supply dam. It means restoring floodplains instead of building taller levees. Green infrastructure incorporates both the natural environment and engineered systems to provide clean water, conserve ecosystem values and functions, and provide a wide array of benefits to people and wildlife. Green infrastructure solutions can be applied on different scales, from the house or building level, to the broader landscape level. On the local level, green infrastructure practices include rain gardens, permeable pavements, green roofs, infiltration planters, trees and tree boxes, and rainwater harvesting systems. At the largest scale, the preservation and restoration of natural landscapes (such as forests, floodplains and wetlands) are critical components of green infrastructure. Green infrastructure investments boost the economy, enhance community health and safety, and provide recreation, wildlife, and other benefits. Many forward-looking cities are already embracing green infrastructure, including New York, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Toledo, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia, as well as many others. Return to Top