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"Green Gov: What is your local or federal government doing to encourage better energy use?"
Mandate New Public Schools Come with Green Roofing
The architect of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon must have been an early member of the green movement.
Green roofs, an innovative form of environmental architecture, are taking root throughout the United States. The concept involves installing ground cover, shrubs and other flora over the roof surface of a building to reduce run-off into sewers. Also, green roofs can lower the temperature of a black-top surface by 100 degrees, thereby reducing air-conditioning costs.
On Aug. 27, 2010, Hillside Elementary School in Berwyn, Pa., completed construction on its own green roof, as Blair Meadowcroft reported–http://bit.ly/g5cJOF. As reasons for the project, school officials noted the benefits of reduced pollution and air-conditioning costs, science education and building aesthetics. A Growing Greener grant with the Department of Environmental Protection provided funding for the project.
Here in DC, one must look no farther than the roof of 2000 Penn, which received a green roof upon renovation. The addition introduces much needed color and vitality to the glass and concrete urban landscape.
I first learned of green roofs and Hillside’s construction plans in 2008, while a senior at Conestoga High School in Berwyn. The advantages of the project seemed to tower over its minimal drawbacks, which mainly amount to installation costs for older roofs.
According to Mark Fischetti of Scientific American, “Tokyo now requires that at least 20 percent of any new roof on medium and large buildings be cultivated.”
I think the United States must outdo Tokyo by requiring all new public school buildings to employ green roofs. Such a step in environmental policy could return the United States to the forefront of technological innovation. It would protect the nation’s future resources, and ensure an environmentally educated populace.
Won’t somebody, please, think of the children??
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On December 31st, 2010 at 12:09 am Ed Hughot Said:
Green roofs sound like a good idea — providing you have a reliable contractor who knows how to make roofing leakproof.
However, I would go one step further. I would plant gardens on the roofs so that schools could raise vegetables and thus offset some of the cost of education. [Cost of schools has gotten completely out of control here in Calif.]
In the SF Bay Area there are many people who are working to add more community gardens. And community gardens could be used to feed the homeless.
Ed Hughot
Menlo Park 94025
On January 2nd, 2011 at 1:40 pm john oudyk Said:
Excellent ideas. I would add that out in the dry west, (I live in So. CA) we should add encourage water capture & storage. So many of these “green” ideas make wonderful incubators for education and entrepreneurial problem solving. I think many of our schools are missing a great opportunity. Typically, the average California kid knows nothing about irrigation. And yet moving water around this vast state consumes 4% of ALL of America’s energy!! (20% of all energy in the Ca state economy!) The average efficiency of the vast majority of irrigation systems is quite poor; under 50%. Most of it is not ET based. Out in the South West, the biggest unknow fact is:
WE ARE A HYDROLOGICAL CIVILIZATION.
Use the process to educate a select group of students in the science of irrigation. Smart water use will be one of the growth industries in the future. (Now, actually). The base level of knowledge amongst the general public is quite low, and the level among decision makers is not much higher.
The course would introduce students to:
1. basic hydraulics and pressure loss, water usage measured as gpm and converted to precipitation rates. (math)
2. Wire sizing. (math)
3. Basic electric usage and diagnostics pertaining to controllers. (science)
4. Smart irrigation controls. (science)
5. Plant, soil and water relationships and the WUCOLS tables. Equipment used in the industry. (science/technology)
The group would become responsible for designing and installing a small section/zone of the new irrigation system themselves. Furthermore, they must do an audit of their family’s water use, including the landscape (irrigation audit).