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Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video. Here is the transcript from April 13, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here. Enjoy!
– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for April 13th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.
– Our project of the week is the Green Wall Ferrara, built in 2009 in Ferrara, Italy. This project entailed converting a garden space in the courtyard of a private estate and there was little room for a traditional garden, which led the designers to plant on the walls. The Optigreen Living Wall Garden system was installed and a beautiful vertical garden was created, resulting in a very soothing effect.
The core unit of the Optigreen Wall Garden system solution is a high-grade, substrate-filled aluminum cassette system which can be planted on site. The horizontal suspension rails support the Wall Garden elements which are hooked into the rails. The irrigation system is fully automatic with a blending unit for fertilizer and herbicides. Three thousand plants with about 50 different species were planted into this 5 meter high, 120 meter squared private green wall.
– To learn more about the Green Wall Ferrara, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).
– Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video
– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 18: “Combining Green Roofs with Photovoltaics“ by Roland Appl.
And find the rest of the videos in this series on our GreenroofsTV page and/or our greenroofsTV YouTube channel.
– Sika Sarnafil Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Sarnafil Brand Roofing Membrane.
– Another Green Roof Boosts Stormwater Management at Loyola University Chicago by LiveRoof.
– Communities looking for the most cost-effective options for managing polluted runoff and protecting clean water should choose green infrastructure solutions, according to a report released this week by American Rivers, the Water Environment Federation, the American Society of Landscape Architects, and ECONorthwest. The report, Banking on Green: How Green Infrastructure Save Municipalities Money and Provides Economic Benefits Community-wide, demonstrates that green infrastructure practices can offer more cost-effective solutions relative to traditional infrastructure approaches.
– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 18: Combining Green Roofs with Photovoltaics,” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: April 6, 2012.”
– “Upcoming Events“
– Don’t forget going on now through April 22nd is our “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest! So make sure to like our Facebook page, if you haven’t already, upload your greenroof photo and then get your friends and family to vote for it daily!
– April 14th-17th: is the American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Conference, in Los Angeles, CA.
– And April 17th: is the Green Roof Science Symposium, at Columbia University, in New York, NY.
– “In the News“
– Matthew Camp of The Alestle, talks about “Unseen green grows on SIUE rooftops.” He says several buildings at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are becoming a part of a greener tomorrow with the additions of rooftop gardens. Civil engineering professor and acting environmental program coordinator, Susan Morgan, says there are currently three buildings on campus that have the gardens and there are several more planned for the future. Biology professor Dr. Bill Retzlaff [one of our contributing editors] says the typical green roof may cost $11-50 per square foot, SIUE’s gardens are at the cheaper end, and “since 2004, more than 100 students have worked on the project. SIUE is a leader in green roof research in the United States. They are one of the five or six bigger institutions that conduct research on green roofs.”
Mechanical engineering professor Serdar Celik says they don’t use traditional soil for the roofs – they have been experimenting with different inorganic rocks and different varieties of sedum, and also that the students do experimental testing and theoretical analysis. They take temperature readings, measurements of stormwater runoff weight, solar radiation, plant coverage, and more. Celik also says that since we are aware of the global warming issue, the rooftop gardens are one of the solutions toward environmentally friendly sustainable design standards.
– Sandy Bauers of the Philadelphia Inquirer, reports on “Philadelphia embarks on green stormwater management.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave the go-ahead to Philadelphia’s $2 billion plan to manage its stormwater with green methods like porous pavements, green roofs, and planting more trees. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said “the city has earned a place as a national and global leader on sustainable innovation and clean water protection.” She joined Mayor Nutter and other officials at the Fairmount Water Works to sign the agreement for a 25-year plan that has been described as one of the most innovative and ambitious in the nation, it will transform how the city looks but more importantly how the city handles its stormwater.
Other cities like Syracuse, Cleveland and New York will be following in Philadelphia’s footsteps, and hopefully they’re the first of many cities around our country to enhance their cities and beautify their streets. Later this month, a nonprofit water sustainability organization, the Clean Water America Alliance, will name Philadelphia one of the six national 2012 prize winners for its stormwater plan.
– To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or Newslinks section of our website.
– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!
– Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!
– This has been This Week in Review for April 13th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV. I’m Anjuli Velázquez and I’ll see you next week!
*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*
Did we miss something? We’d love to hear from you!
~ Linda V.
