Complete Streets: What the Heck Are They?

Complete Street Vision, Portsmouth VA

Lately, we've been hearing a lot about the concept of 'complete streets'.  Because one is able to use the phrase, doesn't necessarily mean that one knows what that term actually means.  Here's a bit of a breakdown on the term and where you might find more information about design and implementation of  'complete streets'.

 





First, what does 'complete street' really mean?  A Complete Street is designed for all ages, abilities, and modes of travel. It means safe and comfortable access for pedestrians, bicycles, transit users and the mobility-impaired because all these components are an integral part of the planning process.  The idea is to development policy to guide transportation planners and engineers so that each discipline consistently designs and operates the entire street network for all road users and not only motorists.
Complete Streets are cost effective, sustainable and safe and promote livability. Human-scale design treatments such as street furniture, trees and wide pedestrian rights-of-way animate our public realm and encourage people to linger.  Complete Streets can exist in communities of all shapes and sizes; from downtown Montreal to Corner Brook and more suburban communities such as Surrey.

Since World War II, many communities have been designed to facilitate easy and fast access to destinations via automobile. In rural and suburban communities, people often rely on the automobile as their sole means of transportation and even in areas with public transportation and safe places to walk and bicycle, in a state of “automobile dependence”—automobiles are the central focus of transportation, infrastructure and land use policies to the extent that other modes of transportation, such as walking, cycling and mass transit, have become impractical.  Oregon enacted the first Complete Streets policy in the United States in 1971, requiring that new or rebuilt roads accommodate bicycles and pedestrians, and required state and local governments to fund pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the public right-of-way.  Since then 16 additional state legislatures have adopted Complete Streets laws.

Smart Growth America supports the National Complete Streets Coalition a comprehensive resource for communities and agencies that are working toward creating a safe, comfortable, integrated transportation network for all users, regardless of age, ability, income, ethnicity, or mode of transportation. In response to frequent requests from Complete Streets supporters, the Coalition has developed materials for communities at every stage in the Complete Streets process.

City of Calgary

 

The City of Calgary has achieved many milestones en route to making Complete Streets part of the City’s planning and engineering culture. It's approach has focused on Complete Streets design guidance first, followed by implementation. In 2005, Calgary began the Plan-It-Calgary process designed to gather detailed qualitative and quantitative information to inform the development of high-level policy documents.  Complete Streets were identified as a key policy direction and were subsequently integrated into the Calgary Transportation Plan and the Municipal Development Plan, both officially adopted by Council in September 2009. Since then, Calgary has focused on developing detailed design guidance to create consensus around how to actually implement Complete Streets on-the-ground. The City completed its first Interim Complete Streets Guide in 2010 to facilitate the planning, design, and construction of Complete Streets on new and existing streets. It released its second Interim Guide in February and will soon publish a Final Guide.

Despite an impressive engagement process, Calgary is facing some barriers with Complete Streets. Developers are concerned about the potential costs and the City is currently considering potential funding solutions (e.g., a levy). On the other hand, some developers have requested to build Complete Streets into their projects before the design and approval process has been completed.
Other barriers involve updating bylaws, revising policy documents, and creating new guidelines to align with the goals of the upcoming Complete Streets Guidelines. Several municipal and provincial bylaws currently create barriers for incorporating Complete Streets features into designs (e.g., cycle tracks) and need to be revised. Secondly, Calgary’s Environmental Capacity Guideline Policy and the Residential Streets Policy require Complete Streets supportive updates to ensure uniform implementation. Finally, a Calgary Bikeway Design Guide needs to be developed in parallel with the Complete Streets Guidelines to facilitate the uniform implementation of bike infrastructure in accordance with Complete Streets.

City of Edmonton

 



On May 22, 2013, the City of Edmonton became the forth city in Canada to approve a Complete Streets policy which will be used when planning, designing and constructing all streets, including those in new neighbourhoods and when old ones are rehabilitated in existing neighbourhoods.

The guidelines for Complete Streets adopt a more holistic approach to road design by considering all users including pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists and the surrounding land use. Recognizing that “one-size” does not fit all, transportation and land use planners will have the flexibility to be creative and innovative when designing streets to reflect users of all ages and abilities, as well as the characteristics of the area.  The policy came about after one year of public consultation including workshops with internal and external stakeholders, and an on-line discussion forum. The Complete Streets Guidelines and policy are significant contributors to advancing the goals set out in Edmonton’s strategic plan The Way Ahead and its Transportation Master Plan The Way We Move.

Complete Streets policies improve safety, lower transportation costs, provide transportation alternatives, encourage health through walking and biking, stimulate local economies, create a sense of place, improve social interaction, and generally improve adjacent property values. Complete Streets can also have a positive effect on the environment. By providing safe options for people to walk and bike, Complete Streets can lead to fewer people driving alone in their cars. This means fewer dangerous emissions from automobiles, which benefits all residents. 

Sounds like a win/win to me.  What do you think?

Sources:
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_streets
http://completestreetsforcanada.ca/what-are-complete-streets
http://completestreetsforcanada.ca/case_study/city-calgary
http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Pages/Planning/Calgary-Transportation-Plan/Complete-Streets.aspx
http://completestreetsforcanada.ca/news/complete-streets-comes-edmonton
http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_vision_and_strategic_plan/complete-streets.aspx

The Serious Challenge of Our Time and Other Stuff

The Serious Challenge of Our Time

This is the text of Wes Jackson's Commencement Address at the University of Kansas from Sunday, May 19, 2013.

http://www.postcarbon.org/article/1718266-the-peak-oil-crisis-china-at

Here's a look at China's economic 'progress';

http://www.postcarbon.org/article/1627120-faster-drilling-diminishing-returns-in-shale

Is shale gas losing it's luster?

LOVE ECHOS

For a few Albertans, these last weeks have wreaked havoc and devastation, in terms of loss of life, injuries, and heartbreak.  Many are faced with substantial loss of property and personal belongings and are overwhelmed at the daunting tasks ahead.  Still, people around the globe have reached out to help through contributions of their time, energy, and sharing what they have to lighten the load.  Honestly folks, it just warms my heart to know that the world is filled with acts of kindness.  Here's a look at the first responders, those people that are first on the scene, whether it be by coincidence, choice or profession.   Oh, how this moves me!



 

Bringing the Blue Zone Home

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

 

It seems I've found a new catch-phrase; one that epitomizes everything I am trying to accomplish in my own personal life and that is, simply finding my way toward health living.  Last week, I spent a bit of time exploring the concept of Blue Zones in my post, Migrating the Blue Zone into Your Own Back Yard.  Blue zones are places in the world where people live longer and healthier without medication or disability.   Journalist Dan Buettner searched for reasons five areas of the world -- Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda California; Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica, and an isolated Greek island, Ikaria -- inspired people to live longer, healthier, happier lives.  His findings?  LIFESTYLE!!!  I mean, really!  Can it get any clearer to us that our lifestyle choices (and it IS a choice) is slowly but surely killing us?

 

When I did a little digging, I found communities that have truly embraced the concept of Blue Zone living.  As they were all in USA, I went looking for what Canada has to offer.  Did you know, in the 10 years between 1996 and 2006, the number of centenarians in Canada doubled and this rise is expected to continue?  While we have known for some time that we  are living longer, what I wasn't able to find are the statistics on that razor-edged line when age becomes synonymous with poor health.  Our hospitals and nursing homes are, after all, filled to overflowing with seniors that are no longer able to care for themselves.

 

Getting a shave



 

The fact is, it doesn't have to be this way.  We control 70% of the factors influencing our health.  Research by the US Urban Institute and Center for Disease Control and Prevention have documented four key factors on an individual's health:  access to care: 10%; genetics:  20%; environment:  20%; health behaviours:  50%.  Through a series of small meaningful changes within our communities as well as at home, we can make a difference in how we live, work and play.

 

I admit, I'm  more than a little disappointed to discover that Canada has not really embraced Blue Zone Community living as some areas of the USA have.  While I discovered that areas of southern Nova Scotia seems to have qualities much akin to Buettner's identified five areas of the world, I have not been able to find a single community in Canada that is actively pursuing Blue Zone philosophy and embracing its attributes.  Whereas in the USA, there are 14 communities (10 of which are located in Iowa) striving to incorporate Blue Zone principles into its day-to-day life, this doesn't seem to be the case in Canada.

 

I have to ask, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?  Are we each not personally responsible to bring about some level of change -- within our communities as well as within our homes?  Do we really want to see what our world will look like when debilitating chronic disease outweighs workforce productivity?  How will Canada compete globally?  We already have a health care system struggling to find affordable ways of providing services; do we really want health care to be a privilege as opposed to a right?  What weighs on my  mind more and more everyday is, what will be my experience in a few years; I have to admit, what I envision isn't exactly pretty.

 

All each of us has to do is adopt 9 healthy principles (dubbed 'Power 9 Principles'): focused on becoming more physically active, or moving naturally; eating wisely, having purpose; and participating in our community, to add years to our lives.  It seems so simple -- so why do we make it so hard?

 

The art of fly fishing

 

Sources:

http://www3.thestar.com/static/PDF/080607_nova_scotia_bluezone.pdf

http://www.bluezones.com/programs/blue-zones-communities/

http://s3.amazonaws.com/BlueZonesProject/rfp/downloads/BlueZonesProjectPressKit.pdf

 



Migrating the Blue Zone into Your Own Back Yard

Marsh Lake YT

 

Who hasn't seen the Heart and Stroke advertising campaign that reminds us that our last 10 years are likely to be spent in sickness?  While some folks might find this type of marketing offensive, it seems to me there are a lot more that are at least talking about making better lifestyle choices precisely to avoid declining health in our latter years. I for one have already partipated in lending support to my parents in the last 10 years of their lives; frankly, I would like to avoid this route if at all possible and it seems to me, there is something I can do to help in this regard.

Until a few days ago, I had never heard the phrase 'blue zone'. Have I been living under the proverbial cabbage patch leaf? Perhaps; but now that I have heard and explored what it means, it comes to mind that we have the tools to turn each and every community into a 'blue zone'. And if not the community, certainly our own domain -- our homes.

Blue zones are places in the world where people live longer and healthier -- to 90 or even 100 years of age -- without medication or disability.   Journalist Dan Buettner, in a partnership with National Geographic spent five years searching for reasons five areas of the world -- Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda California; Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica, and an isolated Greek island, Ikaria -- are inspiring people to live longer, healthier, happier lives.  His findings?  LIFESTYLE!!!  For whatever reason,  the vast majority of these communities followed a simple prescription.  They maintained a healthy diet, daily exercise, and a low stress lifestyle which incorporates family, purpose, religion, and meaning. 

 



A healthy diet is one that is loaded with vegetables, fruits, fish, and nuts and low on meat, sugar, fat, and processed foods. All four cultures share similarities regarding their eating habits.  Some stop eating before they're full while others  make dinner the lightest meal of the day.  There is also a strong belief in getting plenty of sunshine and taking in vitamin D.

Healthy Food Choices

 

A daily routine of regular exercise is another theme that is common across all blue zones.  Common across all of  blue zones is that people climb mountains, walk through the hills, work the land, and generally use their bodies as they perform their daily activities.  Often the exercise is slow and relaxed, but ongoing throughout the day.  These people are conditioned by daily routine to be fit and alert. Ready to fight disease. Quick to break down toxins and waste.

Active, Enjoyable Family Fun



Buettner has found that those who live long and healthy in the blue zones unanimously live low stress, happy lives enriched with strong family ties, a sense of purpose, a healthy dose of spirituality, and plenty of sleep. Unlike the straightforwardness of eating healthy and exercising, this third pillar of a healthy lifestyle is hard to precisely define.  Stress is especially proven to have serious harmful effects on the body . The long-term effects of a life constantly full of stress, anger, and resentment  are dramatic, increasing blood pressure, and generally increasing the onset and severity of heart disease and several other major diseases.



Buddhist Temple, Richmond, BC

Living long and healthy is not mysterious.  It is a choice.   If you aren’t living the lifestyle, then it is never too late to start.  To live long and healthy requires a constant, daily lifestyle of positive enrichment for the body and mind. Find ways to make healthy food taste good. Find ways to make exercise a meaningful part of your daily routine rather than a burdensome chore. Surround yourself with others that share your interest in living a full life that is low in stress, happy, and meaningful. Get plenty of sleep.

A team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists searched for evidence-based common denominators among the 5 Blue Zones and found nine:

1. Move Naturally
:   live in environments that constantly nudge you into moving without thinking about it.  Grow gardens and don’t have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.
2. Purpose:   Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.
3. Down Shift:
  Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. Develop a routine to shed that stress. Take a few moments each day to remember your ancestors.  Pray.   Take a nap.  Have a happy hour.
4. 80% Rule
:  Stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full. The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it.
5. Plant Slant:  
 Beans, including fava, black, soy and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4 oz., about the size of deck or cards.
6. Wine @ 5: 
 People in all Blue Zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. The trick is to drink 1-2 glasses per day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food. And no, you can’t save up all weekend and have 14 drinks on Saturday.
7. Belong:  
 Research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy.
8. Loved Ones First:  
Successful centenarians in the Blue Zones put their families first. This means keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home (It lowers disease and mortality rates of children in the home too.). They commit to a life partner (which can add up to 3 years of life expectancy) and invest in their children with time and love (They’ll be more likely to care for you when the time comes).
9. Right Tribe
: The world’s longest lived people chose–or were born into–social circles that supported healthy behaviors.  Research shows that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness are contagious.

Enter  'Blue Zone Communities'.   The Blue Zones Project initiative challenges communities to become a Blue Zones Community™ ,  a systems approach that allows citizens, schools, employers, restaurants, grocery stores and community leaders to work together on policies and programs that will make the most impact and move the community towards optimal health and well-being.   Blue Zone communities don’t rely on individual behavior change but, rather, focus on making healthy choices the easy choice. Rather than nagging residents to walk more, walking is made easier and more desirable. By making wholesome foods more prevalent and accessible and less expensive than junk foods, more people begin to eat healthier naturally.

Take Albert Lea, for example.  Starting in 2009, Albert Lea, a statistically average American city located about 90 miles south of Minneapolis, underwent an extraordinary transformation. For three years, this city of 18,000 residents participated in the Blue Zones Vitality Project sponsored by AARP and the United Health Foundation, making it ground zero for the application of longevity research in America!  Amid a pep-rally-like atmosphere in a high-school auditorium, the community kicked off the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project. The mission of the Vitality Project was to add healthy years to an entire town by weaving the Blue Zones principles into every aspect of the community—restaurants, businesses, schools, homes, and everyday lives.  Two-thirds of locally owned restaurants added life-extending foods to their menus; 35 businesses pledged to make their workplaces healthier by offering more nutritious catering menus and vending machine choices, and substituting fruit for doughnuts. Residents participated in 15 Vitality Project initiatives, from walking groups—including "walking school buses," where parents and grandparents stroll with children to school—to healthy cooking classes.

Many communities embrace most aspects of this lifestyle,  Earlier this year, I visited a community in Michoacan, Mexico, where I met a vital, enthusiastically active and entertaining 90-year-old woman named Maria.  Maria, I suspect, has never heard about Blue Zone Communities but, all the same, she lives the lifestyle.  She lives in a multi-generational home with her nephew and great nephew. She eats locally grown food, much of which she grows in her own garden or picks in the hills behind her village.  Maria actively participates in the well-being of her family; she weaves and embroiders robosos (shawl) that she is modelling in this photograph, and sells them on city streets.  But what is most obvious about Maria is her friendly demeanor and easy laughter.

Maria - Angahuan, Michoacan



For many of us, there are lessons our parents and grandparents knew, that have been forgotten. The beauty of Blue Zone Communities is, while tools are provided to support transforming the entire community, the program lends itself to a bottom up approach.  Start challenging yourself and your family:  Here's a checklist to help you to introduce and monitor healthy lifestyle changes such as eating more fruits and veggies, eating breakfast; limiting screen time (TV AND computer); limiting sugar  http://www.bluezones.com/challenge/students/

Celebrating Family





 

With a little bit of effort, each one of us can bring about healthy lifestyle changes to our own homes.  We can advocate within our communities and embrace a another way of life by demanding healthier choices in food establishments;  walking to work; making the most of our local parks and community activities.  Perhaps we need to step out of our comfort zone but it's worth it. . . WE'RE WORTH IT!

Sources:
http://www.marketingmag.ca/news/marketer-news/death-speaks-in-new-heart-and-stroke-foundation-campaign-40847
http://singularityhub.com/2009/07/20/blue-zones-places-in-the-world-where-people-live-to-100-and-stay-healthy/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/491449-the-blue-zone-diet/
http://www.bluezones.com/programs/blue-zones-communities/
http://www.aarp.org/health/longevity/info-01-2010/minnesota_miracle.1.html

Springing into Action

For those of us living in Alberta, Spring came awfully late this year. . . or perhaps I should say, Winter took its sweet time taking its leave.  While some were more fortunate than others, I can honestly say that I, for one, am still anxiously awaiting the rows in my garden to pop up through the earth and be prepared to stand with me in the fight against the weeds.  I haven't even transplanted some of the tender plants, such as peppers and tomatoes yet and this year I've made a conscious decision to drastically reduce the number of annuals.  While I won't say that I am a steadfast die-hard sustainable/organic gardener, I continue to lodge my battle against weeds, primarily through the process of cultivation and good old-fashioned handpicking and the only watering I do is easily maintained by my rainwater barrel.

And slowly but surely, I'm converting the beautiful but highly labour-intensive flower gardens that my parents so lovingly created by the sweat of their brow,  into mulched beds with a mix of perennials, shrubs and trees.  It's true, they don't have the spectacular bursts of color but, except for a bit of hand picking weeds, they don't demand the attention and I rather like the less formal  'natural' look.  Large shrub beds, and a solid refusal to fertilize, also keeps lawn care to a minimum.  While we still have copious amounts of lawn (also planted by my parents), as long as I follow a few basic rules such as no chemical fertilizers and not cutting it too short -- the time is kept to a minimum.

then & now



 

When I walk through someone's yard or poke through a garden centre, my mind is always focused on ways which I can continue my hobby in a manner which is kind to the earth (and therefore to me) while keeping the maintenance to a minimum and the enjoyment to a maximum. Perhaps you're the same.  If so, here's a few links for your reading pleasure.

 

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/organic-gardening-tips-460309#slide-1

 

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/organic-gardening-tips-460309#slide-1

 

http://www.canadiangardening.com/how-to/organic-gardening/replace-old-gardening-habits-with-new-eco-trends/a/21328

 

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/cold-weather-compost

 

http://www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/gardening/19-basic-gardening-tips-save-time-and-money



Did you March Against Monsanto?

UPDATE: All marches were not traditional. The Carnival of Corn was, at its core, a celebration of Mexican agricultural heritage -- and a rejection of the biotech corporation. Continue reading at: http://www.alternet.org/activism/thousands-mexico-protest-monsanto-throwing-carnival-corn This past Saturday, protesters rallied in  52 countries and 436 cities as part of a global protest against seed giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces, organizers said.

Most corn, soybean and cotton crops grown in North America today have been genetically modified. Supporters credit GMO to higher crop  yields and nutritional value while critics say genetically modified organisms can lead to serious health conditions and harm the environment. The use of GMOs has been a growing issue of contention in recent years, with health advocates pushing for mandatory labeling of genetically modified products even though the federal government and many scientists say the technology is safe.

 

You may not be aware just how Monsanto finds its way into your home.   It's not simply a matter of avoiding corn, or corn-based products.  It also includes soybean, sugar beet, canola and wheat and rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) used in dairy cows to produce higher volumes of milk.  And then there's that spotty record related to it's PCB production in the United States and the inproper disposal of chemicals in the United Kingdom and other legal problems in Argentina, Brazil, China and Haiti.

Last week, the U.S. Senate approved HR 933, a short term funding measure designed to avoid a March 27 government shutdown. Hidden within HR 933 is section 735, the “Farmer Assurance Provision.”  Called the “Monsanto Protection Act” by critics, this section gives the USDA the power to allow the planting, harvest and sale of genetically engineered crops, even if a court rules that they were not properly approved. Short of a Presidential veto, the provision is a certain victory for genetically engineered foods.

The provision was slipped in anonymously while the resolution was in the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). The rider should have been brought in front of the Agricultural or Judiciary Committees, but was not. Senator John Tester (D-MT) proposed an amendment to strip section 735 from the bill, but the amendment never came up for a vote. According to the Center for Food Safety, there were no hearings on this provision and most Democrats did not know it was part of the larger bill.

 

A major UN/World Bank-sponsored report compiled by 400 scientists and endorsed by 58 countries concluded that GM crops have little to offer global agriculture and the challenges of poverty, hunger, and climate change, because better alternatives are available. In particular, the report championed “agroecological” farming as the sustainable way forward for developing countries.  Imagine that.



Sources:
-  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/25/march-against-monsanto-gmo-protest_n_3336627.html
- https://www.facebook.com/GreenTidings/photos_stream#!/GreenTidings
- https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3961769791467066428#editor/target=post;postID=1530484529611599122
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=606_1364250375
http://snippits-and-slappits.blogspot.ca/2011/06/10-reasons-why-we-dont-need-gm-foods.html

Green Roof Tops Not So Green?

source:  http://ecoroofseverywhere.com/2010/11/20-new-ecoroofs/

 



The purpose of planting vegetation  on rooftops is seen as a way to reduce the heat effect and reduce energy costs.  Rooftop gardens have the potential of lowering energy usage for heating and air-conditioning as well as reducing rainwater runoff, but their effectiveness is not well established.

In order to survive on a rooftop, vegetation has to to survive high winds, prolonged exposure to the sun and unpredictable water availability. To resist these harsh environs, many green roofs are planted with sedum, often a non-native species, that can survive wind and long periods without rainfall.  But what about when sedums are native (obviously, they are somewhere)?  Or what about greening with other native species plantings?

The cities of Chicago and Portland, have each developed hundreds of green roofs over the last decade, and both cities have implemented programs to monitor the success and cost/benefits of green roofs. The climates are very different, so the green roof requirements are different, but they have been successful in both cities. 

Thin (4" or less), light-weight (50 lbs/cu ft saturated) engineered soils are often used for green roofs because of weight limitations. These soils are engineered so they do not retain water so as to limit additional weight on the roof structure. Because of the physical limitations of the soil (i.e., limited-to-no organics, limited capacity to retain water), sedums and other succulents are often used because those species are the best suited for those environments. Other plant species which are adapted to poor soils with limited water typically compensate by having large and/or deep root systems; on a thin-profile green roof, however, these types of plants do not do well because they cannot establish the root systems they need to survive.

Since the 2008 launch of its Ecoroof Incentive Program, the City of Portland has seen the installation of hundreds of vegetated roofs.  But in 2012, the City gained a whole lot more green roof footage in a single project: the new Hayden Meadows Walmart in North Portland.  This is the second green roof project for Walmart who introduced a similar project to Chicago in 2008. Walmart voluntarily monitored the performance of the green roof. The roof drainage system was purpose-built to separate runoff from the green and non-green roof areas and enable precise comparisons to be made between the two roof areas. Flow meters, installed in each manhole, record total flows and flow rates from each roof section. The entire roof is outfitted with a weather station and data logger to measure temperature, solar radiation, humidity, rain, and wind speed and direction to monitor the conditions on both the vegetated roof and the white Energy Star® rated membrane. Additionally, a moisture probe was installed in the green roof media. The study was the largest and most intensive of its kind in the world.

Improvements in the rate and volume of runoff were apparent as soon as the green roof was installed. Because of the study we now have conclusive evidence that the size of a green roof affects its performance. The scale of a green roof allows it to operate at or above its expected performance rate. This benefit also relies on the non-modular design in which moisture slowly migrates through the green roof toward the outlet. Longer ‘residence times’ in the green roof result in greater moisture uptake, delayed runoff, and enhanced growing conditions for the foliage plants. The larger the green roof the greater the distance runoff needs to travel to reach the roof drains thereby further delaying the peak rate of runoff. There is no other BMP that more closely matches pre-development conditions than a large scale green roof.  A decrease in the temperature of the greened roof was also observed, compared to the adjacent white roof.

Perhaps one of the key elements in deciding on a green roof is to identify its purpose.  Is it an ornamental green roof, used in combination with decks, seating, etc.? Is it intended to recreate native habitat? Or is it a thin-profile sedum roof, used as a means to slow water runoff and reduce the heat island effect? Each of these green roofs has different technical requirements and will have different characteristics once they have been established. Failure of one type of roof may not mean failure for another.  If you're thinking of a green roof, the City of Portland has published an Eco-Roof Guide to help you:  http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/article/331490

source:  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Liveroof+Tray+System&FORM=RESTAB#view=detail&id=E24E9333E3ECFDC4BBF0D3D8DDD0930917D84E12&selectedIndex=24



sources: 
- http://grist.org/list/green-roofs-dont-work-unless-you-plant-them-with-diverse-local-plants/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=update&utm_campaign=socialflow
- http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-manhattans-green-roofs-dont-work-how-to-fix-them
- http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/08/new-walmart-store-brings-big-green-roof-to-portland/
- http://www.roofmeadow.com/case-studies/selected-case-studies/wal-mart-5402/
- http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/article/331490

UPDATED Sweatshops: How do we Rid Ourselves of Them?

October 2015

While this topic should be on our minds at all time, with Christmas (and retail's high season) right around the corner, I thought it was time we revisited the issue of how we support proper work environments for the millions working in 3rd world country sweatshops.  While progress has been made, sadly, with only 2 Canadian and slightly more than 20 US companies working to end the continuing cycle of poverty, it would seem most of us are happy to continue the practice of supporting corporations that care little about the human cost tied to their profit margin.  Or, at least, this is the number that has willingly entered into the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Safety. An independent, legally binding agreement between brands and trade unions, the accord is designed to enable a working environment in which no worker needs to fear fires, building collapses or other accidents that can easily be prevented.  

Just In case you still aren't listening, here are a few facts about sweatshops that perhaps you didn't know:

1. A sweatshop is defined by the US Department of Labour as a factory that violates 2 or more labor laws;
2. They have poor working conditions, unfair wages, unreasonable hours, child labour; lack worker benefits;
3. An estimate 168 MILLION children, ages 5-14 work in sweatshops throughout developing countries;
4. Most countries in the industrialized world are not free of sweatshops;
5. Common products coming from sweatshops include garmets, cotton, brick, cocoa and coffee;
6. Consumers willing to pay 15% more to know a product did not come from a sweatshop will double the salary of a sweatshop employee;
7. Those forced to work in a sweatshop spend the majority of their paycheck on food for their families;
8. Child labour is especially common in the agricultural sector, primarily in Asia and the Pacific. Sub-Saharan African has the highest prevalence, with 20% of children in child labour;
9. Because women make up 85-90% of sweatshop workers, some employees force their female staff to take birth control and routine pregnancy tests to avoice supporting maternity leave or providing health benefits.

How can you help?  One way to help foreign workers is to make conscious buying decisions and encourage retailer to provide conscious options. At the bottom of this blog you will find links to help you learn how to avoid supporting this type of facility, thereby helping to break the cycle.

Sweatshops are work environments that possess three major characteristics—long hours, low pay, and unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. Sweatshops have been a factor in the production of goods around the world for centuries, but the globalization of business has led to increasing numbers of major corporations taking advantage of low-cost  labor in developing countries.

Will sweatshops ever be abolished or will we continue to turn a blind eye and support them, as is evident in numerous recent examples in the apparel industry brought to international attention by castastrophic events?   The recent factory collapse in Bangladesh brought Superstore's Joe Fresh line to the forefront; but so far, Loblaw is the only company that has publicly admitted to carrying items made in the collapsed factory but what about all the others?  Companies like Sears Canada, Reitman, The Gap, Liz Claiborne, Kathie Lee Gifford, Nike, and Wal-Mart all market goods produced in sweatshops.

And what about the responsibility each one of us has?  How do we avoid supporting this type of activity and working environment?  While a very low price may be an indicator, it isn't always.  While we can inspect the name of the country printed on the label, we can't assume all products made in a third world country are the product of a sweat shop.  Using Bangladesh as an example, there are compliant manufacturers in these countries just as there is non-compliant, grossly negligent manufacturers.

Here's as good a place as anywhere to start:  GoodGuide.com is a website designed to help us find safe, healthy, green & ethical products based on scientific ratings.  Led by Professor Dara O'Rourke of UC Berkeley, GoodGuide's science team – chemists, toxicologists, nutritionists, sociologists, and lifecycle analysis experts – rates products and companies on their health, environmental and social performance.  GoodGuide's 0 to 10 rating system helps consumers quickly evaluate and compare products.

Here's a few more tips:  http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/whatyoucando/index.cfm

As with anything else that is important, we not only have the choice, we have a responsibility not to turn away, but to take the time to educate ourselves so that we can make informed choices. . . . after all, we always have a choice -- we can be part of the problem, or part of the solution.  Which one do you want to be?

Sources:
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Str-Ti/Sweatshops.html#ixzz2SwZbfZLc
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Str-Ti/Sweatshops.html#ixzz2SwZKulQH
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/04/25/f-bangladesh-clothing-consumer-awareness.html
http://bangladeshaccord.org/
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-sweatshops

Recollections of Love, Food and Healthy Living

As we begin to roll into harvest and I start spending more time in the garden, I can't help but be reminded of my Mom and Dad.  While Dad was responsible for all things 'farm', Mom's domain was the home.  What not everyone realizes, is that 'home' extended far beyond the confines of the house.  It also encompassed a very large garden and all things food related.  As one might anticipate, that included our three squares a day, snacks, picnics and yes, even harvest meals.  Mom not only took care of the garden, helped with the livestock when needed, prepared all the meals, including those meals to the field AND, in between, was my dad's hired hand.  When I think back, it really is amazing how my mother managed to drive the truck during combining and still clean the house, make all the meals and serve them up in style.  



My mother was one of those fine old farm wives whose life revolved around her family.  When she passed away, in 2010, the grandchildren were doing a little reminiscing and decided to put their thoughts down and share it with the rest of the family.  I had pretty much forgotten about it until a neice reminded me.  Perhaps those that were privileged to grow up on a farm in a traditional family will also relate to these heartwarming, often humerous tidbits of real life. 

What really caught my attention was my mother's (and therefore, her grandchildren's) focus on food.   My mother's kitchen was always buzzing with activity and every meal was an occasion.  If you want to think in terms of sustainable food systems, my mother's table would be a fine example; pretty much everything on it came from just a few steps, in one direction or another, from our back door.  On our small family farm you found cattle, a small farrow to finish hog operation and 50 baby chicks arriving each spring.  As spring was filled with planting, summers will filled with tending livestock, crops and the  huge garden which provided us with fresh greens and vegetables throughout.  In the fall, produce was stored, canned, frozen, or dried and saw us through to the next growing season.

 

The grandchildren were right about desserts, home made candies and other treats. As kids, we anxiously waited for the wild saskatoons to ripen and held 'picking parties', with the fruits of our labour ushered into my mother's waiting kitchen, only to reappear in the form of pies.  I don't really recall a meal that didn't end with something sweet, usually preserved fruit but also ice cream dressed with homemade sauces. 

I think back on those days -- those fond, fond memories -- and am grateful for having been charmed with a lifestyle that we took for granted; and loved by parents that, at times, were also taken for granted.  At least I was fortunate enough to have role models that shared their love of the land along with their knowledge and desire to be self-sufficient.  They taught us the value, from both an economic and health perspective, of providing for ourselves.   I like to think I came from good stock.

What I find especially endearing is, regardless how her grandchildren may have snickered at my mother's penchance for a good meal and a tastey tidbit, there are several of them that need only look in the mirror where they may find a glimmer of their grandmother.  Suffice to say, there seems to be a goodly number of them that seem to to have inherited the 'baking gene'.  All of her grandchildren are quite mindful of where their food comes from.  I suspect part of that awareness stems from their very early exposure to fresh food.  Admit it, there is still nothing like the thrill of sneaking into gramma's garden to help yourself to a handful of fresh peas or raspberries.  Nor is there any replacement for the smell of an apple pie or hot buns just coming out of the oven.   

 

And with that, I give you, the recollections of my parents' grandchildren.  Perhaps something will bring a smile to your face,  or tug at a heartstring, just as it did mine. 

1. The Jellybean jar under the table which was never ever empty
2. Arguing with Grandpa “It is not Tommy!” “It is too then Gladys!”
3. Gramma “never cooked enough food” for family gatherings... despite there being a minimum of 2 meats, 3 vegetables and 3 desserts at any occasion
4. The extensive spoon collection in the case Grandpa made for her
5. How anything you said got twisted around like the “telephone” game, such as the time Dad was going to speak at the 'UN'
6. If you wanted to spread the word you just needed to make one call, that is if you could ever get past the busy signal on her phone
7. Always worrying and praying when anyone went on a trip, particularly on an airplane
8. That they planned to cut back on the garden every year but it just seemed to keep getting bigger
9. Basement pantry/aka bomb shelter, because you never knew when you might have an urgent need for filling for 24 cherry pies
10. Grandpa and Grandma’s special velour chairs, grandma’s was like a throne
11. Quacking duck stuffed animal that we all loved to annoy people with
12. The little baby doll hanging from Gramma's walker so she wouldn’t get it mixed up (geat grandchild Ayden always tried to steal it)
13. Came up with the “4th meal” concept before Taco Bell, we always had a late night lunch that usually involved a main course of bun sandwiches and several desert options
14. In the earlier years fancy shrimp cocktails and the “beloved” tomato aspic at Christmas
15. Hunting for kitten nests up in the hay shed
16. Rolling down the hill by the campfire
17. Going to Club Café for New Years and all other special occasions and being allowed to order Shirley Temples
18. Pink petunias in the planters that we loved to pull the dried up ones off of, and often the good ones too
19. The best creamy home made hot chocolate
20. 3 freezers stuffed full, one just for Gramma'sbaking
21. Watching The Wonderful World of Disney and later on MTV music videos while eating supper on TV trays in the TV room
22. Gramm always having her hair perfectly done with weekly appointments but still always being worried about how it looked or if the wind was messing it up
23. Being embarrassed if she was caught by company in curlers or her hair not done
24. Loved her clothes and always dressed to the nines with matching accessories
25. The most sparkly brooches, necklaces, earrings and rings you could find
26. Gramma never drank but she never wanted to miss the party...would always stay up as late as she could!! 
27. Christmas cookie making day
28. Very loud family gatherings
29. Playing Bocce ball in the yard
30. The wooden Christmas characters in the yard that Grampa made for Gramma
31. The BEST homemade buns hot out of the oven with butter (and being able to eat as many as you wanted!) and the smell of them when she had a “baking day”
32. Playing cards for hours (she could stay up later than us)
33. Gramma telling us we were cheating at cards if we were winning or when she lost, when she was usually the one actually cheating
34. Viva Puff cookies (those chocolate covered marshmallow ones) while playing cards
35. Writing recipes in a binder while watching the cooking shows on TV
36. Gramma always taped her "plays" (soap operas) on TV
37. Going for a visit before Christmas to help decorate the tree with Gramma and Grampa every year
38. Playing BINGO in the living room and Gramma would tell us to go and get the treat bag out of her closet for prizes...a HUGE paper grocery bag full of mini chocolate bars
39. Playing “Mother May I” and “Red Light Green Light” in the yard and getting peanuts or old Halloween candy out of the treat bag
40. Having campfires and singing (and always having lots of treats..hot chocolate, hotdogs, marshmallows, cowpie cookies, etc. that she would bring out on a tray)
41. Shelling peas on the deck
42. Picking raspberries
43. Gramma and Grandpa taking the grand kids to DQ and we got to have a LARGE ice cream cone (NEVER got that with mom!!)
44. Gramma and Dad (Ken) getting the giggles
45. When we were little Gramma and Grampa would take the grand kids to the Co-op cafeteria in the basement for lunch or a doughnut and chocolate milk.
46. All the amazing Christmas baking....cherry balls, peanut butter balls, fudge, chocolate covered pretzels, nuts & bolts, toffee squares, grasshopper squares
47. The BEST cook!!!
48. Home made Lemonade Summer drink
49. Really strong ice tea (Gramma kept a whole ice cream pail of ice tea powder beside the couch in the tv room)
50. Always had revels or ice cream and home made chocolate sauce for dessert...or both!
51. Baking with Gramma
52. Riding our bikes up to the farm in the summer to play cards when we were bored
53. Gramma and Grandpa walking down to our house for coffee with Nicky
54. Giving the dog bread with butter (cause they only liked it if it was buttered!)
55. The etch-a-sketch and linking bricks that were kept in the closet in the tv room
56. The house always being so hot and Gramma asking "is it cold in here?"
57. Butter and saltines as a snack
58. Making wontons
59. Making Christmas toffee and wrapping it together
60. Always easy to talk to, never an awkward silence with anyone
61. Always made way too much food
62. Favourite campfire tunes – Can’t Get to Heaven, Wildwood Flower, Amazing Grace
63. Getting mad when Grandpa sped up Amazing Grace after the first verse
64. Helping Gramma clean the house, and trying to keep up to her standards!
65. Had the best memory of anyone, right til the end
66. Making us beautiful needlepoint pictures
67. Making Nikki (the dog) “sing”
68. Gramma bragging about how good her kids and grandkids were
69. Gramma nagging on Grampa (I think that’s how she showed she loved him)
70. Gramma's flower gardens and teaching us the names of the flowers
71. Two weeks ago telling my 31 week preggo self that I “still wasn’t too fat”
72. Gramma claiming she “rarely takes dessert”
73. Loving a DQ dipped cone for a treat (even though she rarely took dessert )
74. Affectionately calling all her loved ones 'Dough Ass'
75. She taught her grand kids how to make lemonade mix and apple dumplings
76. She always let us have dessert after every meal
77. Gramma made the best banana splits
78. She let us eat all the bridge mix we wanted
79. Listening to Gramma playing ‘How Great Thou Art’ and other hymns on the piano and listening to her sing while she played, until she realized you were listening to her
80. Watching soaps with her in the TV room and getting self defence lessons
81. Singing together in the car
82. Trips to Pine Lake for ice cream
83. Making us eat pork and beans before we could go camping in the trailer
84. Teaching how to stitch
85. Gramma made the best gravy
86. She let me us try on all of her jewelry anytime we wanted
87. If you worked more than 20 minutes without an iced tea/lemonade break, you were working much too hard, much to Grandpa's disapproval
88. If you didn't have thirds or fourths at dinner there was no other reason than you were dieting.
89. If you ever lost any weight at all, you must be sick and needed to eat something.
90. Gramma was the only one who wasn't afraid to tell Grandpa off, and did it quite regularly
91. She always stood by the fact that Jed was a very smart dog, even if others disagreed. The same can be said about her grandchildren
92. How much Gramma loved listening to us play guitar and have sing alongs
93. Gramma's laugh... and listening to her and Dad/Brenda/Heather joking with each other and working themselves up until they were all crying
94. The lemon gin story, and her continuing to get more and more drunk from water
95. Going up to set Gramma's VCR so she wouldn't miss her "stories"
96. The little jar of candies in the car and the first thing Gramma did when you got in was offer you one.
97. Just talking to Gramma, and her love for conversation. You never had to worry about being the one to carry the conversation


and, most importantly

98. “People may not remember what you said or did, but they will always remember how you made them feel”. …You always felt like Gramma was absolutely thrilled to see you, would remember everything you told her; was always so proud of you and that she loved you deeply.


What better tribute could there possibly be?

Earth Day and the Work of the Earth Day Network

http://www.earthday.org
 
Most of us have heard and celebrated Earth Day, in one form or another but perhaps we aren't all aware of the Earth Day Network (EDN).  Earth Day was first celebrated on this day in 1970 and is credited for having a significant positive impact on the environmental movement.  EDN partneres with groups in over 190 countries and is largely responsible for mobilizing the more than 1 BILLON people that participate each year.
 
Geared to adults and kids alike, there's a cool little tool on the bottom of the website to calculate your ecological footprint.  Once completed, it provides a few ideas to help reduce that footprint.  It's geared to urban living but that's where most of the folks on our beautiful planet are living and let's face it, accounting for a rural lifestyle, livestock, etc. would be a wee bit too complex to calculate.
http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator
 
Don't forget to check out EDN's Campaign for Communities which aims to unite Earth Day events and local elected officials from around the world as a way to engage with constituents locally and participate in an exchange of environmental visions, concepts, and learning.
http://www.earthday.org/c4c

Give it a look; I guarantee you an interesting learning experience.  Happy Earth Day.