The Earth Story

Let’s go ahead and end Earth Day 2015 with John Oliver’s version of trying to improve it. Language/topic warning: NSFW.

Green roofs

The concept of the green roof is not a new phenomenon; with its basic functionality being utilised for several centuries. A green roof (also known as an eco-roof, nature roof, living roof or roof greening system) is a living, vegetative system that contains a substrate (growing media) and a vegetation layer at its outermost surface. Green roof systems can be used as a way of compensating for the increase of impervious surfaces, providing a visual and recreational escape from the ‘concrete jungles’ of urban landscapes.

One of the most attractive qualities of green roofs is that they wholly encompass the idea of sustainability. Sustainability can be broadly defined as an attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural world both now and into the indefinite future. It relates to the continuity of economic, social and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment.

Green roofs offer advantages socially, economically and environmentally which are all necessary to fully achieve any step towards sustainable development.

Environmental Benefits:

•Storm-water management Retrofitting a green roof system on a pre-existing rooftop can become an onsite water retention facility. Depending on the rain intensity and the soil depths runoff can be reduced by 15 to 90 %.

•Reduction of the urban heat Island effect:

Concrete and asphalt structures absorb the ultraviolet radiation from the sun during the day. At night however, this radiation is released as thermal infrared radiation which creates a dome of higher temperatures over cities. Because green roofs store water in the growing media and plants, latent heat loss is accomplished via transpiration from plants and evaporation of moisture from the growing medium collectively referred to as evapo-transpiration.

•Reduction of air pollution:

Plants can reduce the concentration of airborne pollutants in a number of ways. The leaves of the plant fix particulates, and then when it rains the particulates are washed down into the soil substrate where they become trapped in the soil substrate or growing medium. Through plant photosynthesis and respiration air containing carbon dioxide and toxins is absorbed through the stomata and transformed into glucose and water. Airborne particulates become trapped on the plant foliage until it rains. The particulates are then washed into the soil substrate and become entrained in the substrate mix preventing the dusts being dispersed downwind.

•Promotes Biodiversity:

Green roof offer habitat patches in areas which otherwise would be void of ecosystem services. Even in densely populated areas green roofs can attract a range of beneficial species of birds, bee’s, butterflies and other insects. The fact that the habitats are created at a height is actually beneficial, particularly to species that do not interact with human beings. By creating new habitats for plants and animals valuable ecosystem services can be reinstated into urban areas.

Economic Benefits:

•Prolonging the existing roofs life:

The average life span of a conventional roof is only 20 years attributed to damage and stress from cooling, heating and exposure. If a green roof system is incorporated into design the temperatures do not get too high due to evaporative cooling and frost damage to the roof structure is avoided as the soil takes the worst of it. It is estimated that the installation of a green roof can double or even triple the life span of a roof, hence reducing maintenance costs significantly for a small by comparison initial investment.

•Reduction in Energy Costs:

Accredited to the natural thermal insulating properties of vegetative cover green roofs discourage heat build-up. This results in a decreased need for air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. It is estimated that a one story building can save anywhere between 20 and 30% of electrical energy requirements with the addition of a green roof.

Social Benefits:

•Green roofs can help to visually ease the stress created by a lack of green space in urban communities. By intertwining culture and nature, we can actively design to regenerate human and ecological health.

As a whole, the need to divorce our relationship with consumerism and resource use is of utmost importance and the relationship between humanity and nature must be rekindled. Green roofs are not only a tool towards environmental sustainability, but can act as a visual reminder of the importance of nature in our lives!

-Jean

Photograph by Diane Cooke and Len Jenshel

Earth Day 1970

Perhaps we should go back to the time of the first Earth Day. It was a very troubled time, more troubled perhaps even than today if you can believe it.

We were stuck in the midst of the Viet Nam war: we were losing our schoolmates to the war, to the first wave of recreational drug use, social unrest and race riots were nearly daily phenomena. The killings at Kent State followed the first Earth Day by just a matter of days, showing how “afraid” the authorities were of “us.”

So there we were, about a hundred of us if I recall correctly, marching from our high school into downtown to “protest” for our love of the Earth: we had all read Rachel Carson’s The Silent Spring. Once the local businesses we passed figured out we weren't war protesters (this time), we were accepted, smiled at, treated with somewhat of a condescending acceptance by people passing by in their immense V8’s – this was also the time before the oil crisis, when smog levels were at their worst, when it was perfectly okay to dump mine wastes into streams, and only Lady Bird Johnson seemed concerned that the USA was becoming an eyesore.

20 million Americans participated in rallies and rather innocuous protest marches such as ours under the urging of US Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970. There wasn't much we could do about the war in Viet Nam except yell; there wasn't much we could do about civil unrest except to naively believe in the power of love. But maybe, just maybe, we could save the planet. We believed we could just by marching down Main Street.

Hard to imagine, but it was, believe it or not, Richard Nixon who, following the Earth Day protests, created the Environmental Protection Agency and passed the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. Subsequent administrations have been hacking at these ever since. It was the ‘70s when recycling centers began to appear and be utilized and when the “crazy” environmental movement took shape.

The Earth today seems even more threatened than ever before. Maybe that little march of ours in 1970 was useless and silly, but I like to believe that maybe it did help to initiate the age of environmental awareness. We did not save the planet, at least, not yet.

Call me "crazy"...

Annie R

Image: An Earth Day poster of 1970 by Ralph Bently. I had this poster in my dorm room at college for several years.

http://mrlreference.blogspot.gr/2011_04_01_archive.html http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement

Happy Earth Day from TES!!

The Earth is commonly called the “Goldilocks” planet. At 149.60×10^6 km (1a.u) away from the sun, it is neither too hot nor too cold. We are situated in the solar system at a location where water is liquid and the atmospheric composition is one which not only supports life but allows life to thrive. This blue planet, our home, is the only place known to harbour life- but what is it that makes our world so special?

There is much debate to what the limits of life are, after all, we only have to look at the deepest depths of our oceans or at acidophilic microorganisms to recognise that life can survive in inexpedient and strange environments.

There is however a few key ingredients that I am sure we can all agree are a necessity for life as we know it, here is a non-exhaustive list.

Water:

To our extreme advantage, Earth is situated in the solar system at a location where temperatures allow water to be naturally liquid. Water has acted as a “primordial soup” – a place to harbour the ingredients of life such as DNA and Proteins and as it is an excellent solvent, it has the advantage of being capable to dissolve many substances creating a hub for biochemical activity.

Another benefit of water is its properties when frozen. Water in its solid form is actually less dense than it is as a liquid; this means ice floats and hence insulates the liquid water beneath it from freezing further. If ice was to sink, this would allow layers of water to freeze above it and inevitably all liquid water would become ice, making the chemical reactions for life near impossible.

Energy:

It may be obvious, but without energy virtually nothing can happen. The Earths most obvious source of energy is the sun. Our host star is the driver of many important functions, including photosynthesis; which provides the nutrients required for the bulk of life on earth, both directly and indirectly and provides us with an atmosphere that is about 21% oxygen, just right for respiration. The Earth’s atmosphere is very unique as it has free oxygen (O2), this is strange as oxygen loves to chemically react with other atoms and molecules. The oxygen in our atmosphere would disappear if photosynthesising organisms like plants and cyanobacteria did not regenerate it.

Recycling:

From plate tectonics to the carbon and water cycles, the recycling of materials and compounds is a natural process on Earth. Carbon dioxide is often stored in rocks, if it was to stay there the Earth would surely become a lot colder, but it is returned to the atmosphere through the action of plate tectonics and the resulting volcanic eruptions. Similarly water is recycled in the environment, from the precipitation that rains on the land, to the evapotranspiration of trees and plants to the evaporation of surface waters, the Earth has a way to ensure that there is recycling pattern for its most important molecules to be circulated throughout our environment.

Time:

Time has been instrumental to life here on Earth. This is mainly again to the credit of our sun. Scientists have argued that habitable worlds need a star that will live at the very least 7 billion years, and we are lucky enough to be revolving a star that will have a very long life. Time is paramount for evolution, the earth is about 4.6 billion years old, but life has not always prospered here. The first known organism appeared here around 3.5 billion years ago, multicellular organisms did not appear till 600 million years ago. Evolution is a very slow process and each and every one of us is a product of a vast amount of time.

Of course, all of these things are the basis of life here on Earth, but we must remember that we have evolved to utilise what is present in our global environment. While we are the only known planet to harbour life, continued exploration might pave way to the discovery of similar planets, or indeed planets where life has blossomed under different parameters may be found.

But until then, remember how truly remarkable we all are.

-Jean

Photo courtesy of NASA's Messenger spacecraft.

Resources: The age of Earth: http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/gtime/ageofearth.html The Carbon Cycle: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/research/themes/carbon/ The sun: http://www.astrosociety.org/edu/publications/tnl/39/sun2.html Water: http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/YOS/Jun/index.html

Some awesome #EarthDay sand art by Bill Lewis in Santa Cruz, California.

Thanks to Santa Cruz Sand for this.

At a GEOPARK, Every Day is Earth Day! What is a Geopark? Well, in so many ways, nearly all the National Parks of Canada and the USA are Geoparks, as they celebrate many of the most gorgeous geologic/geomorphologic features on the face of the Earth. But in 2000, in Europe, a new kind of “Geopark” came into being with the initiation of the European Geopark Network; and in 2004 they went international, a Global Geopark Network with a supportive link to UNESCO as well as the backing of the IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences). So, again, what is a Geopark? It’s a special area, an area rich in geologic treasures, landscapes of “drop dead” beauty, an area that develops these treasures for education, conservation, and tourism. It’s an area that links some of the world’s most important geoheritage with the environment and history hosted by the geoscientific treasures. And a Geopark is an area that aims to be economically self-sustaining while aiding the regional economy. Sound too good to be true? There are, in fact, 133 Geoparks scattered about the globe, many in the movement’s birthplace of Europe, many in China and Southeast Asia, and new ones dotting the map of South America and Africa. There have been 13 proposed for inclusion in 2015, and the movement is growing! So if you get the chance, do try to visit one of the Geoparks near you! And if there isn't one (New Zealand and Australia -- we're talking to you, here!), it's about time to start one! Annie R Photo: from the Geopark Naturteja da Meseta Meridional of Portugal, trace fossils from ~480 million year old “Trilobite Town” of Penha Garcia: http://bit.ly/1HqGrH2 Map: Courtesy University of the Aegean UNESCO and the Global Geoparks: http://bit.ly/1dQbdqO The European Geoparks: http://www.europeangeoparks.org/ Some Geoparks you’ll recognize from The Earth Story; http://bit.ly/1DbMMBm https://www.flickr.com/photos/cheishichiyo/6404221835/ And our “aspiring” Geopark: http://bit.ly/1DbMMBm

Earth Day: Green Amsterdam

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is rated the 5th greenest city of Europe. Due to Amsterdam’s small population (with 750,000 people the biggest city in the Netherlands) environmental issues are well addressed and can come to realization quite easily. It should come to no surprise that the city ranks highest in terms of water and land use. The city has more than a hundred km of canals on 90 islands with more than 1500 bridges. The canals were mostly dug in the 17th century at the height of the Dutch Golden Age as a successful outcome of city planning. As one of the first cities in Europe, elm and lime trees were planted along the banks of the canals. Since trees during this period were scares, they had to be imported.

Unfortunately Amsterdam scores relatively poor in air quality with main pollutants being nitrogen oxides and fine dust. It’s location in one of the biggest urban centers of Europe (the Dutch ‘Randstad’ and heavy industry in nearby Belgium and Germany) is one of the main reasons for this. Also, CO2 emission is not up to standard, although drastic programs to reduce this (40% reduction by 2024) have been started. With 6,7 tons per year per inhabitant CO2 emission of among the highest of the European cities measured.

Amsterdam does score in good in the energy category and is one of the top scorers for efficient and more importantly clean energy. In waste and land use Amsterdam ranks first of Europe. Heat and electricity is produced by converting biogas and biomass from waste and sewage by the Waste and Energy Company. Therefore, Amsterdam has a very energy-efficient heating network.

As far as transport goes, Amsterdam is a very bike friendly city. Most ‘Amsterdammers’ use their bike to get around, since the city is flat (as is the most of the Netherlands) this is not very strenuous activity. Having a car in Amsterdam is basically pretty useless. Parking spaces are scarce; it is a hassle to drive around all the one way streets trying to find a spot, parking permits are difficult to come to and requiring you to wait for a few years. Overall, biking is a lot cheaper and definitely very healthy!

So, although Amsterdam is on its way to become a genuinely ‘green city’ there is still much to be done.

-OW-

Image: European Space Agency. A satellite image of Amsterdam showing the canals.

References: http://www.siemens.com/entry/cc/en/greencityindex.htm http://www.iamsterdam.com/en-GB/Eco-Cluster/eco-cluster-amsterdam/green-roots