Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2009 - (Page 12) ON THE ROOF WITH… ous parking lot isn't a problem in a functioning ecosystem. Even eight percent impervious pavement in a watershed does not cause much of a problem. More than 10 percent and watershed quality drops from good to fair; more than 25 percent impervious surface (as is the case in most of our cities) and watershed is seriously degraded. No surprise, the pressures on ecosystems have increased as the human population and development has increased. But we may be reaching a tipping point. The value placed on the environment and on sustainability by the general public is going up. Recent studies highlighting the role that interaction with nature plays in children's cognitive development are also spurring calls for change – both in how we value nature and how we build our communities. I understand it took over a year just to define “sustainability.” What were the issues? Sites defines sustainability as "design, construction, operations and maintenance practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The definition is derived directly from the definition of sustainability coined in the 1987 United Nations report Our Common Future. That's the easy part. The hard part is translating that concept to performance benchmarks that cover the ecological and human health aspects of site selection, assessment, planning and design, selection of materials, construction, operations, and maintenance. We want to set a high bar, but the benchmarks have to be achievable, and they have to be flexible enough to apply to different regions and site conditions. Any plans for an accreditation program? The Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks Draft 2008 is available for download at www.sustainablesites.org/report. To participate in the review process in the future please, visit www.sustainablesites.org/review. In addition, The Sustainable Sites Initiative received over 125 submittals to its call for case studies. These case studies demonstrate a wide variety of sustainable practices addressing issues associated with stormwater management, integrated design process, habitat restoration, material management and other sustainable practices. Sites will continue to build this library over time from the wealth of innovative submissions they have received and will advertise for more case studies in the future. GET INVOLVED! It's possible. The idea is on the table along with other questions related to the future of Sites and the long-term involvement of the founding organizations and other participants in the process. We will have to evaluate potential costs and benefits, and whether an accreditation program would advance the overall mission of Sites. Thank you Nancy and keep up the great work. D To learn more about the Sustainable Sites Initiative, which GRHC has signed on to, please visit www.sustainablesites.org. Caroline Nolan is the editor of the Living Architecture Monitor. FOR GREEN ROOF PLANTS, YOU CAN COUNT ON OUR… EXPERIENCE WITH PROJECTS FROM EAST COAST TO WEST, TORONTO TO TEXAS, AND OVERSEAS. KNOWLEDGE WE’VE TESTED 100’S OF PLANT SPECIES — IN REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS SERVICE INSTALLERS KNOW WE DELIVER PLANTS THAT THRIVE, ON SITE AND ON TIME OVER 300 SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS 49 ACRES… AND COUNTING EMORY KNOLL FARMS, LET OUR EXPERIENCE WORK FOR YOU! Visit us at: www.greenroofplants.com or call us at 410 452 5880 http://www.sustainablesites.org/report http://www.sustainablesites.org/review http://www.sustainablesites.org/report http://www.sustainablesites.org/review http://www.sustainablesites.org http://www.greenroofplants.com http://www.greenroofplants.com
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