24 May
BY GEOFF WILSON
Solar power is poised for a rapid decline in costs that will make it a mainstream power option in the next few years, according to a new assessment by the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, D.C, and the Prometheus Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This reduction of costs can be expected to energise a joint harness [...]
24 May
Gary Hardgrave, MP, speaking at the inaugural Green Roofs conference in Brisbane in February.
Long-term supporter of green roof development in Brisbane, Gary Hardgrave MP, initiated a Notice of Motion on green roofs in the Australian House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra, on May 21, 2007. It preceded his presentation at the Green Roofs for Australia [...]
17 May
Pictured: Living wall, Tokyo. Photograph by Graeme Hopkins as part of his Churchill Memorial Fellowship.
GRHAC member Graeme Hopkins has just been appointed Principal Urban Designer (Metro) at Planning SA, within the State Government of South Australia, with a brief to implement sustainable urban design, particularly in the metropolitan context.
Graeme is co-director South Australian based Landscape [...]
15 May
Vancouver has mandated green roofs on the Southeast False Creek development, but insurers have cold feet.
Canada’s Journal of Commerce reports of a dispute between municipalities which have mandated green roofs and some insurers who are unwilling to offer cover for new developments with roof gardens:
Several Lower Mainland municipalities have been considering mandating green roofs on [...]
14 May
When Ford, Toyota and BP are doing it, it’s well into the mainstream.
CBS News reports that a Baltimore BP service station plans to save money and start a trend by installing a living roof.
Station manager J. Kent McNew told CBS:
“It sends people a message that private industry can do something to help the problems environmentally.”
14 May
left: Minneapolis Central Library rooftop, by Kestrel Design Group
Verdant Concepts has just launched a green roof world map using Google satellite mapping software.
This will be a useful resource for project managers and others wishing to find aerial pictures of green roofs from around the world.
The project is new and not yet fully-functioning, and as yet [...]
11 May
An information package, that is.
GRHAC President Geoff Wilson recently submitted information on the potential for greening Australia’s rooftops to federal leaders of both parties. So far, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has responded.
Mr Rudd has thanked GRHAC for its “fantastic report”, which he will forward to Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage, Peter Garrett.
Around [...]
10 May
Auckland has only one green roof, but this may change soon.
University of Auckland engineering student Emily Voyde is embarking on a 3-year study to find the most suitable plants and substrates to use in green roofs in Auckland City.
Emily, 23, has received a Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarship to fund her study.
She’s the first female Maori [...]
10 May
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Occasionally content will be password-protected. This [...]
9 May
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Business Week reports that a new ‘Biopaver’, an insulating paver embedded with pollutant-filtering plants, is being used for an experimental roof garden.
The creator (patent-pending), Joe Hagerman, aims to turn the roof of the Pablo Neruda Academy, in the Bronx (pictured top, and an “after” artist’s impression, bottom) into an outdoor classroom for hands-on learning.
Business week [...]
9 May
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Treehugger reports that China is “planning for 45% greenery coverage by 2008,” while “rooftops are starting to look mighty appealing”.
The report goes on to say:
These big plans will create big environmental impacts: the United Nations Environment Program estimates an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide levels in Beijing should green roofing reach a rate of 70%. [...]
9 May
Treehugger reports: The environmental benefits of planting on roofs and walls are now becoming widely understood, including their value in reducing pollution, insulating against heat and cold and reducing the maintenance of buildings. A new Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, will inspire architects, builders, gardeners and home maintenance enthusiasts to incorporate green roofs and [...]
8 May
Calling all GRHAC members: David Kelly is offering to volunteer his considerable expertise to undertake a study on green roof carbon savings so we can pass on statistics to business. We’re calling on members to help David design, collaborate or make it happen. He is interested in looking at a range of carbon-offset issues, from [...]
1 May
Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) is the first city in the world to include both urban agriculture and green roofs in an action plan to meet predicted global climate change challenges.
This is expected to develop the City of Brisbane as a centre of excellence in both technologies.
The Brisbane City Council (BCC) this week adopted, unanimously, an action [...]
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