Archive for the ‘In The News’ Category
Putting Green to Work by American Rivers
Economic Recovery Investments for Clean and Reliable Water
As many of you who have heard me speak, you know my passion for developing sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions to our nation’s water infrastructure. Stormwater from rainfall events are the biggest source of pollution in America. The civil engineers call it non-point source pollution.
In 2006, the American Society of Civil Engineers graded our nation’s water infrastructure D-. The lowest grade of all the infrastructure categories examined. Although this grade is unacceptably low, the next lowest grade is F – Failure. An “F” is simply unacceptable. Without access to clean, sanitary water supplies people perish. Click here to see the 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
American Rivers, funded by the Park Foundation, the Kresege Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, Keith Campbel Foundation, and the Turner Foundation, has created report which examines the efforts of nineteen states with “bright green” projects. Here are some key findings:
- The demand for funding is far, far greater than currently provided on both the Federal and state level.
- Future funding should be targeted to “bright green” projects. “Bright green” project types includes:
- Bioswales
- Green Roofs
- Permeable Paving
- Rain Gardens
- Riparian Habitate Resotoration
- Wetlands Restoration
- States must act quickly to remove barriers, eg. statutes, regulation, and policies, that are roadblocks to integrated approaches to our communities’ implementation of infrastructure improvements.
- An integrated approach is necessary to understand the complete benefit of green infrastructure.
For me, the most important elements are the job creation and economic output.
A $10 billion investment in water efficient projects would produce a total economic output of $25-28 billion and create 150,000 to 220,000 jobs.
For every dollar invested the return is $2.65. It doesn’t take a financial wizard to understand this concept. Investing in green infrastructure is good for the economy, the environment and the communities in which we live.
There is a tremendous opportunity to combine our existing gray infrastructure with newer green infrastructure creating sustainable communities.
Click here to download the report, “Putting Green to Work.”
Brave New World: Trends & Opportunities in the Emerging Green Environment
Recently, I spoke to the Independent Turf and Ornamental Distributors Association in Nashville, Tennessee
I created two presentations for this group of landscape industry professionals.
Brave New World: Trends & Opportunities in the Emerging Green Environment(ITODA)
- Excess Capacity: Competition is increasing and margins are shrinking
- The Impact of Local Businesses on the Economy
- The EPA: Friend or Foe
- The Impact of Downsizing on Employee Engagement
- The Dramatically Increasing Presence of Women in Work
- Transforming Your Business by Creating Value
- Business is rapidly changing
- Opportunities exist in areas unavailable five years ago
- Customers have different needs and require a new approach
- Companies investing in marketing are growing
I feel the presentations were incredibly helpful to the folks in the audience. Based on conversations I had with audience members, some of the points they found most interesting were:
- The dramatically changing social environment, especially women in the workforce.
- Getting sales people to make more sales calls.
- Emerging opportunities in green infrastructure and the role landscaping will play in remediating our environment.
I truly enjoyed speaking for an energetic and enthusiastic crowd at Independent Turf and Ornamental Distributors Association. I hope I can return soon, and I look forward to my next speaking engagement on January 12, 2012 at the Green Industry Expo in Indianapolis. I will be leading a panel of experts on landscape industry trends.
Meeting Warren Buffett
Meeting Warren Buffett (center) with Tom Barrett (right) and John Barrett (left)
I had the pleasure of meeting Warren Buffett on Wednesday, September 28th at the Challenge Foundation Academy. What an honor to meet one the great leaders in America. Buffett’s ‘down home’ style belies his sophistication in finance as well as in life.
The Challenge Foundation Academy is a charter school located in the Avondale Meadows area of Indianapolis, Indiana. This area is the most improverished neighborhood in the city.
Buffett, chairman of Bershire Hathaway, is the third richest man in America. He is helping to support a new approach to urban redevelopment. Buffett is hoping to help break the cycle of poverty that for decades has gripped struggling inner-city neighborhoods across the USA.
Click here for the article from USAToday.
Sustainable Site Development : Rain Gardens & Bioswales Presentation at the Center For Green Technology
The Rain Garden at Chicago Center for Green Technology, Chicago, Illinios
I had the pleasure of presenting “Constructing Rain Gardens & Bioswales” at the Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT) on Thursday, September 29th. The audience, between 30 to 40 people, was great.
We talked about stormwater issues and toured the rain garden at the Chicago Center for Green Technology. Steve Pincuspy, Director of CCGT, led the tour and did an excellent job of explaining the effectiveness of the rain gardens in mitigating the local stormwater problem.
The presentation was followed by over thirty minutes of questions.
Here is a copy of the presentation:
Windridge Condos Breaks Ground on Rain Garden
Windridge Condominium Homes to Build Eco-Friendly Rain Garden
Indianapolis, Indiana—Windridge Condominium Homes, located in the Emerson and Fall Creek Parkway area, has announced that it will build a groundbreaking rain garden. Not only will this garden be beautiful, it will also help to alleviate existing flooding and moisture issues in the neighborhood.
Originally built more than 30 years ago, challenges associated with stormwater drainage have confronted Windridge from its inception. While the original developers installed traditional storm drains and conveyance systems in the neighborhood, ongoing development in the surrounding area has increased the frequency and volume of stormwater flow around and through Windridge. While various solutions have been implemented over the years to control flooding and standing water issues, the neighborhood’s infrastructure has been unable to handle the more than 91 million gallons of rain water that fall on the neighborhood annually.
The rain garden will not only reduce runoff into nearby Fall Creek, it will also improve local water quality by capturing pollution that normally contributes to algae growth, and improve the overall ecology of the local water systems.
“Rain gardens are a green way to solve many traditional storm water problems,” said Tom Barrett, owner of Green Water Infrastructure and a consultant on the project. “They’re also a great retrofit for many older, more established communities with persistent drainage issues.”
Fischer Design, an Indianapolis-based landscape architecture firm, will design the rain garden. Green Water Infrastructure in Westfield will provide green consulting. TERRA Site Development in Westfield will provide the civil engineering for the project. The project is expected to break ground in September 2011.
# # #
About Windridge Condominiums:
The Windridge community is a unique collection of two hundred and twenty one homes located in a natural setting along Fall Creek in Indianapolis, Indiana. Touring the property one easily recognizes our respect for the natural environment. You will see a number of wild animals, birds, countless plants, and trees. The Windridge community takes pride in maintaining our natural surroundings.
About Fischer Design, LLC:
Fischer Design is a landscape architecture design firm focused on the creative integration of man-made and natural environments promoting environmentally responsible, sustainable, functional, and aesthetically beautiful design solutions. For additional information about Fischer Design, please visit www.fischerdesignllc.com.
About Green Water Infrastructure:
Green Water Infrastructure is a consulting company that integrates water resources for sustainable site development. Their goal is to utilize one hundred percent of the on-site water resources at a site. Green Water saves communities money by combining green infrastructure with gray infrastructure and new technology with existing technology to create sustainable growth — environmentally and socially. For more information, please visit www.thinkgwi.com.
About TERRA Site Development, Inc.:
TERRA Site Development, Inc. (TERRA) is a site development consulting firm that provides specialized investigation, engineering design, and testing services for property and projects in all aspects of development. Assisting clients regardless of what stage their project is in – TERRA provides environmental and geotechnical assessment before property is purchased, civil engineering design and permitting assistance prior to construction, and materials testing and inspection during buildout. Located in Westfield and Indianapolis, additional information about TERRA can be found at www.terrasitedev.com.
Tom Barrett is featured in BizVoice Magazine
Chan•nel: |ˈ ch anl|*
noun:
– a length of water wider than a strait, joining two larger areas of water, especially two seas.
– a medium for communication or the passage of information.
– a navigable passage in a stretch of water otherwise unsafe for vessels.
verb:
– direct towards a particular end.
– cause to pass along or through a specified route or medium.
*excerpted from the Oxford University Press Dictionary
Global Water Infrastructure’s Tom Barrett is featured in the current issue of BizVoice (the Indiana Chamber of Commerce magazine), one of several dynamic business leaders serving as a vital “channel.”
Just like the enduring importance of water infrastructure, businesses are beginning to recognize the enduring importance of knowledge held by veteran workers and looking for ways to pay …or, channel…. that knowledge forward.
And, whether channeling their knowledge by way of mentoring, consulting or entrepreneurial initiatives, seasoned workers are helping businesses transition into the future.
You can read more about Tom and this forward looking process at:http://www.bizvoicemagazine.com/archives/11mayjun/WorkforceWise.pdf
Reflections on the Great Lakes Awareness Event
Recently, I spoke at the Great Lakes Awareness Event hosted by Patagonia Chicago.
The workshop and ensuing panel discussion was incredibly helpful to the people in the audience. Based on conversations I had with audience members, the point they found most interesting was the amount of pollution caused by the sewer water overflow that is created every time it rains. Most people are unaware that our stormwater systems are combined with our sewer systems and untreated sewer water is dumped into our local water ways when it rains.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes received a $10,000 grant from Patagonia for restoration efforts.
Panel members include:
• Mary Lammert Khoury, aquatic ecologist and conservation planner, Great Lakes Project, The Nature Conservancy;
• Tom Barrett, a nationally recognized speaker and authority on sustainable solutions and owner of Green Water Infrastructure;
Tom Barrett presenting stormwater issues to a standing room audience at the Great Lakes Awareness Event at Patagonia Chicago
• Jessica Dexter, staff attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Midwest’s leading public interest environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization
Refreshments were provided by Goose Island with live music by Laura Glyda.
I am look forward to my next speaking engagement with the USGBC-IL on June 16th on Water Efficient Landscapes at the Ball Horticultural Center in West Chicago. Here is a link to the Event: http://admin.usgbc-illinois.org/widget/calendar?eventId=266507&EventViewMode=EventDetails
Great Lakes Awareness Charity Event with Patagonia
I am excited to be participating in the Great Lakes Awareness Event with Patagonia, the sportswear and outdoor apparel retialer in Chicago.
Have a Voice in the Future of the Great Lakes and Award a $10,000 Grant. Click here to read more….
Thursday, June 2, 6:30pm
Patagonia Chicago
Did you know there is a movement to privatize the Great Lakes, that they are plagued with invasive species, that raw sewage is regularly dumped into Lake Michigan from the city of Chicago?
Join us and the Alliance for the Great Lakes at Patagonia Chicago for a workshop and panel discussion by local experts about these issues and others surrounding our Great Lakes, and help us to decide which environmental group should receive a $10,000 Patagonia grant for restoration efforts.
Panel members include:
• Mary Lammert Khoury, aquatic ecologist and conservation planner;
• Tom Barrett, a nationally recognized speaker and authority on sustainable solutions and owner of Green Water Infrastructure;
• Jessica Dexter, staff attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Midwest’s leading public interest environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization
This event is free. Refreshments will be provided by Goose Island with live music by Laura Glyda.
Patagonia Chicago
1800 N. Clybourn Ave.
312-951-0518
Click here for directions to the store: http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1936
How Safe is Your Drinking Water?
Water Quality
At many of my presentations I am frequently asked, “Is my drinking water safe?” I generally answer yes but you need to do the research. Potable water quality across the United States is excellent. However not always and, quite frankly, it depends on your specific location and the time of the year.
Time of the Year
Why does time of the year matter. Well in parts of the country farming operations affect the quality of our drinking water. During the Spring, in Indiana, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management estimates over eighty percent of the drinking water has excessive levels of atrazine in drinking water.
For over fifty years, farmers rely on atrazine to control weeds in corn, sorghum and sugar cane. Atrazine is a highly effective herbicide. The level of allowable atrazine in our drinking water is a highly controversial topic.
Check Out Your Water Quality
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released an updated version of their Enforcement & Compliance History Online (ECHO). Check out your water quality here.
