[CANUFNET] Water and the Growing Urban Canopy

[Mark Peterson]

What an interesting idea. Water is so critical during the first growing 
season. The logistical problems do not seem to be that difficult on the 
surface; it does need some thinking about. Has anyone tried this at a large 
scale?

How is the NGO Riversides project dealing with the industrial and 
institutional, commercial aspects of this idea J.P. Warren?

Mark Peterson, BES, MLArch, OALA
Mark Peterson & Associates, Landscape Architect
(519)743-2990        www.openspacesolutions.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jp Warren" <jpwarren at interlog.com>
To: <canufnet at list.web.net>
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 4:15 PM
Subject: [CANUFNET] Water and the Growing Urban Canopy


Toronto is set to double the size of its canopy. Ottawa's announcement
of 100,000 trees planted over the next four years as part of the
National Tree Planting Challenge, and the UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign
are important and exciting initiatives.

In order to water these trees while not increasing the fossil fuels
burned to operate municipal pumps (pumps consuming a very high amount
(50 to 60%) of typical municipal energy requirements) programs such as
the NGO Riversides is initiating, the harvesting of rainwater using
rainbarrels at the homeowner level and larger systems for commercial,
industrial, institutional and multi-unit residential, means cities
will be able to supply the growing urban forest with water collected
freely, and equally importantly for local watersheds, diverted from
storm, sanitary, and river systems in our communities.

This rain harvesting approach provides leverage to both sides of the
energy equation; It helps mitigate through reducing our need for pump
energy, and provides for adaptation, by helping us prepare for warmer,
drier times ahead. Also, by capturing and making available a supply
normally diverted to become waste, it both 'creates' supply and also
lessens demand on the municipal potable system currently used to water
our cities growing trees.

If we're going to grow urban forests in the hot dry environs of our
cities, we can use every drop of help we can get. And as our urban
infrastructures age and need to be replaced, on-site rainwater
harvesting can provide a way to lighten this need as well. The new
forests will require lots of water, and right now we toss the bulk of
it down the drain.

See www.riversides.org

Cheers,     John-Paul Warren


Jp Warren
416-467-1339
Toronto