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100 Green Yards: simple enough… right?
Although I appreciate the tipping point graphic, it would be cool to have a progress bar patterned after a football field; Maybe we could get the Bears to sponsor planters by painting the team logo on the side? First let’s get the rooftop space, then we’ll worry about funding, which may be easy at a small scale and more challenging at 1,000,000 square meter scale — that’s the next step.
Full-on green roofs seem far too daunting for widespread adoption, at least with any kind of expediency likely to make our mayor look good, given his pledge to make Chicago the greenest city in the United States. I’d like to help him keep that promise.
Back to the task at hand: green roofs = too hard.
How about 100, one square yard planters?
Much less conspicuous and certainly less costly, not to mention, a much easier project to swallow in terms of sense of commitment. Even non-resident owners might be convinced to adopt a yard. Maybe we should make them square meters to avoid confusion with the other kind of yard*.
However we do it, let’s get started. Can we get some City funding?… How about rooftop space on City-owned buildings? This could be done in a day with municipal support.
I don’t think it would have the same impact in terms of heat island effect, but it would reduce storm event impact on our poorly designed water treatment system and improve carbon sequestration, particularly depending on the design of the planters; let’s not harvest rain forest hardwoods to build the planters, mmm kay? FSC-certified timber? Recycled building materials? Now we’re talking… Organize with construction companies to reduce cost AND landfilled wastes in the process.
Abstract details for geeks:
These are dimensions for a college football field, which will do for now:
They seem to measure 57,600 square feet of field space or:
-5351 square meters
-6400 square yards
-1.322 acres
*Keep a lookout for another project, which will advocate the conversion of lawns to CSA-style urban and suburban gardens. I’m not sure how The Point will help us overcome the mixed needs of participants (yard / roof furnishers) as well as funders. As it is, The Point seems to facilitate Social Contracts, which are an “I will if you and X others will” style approach AND fund raising. I may par identical fund raising efforts and Social Contracts as a bridge solution. After “That planter ain’t free…” can’t be the excuse that stops such an otherwise good idea; it’s an easy one to fix ;-)
