Second rain garden planned for Thoreau School

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CAN YOU HELP FOR AN HOUR?

Construction will take place Sat., June 1, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  

At Thoreau School, along Nakoma Rd.

Cookies and lemonade will be served.  

Bring a shovel and gloves.

Background

At Thoreau School, runoff from the roof and a paved playground was causing a large gully to form in Nakoma Park.

Construction dust is a proven hazard for Madison

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"Long term exposure to air pollution is linked to heart attacks and strokes because it speeds up hardening of the arteries, known as atherosclerosis," according to new research by University of Michigan scientists. source

"The vessels of people exposed to higher levels... of fine particulate air pollution thickened faster than others living in the same metropolitan area."

“Linking these findings with other results from the same population suggests that persons living in a more polluted part of town may have a two percent higher risk of stroke as compared to people in a less polluted part of the same metropolitan area."

Findorff Construction next to Kohl Center

The fragrance of clean water

Requeson Beach, Baja California Sur
April 9, 2013

The Sea of Cortez smells so good!  Clean water always has a fragrance.  It’s the sum--the essence--of all that’s happening in the water.

What Mars says about the Earth

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Mars has much to teach us about running a planet.  What a lovely home we have--with its deep blue sky, sparkling sun, mostly clear air, and clean green landscapes!

In contrast, the dust of Mars is everywhere--turning the sky red, casting the landscape into a reddish gloom.  Dust would fill your vehicle, your spacesuit, and your habitat.  We could live there, but we'd have to manufacture every last resource--even the air to breathe.

Dust to the horizon on Mars.  NASA.

Findorff Construction spreads litter on L. Mendota

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On Sunday March 10, Findorff was again unprepared for rain and thaw.  The rain amounted to .93 inches, augmented by melting snow.

The area furthest from the lake had been recently excavated, but no erosion controls were visible along the fence.

Out on the ice of Lake Mendota, Findorff had been dumping snow excavated from the construction site.  The dumping of snow was intentional--it was in large piles dropped by a power shovel.

Ordinance proposed to legalize gardens on street terraces

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A "terrace" is City-owned land next to the street.  Usually, it's the portion between the street and sidewalk.

According to Isthmus, an ordinance amendment has been proposed "to make it possible for residents to plant gardens in their terraces. Part of the motivation for this amendment is to make legal what in many cases is already being done -- planting gardens and other edible or decorative landscaping in the city-owned land between the sidewalk and the street.

Living lightly--Halley research station

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In Madison, erosion from construction sites is responsible for 19% of the phosphorus in our lakes.  Construction is a major cause of Madison's poor air quality.

Nationwide, a recent study shows the industry causes $14.7 billion in economic damage a year.*  Those costs are paid by all of us.

So there's a need to find greener construction techniques--to build and live lightly on the land.

Credit: British Antarctic Survey

Halley VI Research Station in Antarctica is a striking example of what's possible.  The buildings were built from prefabricated modules, placed on legs above the ice.

Construction at the Edgewater, Jan. 29, 2013

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On January 29, temperatures reached 54 F, with rainfall of 1.84 inches. Findorff Contruction wasn't prepared for the rain.
 

There was a sediment spill to Lake Mendota.

Construction at the Edgewater, Jan. 19, 2013

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View from the top.

View from the lake. 

A gap in the silt fence along the lakeshore, plus construction dirt spilling over into the lake.

Photos were taken on a Saturday, when temperatures were about 38 degrees.  I wanted to see if there was enough meltwater to cause erosion of sediment into the lake. Water erosion wasn't evident.

But when snow was cleared, a lot of dirt got mixed with the snow, which was dumped outside the sediment fence.  So some dirt is getting into the lake.

Dust fallout on Lake Mendota

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For dust, Madison's air ranks as the 24th most polluted, out of 277 cities.

Last Saturday during a thaw, I could see dust fallout on the surface of Lake Mendota.  The Lake has been ice-covered for only a few weeks, so you can see how rapidly dust accumulates.

The dust floated on meltwater, and blew into a row along the edge of this icy pool.

Early next spring, this surface dust will become water pollution.

One of the largest contributors to dirty air is construction in Madison--our largest industry.