6.08.2006

Edens: Lost and Found

PBS Link
Show Website

We happened by a really encouraging show on PBS last night called Edens: Lost and Found, a four hour series about environmental success stories in 4 major US cities. We watched the Chicago episode.

For our beloved T-Clog, I encourage you to track these down, especially the Chicago episode as it profiled an ecology teacher at a high school in Elgin, IL who is truly inspiring. Definitely a role model for someone who hopes to bend the system to their will and make the world a better place.

The example of the teacher got me thinking about TClogs school rehab project and triggered another memory regarding sustainable design practices. Typical storm/waste water management for building involves the sewer system and a large treatment plant and retention ponds for the storm water. But there are engineered wetlands that can be created to deal with both storm and waste water and also then provide habitat for all manner of creatures. These wetlands can become both a symbol and a teaching tool. I'll try to track down some more information....

4 comments:

Dan said...

That's kind of what they do around all those new developments, isn't it? Not a bad practice in the midst of general travesty, except the individual retention ponds aren't really linked to any greater ecosystem...

Pat said...

Retention ponds are everywhere and they do help to control runoff and reduce the amoint of oil and solids from leaving the site, but engineered wetlands are much more sophisticated.

Retention ponds are not supposed to be true wetlands, though if they get overgrown they become them, while engineered wetlands are purposefully built.

C.F. Bear said...

Thanks for thinking of me. I will try to look for that. I look forward to any other info you have in helping me turn my school into a green machine.

Pat said...

With those two brakes it'll corner like a dream.