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July
2010
guest
feature article
Green Roofs at Boston
GreenFest 2010
By Demetria Spinrad,
Foundation for a Green Future, Inc.
Photos Courtesy of Boston GreenFest Unless Otherwise Noted
Boston,
Massachusetts is one of the densest cities in the United States.
Built largely before the automobile allowed cities to sprawl across
thousands of kilometers, Boston’s 600,000-plus residents live in
an area of only 18.6 square miles. The larger metropolitan
area, known collectively as Greater Boston, is home to over 7.5
million people. With an average density of 12,166 people and
5,203 housing units per square mile, maintaining green spaces can
be difficult in a city where every square foot is valuable real
estate.
Since many
of the millions of residents in the Greater Boston area commute
to jobs in the city, Boston’s weekday population swells to over
1.2 million and can balloon to 2 million during special events.
Despite Boston’s public transportation options, many commuters choose
to travel by car; air quality is a major concern in the city.
Heating and cooling are also pressing issues. During a recent
heat wave, thermometers in normally temperate Massachusetts topped
100 degrees Fahrenheit. City officials warned residents to stay
inside and EMS workers braced for a surge in heat-related ailments,
while the electrical grid was strained by an increased demand for
energy to power air conditioners. In the winter, Boston’s
variable climate necessitates the use of indoor climate control—but
a great deal of heat is lost by older buildings that have not been
treated with modern weatherproofing techniques.
Extolling
the virtues of green roofs here would amount to preaching to the
choir. We know that vegetation can scrub harmful chemicals
and particulates from the air, insulate buildings to keep inside
temperatures stable, and prevent materials like concrete from soaking
up heat in the summer. Boston’s high-rise, flat-roofed apartment
buildings and offices are fantastic spaces for green roofs; the
region’s steady rainfall keeps irrigation to a minimum, and many
hardy plants can thrive on a well-maintained roof. Our next
step in adding a touch of green to Boston’s skyline must include
a campaign to educate home and business owners about the importance
of green roofs.
Foundation for a Green Future, Inc. is a Boston-based 501(c)3
nonprofit dedicated to providing environmentally focused programs
to the Greater Boston community. Throughout the year, we run
a series of programs focused on greening the urban space through
gardening and green roofs. We also provide green jobs training
and promote environmentally friendly business practices. One
of our chief concerns is improving the health of our community by
promoting healthy eating, improving air quality, and creating parks
and recreational areas for children and adults. Foundation
for a Green Future, Inc. has collaborated with local public schools,
community centers, e-inc., Boston Youth Education Network, greenschools.org,
and many other organizations to provide programs.
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A view
of Boston GreenFest 2009.
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For the
third consecutive year, our Foundation will run
Boston GreenFest, a three-day multicultural environmental festival
located at Boston City Hall plaza. Last year’s festival attracted
more than 200 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors. This year, we
anticipate over 100,000 visitors to Boston GreenFest, and the festival’s
attendance is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.
In addition to providing educational opportunities about healthier,
more ecologically friendly lifestyle choices, Boston GreenFest will
allow members of our city’s diverse neighborhoods to work together
towards a greener, healthier, more sustainable future.
One of
the goals of Boston GreenFest is the greening of our urban environment.
A space with plenty of living vegetation is a space with cleaner
air, better living conditions, and a more pleasant environment for
work and play. Many Bostonians grew up in the inner city,
and serious problems like polluted air and energy wastage are taken
as a matter of course; business owners expect to spend a fortune
on heating and air conditioning, doctors expect asthma and obesity
in young children, and health services brace for the worst when
a heat wave arrives rather than encouraging people to walk and bike
during more tolerable weather. Boston GreenFest seeks to provide
solutions to problems that most people have written off as unsolvable.
Many of our exhibitors are specialists in green roof and living
wall technology, green design, and urban gardening.
Property
owners who have never heard of green roof technology will be able
to learn about the benefits of a green roof at Boston GreenFest.
Since our exhibitors are also local organizations that specialize
in green roofs, prospective owners of a brand new green roof will
be able to connect instantly with design firms and consultants who
can provide them with exact information about structural surveys,
pricing, aesthetic options, available vegetation, and more.
Our extensive
children’s section will also include information about green roofs
and urban gardening. When it comes to environmental activism,
the old saying about how children are the future is especially true;
the kids who may be exposed to environmental issues for the first
time in their lives at Boston GreenFest will grow up to be the next
generation of architects, business owners, designers, consultants
and consumers.
Let’s make
sure that they grow up in a cleaner, greener city. Please
join us for Boston GreenFest 2010!
Demetria
Spinrad
Demetria
Spinrad is a Summer Intern with Foundation for a Green Future, Inc.
and an undergraduate at Wesleyan University.
In 2007, Dr. Karen L. Weber co-founded the nonprofit organization,
Foundation for a Green Future, Inc., to increase awareness and
education about the need for greening our urban spaces. Under
its aegis, she has since organized Boston GreenFest, a grassroots
environmental festival that takes place at City Hall annually.
Boston GreenFest has quickly grown to be the largest festival of
its kind in the Boston area.
Karen
adds:
"Our three-day multicultural festival
begins with a kick-off concert, a One Gallon Challenge and Green
Jobs Forum on Thursday, August 19th and continues with exhibits,
live concerts, ecofashion shows, films, and more through the
21st.
We are now accepting registrations for the Green Jobs Forum
on August 19. If you would like to be a part of our forum,
you can sign up
here. There is no fee for participating in this event."
To
learn more about Boston GreenFest, visit their
website
or please contact Karen Weber at:
karen@bostongreenfest.org
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