Archive:

2017

WHAT DO YOU WONDER: the opportunity cost of balancing ecological services with drainage infrastructure


“Initially, we saw EAP as a tool (i.e. ‘the protocol’) that would help practitioners calculate the opportunity cost of balancing ecological services with drainage infrastructure. However, our thinking has evolved over the past year. Testing the approach through two demonstration applications has resulted in this defining conclusion: EAP is a process, not a protocol. Thus, we are rebranding EAP as the Ecological Accounting Process,” stated Tim Pringle.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT: waterbucket.ca is home for the Water Sustainability Action Plan for British Columbia


“Knowing the Waterbucket user-base was wanting to find information easily, we redesigned the home page with not only a more contemporary look and feel but also to facilitate it being a portal to all of the different content-rich sections of the site,” stated Susan Friesen. “”Now site users can enjoy a faster, easier and mobile-friendly experience to conduct their research and become more informed with the valuable resources the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC provides.”

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NEW POLIS REPORT: Reconciliation, Water and Watershed Sustainability through Collaborative Consent


“Collaborative consent is about a different way of being together and building a future for Canada in which Indigenous nations assume their rightful governance role as founding nations in this country,” says co-author Merrell-Ann Phare. “There are no barriers standing in the way of BC moving in this direction. Territorial and Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories have been leaders in a collaborative consent approach for years.”

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ANDY REESE WEBINAR >>> Voodoo Hydrology: The Pitfalls of Urban Hydrology Methods (on December 7, 2017)


Andy Reese coined the term Voodoo Hydrology in 2006. “As a stormwater community, we have for years relied upon common urban stormwater hydrologic design methodologies and trusted their results. But, should we? We must understand that urban hydrology, including newer Green Infrastructure sizing approaches, as commonly practiced, is an inexact science where we are simply trying to get close to the right answer,” states Andy Reese.

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BLUE ECOLOGY WORKSHOP (Nov 28) >>> Connect the Drops: Fraser River, Agriculture and Food Security


“The critical issue is the salt wedge and window of opportunity for pumping water from the Fraser River,” stated Ted van der Gulik. “An increase in sea levels combined with a drought flow on the Fraser River would allow salt water to move further up the river in the future. This would shut down water supply intakes for a longer period of time, and could make it challenging to extract good quality irrigation water for use in Richmond and Delta.”

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DID YOU KNOW THAT: China breaks ground on ambitious and self-sustaining "Forest City"


In 2016, China’s State Council released guidelines shifting the focus to the “economic, green and beautiful.” This shift created the opportunity for Stefano Boeri to implement his Forest City vision. The project comes on the heels of Vertical Forest, two residential towers in Milan covered in the equivalent of five acres of forest. “We started to imagine if it was possible to create an urban environment created from many of these vertical forests,” stated Stefano Boeri.

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BLUE ECOLOGY WORKSHOP (Nov 28) – your opportunity to interact with MP Fin Donnelly, founder of the Rivershed Society


“The Blue Ecology Workshop encourages you to look at water differently; to look at each other differently – in a new way.” states Fin Donnelly. “It asks, can different groups work together better? – First Nations and non-First Nations; professionals and water stewards; government and non-government organizations; academics and students – seize the opportunity to share experiences, knowledge and learn from one another’s perspectives!”

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NEW PUBLICATION: Restore Watershed Hydrology, Prevent Stream Erosion, Ensure Salmon Survival on Vancouver Island (Shelly Creek in the City of Parksville)


The Shelly Creek experience foreshadows that an informed stream stewardship sector may prove to be a difference-maker that accelerates implementation of the ‘whole-system, water balance’ approach in British Columbia. “By sharing the story of Shelly Creek, we want readers to recognize that erosion is a common issue impacting salmon and trout habitats in small streams, draining into the Salish Sea,” states Peter Law.

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NEW PUBLICATION: Green Infrastructure Innovation in Langley Township (British Columbia)


“When the previous General Manager of Engineering retired in 2011, our Chief Administrative Officer listened when I presented the case for doing both jobs – Engineering and Community Development,” stated Ramin Seifi. “The Township needed more integration to respond to the demands on infrastructure and the risks to the environment resulting from rapid population growth. Achieving integration depended on the Township having a better structure. Replacement of curb-and-gutter with a ‘blue link’ rain garden is a perfect illustration of integration in action.”

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BLUE ECOLOGY WORKSHOP (Nov 28) – your opportunity to interact with CBC’s Bob McDonald, host of Quirks & Quarks


“Climate change is no longer in the future. It is here. It is real. If we are to adapt, and be quick about it, we really must move beyond ‘shock and yawn’,” says Bob McDonald – author, science journalist, and the national science commentator for CBC Television and CBC News Network. “ A recent interview with a UN diplomat got me thinking. The real issue is public engagement, he said. We are at a moment of truth. Unless the climate message offers hope, he explained, individuals will not be motivated to take action.”

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