Category Archives: urban pollution

Big Timin’ it with National Geographic

Posted on July 9, 2010 by

“National Geographic just called,” read the email subject line from Rice Creek Watershed District educator Dawn Pape, “and I’m so excited I could Scream!” It’s not every day that we Minnesotans brush with fame and when Pape first picked up the phone, she was understandably skeptical. “I almost hung up on him, thinking he was a telemarketer!” she exclaimed, “Then when he said why he was calling, I was like ‘Wait! Tell me more.’” As she soon learned, National Geographic’s Blue Legacy team was planning their Expedition Blue Planet 2010 and they had selected Minnesota as the first step on their itinerary.
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3 Important Things You Need to Know About Sustainable Landscaping

Posted on January 28, 2010 by

I’ve been studying eco-friendly building and landscaping products and practices for several years. Early on the question arose, “Why all the fuss?” Why? We have a real problem. That’s the first important thing. 1) Water is our most precious resource and there’s a real issue with both the quantity and quality of water. Even here in the land of 10,000 lakes, we experience drought, watering bans and peak shortages of municple water supplies that compromise emergency services like fighting fires. As for quality, urban run-off is the #1 cause of pollution in our lakes, rivers and streams. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency estimates that 40% of our waterways are impaired by conventional pollutants. The good news is the second important thing: several “best management practices” exist for reducing urban run-off and pollution and reusing that most precious resource.
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Posted in Blue Thumb, Hedberg Landscape Masonry Supplies, landscape, permeable pavers, raingarden, rainwater harvesting, stormwater runoff, sustainable landscaping, urban pollution, water quality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments