Weather We Don't Recognize : How Midwestern Communities Are Responding to a Changing Climate Kara E. Reeve Manager, Climate-Smart Communities National Wildlife Federation June 25, 2014 Adaptation in the Great Lakes Region Conference Richard Prosapio
Inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future Climate change is the greatest threat facing wildlife
Dual Approach for Responding to Climate Change • Mitigation – Addresses causes of global warming especially through reducing carbon pollution • Adaptation – Addresses impacts of climate change on people and wildlife Dual—not dueling—approaches: Both are essential and complementary
Translating Climate Science for Locally Relevant Solutions • Workshop: Michigan’s Natural Resources Management Community & Climate Change: Finding Solutions – Over a dozen natural resource professionals , including those • Leading agency adaptation strategies or • Responsible for assisting other organizations • NEW Report: Weather We Don’t Recognize – Synthesis of National Climate Assessment facts and figures into language and examples that can be used by a broader audience – Examples of nature-based approaches to urban resilience
Climate Change in the Midwest Increase in winter Shorter, milder precipitation winters; longer, hotter summers Can lead to combined sewage system overflow and pollution of local waterways Up to 25 more days/ year over 95˚ in More severe southern Midwest storms in northern Midwest Warmer temperatures and increased rainfall will increase humidity Source: www.globalchange.gov
In the Midwest • Summers are hotter and more humid • More rain and less snow in the winter • Spring and fall are generally warmer and wetter • More big storms, increasingly violent weather of all kinds The climate is changing.
Do you remember… Skating on lakes that now rarely freeze? Sleeping comfortably during the summer months with the windows wide open? Going to the beach without worrying about whether the water was safe for swimming? The climate is changing. .
How Will Climate Change Affect Us? • Too much heat is dangerous • Everything depends on water – not too much and not too little • Stormwater runoff and sewage overflows threaten human health & aquatic ecosystems • Climate change is going to be expensive for all of us
Nature-Based Approaches (Green Infrastructure) Enhance, Protect, Restore Natural infrastructure – Eg., coastal wetlands, inland wetlands, open space, trees, shrubs Features that mimic natural processes – Eg., rain gardens or green roofs that are used in low-impact development (LID) Green roof, Washington DC
Working With Nature 1) Prioritize non-structural, nature-based approaches 2) Use nature-based approaches instead of or in combination with grey infrastructure GREEN & GREY TOGETHER 3) Emphasize multiple benefits Resilience, reduce carbon pollution, provide wildlife habitat, cost effective/ save money 4) Direct development & infrastructure away from environmentally sensitive and vulnerable areas; incentivize development in less vulnerable areas 5) Refrain from adaptation activities that are maladaptive for wildlife
Nature Based = Multiple Benefits • Reduce flooding • Reduce Urban Heat Island Effect • GHG reductions – energy savings in buildings (green roof) = lower cost – energy savings moving and treating less stormwater = lower cost • Habitat for wildlife • Human health benefits – Air quality – Mental health – Faster recovery time • Increase property value
While some risks can only be improved through new technology or traditional system upgrades… “ Building bigger pipes will not solve our problem.” --Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Green Infrastructure Plan Yet constituents are not convinced about climate change… “We are making the region a better place to live…” Kevin Shafer, Exec. Director of Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Low Impact Development: Land development approach that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible, aiming to conserve and restore natural landscape features
Rain Gardens : Shallow, vegetated basins that collect and absorb runoff from rooftops, sidewalks, and streets Bioswales: Vegetated or mulched channels that provide treatment and retention as they move stormwater Benefits: • Stormwater infiltration/retention, decreases volume and flow to SW system, which reduces pollutants • Reduce Urban Heat Island Effect • Wildlife habitat
Bioswale Rain Garden
Rain Garden in streetscape
Replacing impermeable pavement with surface that absorbs water Benefits: • Minimize flood risks associated with increased storm events, decreases volume and flow to SW system, which reduces pollutants • Natural penetration of water into ground in urban areas
Permeable Pavement Aaron Volkening
Green Roof Vegetated roof that insulates buildings and provides a cooling effect to the air through transpiration Benefits: • Increases on-site retention of SW & decreases volume and flow to SW system, which reduces pollutants • Reduces Urban Heat Island Effect • Reduces energy costs and subsequent GHG emissions associated with heating and cooling buildings • Wildlife habitat • Visually appealing, can increase property value
Credit: EPA
Careful planting and maintenance of native or naturalized trees to improve the urban environment Benefits: • Combat the Urban Heat Island Effect • Store carbon, help reduce GHG emissions from energy use • Improve air quality • Provide wildlife habitat • Intercept water, minimize flood risks • Can help local economy
Cost Savings from Nature-based Flood Management Philadelphia: ¡managing ¡50% ¡of ¡all ¡impervious ¡surface ¡runoff ¡through ¡green ¡ infrastructure ¡would ¡provide ¡about ¡$2.8 ¡billion ¡in ¡benefits ¡through ¡2049 ¡ ¡ • Reduced ¡emissions, ¡improved ¡air ¡and ¡water ¡quality, ¡recreaGonal ¡space, ¡ reduced ¡urban ¡heat ¡island ¡effect, ¡etc. ¡(City ¡of ¡Philadelphia, ¡2009). ¡ Green Roof – reduces energy consumption by 15-45%, reduces cooling costs by $250 annually Urban Forests – trees in New York City provide $5.60 in benefits for every dollar spent on tree planting and care Rain Garden – estimated to save $3,500-$4,500 per half-acre lot on new residential developments
Green Infrastructure: Chicago, IL The City of Chicago is working with the Field Museum and community organizations to install neighborhood rain gardens with aquatic plants and native flowering perennials Community leaders emphasize links between locally produce & reduced GHG emissions • Lower emissions than commercial agriculture, including transportation Community gardens have been established as gathering places for activities that strengthen the community • Vegan cooking demonstrations, communal meals, climate change education programs, etc .
Prinzessinnengarten – Berlin
Prinzessinnengarten – Berlin
Prinzessinnengarten – Berlin
Green Infrastructure Guidelines: Washtenaw County, MI • Water Resource Commissioner developed guidelines to handle new levels of rain in SE Michigan with use of green infrastructure • Water Commissioner’s Design Criteria (WCDC) aims to: – Stop increase in volume of runoff – Reduce frequency of floods – Slow velocity of stream flows – Limit wide fluctuations in stream flow, which destroy habitat – Increase water availability to recharge groundwater
Climate-Smart Conservation in Lorain, OH • Decades of mismanagement and pollution have led to degraded habitats • Climate change impacts are already being felt in the watershed • Climate-Smart Conservation integrates climate science into the design of restoration activities – Fish shelves constructed at varying elevations – Planting native, climate-climate tree species appropriate for a changing climate
Climate-Smart Conservation in the Black River Construct fish shelves at varying elevations
www.nwf.org/greenworks • Overview of climate impacts in cities, summary of recommendations • Nature-based approaches 101 Organized by climate impact o Examples from communities o Charts & illustrations o Economic data o • Recommendations for implementation • Additional resources by topic
Sources • Green Roof – Foster, J., A. Lowe, and S. Winkelman. (2011). The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation. Center for Clean Air Policy • Urban Forests: – Foster, J., A. Lowe, and S. Winkelman. (2011). The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation. Center for Clean Air Policy. – Million Trees NYC, http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/home/home.shtml • Rain Garden: – Foster, J., A. Lowe, and S. Winkelman. (2011). The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation. Center for Clean Air Policy. – Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, (2011). Determining the potential of green infrastructure to reduce overflows in Milwaukee. Retrieved from 2020 Facilities Plan Team, Brown and Caldwell, HNTB, Tectra Tech Inc. website:
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