Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Toronto approved a law in May 2009 mandating green roofs
on residential and industrial buildings.
Climate Change
For climate change, municipalities should utilize smart-growth
principles to develop new neighborhoods that don't require
automobiles and that maximize walking and bicycling and
include as much open space as possible. They should put
bike lanes along streets and make streets pedestrian- and
bike-friendly. They should use and encourage citizens to
use alternative fuels, improve public transportation with
well-designed stations, and put new housing and businesses
near train stations to spur use of public transportation.
Municipal fleets should use alternative fuels (green fleets),
and anti-idling policies should be established and enforced.
High-efficiency, green-design commercial, residential, and
municipal buildings should be constructed, preferably with
green roofs. For buildings that cannot support green roofs,
white roofs can reflect more sunlight and thus reduce warm-
ing, even if they don't have the additional advantages of green
roofs. Solar panels on roofs of buildings in sunny areas should
be encouraged. Wetlands should be built and restored that can
absorb carbon as well as provide habitat and protect inland
structures from storms. For coastal areas that are frequently
flooded, managed retreat, or, as the UK's environmental
agency refers to it, “managed coastal realignment” is a sen-
sible response.
Emerging Concerns
For contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) sewage plants
should be upgraded to advanced methods of sewage treat-
ment. Sewage plants should require pretreatment or pollu-
tion prevention plans for facilities that are likely to release
emerging contaminants, including hospitals, long-term care
facilities, hospices, veterinary hospitals, and compounding
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