National Building Museum Showcases Green Living Exhibits

If you are planning a trip to our nation's capital in Washington, D.C. in the next several months - perhaps for June 14th Flag Day, July 4th or over the summer - you could prolong Earth Day celebrations. The Green Communtiy Exhibit at the National Building Museum (www.nbm.org) is definitely worth every minute of your time invested for our future.

The City of Portland can be justly proud of being one of the most liveable US cities. The City and a local university worked collaboratively to overcome traffic and underused parts of land and other resources, thereby adding another green choice for its commuters: aerial commuting. Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland contributed $40m of the $57 million toward the high-flying and practical project that takes commuters 500 feet, across 3,300 feet high at 22 miles per hour, in just three minutes. Everyone is thereby able to avoid traffic problems on busy Interstate-5. (see photo of air tram, attached, at end of article). The related web site makes clear that all weather conditions, including seismic activity and wind storms, have been taken into account by the world-famous designers in Zurich, Switzerland. Weekday hours from 5.30am through 9.30 pm are supplemented on Saturdays from 9am-5pm for only $4 round trip for adults (Children under 6 "fly" free)!

Closer to my home turf, Baltimore may claim some fame for renovating a dilapidated part of the city that has become a major tourist attraction - the Inner Harbor - water scenes, activities, watering holes and great restaurants. Both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. are among the Top 10 List of US Green Roof Cities. This is an idea that is almost self-explanatory: when roofs are used for planting trees and shrubs, the buildings are cooled in summertime and kept warmer in winters thus reducing energy consumption. There is added benefits to wildlife and reducing untreated stormwater run-off, greenhouse gases and other pollutants, quite apart from esthetic advantages of green roofs. An organization founded in 1999 recognizes green roof cities with awards for excellence each year. It is called Green Roofs for Healthy Cities - North America, Inc. (www.GreenRoofs.org). Founder-President, Steven Peck, may be contacted at 416-971-4494 EXT.233 or via email: speck@greenroofs.org. The sixth annual conference was held in Baltimore, April 30th-May 2, 2008. A world green roof conference will take place in May 2009 in Germany (see photo and web site credited for the link: www.greenroofworld.com)

Our nation's capital is also celebrated for green roofs in the exhibit at the National Building Museum, mentioned in the first paragraph. When I contacted the Exhibit's (Green Community) liaisson, Jasmine Zick, in Washington, D.C. she said this has been "years in the making." The local Green Roof successes are especially close to her heart. I would encourage one and all to visit the National Building Museum physically (F street, NW in Washington, D.C.) or cybernetically (www.nbm.org/GreenCommunity). Feel free to call for more information: 202-272-2448. Ms Zick's extension is 3109, and moreover I had no difficulty getting her on the phone. She was more than willing for me to interview the curators (see Part 2, from Deonils, coming here soon). In her email to me, Jasmine Zick said, "You must have seen one of our advertisements for Green Community, which highlight different parts of the exhibition. Portland, OR is included in the exhibition as an excellent example of transit-oriented development, with their urban growth boundary, bus system, and air trams." (Email communication, 4/24/2009).