This Earth Day, we are proud to highlight some of the inspiring sustainability initiatives that our CityZen Analyst Team has surfaced from our Data Platform!
As infrastructure projects continue to shape our communities and the world at large, it’s more important than ever to consider their impact on the environment. We must strive to build in a way that is sustainable, resilient, and respectful of the natural systems that sustain us all.
Check out some previous insights our team found and shared with clients back in 2020:
How does this project impact the environment?
This project will reduce GHG emissions by using renewable solar energy to help power the arena.
How will the project benefit the local community and its surrounding areas?
This project will likely result in lower energy costs, increased local air quality, & reduced fossil fuel dependency.
Why do you think this project is important?
I think this project is important as it contributes to helping mitigate climate change. As we continue to see rising global temperatures, doing anything we can to help prevent further emissions is a step in the right direction. Additionally, considering the installation is occurring at a public arena I also think the solar panels could act as a form of climate awareness, promoting the use of renewable energy.
How does this project impact the environment?
This project will reduce GHG emissions from heating & cooling applications for buildings, enabling a move to cleaner fuels. It will enable the use of less carbon-intensive fuel sources such as waste heat, biomass, wastewater etc.
How will the project benefit the local community and its surrounding areas?
This project will lower costs, improve air quality, and convert waste heat to energy. It will attract private investment and support local economic development.
Why do you think this project is important?
District Energy projects bring value to neighborhoods as a whole, as they are shared within a community and help cut down on carbon emissions for several buildings at once. Older buildings, especially ones with inefficient heating/cooling systems are some of the largest sources of GHG emissions. In this case, the buildings that would share the community energy system would be North Island College, Queneesh School, the Hospital, and the Aquatic Center.
How does this project impact the environment?
This project will be adding large quantities of sand or sediment to beaches combats erosion, floods, and provides for measurable carbon sequestration.
How will the project benefit the local community and its surrounding areas?
This project will use a soft engineering approach to coastal protection and larger-scale deployment with the goal of reducing atmospheric greenhouse gasses.
Why do you think this project is important?
Olivine is a natural mineral with a distinct green color. As the mineral weathers, or breaks down over time, it naturally creates dissolved bicarbonate, magnesium, and silicon. The bicarbonate that is created captures carbon dioxide. While the methodology is scalable in volume to increase total carbon capture, this pilot project in Duck, NC, must first be carried out to understand how expectations from theory and laboratory tests translate to real-world systems.
How do these types of projects impact the environment?
Both structural and natural stormwater system improvements help alleviate flooding in communities. Pavement-centric design doesn’t leave much space for floodwaters to permeate back into the soil, which ends up causing costly damage. Combined sewer systems can also cause sewer overflows during periods of heavy rain, which can seriously damage ecosystems. This problem can be combated with smart stormwater system upgrades.
How will these projects benefit the local community and its surrounding areas?
Wetland restoration can help reduce flooding while simultaneously providing habitat for native biodiversity. Reducing sewer overflows can help ensure dangerous microbes don’t enter the water system, or the pH balance of the water doesn’t get thrown off. Equilibrium in watersheds helps a diverse range of life forms thrive simultaneously.
Why do you think these types of projects are important?
Stormwater projects receive a lot of attention, and a lot of that is based on man-made property damage, but it also represents a much bigger part of our part to play in the ecosystem. Especially when it comes to natural stormwater projects, the beauty is that communities can leverage nature’s way of dealing with flooding by leaning into wetland restoration and similar initiatives.
We all have a role to play in building a sustainable future. Whether through our personal choices or our professional work, we can all contribute to a healthier, more sustainable planet.
If you are interested in learning more about how we can surface early insights on sustainability initiatives, reach out to us and request your free sample https://sample.citylitics.com/