Why You Should Support Green Infrastructure
By working with nature, not against it, we can mitigate climate disasters while creating vital habitat.
This article is part of a special听series from our听fall 2019 climate issue听on how you can level听up your听actions against climate change.听Visit the full听Climate Action Guide here.听
After a natural disaster鈥攐r in preparation for the climate-fueled disasters to come鈥攎any communities are rebuilding old infrastructure or launching brand听new mitigation projects. Business as usual means concrete and rebar, but some are opting for more sustainable solutions.听
Prioritizing Parks
After flooding on North Dakota鈥檚 Red River deluged the city of Fargo repeatedly from 1997 to 2014, teamed up with the Fargo Parks District and other partners on the Urban Woods and Prairies Initiative. Flood-buyout properties along the river鈥檚 banks offered an opportunity to improve habitat, add natural park space, and increase flood resilience. By lining the river with parks instead of private property, the partnership created a protective buffer of natural prairie vegetation adapted to the river鈥檚 cycles. So far, 23 nature parks covering more than 1,000 acres have been built along the river in Fargo and its cross-river neighbor, Moorhead, Minnesota.
Skipping Seawalls
For decades conservationists have been working to restore San Francisco Bay鈥檚 wetlands, which had been developed for farms, factories, landfills, military bases, and freeways. The goal is to create 100,000 acres of wetlands by 2030 to naturally mitigate rising seas. What鈥檚 more, these marshes will largely eliminate the future need for seawalls, which can crumble over time while also听interrupting the natural movement of water, destroying vital coastal habitat. So far, 20,000 acres have been restored, and in 2016 voters supported Measure AA, a tax backed by that鈥檚 expected to raise $500 million over 20 years to fund the ongoing work.听
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