protect the membrane. for information and standards pertaining to waterproofing materials, consult the national roofing contractors association ( nrca ) or astm international ( astm ). matrix of extensive roof waterproofing systems x see note 1 x see note 2 see note 2 note 1 : fm global requires 8 inches of growth media with a pmr configuration ( see section 184. 108. 40. 206. 2 of fm 1 - 35 ). hence, they do not allow an extensive vegetative roof in this configuration, because an extensive vegetative roof is less than 6 inches thick, by definition. fm global is approving vegetative roofs for fire resistance ( mostly sedums ), but not for wind uplift as of this writing. note 2 : fm global allows a vegetated roof over a steel deck with an appropriate fm fire test and suggests ( par. 220. 127. 116. 11 of fm loss prevention data sheet 1 - 35 ) that vegetated roofs be evaluated for interior fire exposure ( as regards a class i or class ii rating ) in the same manner as for conventional roofing systems on metal deck. for more information on waterproofing systems, refer to the below grade systems chapter of the building envelope design guide. 2. protection course a protection course ( pc ) is typically only required for hot fluid applied systems. this is typically a modified bitumen ( mb ) base ply approximately 80 mils thick with a sanded surface. this mb ply gets embedded into the top layer of hot fluid applied membrane while the membrane is still hot and tacky. this pc becomes integral with the membrane forming a very robust monolithic system. other materials, provided they are compatible with system components, may be used for a protection course such as : asphaltic boards, ( 1 / 8 " or 1 / 4 " thick, typically 4 by 8 foot sheets ) and extruded polystyrene boards or pvc sheets, as applicable for the waterproofing membrane system ( e. g. do not use asphaltic board with pvc membranes ). 3. leak detection verify the integrity of the waterproofing membrane prior to installing the overburden. leak detection should always be performed prior to the installation of protection boards and non - conductive root barriers to allow more precise location of leaks. inexpensive methods for locating damaged waterproofing are available. these include spray testing, standing water flood testing, flowing water testing and the electric leak detection procedure. the latter can sometimes even locate leaks underneath overbu


barriers to allow more precise location of leaks. inexpensive methods for locating damaged waterproofing are available. these include spray testing, standing water flood testing, flowing water testing and the electric leak detection procedure. the latter can sometimes even locate leaks underneath overburden that is not too deep. a standing water test can be conducted by plugging the drains and creating dams to contain water to a depth of 2 " minimum at the high point for 24 – 48 hours. see astm d 5957 for guidance. for existing roof substrates, verify roof detailing exists to accommodate this test method. also, care must be taken so the weight of water retained does not exceed the load - carrying capacity of the structural deck. a flowing water test is conducted by applying a continuous flow of water across the entire membrane without plugging drains for a period of 24 ‐ 48 hours. electric leak detection is the preferred method of leak detection where scope and funding allow. low and high voltage leak detection methods are available. there is, and probably will continue to be, disagreement as to which method is better. some of the pros and cons are given below. electric leak detection provides the precise location of leaks, but is generally not acceptable for use with black epdm membranes due to the high conductivity of carbon black in the membrane. low voltage ( lv ) testing : with lv testing the surface of the roof membrane is moistened ( not flooded ) to create an electrically conductive medium. a conductive wire loop is laid out on the membrane around a section of the area to be tested. the wire can be left in place, so that the roof can be retested for leaks after installation of overburden. lv testing can be done in the rain. however, elements such as roof drains may need to be inspected and tested separately because they must be isolated from the electric leak detection process. if a vapor retarder is part of the roof system, it may limit the effective use of low voltage testing. also, concrete decks m ay not be able to be tested if a pmr / irma system is used or a conventional configuration that is not mechanically fastened is used, unless a stainless steel grid screen is installed on the deck, below the membrane, to create a conductive field. high voltage ( hv ) testing : hv testing may take less time to perform compared to lv testing. also, areas immediately adjacent to elements such as drains can be tested. the membrane must be dry. laps may be more difficult to test than


voltage ( hv ) testing : hv testing may take less time to perform compared to lv testing. also, areas immediately adjacent to elements such as drains can be tested. the membrane must be dry. laps may be more difficult to test than with lv testing. as a result, white epdm may be difficult to test, as well as black epdm. care must be taken not to damage the membrane due to the high voltage. tests must be run and baseline readings taken to calibrate the equipment to prevent damage. for more information on leak detection systems, refer to the wbdg resource page on membrane integrity testing. 4. root barrier typically, root barriers are in the form of hdpe ( high density polyethylene ) or reinforced pvc. depending upon the selection of plants, this membrane is between 10 mils to 30 mils thick. if there are laps they should be thermally fused. in the case of certain highly aggressive plants, a minimum 60 – mil thick hdpe with welded seams should be utilized. bamboo should not be used on a vegetative roof, due to the rhizomes ( tips ) that can penetrate many root barriers. in some cases, the manufacturer of the mb protection course will infuse this layer with a root - inhibiting chemical, such as copper hydroxide. however, there is some evidence that, over time, these chemicals will breakdown, which reduces effectiveness, and leach off the roofs into the receiving runoff. copper hydroxide root barriers are banned in several european countries and canada. insulation should be located above the membrane, at least in cold climates or with high - humidity occupancies. in cold climates and with high humidity occupancies the need for a vapor retarder below the insulation would thereby create two vapor retarders ( the waterproofing and the vapor retarder below the insulation ). it is recommended to avoid two vapor retarders because any water that might get between them would be trapped and not be able to dry outward or inward. it is suggested that the designer either perform a dew point analysis or refer to the nrca roofing and waterproofing manual for design calculations to determine if a vapor retarder below the insulation is required. the safest route is to locate the insulation above the waterproofing membrane in a protected roof membrane ( prm ) or " irma " configuration, thereby avoiding the issues related to double vapor barriers. when necessary, multi - level drains to capture water


safest route is to locate the insulation above the waterproofing membrane in a protected roof membrane ( prm ) or " irma " configuration, thereby avoiding the issues related to double vapor barriers. when necessary, multi - level drains to capture water from both the surface of the vegetative roof or ballast or paving and from the surface of the waterproofing membrane. use only extruded polystyrene insulation because it does not absorb water, especially if ( when ) the insulation is located above the waterproofing membrane as is recommended above. boards need to be specifically manufactured for this application. to account for the r - value reduction due to the minor water absorption that occurs in pmr roofs, it is recommended that the designer reduce the board ' s initial r - value by 10 %. e. moisture retention / drainage composites and filter fabric 1. moisture retention / drainage composites ( panels ) the primary function of these composites is to retain and store water for future evapo - transpiration for the plants. these composites consist of a high - strength dimpled water - retention polymeric core laminated with a top soil filter fabric and bottom protection fabric. they retain various amounts of water, based on their design and thickness ranging from 0. 06 gal / ft² to 0. 16 gal / ft². 2. filter fabric a separate filter fabric is not needed when using a moisture retention / drainage composite that integrates a filter fabric. a separate filter fabric must be added for : 1 ) moisture retention / drainage composites that do not include a topside filter fabric, or 2 ) aggregate drainage layers, or 3 ) moisture retention / drainage composites that are designed to be in - filled with drainage aggregate. the primary function is to keep fines from the growing media out of the drainage layer below. this fabric is typically a non - woven polypropylene or polyester geotextile that is non - biodegradable, tear resistant and has high water permeability. fabric should also be used to protect flashing membranes from direct contact with media at perimeters and penetrations. non - woven filter fabrics should not be used where the growing media has a high clay content, as the non - woven material can get clogged, thus impeding water flow. where the growing media has a clay content greater than 15 %, a woven filter should be utilized, due to its superior capability to filter fine materials without clogging. to quote edmund and lucie snodgrass from their book, " green


. where the growing media has a clay content greater than 15 %, a woven filter should be utilized, due to its superior capability to filter fine materials without clogging. to quote edmund and lucie snodgrass from their book, " green roof plants, " " their benefits notwithstanding, vegetative roofs present a number of challenges that must be understood and addressed if they are to succeed in north america as more than high - end amenities or environmental anomalies. first, the paradigm must shift away from thinking of vegetative roofs as ' regular ' gardens, only elevated. they are not like regular gardens ; unlike natural landscapes, vegetative roofs have no equivalent in nature. they are engineered, fabricated systems and thus present unknowns for most landscape designers, architects and installers. " 2. growing media the growing media should be a well - drained engineered mineral soil and must be carefully designed for grain - size distribution, void ratio, moisture retention, etc. aged compost should have been covered to protect it from weed seeds. in cold climates the media should also be resistant to breakdown from freeze / thaw. the organic matter content should be based on the manufacturer ' s recommendations for the climate conditions, plantings and specific application. variation can exist from project to project. no two manufacturers or installers will recommend exactly the same system for the same project. due diligence is highly recommended. in many areas of the united states it is possible to design vegetative roofs without irrigation. that being said, it is essential to provide hose bibs where an irrigation system has not been used in case irrigation should become necessary. even in arid climates, the demand for irrigation water can be greatly reduced by introducing water at the bottom of the vegetative roof profile. however, during the 2 - 3 year establishment period, most plants will require water to be introduced at the top or near the top of the profile until the root system becomes more fully extended. spray irrigation should be avoided, except as a temporary means of irrigation during establishment or during emergency drought conditions. the design of the vegetative roof profile should encourage plant roots to grow to the base of the profile. filter fabrics should be ' root permeable. ' the total thickness of the profile should not exceed the natural root depth of the plants selected for the plant community. also from snodgrass, " since extensive vegetative roofs are traditionally non - irrigated and consist mostly of lightweight, inorganic medium, a plant specification list for a vegetative roof


depth of the plants selected for the plant community. also from snodgrass, " since extensive vegetative roofs are traditionally non - irrigated and consist mostly of lightweight, inorganic medium, a plant specification list for a vegetative roof is quite different from one for a ground - level garden. this point cannot be overstated ; most herbaceous perennials, including natives, that otherwise might work well for the hardiness zone of a given roof still will not be suitable for a vegetative roof microclimate. in addition, the average inorganic vegetative roof medium will not support most large root systems or their nutritional requirements, further limiting plant choices to those with shallow root systems and an ability to store water. " all vegetative roof planting plans should include drought - tolerant ever ground - covering plants. varieties should be selected that are adapted to the particular climate, keeping in mind that conditions on roofs are more severe than on the ground. in general, initial plant densities should be greater than recommended for similar ground plantings. in temperate climates, varieties of sedum are particularly well adapted for this purpose. different ground - covering plants that may appropriate in other climates include species of : potentilla, carex, phlox, delosperma, crassula, portulaca, and aloe. in some instances it will make sense to establish a stable ground cover before introducing other plants. to provide a vigorous multi - seasonal ground cover and to minimize problems associated with disease, insects, or climatic stresses, it is best to avoid large drifts of a single species. there are four methods for establishing plants : direct seeding, plug planting, pre - grown mats, and modular systems. g. ancillary aspects the minimum slope required by the international building code is 1 / 4 inch per foot. an ideal slope would be somewhere around one inch per foot. on a roof that is too flat, inadequate drainage can lead to damage to the membrane and plants. on the other hand, a steep slope will provide better drainage, but can lead to slippage of materials. 2. steep slope roof installations figure 5. amcol international building, hoffman estates, il to install extensive vegetative roof covers on pitches steeper than 2. 5 : 12 ( 12 degrees ) supplemental measures will be required to prevent sliding instability. varied building systems have been developed to support vegetative covers on steeply pitched roofs. pitched roof systems sometimes merge into vertical facade vegetative techniques. the systems used to stabilize pitched


12 degrees ) supplemental measures will be required to prevent sliding instability. varied building systems have been developed to support vegetative covers on steeply pitched roofs. pitched roof systems sometimes merge into vertical facade vegetative techniques. the systems used to stabilize pitched roof installations depend on the underlying structural capacity and design, and the steepness of the roof. these systems are typically placed above the waterproofing and are designed to accommodate movement of water through the vegetative roof components. the first level of intervention is to employ a geotechnical matting system ( for example, " enkamat® " ) that physically ties together the growing media and vegetation roots so the any localized slipping of material is held in check by the mass and friction of the overall assembly. as roof pitch increases above 4 : 12, a higher level of intervention is required to transfer the weight of the vegetative roof system to the structural framing system for the building. a professional specializing in sloped roof designs should be consulted for vegetative roofs on pitches steeper than 2 : 12. these systems are typically " cellular " ; a framing or geo - composite material creates void cells when placed, which are then filled with the growing media and planted, creating a " matrix " of reinforcing material and vegetative roof components. cables or tendons ( in tension ) within the matrix transfer the pull of gravity on the system upward to the ridge of the roof, where it can be physically tied to the structural frame for the buildings. several manufacturers also provide rigid cribbing style framing systems that transfer the load downward, and the weight of the vegetative roof " matrix " becomes a compressive load on the eave or parapet of the building. other methods such as adhered or fastened edging, composite nailers, " stepped " eps, etc. may also be employed. consult a structural engineer familiar with this type of construction. 3. wind resistance systems and structural loading comply with applicable code requirements for loading criteria, typically asce 7 and ansi / spri rp - 14 wind design standard for vegetative roofing systems. it is recommended to at least follow rp - 14, even if not required by code, to establish a minimum level of performance. follow the project ' s structural engineer ' s advice regarding allowable loads. as noted in the draft astm standard standard guide for selection of roofing / waterproofing membrane systems for vegetative ( green ) roof systems, " the introduction of a vegetative roof system to a


s advice regarding allowable loads. as noted in the draft astm standard standard guide for selection of roofing / waterproofing membrane systems for vegetative ( green ) roof systems, " the introduction of a vegetative roof system to a new or existing structure has an effect on both the live and dead loads. the addition of materials over the roofing / waterproofing membrane system associated with vegetative roof systems usually increases the dead load in varying amounts, based on the number, composition, and thickness of the layers of the system. because of the transient water retention capacity of vegetative roof systems, the live loads may increase as well. in accessible roofs, the live loads created by human occupants should be taken into account. minimum live load allowances for access by pedestrians, as well as by maintenance personnel apply in most jurisdictions... consideration of appropriate design loads is the responsibility of the project engineer and should be addressed before the vegetative roof system is designed. " if the project is insured under fm global, then also comply with fm data sheet 1 - 28. note that fm tends to assume the most conservative situation, such as requiring that the designer assume that the vegetative cover may have blown off due to lack of moisture content. given the paucity of reliable data, some designers may wish to also make this assumption based on criticality of performance, expected maintenance and other criteria. fm global calls for a minimum of eight inches of vegetative roof media if it is to be used as ballast ( fm data sheet 1 - 35, par. 18. 104. 22. 168. 2 ). in addition, the design should use a safety factor of 1. 7 for wind uplift calculations based on data sheet 1 - 28. these requirements may be in excess of what would be required if the project is not fm insured. where a project requires compliance with fm loss prevention data sheets, those requirements govern where they are more stringent than those noted herein. calculations are required to prove that the ballast is adequate in preventing uplift on a project - by - project basis. if the project does not require compliance with fm loss prevention data sheets, then going less than that noted in data sheet 1 - 35 should be backed up by calculations. once plant material is gone and bare media is exposed, perhaps due to drought or lack of maintenance, there is an immediate threat that the soil may begin to blow away and the entire roof can ' unravel. ' it is prudent to include netting


material is gone and bare media is exposed, perhaps due to drought or lack of maintenance, there is an immediate threat that the soil may begin to blow away and the entire roof can ' unravel. ' it is prudent to include netting, or a wind blanket, at least until the plants have established themselves. the plants can grow through the netting, but will hold the soil together. the key to achieve a successful wind protection is devising a way to secure the netting without using staples, stakes, etc., that can pose a risk to the waterproofing. the materials should be resistant to uv ( although they do tend to become rapidly concealed by soil and plants ). there is usually a vegetation - free zone ( often stone ballast or pavers ) at the perimeter of the roof, to prevent scouring, or soil loss and damage. stone ballast or pavers are also used around roof access and rooftop equipment. ansi / spri rp - 14 ( wind design standard for vegetative roofing systems ) can be consulted for guidance with respect to the design of these zones. certain high - wind, hurricane, and typhoon locations should not use vegetative systems without serious consideration of these forces. 4. wind and fire resistance the wind and fire resistance standards are still under development by the vegetative roof industry and codes / standards organizations. fire properties of protection boards and thermal barriers over a steel deck or underlayment over a steel deck with a pmr are of particular importance, given the presence of combustible material associated with typical vegetative roof assemblies. specify that the membranes meet ul or fm global requirements, and add the vegetative system. the available criteria should be conservatively assessed, and vegetative systems should be reviewed carefully by local building officials. 5. modular systems modular systems involve installing the vegetative roof system inside plastic trays. use of these systems does not relieve the designer from responsibility for considering the integrity of the underlying waterproofing system, nor does it make location of damaged waterproofing easier, it does provide cleaner and simplified access and vegetative roof replacement in the case of potential leak repairs. however, these systems can be useful when designing small gardens on residential property or terraced commercial roofs. they also preserve flexibility to re - arrange landscape designs in the future. owners who wish to engage in active gardening will find modules a convenient way to do this without damage to their homes ' waterproofing. 6. solar reflectance review project requirements for solar reflectance


flexibility to re - arrange landscape designs in the future. owners who wish to engage in active gardening will find modules a convenient way to do this without damage to their homes ' waterproofing. 6. solar reflectance review project requirements for solar reflectance from adjacent buildings, mechanical equipment, photovoltaic panels, etc., that may reflect sunlight onto the vegetative roof. reflected sunlight may burn localized areas. ( example : localize burning of plants has been documented as late as september in new england. ) 7. public access public access is not recommended on extensive vegetated roofs, since this roof system is not designed for the live load or disturbance. limit public access volume and accessible areas. in the accessible areas, provide guardrails to prevent falling and measures to protect the plants from damage. h. maintenance and warranties specify a maintenance period long enough to ensure the initial establishment of healthy plants. a minimum two - year maintenance / warranty period should be included in the initial construction contract, to ensure plant establishment, training of maintenance personnel, and thorough remediation of local pest issues. vegetative roof should thereafter be maintained by trained personnel at least twice a year. many vegetative installers will only warranty roof with this type of maintenance policy. take time to understand the installers ' warranty. provide easily accessible inspection chambers in drainage outlets to ensure that the drainage system can be cleaned of roots, displaced growth media and ballast, dead foliage, and other debris, and otherwise be maintained. in general, warranties insure the owner against defective products and / or inadequate installation by the contractor. they can cover all products of the vegetative roof installation including the waterproof membrane, root barriers, filter fabrics, growth medium, drainage layers, etc. as well as the workmanship of the installation subcontractors. there are several waterproofing manufacturers that will warrant the entire vegetative roof system, including removal and restoration of the overburden, if they provide all of the materials in the original construction. some items to consider regarding warranties on a project - by - project basis : relevant codes and standards in the united states, vegetative roof designs are generally regulated using existing standards for ballasted roofs. the international code council ( icc ) code, used for guidance by many municipal authorities and referenced by many state codes, recognizes roof gardens and landscaped roofs. it requires that the ' wet weight ' of the vegetative roof be treated as an additional dead load. it also supplies live


code, used for guidance by many municipal authorities and referenced by many state codes, recognizes roof gardens and landscaped roofs. it requires that the ' wet weight ' of the vegetative roof be treated as an additional dead load. it also supplies live load requirements for maintenance - related foot traffic and for regulated pedestrian access. icc also provides standards for parapet heights and requirements for railings. check with your local code official regarding the local code requirements for vegetative roofs. also consider compliance with the standards listed at the end of this page. trade organizations such as national roofing contractors association ( nrca ) are developing guidelines for waterproofing with vegetative roof installations in mind. in addition, astm international ( astm ), through the green roof task group e06. 71, is in the process of developing guidelines and testing procedures specifically for vegetative roof products. for more information, see the astm ' s work group web site. at present, the most comprehensive guidelines for vegetative roof construction, especially for growth media, are those developed by forschungsgesellschaft landschaftentwicklung landschaftsbau. e. v. ( fll ) in germany guideline for the planning, execution and upkeep of green - roof sites ( richlinien fur die planung, ausfuhrung and plege von dachbegrunung ). these standards and guidelines include industry standard tests for growing medium weight, moisture, nutrient content, grain - size distribution, etc. for 90 % of the climate zones in the united states. but they do not include plant recommendations. the 2008 edition of the guide is available in english. fll also certifies laboratories to conduct critical tests such as the root penetration resistance of waterproofing membranes. many vegetative roof products available in the united states have fll certification. although its principles apply to vegetative roofs in the united states, its specific recommendations apply to a central european climate. - ansi / spri rp - 14 wind design standard for vegetative roofing systems ( pdf 1. 5 mb ) - ansi / spri vf - 1 external fire design standard for vegetative roofs ( pdf 125 kb ) - e2396 standard test method for saturated water permeability of granular drainage media [ falling - head method ] for green roof systems. - e2397 standard practice for determination of dead loads and live loads associated with green roof systems. - e2398 standard


method for saturated water permeability of granular drainage media [ falling - head method ] for green roof systems. - e2397 standard practice for determination of dead loads and live loads associated with green roof systems. - e2398 standard test method for water capture and media retention of geocomposite drain layers for green roof systems. - e2399 standard test method for maximum media density for dead load analysis of green roof systems. - e2432 standard guide for general principles of sustainability relative to buildings. - future astm e2777 draft by work group 25385 with a working title of, wk 25385 — standard guide for vegetative ( green ) roof systems. - future astm standard by work group 29304 with a working title of, wk 29304 — standard guide for selection of roofing / waterproofing membrane systems for vegetative ( green ) roof systems. this is a draft standard and subject to change. fm global standards - approval standard # 4477 for vegetative roof systems ( pdf 122 kb ) - approval standard # 4470 for single - ply, polymer - modified bitumen sheet, built - up roof ( bur ) and liquid - applied roof assemblies for use in class 1 and non - combustible roof deck construction ( pdf 171 kb ) - loss prevention data sheet 1 - 28 wind design - loss prevention data sheet 1 - 28r roofing systems - loss prevention data sheet 1 - 29 roof deck securement and above deck roof components - loss prevention data sheet 1 - 34 hail damage - loss prevention data sheet 1 - 35 green roof systems ( pdf 1. 19 mb ) - loss prevention data sheet 1 - 54 roof loads for new construction ( pdf 3. 28 mb ) products and systems building envelop design guide : roofing systems federal green construction guide for specifiers : - 07 10 00 ( 07100 ) dampproofing & waterproofing - 07 33 63 ( 02930 ) vegetated roof covering - 07 50 00 ( 07500 ) membrane roofing - 07 55 63 ( 07530 ) vegetated protected membrane roofing masterspec® section 32 95 00 ( 02940 ) vegetated roof assemblies note that the evaluations sheets make for a good manual, except that it has a major flaw ; it refers only to conventional roofing systems, not to waterproofing systems. non - commercial organizations that can provide current lists of vegetated roof service providers and are a useful source


for a good manual, except that it has a major flaw ; it refers only to conventional roofing systems, not to waterproofing systems. non - commercial organizations that can provide current lists of vegetated roof service providers and are a useful source of up - to - date information, include : | national agencies and nonprofit organizations | | headquarters | | u. s. environmental protection agency | | washington, dc | | u. s. green building council | | washington, dc | | green roofs for healthy cities coalition | | toronto, on, canada | in addition, some regional groups and agencies have distinguished themselves in the promotion of vegetated roofs. these include the earthpledge foundation in new york city, northwest eco - builders guild, green roof advisory group ( grag ) in austin, tx, green roof info think - tank ( grit ) in portland, ore. and cleveland green building coalition. design and analysis tools the following table provides links to key analysis, simulation, and research evaluating and predicting the performance of vegetated roofs. | storm water management | | analysis & simulation | | roofscapes, inc. & optigrun intl. ag | | charlie miller | | storm water management | | research | | michigan state university | | bradley rowe | research | | north carolina state univ., water resource institute | | greg jennings | research | | pennsylvania state univ., center for green roof research | | rob berghage | | research | | portland bureau of environmental services | | tom liptan | | water quality | | research | | university of applied sciences neubrandenburg | | manfred kohler | research | | pennsylvania state univ., center for green roof research | | rob berghage | | research | | canadian national research council, inst. for research and construction | | karen liu | | research | | british columbia institute of technology | | maureen connelly | | habitat creation | | research | | university of applied science wadenswil | | stephan brenneisen | | research | | optigruen international ag | | gunter mann | german universities with significant on - going research in the science and engineering of vegetated roofs include ( note that all websites are in german ) : - weihenstephan fachhochschule - bayerische landesanstalt fur weinbau und gartenbau ( lwg ), veithochstheim - universitat hannover - techniche universitat neub


the green roof manual, ed snodgrass & linda mcintyre, 2010, timber press [ isbn : 978 - 1 - 60469 - 049 - 1 ] - vegetative roof systems manual, 2009, national roofing contractors associations, national roofing contractors association - vegetative roof systems manual, national roofing contractors association ( nrca ). the " bible " for waterproofing under vegetated roofs. - roofing manual : membrane roof systems, national roofing contractors association ( nrca ) - roofing manual : architectural metal flashing, condensation control and reroofing, national roofing contractors association ( nrca ) - roofing manual : steep - slope roof systems, national roofing contractors association ( nrca ) - nrca waterproofing manual - the green roof manual : a professional guide to design, installation, and maintenance by edmund c. snodgrass and linda mcintyre. - guideline for the planning, execution and upkeep of green - roof sites ( richtlinien fur die planung, ausfuhrung and plege von dachbegrunung ). forschungsgesellschaft landschaftsentwicklung landschaftsbau e. v. ( fll ). - the green roofs for healthy cities website has an extensive database of papers, searchable by topic. - columbia university study, " a temperature and seasonal energy analysis of green, white, and black roofs, " ( pdf 1. 07 mb ) s. r. gaffin et. al. - ghent university study, " green roofs for quietness, " dr. ir. timothy van renterghem and prof. dr. ir. dick botteldooren. - " the stormwater control potential of green roofs in seattle, " taylor, b. l., asce conf. proc. 333, 11 ( 2008 ), doi : 10. 1061 / 41009 ( 333 ) 11. this paper summarizes findings from pacific northwest monitoring efforts and hydrologic modeling of vegetated roofs in the pacific maritime climatic region. - " conference proceedings from green roofs for healthy cities — greening rooftops for sustainable communities, " ( annual conference and trade show 2004 – 2009 ), covering a wide range of research and case studies. available from www. greenroofs. org - " green roofs for stormwater runoff control, " ( pdf 2. 8 mb ) us epa february 2009, epa / 600 / r - 09


covering a wide range of research and case studies. available from www. greenroofs. org - " green roofs for stormwater runoff control, " ( pdf 2. 8 mb ) us epa february 2009, epa / 600 / r - 09 / 026 - " structural considerations for green roof retrofits ", technical memorandum prepared by magnusson klemencic associates, inc. for city of seattle public utilities department, 2007. - " green roof in the desert — tempe transportation center roof garden, " ( pdf 1. 2 mb ) dr. vidar lerum, college of design, arizona state university lab report, april 7, 2006. - on water retention : liescke, 1998 ; moran e. al., 2004 ; denardo et. al., 2005 ; vanwoert et. al., 2005. - carbon sequestration potential of extensive green roofs, getter et. al., 2009, environment science & technology vol. 43, no. 19. - green roofs are not created equal : the hydrologic and thermal performance of six different extensive green roofs and reflective and non - reflective roofs in a sub - tropical climate, simmons et. al., 2008, urban ecosystems vol. 11, no. 4 doi : 10. 1007 / s11252 - 008 - 0069 - 4. - american hydrotech, inc. — garden roof assembly - columbia green - greengrid green roof systems — weston / abc supply - green roofs for healthy cities - greentech systems - international green roof association - live roof® hybrid green roof system - oak ridge national laboratories doe cool roof calculator - plant connection, inc. — list of local ordinances - roofmeadow ( formerly roofscapes ) - tremco ( formerly biotray ) vegetated roof covers may now be purchased in conjunction with most conventional waterproofing systems, some of which have been tested by fll for compatibility with vegetated roofs. there are no known north american tests. at least ten north american roofing companies offer vegetated roof assemblies as standard auxiliary products, and more companies are entering the field all the time. - roofnav — roofnav is a free web - based tool developed by fm approvals™ that provides fast access to the most up - to - date fm approved roofing products and assemblies.


information on global society, current affairs and commentary is right at your fingertips through the following databases : this shows the latest newspapers from around the world with the same layout on the screen as they have in print. pages are complete with photographs, graphics and even advertisements. it has hundreds of newspapers from 80 countries in 40 languages. it is very up to date, with some newspapers appearing on the database before they are published in their home country. pages can be printed or emailed. you can browse one newspaper on a particular day or search across many titles going back 60 days. start search | pressdisplay tutorial proquest anz newsstand this database offers full text, searchable access to national and provincial newspapers in australia and new zealand. new zealand titles include the dominion post, the new zealand herald, sunday star - times, the press ( christchurch ), truth, and past issues of the evening post and the dominion. australian newspapers include the sydney morning herald, the age ( melbourne ), the australian and abc news sources. many titles can be searched going back several years. gale opposing viewpoints in context search across the database or select from a wide range of contemporary topics such as cloning, race relations, chemical weapons and narcotics legalization. opposing viewpoints draws on the acclaimed social issues series published by greenhaven press, as well as core reference content from other gale and macmillan reference usa sources, to provide a complete one - stop source for information on social issues. access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full - text magazine and newspaper articles. contemporary women ' s issues this multidisciplinary, full - text database brings together relevant content from mainstream periodicals, often overlooked and hard - to - find newsletters and ngo research, plus ephemeral literature from leading research institutes and grass roots organizations that is rarely indexed or catalogued - with a focus on the critical issues and events that influence women ' s lives in more than 190 countries. contemporary women ' s issues covers a spectrum of women ' s concerns ranging from domestic violence, employment and the workplace, and gender equity to family, reproductive health and human rights. a one - stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics : business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. millions of full - text articles, many with images. updated daily


, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. millions of full - text articles, many with images. updated daily. australia / new zealand reference centre the australia / nz reference centre combines australia and new zealand specific magazines, newspapers & newswires, reference books, and company information to create the largest collection of regional full text content available. this database provides local perspectives on current events, business, sports, and many other subjects. titles include australian house & garden, australian geographic, nz business, new zealand management, metro, australia country report, new zealand country report, new zealand herald, etc. click here for a full list of titles. designed specifically for public libraries, this huge database provides full text for nearly 1, 950 general periodicals covering a range of subjects including current affairs, business, entertainment, education, health, general science, multi - cultural issues and much more. in addition to the full text, it provides indexing and abstracts for nearly 2, 600 other titles. this database also features : 5, 000 full text magill book reviews, 316 reference and travel books including the world almanac & book of facts 2001 ; full text from 88, 000 biographies, 83, 500 full text primary source documents, and an image collection of 107, 000 photos, maps and flags. proquest research library ( previously known as academic research library ) search for coverage from 1971 onwards on a broad range of subjects including arts, business, children, education, general interest, health, humanities, international, law, military, multicultural, psychology, sciences, social sciences, and women ' s interests. features a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers. nearly 4, 000 titles, over 2, 800 in full text.


we ' ve heard a lot about the benefits of breastfeeding, and the idea that it reduces the risk of a child becoming overweight or obese has been around for decades. but a new study in the journal of the american medical association contradicts that idea. it suggests that though breastfeeding has many benefits, reducing the likelihood that a child becomes obese or overweight may not be one of them. the evidence to support this conclusion is strong as the study was based on a large randomized controlled trial. this study was conducted in belarus at maternity hospitals and the clinics affiliated with them. researchers initially looked at information about more than 17, 000 pairs of mothers and infants who were breastfeeding. of them, about 14, 000 participated in the follow - up period between january 2008 and december 2010 ; the children by that time were around 11 years old. only healthy, singleton babies who were born weighing at least 2, 500 grams ( 5. 5 pounds ) were included in the research. their mothers had initiated breastfeeding and didn ' t have any conditions that could impact their ability to breastfeed. this was a randomized controlled study, meaning it is unlikely that other factors besides the breastfeeding intervention influenced the outcomes, said richard m. martin, lead study author based at the university of bristol ' s school of social and community medicine. sixteen of the health facilities were randomly chosen to receive a breastfeeding intervention based on the baby - friendly hospital initiative, which the world health organization and united nations children ' s fund developed. this initiative helps mothers to start breastfeeding soon after birth and demonstrates breastfeeding to new mothers. the other 15 clinics did not receive the intervention. instead, they proceeded with their standard practices, which included early introduction of non - breast liquids and promoting scheduled breastfeeding rather than breastfeeding on demand. " the mothers weren ' t encouraged to breastfeed early on, " martin said.


what if everything you thought you knew about education was wrong? what if students learn more quickly on their own, working in teams, than in a classroom with a teacher? what if tests and discipline get in the way of the learning process rather than accelerate it? those are the questions sugata mitra has been asking since the late 1990s, and for which he was awarded the $ 1 million ted prize on tuesday, the first day of the ted2013 conference. mitra, professor of educational technology at newcastle university, won the prize for his concept of " self organizing learning environments, " an alternative to traditional schooling that relies on empowering students to work together on computers with broadband access to solve their own problems, with adults intervening to provide encouragement and admiration, rather than top - down instruction. mitra ' s work with students in india has gained wide attention and was the focus of a 2010 ted talk on his " hole in the wall " experiment, showing the potential of computers to jump - start learning without any adult intervention. coming to education trained as a physicist, mitra said he was encouraged by his boss to start teaching people how to write computer programs. when he bought his first personal computer, he was surprised to find that his 6 - year - old son was able to tell him how to fix problems he had operating the machine. he thought his son was a genius, but then heard his friends saying the same thing about their children. thinking about children living in slums in new delhi, he said, " it can ' t be possible that our sons are geniuses and they are not. " mitra set up a publicly accessible computer along the lines of a bank atm, behind a glass barrier, and told children they could use it, with no further guidance. they soon learned to browse the web in english, even though they lacked facility in the language. to prove the experiment would work in an isolated environment, he set up another " hole in the wall " computer in a village 300 miles away. after a while, " one of the kids was saying we need a faster processor and a better mouse. " when the head of the world bank came to see the experiment, mitra said he encouraged him to go to the new delhi slum and see for himself. after spending time with the children, bank president james wolfensohn " came back and put his hand on my shoulder and said, ' how much? ' " mitra said he received $ 1. 5 million, which allowed him to press on with experiments


the aorta is the largest artery in the body. the aorta begins at the top of the left ventricle, the heart ' s muscular pumping chamber. the heart pumps blood from the left ventricle into the aorta through the aortic valve. three leaflets on the aortic valve open and close with each heartbeat to allow one - way flow of the aorta is a tube about a foot long and just over an inch in diameter. the aorta is divided into four sections : • the ascending aorta rises up from the heart and is about 2 inches long. the coronary arteries branch off the ascending aorta to supply the heart with • the aortic arch curves over the heart, giving rise to branches that bring blood to the head, neck, and arms. • the descending thoracic aorta travels down through the chest. its small branches supply blood to the ribs and some chest structures. • the abdominal aorta begins at the diaphragm, splitting to become the paired iliac arteries in the lower abdomen. most of the major organs receive blood from branches of the abdominal aorta. like all arteries, the aorta ' s wall has several layers : • the intima, the innermost layer, provides a smooth surface for blood to flow • the media, the middle layer with muscle and elastic fibers, allows the aorta to expand and contract with each heartbeat. • the adventitia, the outer layer, provides additional support and structure to


calories can be difficult to understand because you hear so many different things from different sources. but here is the basic idea : your body needs a certain amount of energy per day to function properly. i. e. to digest food, walk, talk, exercise, etc. the amount of energy your body needs depends on your weight, age, gender, and how active you are. we get calories from food, and through metabolism, these calories are converted into energy. so the amount of energy your body needs is directly proportionate to how many calories you need. if you consume more calories than your body needs, your body stores the excess as fat. when you work out, you burn the excess calories ; which means you are essentially burning off the fat. this is how you maintain your body fat ratio. this is why it ’ s important to understand that there ' s no magical way to lose weight. it comes down to two things : exercise and diet. to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in every day. visit http : / / caloriecount. about. com / cc / calories - burned. php for a tool to help estimate how many calories you burn per day based on your age, weight, gender, and level of activity. note : it ’ s just an estimate. the amount of time it ’ ll take you to lose weight just depends on how many calories you eat minus how many calories you burn daily. when this value - i. e. amount you take in minus amount you burn - gets to about 3, 500 calories, you have effectively lost about 1 pound or 0. 45 kilograms ( since 3, 500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat ). different levels of physical activity burn different number of calories depending on intensity. please visit http : / / www. mayoclinic. com / health / exercise / sm00109 for a summary of about how many calories are burned with different types of exercises. if you have more questions, please leave a comment or start a discussion on the eights and weights facebook page here. also, if there are individual fitness topics you ' d like to hear more about, please leave a note on the facebook page. my motto for the week : to truly live better, strive to understand what your body needs.


canadian hemlock, tsuga canadensis, also called hemlock spruce and eastern hemlock is another of the east ’ s mighty evergreens. it is the state tree of pennsylvania. trees can live 500 years, grow from 100 to 170 feet tall and be five to six feet in diameter. rickett ’ s glen state park in pennsylvania has many of these behemoths of the forest. they are shade tolerant and if the canopy is closed will bide their time until an opening occurs and then they will have a growth spurt. my fifty year hemlocks are only about 12 feet tall. in one section of woodland park there are some tall old hemlocks ; magnificent specimens as well as a small grove up the hill from me. hemlock does not make a good christmas tree because it does not retain its needles. oh that it would! hemlock bark contains a lot of tannin useful in converting the hides and pelts to leather. there were so many trees that many hemlocks were cut down, stripped of their bark and the logs left to rot. after all, the supply seemed inexhaustible. unlike pine, hemlock is easy to prune and can make a dense hedge. on one of my garden visits i saw such a hedge that was probably 12 feet high. a neighbor maintained such a hedge for years albeit only 5 - 6 feet tall. i had a hedge, but in such dense shade that the lower branches died and i finally removed all but two of them... early on i became interested in dwarf conifers, especially dwarf hemlocks and acquired a few nice specimens. they were doing great bf ( before the fence ) until the deer discovered and wiped them out one winter. since i erected the fence i have added a few more. dwarf only means slow growing and some can eventually overpower their allotted space. but as i remarked earlier they are easy to prune and therefore can be maintained at a comfortable size. my favorite dwarf is ‘ cole ’ s prostrate ’ which i was able to buy a few years ago. when i bought it, i had a special spot for it ; at the corner of the wall leading off the patio. here it can spread in all directions lying low and draping over the wall. each year it will drape another inch or two adding more interest. one plant after 25 years was but 6 inches tall and 40 inches wide. in contrast ‘ sargentii ’ is a pendulous form which grows upright before drap


most active stories - unification of ypsilanti and willow run school districts fast approaching - roundabout construction near costco will soon be underway - issues of the environment : prescribed ecological burns - controversial 413 east huron development project wins ann arbor city council approval - local cyclists organize ' ride of silence ' in ann arbor, ypsilani fri december 21, 2012 why some kids have an inflated sense of their science skills originally published on fri december 21, 2012 8 : 49 pm if you ' re a student at the halfway point of the academic year, and you ' ve just taken stock of your performance, perhaps you have reason to feel proud of yourself. but a recent study suggests some of the pride you feel at having done well — especially in science — may be unfounded. or at least your sense of your performance may not be a very accurate picture of how good you actually are. a massive analysis of some 350, 000 students at nearly 14, 000 schools in 53 countries has uncovered a paradox : students in many countries that are mediocre at science have an inflated sense of how good they are. first the good news : the united states isn ' t among the worst offenders. students in countries such as thailand, jordan, mexico and brazil seem to be worse than u. s. students when it comes to science knowledge, but they have even higher levels of self - esteem when it comes to their beliefs about how good they are at science. but compared to countries such as new zealand, australia, sweden, japan, south korea and great britain, american students appeared to have an inflated sense of their science abilities. students in those other countries were better when it came to scientific knowledge than american students, but it was the americans who had the higher opinion of themselves as students of science. the study, published in the journal of cross - cultural psychology, focused on the academic performance of 15 year - old students. it was conducted by eva van de gaer, aletta grisay, wolfram schulz and eveline gebhardt. the paradox between performance and students ' impression of their performance has been noted before. the paper proposes an explanation for it : the reference group effect. the study argues that countries have very different standards when it comes to science education. in countries with elite science education standards, you can be a very good science student but, since you measure yourself against an elite standard of performance, you think of yourself as mediocre. on the other hand, if you live in a country with average (


with elite science education standards, you can be a very good science student but, since you measure yourself against an elite standard of performance, you think of yourself as mediocre. on the other hand, if you live in a country with average ( or mediocre ) science standards, you might be just a decent student, but compared to general expectations of how good students are supposed to be, you feel like a genius. in an interview, schulz offered me an analogy. he asked me to think about a person who was 5 - foot - 10 in china and a person who was the same height in the netherlands. the dutch, on average, are taller than the chinese. " the person would in china probably think of themselves as a tall person, " schulz said. " if you go to the netherlands, such a person would rather say, ' ah, i ' m a short person, ' because you compare yourself to those who surround you. " the same thing happens with science education, he said. students in countries with elite science standards are much more likely to think of themselves as mediocre, whereas students in countries with mediocre standards are much more likely to think of themselves as elite. schulz works at the australian council for educational research, which studies educational issues in science, mathematics and reading. schulz told me the reference group effect could potentially be a double - edged sword : in terms of preparing students for competition with one another, it makes good sense to get a realistic sense of how good you actually are compared to, say, your peers in south korea. on the other hand, schulz said, there was also something to be said for having an inflated sense of your own abilities. " for motivating students to take up science studies, how you perceive yourself is actually more important than how much you know, " he said. " if your general belief ( is ) you ' re not that good at science, that might have this powerful effect of saying, ' ah, i ' d better stay away from it in the future. ' " steven inskeep, host : next, let ' s talk about the power of positive, or not - so - positive, thinking. not long ago on this program, we heard some research suggesting that student performance in class may be affected by what their teachers think of them. if the teacher gives off signals that the student is not a great student, the student will do worse. if the teacher gives off signals that the student


heard some research suggesting that student performance in class may be affected by what their teachers think of them. if the teacher gives off signals that the student is not a great student, the student will do worse. if the teacher gives off signals that the student is good, the student may well do better. npr ' s shankar vedantam joins us regularly to talk about social science research. he ' s been looking into a related finding. hi, shankar. shankar vedantam, byline : hi, steve. inskeep : you ' re also looking into what students think about themselves. what did you find? vedantam : well, i ' m looking at something that looks like a paradox. so if you went to any school and you generally asked students, what subjects are you good at? the students who say they ' re good at science are generally, going to be the students who actually are good at science. the students who say they ' re good at math are generally, going to be good at math. vedantam : right? and educators have known for a long time that if you ask students what they ' re good at, it ' s a usually reliable predictor to what they ' re actually good at. inskeep : sure. they ' re getting grades, and they know what they ' re comfortable with, right. vedantam : now, it turns out, however, that this relationship between beliefs and performance breaks down at an international level. inskeep : what do you mean, it breaks down at an international level? vedantam : well, researchers recently tracked about 350, 000 students in about 14, 000 schools, across 53 countries - massive, massive study. and it turned out that if you looked at individual countries and individual schools, this link between belief and performance held in each school, and in each country. however, when you compared students between countries, the relationship didn ' t hold. so let me give you an example. students in the united states, for example, performed less well in science than students in new zealand or australia or sweden or japan or korea or great britain. but when you asked the students, how good do you think you are at science? students in the united states say they are better at science than students in those other countries. inskeep : ok, so why would that be? vedantam : so i spoke with wolfram schulz ; he ' s a researcher at the australian council for educational research. and he told me this


students in those other countries. inskeep : ok, so why would that be? vedantam : so i spoke with wolfram schulz ; he ' s a researcher at the australian council for educational research. and he told me this is the result of a psychological illusion ; which is, when you ask someone to judge themselves, the way they do it is they compare themselves with those who are immediately around them, right? the problem is, people have different reference groups in different countries. vedantam : so if you look at somebody who is 5 foot, 10 inches tall, in china ; and somebody who is 5 foot, 10 inches tall, in the netherlands ; they ' re the same height. but if you ask them, are you tall or short? they ' re probably going to give you very different answers in those two countries. wolfram schulz : the person would, in china, probably think of themselves as a tall person. so you go to the netherlands ; such a person would, rather, say ah, i ' m actually a short person - because you compare yourself to those who surround you. vedantam : so it ' s, you know, the little pond, big pond effect. and when you apply that to educational systems, it looks like some countries have more elite standards when it comes, for example, to science education. if you ' re a very good student in one of those countries, you ' re surrounded by lots of students who are really, really good. so you feel average. on the other hand, if you ' re in a country with lower standards, you could be decent. but when you compare yourself to those around you, you feel like a genius. inskeep : so does that mean we should change our expectations? vedantam : well, you know, like many of the findings of the social scientists, steve, this one ' s complicated. and it ' s complicated because if students want to compete in a global marketplace, then yes, you actually want to have a very clear picture of how good you actually are. but there ' s a catch - 22 here. it isn ' t always helpful to have a perfectly accurate picture of how well you can do. and this is especially true, schulz told me, when it comes to the subject of motivation. schulz : how you perceive yourself is actually more important than how much you know. if your general belief - you ' re not that good at science - that might have this


##hulz told me, when it comes to the subject of motivation. schulz : how you perceive yourself is actually more important than how much you know. if your general belief - you ' re not that good at science - that might have this powerful effect of saying, i ' ll better stay away from it in the future. you know? inskeep : so being more brutally realistic about how good we are at science, might actually make us worse at science. vedantam : well, the catch - 22, steve, is that believing you are better than you actually are, can lull you into a sense of overconfidence when it comes to actual performance. but at the same time, believing that you ' re actually very good can motivate you to try a difficult subject that you might not have tried otherwise. and so what i take away from the study is that false beliefs are neither always a good thing, or always a bad thing. they ' re a tool. and what educators and parents need to do is to use the tool depending on the context - because false beliefs might help you when it comes to preparation ; they might not be helpful when it comes to performance. inskeep : shankar, thanks very much. vedantam : thanks, steve. inskeep : npr ' s shankar vedantam. he ' s on twitter @ hiddenbrain. you can also follow this program @ nprgreene, @ nprinskeep and @ morningedition. transcript provided by npr, copyright npr.


with the “ new ” tv season just launching what an appropriate time for the american academy of pediatrics to release an article ( to be published in november pediatrics ) which looks at kids and their exposure to “ background tv ”. in the study researchers conducted a survey to track children ’ s exposure to background television. they found that children between 8 months and 8 years of age are exposed to an average of 4 hours of background tv in a 24 - hour period. children who were younger or those from poorer homes were exposed to up to 6 hours per day. having the television on when no one was watching or having a tv in a child ’ s room were other factors that contributed to even more background tv time. i have watched a few of the new shows and i am continually amazed at the language that is on during prime time major network television, and forget about the cable channels, i think they can use any language they please. it certainly grabs my attention and i am sure that hearing that language for hours every day does not help a young child ’ s vocabulary. at least with appropriate new words! little kids are parrots, remember. just recently i was seeing a cute 2 year old for his check up and on the list of the parent ’ s questions was, “ talk about child ’ s swearing ”. now this is a lovely young couple, their only child ( mom also told me that day that she is expecting again ) and they really did not know what to do about a few of the words that their son had picked up. they did not think that he heard the words from them but were concerned about his day care or his older cousins. maybe background tv?? if you are have the tv on all day, think about who is around and if you are even listening or watching. i would encourage parents to have less tv time and more talk time with their children. too much tv and even background tv can harm a child ’ s learning as well as their social play. and if you are thinking about letting your child have a tv in their rooms, i would discourage this for a number of reasons including the language on tv. tell your children they can have a tv when they have their own dorm room in college! something to look forward to.


by : doris hausleitner date : september 2005 teetering, the downy juvenile owl hops onto the edge of the cavity, wobbles its head around in a dizzying circle and furiously flaps its wings. the mother, perched on a nearby branch, keeps a watchful eye on her chick ’ s progress. this fledgling northern spotted owl ( strix occidentalis ) is her hope for the future and the only addition to the dwindling population of canada ’ s northern spotted owls in 2005. a precipitous population decline has sparked concern among biologists and environmentalists alike. habitat modeling and population analysis suggests the historical population of northern spotted owls in bc was around 500 pairs. with only 6 pairs and 9 individual birds, the northern spotted owl is the most endangered bird in canada. what the northern spotted owl has in common with the western screech ( otus kennicottii macfarlanei ) and flammulated owl ( otus flammeolus ), listed as endangered and threatened, respectively, is a requirement for old - growth habitat. the northern spotted owl is resident in coastal and interior douglas - fir forests and requires a home - range size of approximately 3, 400 ha. scientists believe the northern spotted owl ’ s need for old - growth habitat is related to reproduction, thermoregulation, and availability of prey. their nests are in hollow chimneys, large cavities, branches, or are made from sticks. spotted owls prey primarily on flying squirrels, pack rats, and other small mammals which can be readily found and captured in an old - growth forest. additionally these owls have a tendency to overheat. in old - growth they can move vertically along temperature gradients to regulate their body temperature. flammulated owls tend to be found in drier douglas - fir and ponderosa pine forests in bc ’ s interior. they nest in old - growth habitat with a selection of available cavities and little undergrowth. their breeding home - range size is 16 ha. flammulated owls are strictly nocturnal and prey upon moths and other insects. due to the nature of their diet, they are migratory. they nest in british columbia and winter in the southern usa and mexico. western - screech owl habitat is associated with riparian areas and mature deciduous trees. in interior british columbia, these owls occur in riparian forests containing black cottonwood, trembling aspen or water birch. the coastal sub - species is found in mixed forests of broadleaf maple, red


is associated with riparian areas and mature deciduous trees. in interior british columbia, these owls occur in riparian forests containing black cottonwood, trembling aspen or water birch. the coastal sub - species is found in mixed forests of broadleaf maple, red alder, douglas - fir and western hemlock. they are cavity - nesting individuals and their diet varies from insects to small mammals. bc hydro ’ s bridge - coastal fish and wildlife restoration program, bc conservation foundation, ministry of environment and the st ’ at ’ imc first nations have contributed to a study conducted by doris hausleitner and vicky young. their objective was to inventory these three threatened and endangered owls within the bc hydro footprint – – land affected by dams. their research emphasizes the decline in the northern spotted owl population in canada and expands knowledge of the distribution of western screech and flammulated owls in british columbia. to learn more about the ecology and conservation of threatened and endangered local owls you are welcome to attend free presentations in : squamish : monday, sept. 26, 8 : 00 pm, brackendale art gallery. ( hosted by the squamish environmental society. ) whistler - : tuesday, sept. 27th, 7 : 30 pm, myrtle philip community school. ( hosted by the whistler naturalists. ) pemberton : wednesday, sept. 28th, 6 : 30 pm, room 111, pemberton community center.


nuclear waste disposal : the definitive report condensed last updated at 12 : 58, friday, 24 august 2012 the experts call it a “ geological disposal facility ”. opponents call it a “ nuke dump ”. they all agree it ’ ll contain “ high level and intermediate nuclear waste ”. a history - making vote takes place on october 11 which represents one of cumbria ’ s most important ever nuclear decisions. a trio of councils, involving hundreds of community leaders, decides on whether west cumbria takes part in a search to site a massive underground bunker containing the uk ’ s most toxic nuclear waste. business editor ellis butcher looks at the definitive report facing them. this is the skull and crossbones stuff. the worst from the nuclear process, the residue from the bowels of nuclear reactors which lasts for thousands and thousands of years. some argue a repository will create hundreds of jobs year - after - year and lever a multi - million government pay day for west cumbria to sweeten the pill. others argue it will cost jobs, wreck tourism and daub one of england ’ s finest landscapes with a big dirty nuke brush. few issues polarise opinion like the nuclear legacy conundrum. we all know nuclear waste is produced. less well known is that it is currently stored above ground at 36 sites in the uk – the vast bulk at sellafield. it ’ s a historical arrangement that needs to be modernised. the current storage arrangements also unnerves ministers and unsettles government spooks forever scanning the horizon for the next terror threat. the pressing question facing the uk is : “ where can we find a place to store all the bad stuff in the future, putting it out of harm ’ s way? underground was the last and the current government ’ s thinking. storing it in an engineered facility with the idea that the radioactivity reduces “ over time ”. in short, cumbria county council, allerdale and copeland councils volunteered to try to help find the answer to this most urgent 21st century industrial question. who ’ s behind this? this issue has occupied the 17 - member west cumbria managing radioactive waste safely partnership ( wcmrwsp ) for three years. it has been chaired by councillor elaine woodburn, of copeland council. round the table, the partnership consists of representatives and mouthpieces from a vast range of organisations – private and public, from nuclear experts to farming representatives and all of cumbria ’ s councils. the final report the partnership ’ s final report – a hefty 270 - page plus document neither proposes a


mouthpieces from a vast range of organisations – private and public, from nuclear experts to farming representatives and all of cumbria ’ s councils. the final report the partnership ’ s final report – a hefty 270 - page plus document neither proposes a recommendation for councils to follow, nor suggests an intended site. that was never its brief. instead it has overseen the complex evidence - gathering process. it was shared with about 2, 300 people and organisations. the final was signed off and is now the reference point for the issue. recently, it was released into the custody of decision - makers at cumbria county council, allerdale and copeland. between now and october, staff at these authorities and elected - representatives will be pouring over every single line with highlighter pens to inform what they stand up and say in a few weeks. the report is available to download from the west cumbria managing radioactive waste safely website. the green corner naturally, the most vocal critics of the plan, the partnership and the report are the green lobby. when the proposals surfaced, so did the opposition. long - standing cumbria - based anti - nuclear campaigner marianne birkby, a wildlife artist based in south cumbria, has been a critical opponent. ironically, her father worked at sellafield as a young man. marianne established campaign group radiation free lakeland. it has seen welcome to the nuke district headlines in national newspapers, gained support from some scientists and found influential allies across the patchwork of parish councils which make up west cumbria and its district seats of copeland and allerdale. radiation free lakeland was invited to formally join the 17 member partnership but declined. instead, it has maintained a distance on the sidelines – protesting, demonstrating, and issuing counter - challenges through the media. so too has academic dr ruth balogh, of save our lake district don ’ t dump cumbria!. it developed an associated website and blog and contributed a critical challenge to the partnership. its opposition is clear. it understands something needs to be done about nuclear waste but believes the government of today and in the past has acted too hastily, deciding “ without full research and ignoring scientific uncertainties, that deep underground disposal is the answer ”. dr david smythe, a professor in geology, is also a significant critic of the approach. in the simplest terms, the issue facing councillors on october 11 is this : does west cumbria want to put out its thumb now and embark on a journey – the final destination of which is 17 years away at least and would see a fully operational underground nuclear


in the simplest terms, the issue facing councillors on october 11 is this : does west cumbria want to put out its thumb now and embark on a journey – the final destination of which is 17 years away at least and would see a fully operational underground nuclear waste bunker being built in an as yet unidentified part of west cumbria around 2040? a bunker that at its shallowest could be deeper than the eiffel tower, and at its deepest longer than scafell pike? how the vote goes remains to be seen. but many county and district councillors also have seats in the parishes – that means local residents to answer too. many local parish councils have already taken preliminary votes on this issue – the overwhelming majority against it being built on their patch. how much real influence these initial grassroots expressions will carry in the conclusive vote in october awaits, but is likely to lead to some explosive future parish council meetings. west cumbria ’ s long - standing position as a uk and world nuclear centre means the proposal cannot be easily politically disregarded. if not here, where? if not us, who? the economic arguments in a depressed economy will weigh heavily towards a yes vote, while the tantalising prospect of more multi - million pound government funding being funnelled directly into west cumbria could prove hard to turn down. get out clauses irrespective of a yes or no, the authorities can still walk away from the whole idea at any of the next three stages still to go. a yes doesn ’ t mean commitment to build. diggers will not be breaking ground the next day. it simply commits the area to the next stage. eventually, this stage will focus on more comprehensive testing of the “ geological suitability ” of west cumbria to house such a facility and radioactive materials underground. essentially, testing the ground for compatibility. opponents say the proof already exists – the soil in these parts isn ’ t right. counter evidence argues that is not the case. even one nuclear insider, who refused to go on record, questioned the chronology of the whole process. “ why didn ’ t they just check the soil first at the start and save three years of work? ” the answer is cost. tests of this nature are so expensive you ’ d have to be sure you weren ’ t wasting money before putting pipes in the ground. allerdale borough council, barrow borough council, carlisle city council, copeland borough council, cumbria chamber of commerce, churches together in cumbria, cumbria association of local councils ( calc ), cumbria county council, cumbria tourism, eden district


the ground. allerdale borough council, barrow borough council, carlisle city council, copeland borough council, cumbria chamber of commerce, churches together in cumbria, cumbria association of local councils ( calc ), cumbria county council, cumbria tourism, eden district council, gmb union, lake district national park authority, national farmers union, nuclear legacy advisory forum, prospect union, south lakeland district council, unite union first published at 12 : 57, friday, 24 august 2012 published by http : / / www. whitehavennews. co. uk have your say one of the big not - so - secret issues of nuclear waste containment industry is that nuclear waste can be disposed of instead of stored. according to nuclear physicists and engineers at pace ( planetary association for clean energy ), there are at least 12 technologies which work in different situations to eliminate radioactive wastea¦ and more are being discovered. you can watch a video of mark porringa, former chief engineer at chalk river, worldas largest nuclear research reactor, neutralize americium 241, a radioactive waste in about 11 seconds. the entire video is under 4 minutes. http : / / zapnuclearwaste. com / the - nuclear - disaster - choice / the nuclear waste industry thrives on our risks and our dollars. itas time to eliminate radioactive waste instead of storing it like a precious substance at great costs. radioactivity does not like to stay contained and itas an unnecessary target for terrorists. take a look and decide for yourself. well d you shouldn ' t want it buried in your area either - humans and human technology is not perfect. history has a habit of reminding us that we are not as clever as we think we are ( space shuttle tragedies etc ) - that is why we should write it off - so take it to the middle of afghanistan or somewhere similar ) view all 22 comments on this article


hacked wiimote used as water level sensor. we ' ve all been entertained by wiimote hackery in the past, but i for one can never tire of the new inventions constantly being cooked up by clever sausages like this guy. using the wiimote and an led light, william luxemburg from the delft university of technology in the netherlands knocked together a water - level sensor, measuring evaporation. as you can see from the picture, a tub of water with a wiimote pointing at a plastic boat is a simple and cost - effective way to achieve the same — or even better — results that pressure sensors costing $ 500 or more can produce. of course, it wasn ' t merely a wiimote trained at a boat in a tub of water, which solved luxemburg ' s dilemma. he re - programmed the wiimote ' s output, and as it can sense movement better than a lot of other devices out there ( closer than 1mm accuracy, as wired points out ), when it was connected wirelessly to a laptop he was able to receive real - time information on what the water level was doing in the tub. luxemburg doesn ' t sound like he ' s going to stop there however. he ' s intrigued by what else a wiimote could be used on, if programmed the right way. " if you have a structure that collapses and you have wiimotes on the building, you could see how fast it falls " that sort of information is priceless to the right party, and considering wiimotes cost just $ 40, don ' t be surprised if you hear of plenty more innovative uses for nintendo ' s little remote. source - gizmodo


search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. if you are not sure what you are looking for, try the combination search or our recommended species lists. search native plant database : san antonio river authority melilotus officinalis ( l. ) lam. yellow sweetclover, white sweet clover usda symbol : meof usda native status : cultivated, or not in the u. s. small, somewhat pea - like flowers, fragrant when crushed, are in long, slender, cylindrical, spike - like clusters rising in the leaf axils on a bushy plant. unpublished. non - native. this tall, introduced legume has the fragrance of new - mown hay when crushed. both this plant and yellow sweet clover ( m. indicus ) are widely used as pasture crops for nitrogen enrichment of the soil. they are also highly valued as honey plants as suggested by the genus name from meli, a greek word meaning honey. bloom informationbloom color : white, yellow bloom time : may, jun, jul, aug, sep, oct dc, in, or canada : ab, sk native habitat : roadsides and fields. usda native status : l48 ( i ), ak ( i ), hi ( i ), pr ( i ), can ( i ), growing conditionswater use : medium light requirement : sun, part shade, shade caco3 tolerance : high benefitconspicuous flowers : yes fragrant flowers : yes fragrant foliage : yes butterflies and moths of north america ( bamona ) is a larval host and / or nectar source for : herbarium specimen ( s ) npsot 0455 collected jun 5, 1987 in bexar county by harry cliffe recommended species lists find native plant species by state. each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search. view recommended species page record modified : 2012 - 08 - 01 research by : twc staff


wind energy guide for county commissioners one of the key stakeholders associated with economic development are local government officials, who are often required to evaluate and vote on commercial wind energy project permits, as well as to determine and articulate what wind energy benefits accrue to their counties. often these local officials lack experience with large - scale wind energy and need to make important decisions concerning what may be a complicated and controversial issue. these decisions can be confounded with diverse perspectives from various stakeholders. this project is designed to provide county commissioners, planners, and other local county government officials with a practical overview of information required to successfully implement commercial wind energy projects in their county. the guidebook provides readers with information on the following 13 topics : brief wind energy overview ; environmental benefits ; wind energy myths and facts ; economic development benefits ; wind economics ; the development process ; public outreach ; siting issues ; property tax incentives ; power system impacts ; permitting, zoning, and siting processes ; case studies ; and further information. for each of the topics listed, the guidebook provides an introduction that identifies the topic, why local government should care, a topic snapshot, how the topic will arise, and a list of resources that define and assess the topic. this information was last updated on 10 / 31 / 2006


feline asthma has been called by many other names, including chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and allergic bronchitis. regardless of the name, it is a common feline ailment. inhaled allergens cause sudden contraction of the smooth muscles around airways, leading to typical clinical symptoms. it is usually impossible to determine which allergens cause asthma in individual cats, but common ones include grass and tree pollens, cigarette or fireplace smoke, various sprays ( hair sprays, deodorants, flea sprays, deodorizers ), and dust from cat litter. feline asthma is found in all areas of the world and in cats of all ages. the prevalence in the general adult cat population is about 1 %. the most common symptoms in cats with asthma are wheezing and coughing. the coughing has been described as a dry, hacking cough that could be confused with gagging or retching. many cats are misdiagnosed as having hairballs! paroxysms of coughing occur frequently. in mildly affected cats, coughing and wheezing may occur only occasionally. a few cats with asthma are asymptomatic in between acute and severe bouts of airway constriction. the most severely affected cats have daily coughing and wheezing and many bouts of airway constriction, leading to open - mouth breathing and panting that can be life threatening. the symptoms of asthma can mimic other diseases, such as heartworm, pneumonia and congestive heart failure. a diagnosis is reached by using chest x - rays, a complete blood count, a feline heartworm test, and a technique to sample cells from the lower airways ( transtracheal wash, bronchial wash, or bronchoalveolar lavage ). chest x - rays may be normal in some cats with asthma, while others will have signs of bronchial inflammation, collapse of the right middle lung lobe, and over inflation of the lungs. unfortunately, feline asthma is a chronic progressive disease that cannot be fully cured. medications can reduce the symptoms of asthma a great deal, but may not be able to eliminate coughing fully. in recent years, veterinarians have found that the most effective therapy for feline asthma may be to use inhalers such as human asthmatics use. a mask and spacer system, called aerokat®, has been invented to enable cats to use inhalers or puffers. this system is similar to the mask and space


learn something new every day more info... by email information traveling across a computer network or another type of telecommunications network typically comes in packets. packets are smaller, " bite - sized " pieces of a larger chunk of information. although telecommunication technology is generally reliable and seamless from the end - user ' s point of view, that is only because the computer does the dirty work. it constantly sifts through the packets, looking for fraudulent and corrupt data, discarding it when found. a burst error is a string of corrupt data, measured as the length between — and including — the first and last error signals. for example, imagine sending a packet containing all of the letters of the alphabet, a through z. if the recipient ' s computer " opens " the packet and finds that the first letter in the sequence is " q " and the last letter in the sequence is " r, " that is a burst error. the " burst " of data in the packet is corrupt. although in the example the first and last letters are defined as corrupt, that does not mean that every letter within the packet is damaged. imagine that every other letter is as it should be ; only position one, " a, " and position 26, " z, " have been damaged. the number of correct bits of information between the damaged ends is called the guard band. in this case, the guard band would be 24, because there are 24 correct letters separating the two damaged ones. measuring the length of a burst error is simple. it is defined as the number of individual bits separating the very first occurrence of the error from the last occurrence, including the initial and final incorrect bits. in the previous example, the length of the burst error would be 26. the causes of a burst error can vary widely. it is not always possible to measure them accurately. generally, this corruption can occur through any number of sources, including signal degradation, packet loss, other types of network failure, or sending failure on the part of the computer. in networking, as in the real world, sometimes things go wrong. fortunately, most forms of networking provide built in error - checking mechanisms, allowing a receiving computer to compare the actual received data against an impression of the data that was sent, allowing it to recognize whether something has gone wrong along the way.


american heritage® dictionary of the english language, fourth edition - n. a brownish - gray deer ( odocoileus hemionus ) of western north america, having long mulelike ears, large branching antlers in the male, and a black - tipped tail. also called black - tailed deer. century dictionary and cyclopedia - n. the blacktail or black - tailed deer, cariacus macrotis : so called from the large ears. it is decidedly larger and more stately than the virginia or white - tailed deer, and is next in size to the wapiti and caribou among the north american cervidœ. the tail is very short and slim, and mostly white, but with a black brush at the end. the antlers are characteristic, being doubly dichotomous — that is, the beam forks, and each tine forks again ; whereas in c. virginianusthe beam is curved and all the tines spring from it. the animal is the commonest deer in many wooded and mountainous parts of western north america, but is not found east of the great plains. gnu webster ' s 1913 - n. ( zool. ) a large deer ( cervus macrotis syn. cariacus macrotis ) of the western united states. the name refers to its long ears. - n. long - eared deer of western north america with two - pronged antlers “ there were no cattle in sight, nothing larger than a mule deer disturbed into flight by sharon ’ s approach. ” these user - created lists contain the word ‘ mule deer ’. macaw shipment, macerate sewage s..., macerate sewage s..., machine code, machine cycle, machine language, machine making, machine manufacture, machine rate, machine time, macroeconomic goal, macroeconomic policy and 5152 more... the collocations below consist of nouns only. noun - noun collocations are extremely frequent in science ( just think of the names of species, chemical compounds or " scientist + invention " type collocat... animals that are described or defined by other animals looking for tweets for mule deer.


american heritage® dictionary of the english language, fourth edition - not : noncombatant. - prevocalic form of nona - - used in the sense of not, to negate the meaning of the word to which it is prefixed. gnu webster ' s 1913 - a prefix used in the sense of not ; un - ; in - ; as in nonattention, or non - attention, nonconformity, nonmetallic, nonsuit. - from latin nona ( " nine " ). ( wiktionary ) - middle english, from old french, from latin non, not ; see ne in indo - european roots. ( american heritage® dictionary of the english language, fourth edition ) “ small change breakfast tips 1. make oatmeal with milk non - or low - fat for more protein. ” “ the role of non - nuclear means of deterrence to effectively prevent conflict and increase stability in troubled regions is a vital issue. ” “ if a teacher can show, by presenting months of collected evidence, that a student has earned less than an " a, " then a non - " a " grade should certainly happen. ” “ rape and sexual violence are used not just as weapons of war around the world but as forms of coercion and a way to instill fear and used as bribes for female students in classrooms, a way to severely marginalize and control women, even in non - conflict areas. ” “ something larger that truly is a " happening " at all, simply that, and no less remarkable for it — the mass effort to throw off the non - " happenings " that circumscribe all our lives to unambitious, repetitive cycles. ” “ here are a few " non - " categories with suggestions for each to get you started : ” “ still, fitch classified the use of asbe standards and non - " big four " auditors as " key weakness indicators " for several companies. ” “ to hear more from scaling green ' s communicating energy lecture series at solar power international 2011 spi, please listen what these solar energy leaders had to say on the national solar jobs census 2011 and the solyndra non - " scandal " at scaling green. ” “ late last week, news broke that 75 probationary non - " tenured " teachers who were improperly fired under then - dcps chancellor michelle rhee would be re - instated. ” “ repeatedly claiming his abject non - success to be their number one priority


halloween : its roots and traditions around the world halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of october 31st. traditional activities include trick - or - treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting " haunted houses " and carving jack - o - lanterns. irish and scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to north america in the nineteenth century. other western countries embraced the holiday in the late 20th century including ireland, the united states, canada, puerto rico and the united kingdom as well as australia and new zealand. halloween has its origins in the ancient celtic festival known as samhain ( pronounced " sah - win " ). the festival of samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in gaelic culture. samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. the ancient gaels believed that on october 31st, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. the festival would frequently involve bonfires. it is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area, which attracted bats to the area. these are additional attributes of the history of halloween. masks and costumes were worn in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or appease them. trick - or - treating, is an activity for children on or around halloween in which they proceed from house to house in costumes, asking for treats such as confectionery with the question, " trick or treat? " the " trick " part of " trick or treat " is a threat to play a trick on the homeowner or his property if no treat is given. trick - or - treating is one of the main traditions of halloween. it has become socially expected that if one lives in a neighborhood with children one should purchase treats in preparation for trick - or - treaters. the history of halloween has evolved. the activity is popular in the united states, the united kingdom, ireland, canada, and due to increased american cultural influence in recent years, imported through exposure to us television and other media, trick - or - treating has started to occur among children in many parts of europe, and in the saudi aramco camps of dhahran, akaria compounds and ras tanura in saudi arabia. the most significant growth, and resistance is in the united kingdom, where the police have threatened to prosecute parents who allow their children to carry out the " trick " element. in continental europe, where the commerce - driven import


ruth edna kelley, in her 1919 history of the holiday, the book of hallowe ' en, makes no mention of such a custom in the chapter " hallowe ' en in america. " it does not seem to have become a widespread practice until the 1930s, with the earliest known uses in print of the term " trick or treat " appearing in 1934, and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939. thus, although a quarter million scots - irish immigrated to america between 1717 and 1770, the irish potato famine brought almost a million immigrants in 1845 – 1849. british and irish immigration to america peaked in the 1880s ; ritualized begging on halloween was virtually unknown in america until generations later. trick - or - treating spread from the western united states eastward, stalled by sugar rationing that began in april 1942 during world war ii and did not end until june 1947. early national attention to trick - or - treating was given in october 1947 issues of the children ' s magazines jack and jill and children ' s activities, and by halloween episodes of the network radio programs the baby snooks show in 1946 and the jack benny show and the adventures of ozzie and harriet in 1948. the custom had become firmly established in popular culture by 1952, when walt disney portrayed it in the cartoon trick or treat ; ozzie and harriet were besieged by trick - or - treaters on an episode of their television show, and unicef first conducted a national campaign for children to raise funds for the charity while trick - or - treating. although some popular histories of halloween have characterized trick - or - treating as an adult invention to re - channel halloween activities away from vandalism, nothing in the historical record supports this theory. to the contrary, adults, as reported in newspapers from the mid - 1930s to the mid - 1950s, typically saw it as a form of extortion, with reactions ranging from bemused indulgence to anger. likewise, as portrayed on radio shows, children would have to explain what trick - or - treating was to puzzled adults, and not the other way around. sometimes even the children protested : for halloween 1948, members of the madison square boys club in new york city carried a parade banner that read " american boys don ' t beg. " a jack - o ' - lantern ( sometimes also spelled jack o ' lantern ) is typically a carved pumpkin. it is associated chiefly with halloween. typically, the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out ; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved onto