CUSP PRESENTS
FEATURED STORIES: WHAT’S UP WITH CUSP MISSION 03
WET. HOT PHILLY CLIMATE CHANGE 05
STOP. DROP & GROW KICK-OFF EVENT 09
CLIMATE TIMES EASTWICK EDITION
ISSUE 1 | FALL 2016
CONTENTS 01
03
WHAT’S UP WITH CUSP?
WEATHER OR NOT
CUSP is a network of informal educators, climate scientists, learning scientists, and local community organizations across four major US cities. They are dedicated to improving local understanding of an engagement with climate change issues.
Climate is what you expect in a certain geographical region but weather is what you get. The atmosphere is a complex system of gases that protects Earth and can be produced both naturally and unnaturally. This section delves into the science behind climate changes globally.
Find out how Philadelphians can prepare for climate change. See page 5.
Learn about the big picture issues surrounding climate change and what Philadelphia has to prepare for. See page 3.
05
07
09
WET, HOT PHILADELPHIA
PAINT THE TOWN GREEN
STOP, DROP & GROW
Climate is what you expect in a certain geographical region but weather is what you get. The atmosphere is a complex system of gases that protects Earth and can be produced both naturally and unnaturally. This section delves into the science behind climate changes globally.
By creating greenspaces in urban areas we can help our cities prepare for climate change. This article is a list of the benefits of plants in these spaces
Stop, Drop & Grow that aims to partner with other organizations to beautify vacant lots across CUSP cities. This initiative will begin with the neighborhood of Eastwick in the city of Philadelphia.
Read about the benefits of planting a Japanese Snowbell tree, and many other plants and they’re impact on preparing for climate change. See page 7.
WHAT’S UP WITH CUSP? Climate Urban Systems Partnership local The Franklin Institute’s signature climate science project is the Climate & Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) focused in Northeastern U.S.A.
around the city, including Clean Air Council, SEPTA & the Food Trust. Ultimately, Philly CUSP aims to prepare us to live well in a hotter, wetter Philadelphia. Educating and engaging commmunities from multiple viewpoints so that they are able to remember and implement these important concepts.
Led by The Franklin Institute, the group of informal science educators, climate scientists, learning scientists and the community partners in this project have established local networks within four urban centers. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Queens, NY, and Washington, D.C. are the four Northeastern cities at the forefront of this green initiavtive.
Local stakeholders reinforce CUSP-themed education in their own work throughout the city. CUSP’s strategy includes four interconnected pieces that come together to accomplish a single goal of positive change within communities.
CUSP, funded by the National Science Foundation, connects informal and formal education partners, community groups, city government, and policymakers. Together, this network is creating and disseminating solutions-focused climate education programs and resources for urban audiences.
Their strategy begins at the neighbohood level to address climate change issues with programs that residents partcipate in while educating them about the effects of their communitiy buildings, transportation, entertainment and various other places around town.
Social science research shows that approaching climate change education through a global lens that emphasizes “doom and gloom” information does not motivate people to engage in the issue, and often leads to feelings of helplessness, fear, or guilt. It is the vision of the CUSP to create an infrastructure of lasting collaborations to improve public understanding of and engagement with the science of climate change. The audiences targeted by this project are those within the urban environments of the core network.
CUSP also points the reisdents towards the available solutions to prepare for those climate change impacts. By doing so CUSP is helping residents understand collective responses to climate change impacts, why those responses are important, and how to learn more. They perform demonstrations at local festivals using a kit strategy to create a more sticky experience for residents to grasp easily. At the center of CUSP’s communication they include the communities in a digital environment where they can learn and share with others.
Philadelphia’s branch of CUSP, is a community of local stakeholders who share a passion for engaging residents in climate change issues and interact frequently to learn how prepare for climate change. Philly CUSP consists of almost 40 organizations
To find out what preparation tactics are being used in your community please visit: www.cuspproject.org
CUSP addresses climate change issues that are specific to Philadelphia. These issues include hotter temperatures and more extreme storms.
solutions focused CUSP helps residents understand collective responses to climate change impacts, why those responses are important, and how to learn more. CUSP holds events in community spaces so residents can learn exactly what steps they can take to prepare for a hotter, wetter Philadelphia.
relevant CUSP focuses on impacts climate change will have on particular communities, and the appropriate responses to those impacts.
W H AT ’ S U P W I T H C U S P ? | 01
OUR MISSION IS TO P URBAN COMMUNITI CLIMATE CHANGE. C DROP, & GROW INITI TO PARTNER WITH P ORGANIZATIONS TO VACANT LOTS.
PREPARE IES FOR CUSP’S STOP, IATIVE AIMS PEOPLE AND O BEAUTIFY
WEATHER OR NOT Ready or not, climate change is coming to a city near you.
WHAT HAPPENED TO “GLOBAL WARMING”? The Earth’s climate system is a complex interaction between ocean, land, and air. As the atmosphere gets warmer, it will produce a variety of climate effects, from changes in rain and snowfall patterns to shifts in seasonal temperatures. “Climate change” is a more accurate term to describe the effects we will see and avoids giving people the impression that it’s just about getting hotter everywhere.
ISN’T CARBON DIOXIDE NATURAL? Some CO2 is part of natural life processes— animals exhale it; plants use it to grow; volcanoes emit it; oceans reabsorb it. But natural causes alone cannot explain all of these changes. Human activities are contributing to climate change, primarily by releasing billions of tons of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases, known as greenhouse gases, into the atmosphere every year.
WHAT ARE CARBON EMISSIONS? Carbon emissions refer to the amount of carbon dioxide gas emitted by a particular process or activity. Burning fossil fuels like coal and gas is a primary source of carbon emissions. The atmosphere is like a blanket that surrounds the earth, holding in heat in the same way that a blanket traps your body heat. Carbon dioxide is one of those heattrapping gases in the atmosphere.
Changes in the climate system affect our health, environment, and economy. We can prepare for some of the impacts of climate change to reduce their effects on our well-being. There are different kinds of carbon dioxide! It’s not all the same stuff—the distinction is just about where it is coming from.
BIG PICTURE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE HOTTER TEMPERATURES MELTING GLACIERS
WHAT ABOUT HEAT TRAPPING GASES? The problem with carbon dioxide is its longevity. Water vapor leaves the atmosphere by condensing into rain, and methane breaks down after a decade or so, but carbon dioxide is very stable and can stay in the atmosphere for thousands of years! So a little bit of extra CO2 released into the atmosphere can have a heat-trapping effect for a very long time.
COASTAL FLOODING EARLY SNOWMELT SEVER DROUGHTS HEAVY DOWNPOURS WATER SHORTAGES INCREASED WILDFIRES RISING SEA LEVELS
PHILADELPHIA IS PREPARING FOR THESE ISSUES
Humans are burning natural and unnatural resources such as fossil fuels and plastics. Burning the fossil fuels to create electricity makes up the largest source of heat-trapping pollution. The carbon emissions are far too many to escape into space, creating the rise in Earth’s temperature.
GREENHOUSE GASES IN THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
N
AT U
RA
LL Y
PR
NITROUS OXIDE [CO2 CH4 N2O] are carbon emissions produced by humans released into the atmosphere and do not escape the atmosphere quickly which creates global warming.
2 BILLION TONS of CO2 produced every year in the United States, the burning of fossil fuels to make electricity is the largest source of heat-trapping pollution.
OD
UC
Cities account for 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions and two-thirds of the world’s energy use.
ED
H
UM
AN
EN
H
AN
CE
D
The Earth is wrapped in a blanket of several layers of gases called the atmosphere. The sun radiates on the Earth causing the temperature to rise, heat from the Earth rises into the atmosphere escaping into space. To keep balance the Earth’s temperature should remain constant.
METHANE [CO2 CH4 H2O] are carbon emissions produced naturally when humans & animals breathe, volcanoes produce it, and plants absorb it; these natural processes allow for heat to escape the atmosphere.
Natural gas emits 50% less carbon dioxide than human produced greenhouse gases.
W E AT H E R O R N OT | 03
PAINT THE TOWN GREEN
1 2 The benefits of creating greenspace in an urban environment
Flooding can be prevented, stormwater is filtered, and surface water runoff is reduced.
Plants retain water, a key aspect of of flood prevention. By planting native trees and wildflowers in vacant lots around the city of Philadelphia, the vegetation will provide a barrier to flood water. Trees also prevent soil erosion, reducing sediment going into rivers and increasing water absorption into the ground. This slows rainwater running off into swollen streams and helps lower peak flood levels. Plants allow rain to infiltrate into the ground and recharge groundwater rather than running off the surface. This is extremely important due to the city’s close proximity to the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, which are prone to flooding.
Native plants help reduce air pollution. Wildflowers are essential to removing carbon dioxide and other harmful toxins from the air.
Trees, shrubs and wildflowers remove smoke, dust and other pollutants from the air. Plants clean the air by absorbing greenhouse gases; they store carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, in their stems and leaves. One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually, equaling 11,000 miles of car emissions. Imagine what good we can do to the air quality in Philadelphia by creating these greenspaces in vacant lots!
A Japanese Lilac Tree [pictured, right] is on the list of approved trees for Philadelphia. You can get a free Japanese Lilac and other varieties of trees by visiting treephilly.org!
3
The American Yellowood [pictured, left] is native to the Philadelphia region making it easy to maintain.
Plants provide a cooling effect. Shaded areas provided by vegetation can be up to 31 degrees cooler than an unshaded area.
By creating these greenspaces in vacant lots, citizens will be able to escape the heat waves of summers in the city by going to shaded areas. These lots will naturally create a lower temperature which will lower the amount of fossil fuels used for cooling. Trees can lower outdoor air temperatures by as much as 9°F (5°C) through evapotranspiration. By decreasing temperatures, greenspaces will create a more desirable living condition in urban areas.
4 Native plantscapes are easy to grow and maintain which decreases the use of pesticides and fossil fuels.
Native plants generally grow well and require little care when grown on proper soils under the right environmental conditions. By choosing the right native plants, you may be able to use fewer pesticides and less water. These plants also do not require mowing, which will reduce the burning of fuels that contribute to climate change.
A Japanese Snowbell [pictured, right] is another approved tree for the streets of Philadelphia. This species of plant is known for providing shade.
PA I N T T H E TO W N G R E E N | 07
The Philadelphia Climate and Urban Systems Partnership, or Philly CUSP for short, invites you to experience our new initiative: Stop, Drop & Grow. There’s no question that climate change is a very real, alarming issue facing our current and future ambitions across the world. More specifically Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is facing hotter and wetter climates in the future that we must begin to prepare for and attempt to counter. In contrast to expensive solutions, we wanted to take a non-site specific approach that can be used across entire cities to address the concerns with climate change. Stop, Drop & Grow. is a CUSP initiative which aims to partner with other organizations to beautify vacant lots across Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York, and D.C. Currently, there are 40,000 some vacant lots across Philadelphia. Stop, Drop & Grow initiative will be integrated first within the neighborhood Eastwick. Eastwick is located in the Southwest division of Philadelphia near the airport and a lot of industrial hazardous dumping. Philly CUSP chose one of those 61 vacant lots located in the Eastwick neighborhood to use as a pilot lot for further beautification and placemaking. The lot chosen is located at 8000 Brunswick Avenue. It is a mixed-landscape lot, with asphalt and grass. It’s the best of both worlds, prototype lot to begin placemaking.
We are stopping by local communities and getting the word out about preparing for the hotter, wetter environment that is coming our way.
We are dropping in local vacant lots to engage people of all ages in learning about our climate’s future and how these lots play a role.
We are growing relationships among residents and community members by providing activities and resources that can benefit everyone.
S TO P, D R O P & G R O W | 11
The Franklin Institute 222 North 20th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103
BETH SHIRRELL 4201 HENRY AVENUE PHILADELPHIA, PA 19144
PARTNERS
SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
WORD LIST CUSP EASTWICK RAIN BARREL SEED BOMBS SEPTA STOP DROP GROW TREE PHILLY WILDFLOWERS