E E E E E E E EEE E E E E EE E E E EE E E E E E EEE EE E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EEE E E E E E E E E E E E EEE E E E E E E EEE E E EE E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E EE EE E E EE EEE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EEEE E EE E EEEE E E E EE E E E E E E EE E EE EEE EEE E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E EE E EE E E EE E EE E E EE E E EEE E E E EE E E E EEE E E E EE E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E EE EEE E E EE E E E EE E EE E E E E E EEE EE E EE E E E E E EE E E EE E E E E E EEE E E E EE E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E EEE E E E E E E E E E E E EEE EEE E EE E EEEE EEE E EE E E E E E E E EE E EE E E EE E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE EE E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE EEEE EEEEE EE E E E E EE E E E EE E EE EE E E EEEEEE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E EE E EE EE EE E E E E E EEE E E E E EEE E EE EEE E E E E E E EEEE E E E E E E E E EEE E E E EE E E E E E E E E EE E E E EEE E E EEEE E E EE E EEE E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EEE EE E EE EE EEEE E EE E EE E EE EEE E EE EE E E E E E E EE E EEEE E EEEE EEEEE EE E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E EEE EE E EEE EE EE E E EE EE E E EE E E E E E E EE E EE E E E E EE E E E E EE E E E E E E E E EE E E EE E E EE E EE E E E E
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sarah g newton
mla candidate 2017 university of tennessee
contents ground-breaking business
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interstate vitality
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seed.feed.disperse.repeat
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contact 23
ground-breaking business Hydraulic fracturing (aka “fracking�) for natural gas as an energy source is becoming highly prevalent in the United States. Since 2005, approximately 82,000 wells have been drilled, 22,326 of them in 2012 alone. The primary concentration of fracking wells in the U.S. is over the Marcellus Shale, which lies under much of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as parts of Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Ohio. In the past decade, there have been incidents of drinking water contaminated with noxious chemicals such as benzene and methane. These can lead to serious health effects including neurological disorders, organ failure, and cancers. Some evidence suggests that the source of this contamination is fracking fluid, which contains these types of chemicals (though all the chemicals used are unknown) along with sediment to break up the shale that contains natural gas. Fractures in the sediment layers surrounding the shale may reach into adjacent aquifers, allowing these harmful chemicals to reach the groundwater. Directly below Appalachian and Marcellus shale deposits lies the Pennsylvanian Aquifer, a source of groundwater for states from Pennsylvania to Alabama, including Tennessee. Above this aquifer alone are nearly 3,000 fracking wells.
Tuscal
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loosa
E E E E E E E E EEE E E E EE E E EE E E E E E E EEE EE E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EEE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EEE E E EE E E E E E EEE E E EE E E EE E E E E E E E E E E EE EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E EEE E E E E E EEE E EE E E E E E E E E EEE EE E E E EE E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E EEEE E E E EE E E E E E E E E EE EE E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E EE E EEE E E E E E E EEE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E EEE E E E E E EEEEE E E EEE E E EEE E E E EE E E E E E EE EE E E E E E E E E E EE EE EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E EEE E E E E E EE E E E EE E E E EE E E EE E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE EE E EEE EE E E E EE E E E Cleveland E E E E E E E E EEEE E E E E E EEE EE E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E EEE E EEEEE EE E E E E E E E E E E E EEEE E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E Akron E EE E E E E E EEE E EE EE E E E EEE E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E EEEE E E E E EE E E EE E E E EE E EE E E E E EEE E E EEEEEE EEE EE E E E EEEE E E E E E E E E E EE EE E EE EE EE E E E E E E EEE E E EEE E EE EE EE EEE E E E E E E E EE EE E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E Pittsburgh E E E E E E EE E E E EEE E EEEE E E E E EEE E EE E E EE EEE E E EEE E E E E EE EE E E E E E E E EE E E EEEE E E E E E E E E E E E EE EE EE EEEE E EE E E EE E E E E EE EE E E E E EE EEEEE E E EEEEE EE E EEEE E E E EE E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E EEE EE E EE EE EE EE EE E E E E E EE E E E E EEE E E E E E E E EE E E EE E EEEE E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E EEE E E E E
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Charleston
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EEE EE EE EE E EEE E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E EE E
Nashville Knoxville
Chattanooga
Appalachian Basin Marcellus Shale
E EE E E E E E E E E EE E E E E E E
Pennsylvanian Aquifer
Birmingham
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Fracking Well
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depletes freshwater supplies
Fracking
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produces toxic wastewater groundwater contamination
cases of contaminated drinking water wells reported in Pennsylvania on 8.29.14
wastewater basins leak contaminates drinking water supplies
Toxicity Information unknkown
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unrecovered wastewater remains underground
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chemical compounds are used in fracking fluid
may contaminate surface water
5.6 million gallons of water on average used to frack one well once
could sustain a household of 4 for
51 years
75%
of fracking fluid remains underground after fracking a well
fracking fluid
wastewater basin earthen layer
aquifer
earthen layer fracking line shale (fracking zone)
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interstate vitality When the Federal Highway Act was first proposed in the 1950s, the Eisenhower Administration never intended for these heavily trafficked roads to intersect cities as they do today. Interstates in Knoxville, Tennessee are increasingly crowded and agricultural lands are dwindling. Today, the majority of Knox County’s agriculture exists outside the city limits, leaving the city-dwellers to depend primarily on grocery stores and other forms of imported food. With populations and fossil fuel costs on the rise, there is an extreme need to consider this lack of urban agriculture for the well-being and sustainability of our city. Restructuring interstates for food production, while providing citizens with an efficient, bio-fueled transit system, greenways, and stormwater collection areas, will not only reduce the need for imported food, but will also improve the health of our community and the inevitable transportation issues of the future.
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I-640
I-75
park & ride
I-275
I-40
rk pa ide &r
CURRENT
park & ride
-40
rk pa ide &r
CURRENT
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FUTURE
FUTURE
Limited urban agriculture Rising fossil fuel costs Increasing population
I N T E R S T A T E S
decrease diabetes
provide jobs
decrease obesity
grassy right-of-way outer shoulder
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renewable fuel
cleaner air
manage surface run-off
increase total agricultural land in Knox County
reduced need for fossil fuels
efficient transportation
barrier for greenway
reduce need to import food
alternative transportation
carbon sink
reduce processed food
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time of implementation (years)
agriculture traffic lanes
greenway stormwater collection
inner shoulder concrete median
rapid bus transit biofuel production
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seed.feed.disperse.repeat With populations and urbanization on the rise, biodiversity in our concrete jungle has never been more necessary. The built environment offers and removes much from the human ecosystem. Increasing the presence of plants will reduce erosion and stormwater, improve air and water quality, and provide habitats for pollinators and the wildlife that controls urban pests. A mountain emerging from the intersection the Gay Street viaduct and West Jackson Avenue induces sublime emotion, blending the divide between organic and engineered. Rows of birdhouses lining the northern outer wall of the structure provide habitats for birds communing with the lush grassy meadow that blankets the urban mountain and then naturally spreads through the sloping topography. Seeds of these restorative grasses will be dispersed throughout the city, county, state, and beyond, promoting wide-spread healthy soils and plant communities that will be resilient to disturbance because of their diversity and will thus provide ecosystem services for a healthy urban setting. Rail lines can serve as the conduit to build a network of wildlife corridors between cities, counties, and states, ultimately resulting in a healthier nation. For passersby, the urban mountain landscape will visualize succession of plant communities and the resulting biodiversity. The interior of the urban mountain will provide space for people that extends into the Knoxville underground and coordinates with the railroad, potentially serving as a depot for future passenger rail. This model can be deployed across the country, further supporting national dispersal of seeds and succession of life. 12
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Ailanthus altissima tree of heaven Calystegia sepium wild morning glory
Paulownia tomentosa princess tree
Lactuca serriola prickly lettuce
Schizachyrium scoparium little bluestem Elymus repens quackgrass Digitaria spp. crabgrass
Euphorbia prostrata ground spurge
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untreated wood compostable plastic
10”
4”
15”
12”
100
Created from a basic cube, this birdhouse will be stacked to create a birdhouse tower that will be placed in the environment. It is intended for bird species commonly found in the urban setting and is tailored to their needs regarding height of nest or perch, distance between nests, and size of nesting site. The birdhouse is also made to facilitate a connection with broomsedge, an important ruderal species in developing ecosystems that is found on railways in addition to other barren urban environments. Birds attracted to these birdhouse towers feed on the seeds of these grasses and use them for nesting material. The grasses also provide habitats for insects, which serve as food for the birds as well, and their roots systems help to create organic soil in which a new ecosystem can form. The birdhouses are made of organic materials that will degrade over time, further contributing to the success of a new ecosystem. In order to protect the birds, the interior of the structure is made more durable.
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time in years 1-2 2-4 4-10+
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well-developed organic soil
parent material
organic matter
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time in years
2
4
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The originial birdhouse structure was modified and enlarged to create a new structure for humans. The resulting experience is an urban mountain. The underlying goal is still ecological succession, but now, citizens of Knoxville are able to experience nature in the city in a new way. The mountain structure was shrunken down to the size of the original birdhouse and flocked onto the front of the mountain. This in addition to the birdhouse towers provides local habitats for birds that will make ecological succession possible. Above is an estimated timeline of succession at the mountain site and along the railways, which, due to their barren but continuous structure, provide a perfect conduit for a wildlife corridor. Succession will extend beyond railroads as broomsedge is a great colonizer.
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sidewalks
traveled rail
backyards
parking lots
abandoned rail
rights-of-way
stream/river banks
vacant lots
http://kiransarkar.com/yahoo_site_admin1/assets/images/even-at-sidewalk-2.35362634.jpg, http://i.gettysburgdaily.com/imgs/CycloramaParkingLot051911/CycloramaParkingLot05191110.jpg, http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/fishtown/vacant-lot-east-kensington-should-be-developed-soon, https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRM--8LEEGqkw9QgtK2VjmmGei0vB2y-RUemGcBMeeKAEZnZyqP8Q, http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/04/07/magazine/mag-07KeyBackyard-t_CA0/mag-07KeyBackyard-t_CA0-superJumbo.jpg, http://arwc.camp7.org/bearriver
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thank you
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sarah g newton
sgallihe@utk.edu 423.361.7054 www.linkedin.com/in/sgnewton
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