A marijuana bust creates an aquaponics opportunity

In one of the stranger (yet strangely, logical) GILA stories I've read recently, a marijuana bust leads to the creation of an aquaponics operation. This novel resource allocation is just one of the many ways in which Philadelphia is trying to eliminate food deserts.
More from Philly. Two features were done last week on green infrastructure, one extolling the impressive and innovative stormwater management mitigation program in the City of Brotherly Love, the other exploring how California can use green infrastructure to solve some of its stormwater management woes.

-Let me set the scene and you tell me if you would want to live here. An affordable, eco friendly condo in dewy sweet Hawaii. Throw in a green wall AND the nation's first certified organic rooftop garden on an affordable home. Jealous yet? It's okay, Hawaii has other delights for you to sample from the comfort of your own home. Especially for those in Pacific island communities, the University of Hawaii now offers reasonably priced, online aquaponics classes! 160 students from 20 countries have singed up so far.

So busy!

Between starting gardens at home (both horizontal and vertical), ongoing projects (which hopefully we'll post some pictures of soon) and designing green roof and green wall projects, it's been tough to blog the last few weeks.
But, here's the latest interesting living architecture news:

-A couple of reports have hit the internet recently about the effects of green roofs. First is a study by Mary Jo Kirisitspublished in the journal Water Research which examines the effects of conventional and alternative roofing materials on the quality of harvested rainwater . Haven't read it yet, but will have to soon as Dr. Kirisits seems to be the real deal.
The second from Columbia University says that green roofs do a fantastic job at retaining water. 20 TIMES BETTER than the City of New York stated in PlaNYC.

-Mayor Rahm looks to take Chicago to the next level. I love this 55 promises list. Not just because it's not a round number or due to all of the content (we can't agree with everything...right?), but the elimination of food deserts slides in at #17, higher than street safety! Wow!

-Oh yeah, there's an urban farming internship available at Kingsborough Community College. So for those of you who procrastinated...because it always pays off, you are right once again!

-By the way, the picture above is a bag full of fun...which hopefully will yield some oyster mushrooms in the near future!