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Heat in the Heartland: Climate Change and Economic Risk in the U.S.
January 23, 2015
From the Risky Business Project, “Heat in the Heartland” details how extreme heat from unmitigated climate change could transform the Midwest's communities and economy. This assessment defines the range of potential economic consequences on agriculture and businesses, as well as discusses the related impacts on labor productivity, livestock, energy use, public health, crime, fresh water supply and tourism. The report concludes that the most severe risks can still be avoided through early investments in resilience and immediate action to mitigate global warming.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Chicago Zoning Ordinance 17-4-1015 Green Roofs Incentives
2015
Chicago’s zoning code awards a Floor-Area Ratio (FAR) bonus for green roofs that cover more than 50 percent of the roof area. The FAR is available for buildings in downtown mixed-use districts. This type of incentive does not cost the municipality any additional money beyond a small amount of staff time to assess the plans and grant the FAR bonus. For new buildings, developers can make more money by being able to build more square footage on the same plot, and the city gets more square footage of green roofs without large expense.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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NOAA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Climate Projects
2015
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) was launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes system. A collaborative between federal agencies and Great Lakes region communities, the Initiative strategically targets the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem, including climate change adaptation and resiliency.
Resource Category: Monitoring and Reporting
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The Prevalence and Cost of Urban Flooding
May 2014
Investigating Cook County, Illinois as a case study, this report assesses the financial cost related to urban flooding between 2007-2011. Urban flooding as described here can include overflow from rivers and streams, sewage pipe backups, water seepage through building walls and floors, and stormwater accumulation. Cook County is primarily urban and densely populated with the City of Chicago making up approximately 54% of the population. The study found that urban flooding is chronic and often repetitive in this county, costing a total of $773 million in insurance claims over five years.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Building the Blue Economy: Opportunities for Community-Based Organizations in Stormwater Management
April 17, 2014
Using Buffalo, New York as a primary case study, this report explores both the challenges and winning strategies for advocating for neighborhood-level green infrastructure solutions. It focuses on a project called “PUSH Blue,” supported by the non-profit People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH) Buffalo, to implement stormwater management intervention in Buffalo’s West Side. Especially for low-income communities, such projects can yield strong intersecting benefits for sustainability, neighborhood redevelopment, and job creation.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Sam Magavern, Tina Meyers, Jen Kaminsky, Sarah Maurer
Resource Category: Solutions
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City of Chicago Green Stormwater Infrastructure Strategy
April 2014
In 2014, Chicago, Illinois released its green stormwater infrastructure plan to improve the city’s water quality, reduce flood risks, and build climate resilience. With 26-miles of lakefront and 28-miles of riverfront, Chicago understands that water is both one of its greatest assets and largest sources of risk. This plan describes ways to integrate green techniques into Chicago’s well established, but already overtaxed stormwater system that will only become more burdened as climate change causes increased precipitation.
Resource Category: Planning
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Central Hardwoods Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment and Synthesis: A Report from the Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework Project
February 2014
This report was prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework Project in conjunction with the Northern Research Station of the U. S. Forest Service (USFS). Assessing the ecosystem vulnerability to climate change of nine natural community types in the Central Hardwoods Region, the document uses forest model projections and projections for wildfires, invasive species, and diseases. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of terrestrial ecosystems in the Central Hardwoods Region of Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri to a range of future climates.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Midwest Climate Hub
2014
The USDA Regional Climate Hubs offer climate adaptation tools, strategies management options, and technical support to farmers, ranchers and forest land owners. The Hubs direct land managers to USDA agencies that can provide program support to enable them to implement climate-informed management practices. The Midwest Climate Hub works with the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota.
Resource Category: Organizations
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Chicago’s Building Energy Programs
September 2013
The City of Chicago adapted energy efficiency policies for both commercial and residential buildings to support both its mitigation and adaptation goals. Waste heat from energy consumption has been estimated to account for about one-third of the urban heat island effect, in some US cities, and energy efficiency policies can be an effective strategy and mitigating these effects. [ref title=""]Dr. Brian Stone, Louisville Urban Heat Management Study, Urban Climate Lab of the Georgia Institute of Technology (April 2016).
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Chicago's Energy Benchmarking Ordinance
September 2013
The City of Chicago adopted energy efficiency policies for both commercial and residential buildings to help reduce waste energy from residential and commercial buildings, which accounts for about one-third of the urban heat island effect, in some US cities. [ref title=""]Dr. Brian Stone, Louisville Urban Heat Management Study, Urban Climate Lab of the Georgia Institute of Technology (April 2016). [/ref] This ordinance in combination with the city's energy conservation code and utility cost disclosure ordinance seek to enhance energy efficiency in the city's building stock and reduce waste heat from buildings.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
