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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Cross-Laminated Timber Emerges in Sustainable Building

Cross laminated timber

courtesy of Svenskt Tra

A Swedish method of building using cross-laminated timber (CLT) is emerging as a climate-friendly alternative to traditional, concrete-based construction. The foundation is cement, but multistory wooden structures of 13 floors and higher are possible. Using timber has environmental benefits in the form of lowered carbon emissions. Mathias Fridholm, director of Svenskt Tra (Swedish Wood), an industry organization, says, “Wood is in many ways an excellent material for building in dense cities, because we can prefabricate all the elements in factories instead of onsite.” Prefabrication speeds construction and reduces truck traffic. CLT is not only strong and light, it is breathable; it holds heat, but doesn’t need plastic layers to manage moisture like concrete, which also requires sand, a non-renewable resource that requires drudging seabeds. Managed forests are renewable and serve as a carbon storage facility.

Anna Ervast Oberg, a project manager at Swedish real estate developer Folkhem, advises that just changing the structure of a building to wood from concrete would result in an immediate 50 percent reduction in emissions. “What we have to do now is to stop the emissions, very fast. This gives us a hint of where we should be focusing; where we can make the biggest difference.”

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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