Keep your driveway and sidewalks organically clear this winter
Keeping roads and sidewalks safe can be a green challenge during the winter. Ice on sidewalks, driveways and parking lots create slippery conditions for pedestrians, drivers and environment. Using a plow or backbreaking shovel doesn't always produce the best results, and doesn't deal with icy surfaces very well.The typical winter modus operandi is to use chemical deicers and/or a grit like sand. Not always an environmentally friendly solution.
Salt has traditionally been used to de-ice roads, spread via snowplows or dump trucks designed to disperse it, along with sand and gravel. Sodium chloride (rock salt) is normally used, as it is inexpensive and readily available in large quantities. The major problem with salt is the tendency to cause corrosion, rusting steel in vehicles and reinforcement (rebar) used in concrete bridges.
In the last decade, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride has become popular, which not only depress the freezing point of water to a much lower temperature, but also produce an heat reaction. In recent years, green deicing has been introduced. Organic compounds have been developed that address the environmental issues connected with salts and have longer residual effects when spread on roadways. These compounds are generated as byproducts of agricultural operations such as sugar beet. This new deicing technology is easy to use and won't damage your plants like salt does. Since it does not damage your yard, it seems like an ideal choice for home use.
There has also been limited experimentation with embedding sidewalks with flexible pipes for carrying hot water. The water radiates heat through the concrete and prevents snow and ice from accumulating. Energy costs are a trade off to the chemicals used and should be taken into account if thinking about this technique.
