Green roofs have a plethora of well-documented advantages. They save money on air conditioning in the summer by absorbing and reflecting heat. They reduce winter heating costs by adding extra insulation. Green roofs are appealing to cities because they absorb rainwater, reducing the likelihood of excess stormwater flooding sewage systems and increasing sewage treatment costs. Plant-filled rooftops reduce the likelihood of urban areas becoming heat islands. They help to reduce air and noise pollution. Animals can live in vegetation even if it is several stories high.
1. Cool The Air
Cities are hotter than their surrounding rural areas. After absorbing sunlight, asphalt roads and concrete buildings emit heat, and exhaust from vehicles and air conditioners traps additional heat. This is known as the “urban heat island effect,” and it can cause cities to be several degrees hotter than surrounding areas.
The urban heat island effect can be deadly during heat waves, which are becoming more common as climate change intensifies. In fact, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to die in mega heat waves in the coming decades in the United States alone.
Green Roofs Can Cool The Air
According to Peck, green roofs can help to mitigate this phenomenon by making cities more climate resilient and protecting those who are most vulnerable to heat waves. This is accomplished by covering dark surfaces with bright vegetation that reflects rather than absorbs sunlight. Plants also cool cities through a process known as evapotranspiration, in which they release moisture into the atmosphere. Plants can provide shaded relief on sunny days for people who have access to green roofs. Another way cities can cool the atmosphere is by painting their roofs white or applying a cover that reflects sunlight.
2. Reduce Energy And Health Care Costs
Green roofs’ cooling effects can also save people money. Rooftop garden cool entire buildings down in the summer, reducing the need for air conditioning.
Green roof improves heat retention in buildings during the colder months because they improve insulation. As a result, green roofs can significantly reduce a building’s energy costs. According to Katherine Gloede, academic manager of City College of New York’s sustainability in the urban environment program, they essentially pay for themselves over time.
Buildings are also responsible for the vast majority of a city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Cities emit less carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases by reducing energy use in buildings.
3. Prevent Flooding
Cities are magnificent feats of engineering, but the systems that keep them running smoothly can also be problematic.
Cities rely on drainage systems to prevent flooding during precipitation events, but extreme storms can overwhelm drains and pipelines, resulting in submerged streets.
Floodwater was a major issue in Houston during and after Hurricane Harvey in part because there was nowhere for it to go.
Green rooftops, as opposed to traditional roofs that simply shed water, can absorb water, relieving some of the strain on drainage systems. Plants require water to thrive, and green rooftops have a moisture absorption layer that safely stores water during storms.
Green roofs can be built to collect more or less rainwater. Some of them have layers that act as cisterns, storing extra water.
4. Filter Water
Another issue with drainage systems is pollution. When rain falls on a city, the water becomes polluted. These pollutants are then carried by underground pipelines to rivers and lakes, where they can contaminate drinking water.
5. Improve Food Security
Rooftop farming is becoming increasingly popular, despite the fact that it is still a relatively new field. Green roofs are more difficult to implement than standard low-maintenance green rooftops, but they have numerous advantages. Rooftop gardening can help a city’s food security by supplying a consistent supply of produce. They can also improve the nutrition of people living in food deserts and food swamps by diversifying community members’ diets.
If you can create an urban garden on a rooftop, it is absolutely critical for food security. A new term that is emerging is food swamps, which occur when an area has a lot of fast food options, but insecurity stems from a lack of access to healthy foods or grocery stores and farmer’s markets where people can become exposed to them.
Finally, rooftop farms reduce food’s ecological footprint because they do not need to be transported cross-country or internationally, and they do not need to be refrigerated, two steps in the food production system that generate significant greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Social Cohesion And Advocacy
Green roofs offer much-needed relief to city dwellers who might not otherwise have access to vegetation. Being near greenery has numerous physiological benefits, ranging from stress reduction to improved memory to health promotion.
Green roofs also encourage people to socialize on their roofs. According to Gloede, this has two advantages. For starters, it enables neighbors to get to know one another. This can be useful during extreme weather events because it allows people to help one another. Increased biodiversity can also foster a greater appreciation for nature, which can lead to people becoming environmental activists. The numerous bee farms in New York, for example, can serve as a reminder of the plight of bees worldwide and the critical role they play in pollinating wildlife.
For fill article visit this blog: Green Roof Prevents Global Warming — All About Rooftop Gardening (rf.gd)
