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Health and Houseplants
Rooftop Gardens
As our population grows at the same time as our suitable agricultural land decreases, food supplies diminish at the same time as the need for them increases. As rural water supplies and land decrease, the value of rooftop gardening becomes more and more beneficial. Grocery stores in Canada and Europe have begun raising rooftop vegetables they can harvest and supply without leaving their buildings. Rooftop gardens can also become a powerful fire deterrent. Growing extremely hard-to-burn succulents on the roof may be one of the best fire-preventative techniques. These gardens also offer superior insulation value that can dramatically decrease heating and cooling costs. Another benefit - air filtration - transforms CO2 into oxygen. The plant cover filters pollutant particles on the foliage. Each year, 10m² surface covered with grasses can eliminate 2kg of suspended particles from the air.
A heat wave in 1995 caused over 700 deaths in Chicago spurring the city to champion the so-called "Urban Heat Island Initiative." The results have dramatically reduced air conditioning use which seriously reduced outdoor temperature (air conditioning pumps hot air out of rooms), stopped stormwater runoff by 60% and saved the city more that $75,000 in cooling costs. This small but highly visible project has inspired other similar projects and now North American has over 53 million square feet of green rooftops.
Garden Beds and Pots
Canadian Grocery Store Roof
Rooftop Café, Holland
We help with projects like this by sharing information and techniques, supplying products and designs for do-it-yourself systems, and by partnering with green building contractors. We can also arrange and quote on large, commercial systems and can arrange for new, supportive roofing if needed.
Rooftop Sun & Fun
Chicago
Chengdu, China
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