Green roof anyone?

[ChanellG]

The revival of the rooftop garden discussion @claudine started and a comment by @Trellum made me think of the green roof movement. Why some urban centers don't have the space for "regular" gardens, big cities with rooftop gardens aren't just about a lack of yard space.

There are some advantages to having a green roof, even if it's only covered in grass. There's even an organization called Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. http://greenroofs.org/

They offer training and sponsor a conference. You can have a simple, eco-friendly sod covered roof like this one:

Or something landscaped like this one:

The green roof concept is more about sustainability than it is about gardening. (For more info on that visit: this site http://www.vegetalid.us/green-roof-systems/green-roof-101/benefits-of-green-roofs )

Here's another image that shows what it's made of:

I like the concept, though I am not sure how well this would work on a gabled roof, which is what I have.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

There's a beautiful and interesting book "The Edible Balcony" by Alex Mitchell (he's a Brit - they seem to write the best gardening books!) that talks about the environmental benefits to roof, balcony, and vertical gardening, as well as a section on growing and edible rooftop. (of course, he also talks about growing veggies on balconies )

Among other things, greening the rooftops in cities reduces the temperature, reduces pressure on city drains, and reduces air and noise pollution. Pretty cool - I don't know why more cities don't embrace it.

 

[ChanellG]

I know precisely why more cities don't embrace it - not enough people who care about this sort of thing. Bring it up in town meetings at major cities across the U.S. and you'll hear griping about cost, hippies, tree huggers, etc. I think it would be great if a city could erect a public building from the ground up that let people see first hand what the benefit of something like a green roof could do.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

We just got back from a vacation on Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada, and every where we went on the island there were wind tubines and solar panels. (No green roofs, but it's pretty much all farm land and green space, not much in the way of cities). It was great to see a province being so pro-active about green energy. But you are right - most people and governments are not interested because it doesn't put dollars in their pockets. It's a shame.

 

[ChanellG]

When I was in Spain in 2010, I saw entire fields of solar panels and rows and rows of windmills. There were entire solar "power plants," which I found amazing. Those windmills are enormous too when you see them up close. I'd like to have a small one in the back yard; not sure how big it would have to be to power anything, but it would be a neat project.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

I agree, although I'm sure the neighbours would complain. I'd like to have solar panels. I saw an article about an artist who is making stained glass embedded with solar panels for churches and other buildings. Now that is cool! http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/sask...nergy-panels-stained-glass-disguise-1.1406338

I'm sure it's also far out of my price range, unless I win the lottery!

 

[ChanellG]

That is interesting. There are solar window kits you can get but I am not sure how much power they generate. You just put the panel up in your existing window that receives direct sun.

Did you mean that the neighbors would complain about a windmill in your yard?

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Yes - I imagine someone would complain if we put one up. There's a wind farm someone here in Ontario or Quebec, near a town, and they are trying to get it shut down. They say the ultra low frequency sound from it is a health hazard, and it's making everyone in the town sick. There's a lot of "not in my back yard" here. Everywhere, I guess.

 

[Shellyann36]

I think this is intriguing. I wish I had the cash to go to the show in NC. I do wonder at how much weight it would put on the building and if there would be certain structural codes that the building would have to pass in order for this to work?

 

[ChanellG]

I think this is intriguing. I wish I had the cash to go to the show in NC. I do wonder at how much weight it would put on the building and if there would be certain structural codes that the building would have to pass in order for this to work?

Well, I would imagine it's less weight than a second story with rooms filled with furniture and people so it can't be that difficult to deal with building codes and so forth. You just have to be sure you're completely protected from moisture. You would also want to be able to get up there from time to time to make sure nothing else is growing on the roof like a volunteer tree or shrub.

Yes - I imagine someone would complain if we put one up. There's a wind farm someone here in Ontario or Quebec, near a town, and they are trying to get it shut down. They say the ultra low frequency sound from it is a health hazard, and it's making everyone in the town sick. There's a lot of "not in my back yard" here. Everywhere, I guess.

Wow, didn't realize that issue existed. How low is the frequency? I mean, if you're near the windmills do you hear a hum? How did they determine the frequency was making people sick?

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

well, from the article I read, there was no scientific evidence to support the complaints. So whether it's something that hasn't been studied enough, or a group of people who don't want the wind farm by their town, who knows? When we were around the ones on our holiday, we certainly didn't notice anything.

 

[ChanellG]

I would imagine anything with a motor would have a vibration and at least a hum. Maybe it's just urban legend; you know how people are with things they don't embrace or fully understand. I hope that there really is no health threat from the windmills because it's such a good way to harness energy. Then again, isn't there some kind of issue about living too close to "traditional" electrical power?