Environment
One of the hottest topics drawing daily news coverage is climate change. Hardly a day goes past with out this subject being raised in one form or another and our daily conscience is being bombarded with news, views, information, doom and sometimes even positive stories.
Man made or natural occurrence or both? There are many differing opinions as to why the planet is warming - and in some camps if indeed the planet is warming at all!
The evidence is simply overwhelming…the planet is warming up at an alarming rate and to quote Prince Charles from his speech to the Brazilian Government in March 2009…”..we have less than 100 months to act before we risk catastrophic climate change and the unimaginable horrors that this would bring”
Climate change is happening right now and whether you believe we can stop it is almost irrelevant... its how we manage the change on a local level that will determine our regional, national and global future. There are lots of ways in which we can reduce or mitigate this impact, but one of the most simple, effective and with the quickest pay-backs is vegetating our roofs.
Why?
- They reduce the amount of rain that runs of the roof and they slow down the peak rate of runoff by several hours which in turn dramatically reduces the burden on the drainage system. They clean water as it percolates through the layers; they cool the surrounding air as well as the building they are on and they provide a safe habitat for plants, bees, butterflies insects and birds;
- Feel good factor – greenroofs look good in any work or home environment and encourage wildlife;
- Economics – greenroofs reduce the need for air conditioning or heating so they save money;
- Planning requirements – many councils now insist on the inclusion of greenroofs in building developments.
The construction industry has been forced to change its methods and adapt its technology as a result of climate change; solar panels, water harvesting, green building materials etc. However, no other green building technology offers as many benefits and opportunities as Greenroofing.
Green roofs improve energy efficiency; they help remove carbon from the atmosphere and give us much needed green spaces, especially in built up areas. And green roofs benefit urban drainage and can improve our general well being as well... less dust, cooler air and something nice to look at!
We have years of experience in the design and implementation of successful roof greening projects. Vegetating your roof can be a simple process if good practices are adopted, quality materials are used and the benefit of all our experience is leant on! We sell or install well over 200 green roofs a year including sedum roofs bio-diverse roofs and recreational roofs, flat roofs, pitched roofs, curved roofs and even vertical walls and screens.
Sustainable development is something that needs to happen, and not just at government and corporate level, but in homes and places where we work and play!
