The idea of green roofs is to grow a variety of vegetation on rooftops to help the environment and our wallets. Having vegetation on rooftops is a big plus in cities like New York. Since NYC is an ever growing city that means more buildings are being constructed resulting in less space for vegetation growth on the ground. NYC has about 8.06 million people living here and the amount of carbon dioxide that is released every day is astounding. According to New York City Sustainability Office, our buildings are responsible for the overwhelming share of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), Buildings Account for 39% of CO2 emissions in the United States Green roofs can help contribute to the reduction of CO2 because of plants and soil’s ability to absorb carbon. A green roof helps with the reduction of air pollution and according to a study it helps reduce these components: 37% sulfur dioxide, 21% of nitrous acid and 0.2kg of dust particles, per square meter, each year.
Green roofs can improve the drainage system since vegetation is on roof tops the amount of water that falls is absorbed instead of overflowing in the streets. Green roofs can improve energy efficiency; the vegetation absorbs sun light which reduces the temperature of the roof in the summer and traps heat during the winter.
