Green Roofs
A new green technology is here: The Green Roof. Kristen Getter, the leader of a study carried out at Michigan State University, examined 12 Sedum-covered roofs. They then grew their own. In the end, they discovered that the roofs had the ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere, just as any other plants would. The difference now is that the space usually taken up by commercial housing can now contribute to the environment. The green roofs provide the housings an option that can reduce their carbon footprint on the world. Green technology is defined as the application of environmental science to conserve the natural environment and resources. However, in a time where green is the world’s favorite color, innovations such as this do not always add up.
For example, the researchers found that the roofs could absorb up to 375 grams per square meter. In actuality, this amount of carbon absorption does not make up for the amount of carbon used to make the roof itself. It was estimated that a green roof would take up to 7 years to actually become carbon-negative. It is not commonly known, but many green technologies are not as efficient as we would like to think them to be. For example, while recycling allows cans, plastics, and paper to be reused, the labor and resources expended in its process cancels out its net worth. Critics even go as far to say that the recycling process makes matters worse.
This article is not written to criticize green technology, but instead to highlight the technology that is making a difference, or may make a difference in the future. Green roofs are just one of many innovations that may benefit the environment. Listed below are 4 breakthroughs in green technology that may provide a brighter, but hopefully not too much warmer, future.
1. In 2008, MIT chemist Daniel Nocera discovered a catalyst that he claims will drop the cost of extraction hydrogen and oxygen from water, possibly opening the door for inexpensive systems that use water to store solar energy. Nocera’s catalyst allows the extraction process to work at room temperature and ordinary pressure.
2. Green communities have become a reality. Technology has allowed communities to live completely off the grid. In these green communities, houses often use solar energy to power the amenities inside. In addition, these technologies can better help equip houses in normal communities with more environmentally healthy choices. For example, solar panels on the roof can provide a house with enough energy to sustain itself without having to use gas or electricity.
3. Solar thermal plants, or “the other solar power,” are a new type of green technology that uses sunlight to create steam that, in turn, power turbines. The new technology uses mirrors and avoids relying on direct sunlight to produce energy. Instead, it has the ability to create energy even after the sun goes down.
4. In Sweden, Scotland, and parts of the US, scientists have begun to use a new technology that harnesses the power of the ocean to create power. The technology focuses tidal pulls and forces of waves into energy and feeds this energy directly into the nation’s power grids. It is completely renewable and produces zero emissions.
