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Written by Milan Clarke   
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Thursday, 09 September 2010

Green Roofs

The 2010 World Green Roof Congress goes to London this September! Green roofs have been a subject of conversation in the environmental world for a long time. They have the ability to change a bland, unused, rooftop, into a beautiful, lush, exciting, and green space secretly tucked into an urban atmosphere. 2010 has been a great year for green roofs—they are popping up more and more in countries like China, Australia, the United States, and many more. This year will continue to get better for green roofs on September 15-16. During these two days, environmental companies Livingroofs.org and CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association) will host World Green Roof Congress (WGRC) in London, England. The congress will bring together the world’s leading green roof experts from all around the world.

The first WGRC was also held in London in 2008. This conference brought over 300 representatives from 15 countries and it was extremely successful because the congress provided great opportunities for learning and researching cutting edge green roof technologies and ideas.1 This year, The WGRC hopes to provide a space where these experts can discuss the most recent case studies and policy initiatives. They also will look into the future of green roofs, promoting the implementations of more green roofs, and highlighting the importance of green roof education and its benefits.

Objectives of the Congress: The Congress aims to demonstrate how green roofs and green walls can contribute to sustainability, climate change adaptation, green infrastructure, and ecosystem services.2 Here are some specific key points that the congress will focus on:

  • Showing the contribution green roofs make in furtherance of a sustainable urban environment and adaptation to climate change.
  • Providing knowledge and the most efficient practices of green roof implementation.
  • Promoting alternative uses of green roofs and their contribution to urban communities.
  • Inspiring those in the environmental construction sector to implement green roofs where they will be useful and practical.
  • Creating a forum for all who are interested in the promotion of green roofs to discuss ideas on how to implement green roofs into urban societies.3
Format and Event Activities: The two-day conference will be held in the Allen & Overy offices in London. The first day will begin with regulatory registration, and some time saved for mingling and networking. Chairman, Jim McClelland, will open the event and will invite attendees to talk about certain introductory topics like:

  • The City of London’s approach to greening roofs;
  • Using green roofs to adapt to existing buildings and climate changes;
  • Developing an evidence base for green roofs.4
The first day will then proceed with getting into teams and discussing specific issues and topics concerning green roofs. Day two of the Congress program will allow delegates to share international experiences on the delivery of green roofs, their multi-functional benefits, as well as the life cycle of implementing green roofs.5 Different experts will take the time to inform attendees of their knowledge and advice about green roofs. For example, Mark Simmons, at the University of Texas in Austin will speak about Thermal and hydraulic performance of different native green roofs in Texas, while Sally Capp, Agent-General for Victoria, Australia will speak about current initiatives to encourage green roofs in Melbourne, Australia.6

The World Green Roof Congress is not only a step in the right direction for people in environmentally-related industries, it is also a huge step for humanity. Green roofs have little to no negative side effects or arguments against their implementation. They have the power to bring nature to an urban atmosphere, while also offering a peace of mind to anyone who enters them. I look forward to seeing what comes of the WGRC on September 15th-16th. To get more information, contribute, or attend the Second World Green Roof Congress in London, visit: worldgreenroofcongress.com.

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1 http://www.worldgreenroofcongress.com/
2 http://www.greenroofs.com/content/guest_features017.htm
3 http://www.worldgreenroofcongress.com/
4 http://www.worldgreenroofcongress.com/day1-programme.html
5 http://www.greenroofs.com/content/guest_features017.htm
6 http://www.worldgreenroofcongress.com/day2-programme.html




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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 February 2011 )

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Green Facts

  • Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy used to make the material from scratch.

  • Americans use 100 million tin and steel cans every day.

  • One recycled aluminum can will save enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, or a TV for 2 hours.

  • A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water.

  • If every U.S. household turned the thermostat down by 10 degrees for seven hours each night during the cold months, and seven hours each weekday, it would prevent nearly gas emissions.

  • It takes 6,000,000 trees to make 1 year's worth of tissues for the world.

  • States with bottle deposit laws have 35-40% less litter by volume.

  • A steel mill using recycled scrap reduces related water pollution, air pollution, and mining wastes by about 70%.

  • Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months

  • Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth can save as much as 10 gallons a day per person.

  • American workers spend an average of 47 hours per year commuting through rush hour traffic. This adds up to 23 billion gallons of gas wasted in traffic each year.

  • In California homes, about 10% of energy usage is related to TVs, DVRs, cable and satellite boxes, and DVD players.

  • The World Health Organization estimates that 2 million people die prematurely worldwide every year due to air pollution.

  • Recycling 100 million cell phones can save enough energy to power 18,500 homes in the U.S. for a year.

  • Nudge your thermostat up two degrees in the summer and down two degrees in the winter to prevent 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

  • Refrigerators built in 1975 used 4 times more energy than current models.

  • Bamboo absorbs 35% more carbon dioxide than equivalent stands of trees.

  • A laptop consumes five times less electricity than a desktop computer.

  • 77% of people who commute to work by car drive alone.

  • Washing your clothes in cold or warm instead of hot water saves 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, and drying your clothes on a clothesline six months out of the year would save another 700 pounds.

  • You’ll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle.

  • An aluminum can that is thrown away instead of recycled will still be a can 500 years from now!

  • Recycling 1 million laptop computers can save the amount of energy used by 3,657 homes in the U.S. over the course of a year.

  • In the United States, automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions. Walk or bike and you'll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel.

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  • Americans throw away more than 120 million cell phones each year, which contribute 60,000 tons of waste to landfills annually.

  • You will save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10,000 miles you drive if you always keep your car’s tires fully inflated.

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  • Shaving 10 miles off of your weekly driving pattern can eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

  • A tree that provides a home with shade from the sun can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2,000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime.

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