1. Green Roofs Where Industry Meets Nature

2. Table of Contents Slide # Topic 1 Title Page 2 Table of Contents 3 Position 4 History of Human Carbon Footprint 5 Causes 6 Consequences 7 Where Green Roofs Come In! 8 Opposition 9 Visual 10 Works Cited

3. Position Green roofs are an effective and innovative form of helping the environment while also serving the needs of humans inhabiting these areas.

4. Human Carbon Footprint > Recently, in the history of our planet, humans have been reproducing and growing at an unsustainable rate. As populations become more dense and expand further across the globe, more land is required to farm so that the ever-increasing population can be fed. > The significance of mankind’s impact on the planet can be seen in the disastrous consequences of our unsustainable and unchecked growth, which has resulted in a phenomenon called Global Warming. One of the largest contributors to this phenomenon is agricultural practices, which produces millions of tons of greenhouses gases like carbon dioxide and methane as well as nitrous oxide. > There are several possible solutions that have been proposed to remedy this problem, such as identifying and confronting the farms producing the most greenhouse gases (GHG) and finding the most cost-effective mitigation techniques for reducing these emissions. This is a very specific and responsible method to reducing point-source producers of GHG, but it does not mitigate the effect of other non point-source producers. > The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) regulates the production of greenhouse gases and maintains their atmospheric concentration at levels which prevent harmful human impact on the climate system. Therefore, this organization must keep a steady watch on agricultural businesses, as they are some of the top producers of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

5. Causes As the standards of living begin to increase in developing countries and make their way toward matching that of the U.S. and China, meat production has increased. More and more people crave the luxury of meat in their diet that the U.S. has made cheap and affordable for many of its citizens. This attempt at matching U.S. meat consumption is resulting in more deforestation as more land is required to farm and raise the cattle and pork necessary for this intake.

6. Consequences If agricultural emissions are not checked, humans will suffer the results of pollution caused by deforestation as well as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions given off by the meat industry. 1.Today, we see that agriculture alone is responsible for nearly 18% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. If this field of GHG production is not reduced, there will be a significant increase in GHGs in years to come. 1. According to Volkert Engelsman, an activist with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, "We are losing 30 soccer fields of soil every minute, mostly due to intensive farming." At this rate, soil degradation will increase and there will be only 60 years left of farming available to humans if practices are not altered. Go organic! Engelsman says, “Organic (farming) may not be the only solution but it's the single best (option) I can think of” (Quotes). The most space-efficient way to do this...

7. ...Is Through Green Roofs!! Besides plain old organic farming is the same old spots, another solution has been proposed that uses space very wisely and allows environmental space to expand without limiting human agricultural and industrial expansion. Green roofs utilize space already cultivated and available to billions of people. Not only do they lower heating and cooling prices for each home they encompass, green roofs also use the rainfall that occurs naturally for gardening or just plain plant growth. While this may seem to be a single, notwithstanding effect, this ability also reduces the amount of runoff in cities that carry trash and chemicals to waterways and oceans. Also, the increased “green” surface area in cities will serve to soak up atmospheric carbon and produce more oxygen, perhaps making up for the deforestation required to feed the people living there! Though green roofs may not reduce current agricultural space, they can significantly lower the rate of agricultural growth as well as carbon concentrations in cities.

8. Opposing Views Concerns: 1. Green roofs are too expensive to invest in. Green roofs are certainly more expensive than typical roofing, but they have a longer lifespan than typical shingle roofs (properly installed green roofs can last from 30 to 50 years as opposed to the 24 to 30 year life span of architectural asphalt shingles) (Average Lifespan). In addition, green roofs can save on grocery costs as well as heating and cooling costs (FAQ). 2. Green roofs are more prone to leaks than typical roofs. Whether a roof is leaky or not is not dependent on the material being used, but on the installment and design of the structure. Green roofs’ longer life span may be due to the protection of its waterproof membrane from UV by the soil and plant cover (Busted).. 3. Green roofs are a new and experimental discovery and therefore should not be trusted. Green roofs have been around since 500 B.C., seen in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and more modern forms were developed in Europe in the 1960s. They have been in use ever since, and have proven to be an effective way of saving space as well as conserving on household costs like temperature and maintenance (History).

9. Visuals

10. Works Cited "6 Busted Green-Roof Myths." Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Web. 9 June 2015. - http://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2013/12/30/6-busted-green-roof-myths/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2013/12/30/6-busted-green-roof-myths/ "24/7 Service." Green Roofs. Web. 9 June 2015. - http://jdcandler.com/specialtyroofs/green-roofs.htmlhttp://jdcandler.com/specialtyroofs/green-roofs.html "FAQ." Frequently Asked Questions (s) about Green Roof Consulting/Design. Web. 9 June 2015. - http://www.greenrooftechnology.com/green-roofs-explained#roof-last-green-roof http://www.greenrooftechnology.com/green-roofs-explained#roof-last-green-roof "History of Greenroofs." Lawrence Technological University. Web. 9 June 2015. - http://www.ltu.edu/water/greenroofs_history.asp http://www.ltu.edu/water/greenroofs_history.asp "Quotes About Green Roofs." (2 Quotes). Web. 9 June 2015. - http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/green-roofshttp://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/green-roofs United States. National Park Service. "Green Roof Benefits—Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Web. 9 June 2015. - http://www.nps.gov/tps/sustainability/new- technology/green-roofs/benefits.htmhttp://www.nps.gov/tps/sustainability/new- technology/green-roofs/benefits.htm "What's the Average Lifespan of a Roof?" What's the Average Lifespan of a Roof? Web. 9 June 2015.- http://www.mcgarryandmadsen.com/inspection/Blog/Entries/2013/1/21_Whats_the_average_lifespan_of_a_roof.htm http://www.mcgarryandmadsen.com/inspection/Blog/Entries/2013/1/21_Whats_the_average_lifespan_of_a_roof.htm