Source: University if Virginia

The picture above shows a desert plant named sedum, known for its ability to absorb water. It has been a popular greening tool in Europe and large US cities such as Chicago and Seattle for years, and New York is just one of many new cities to follow trend.

When planted on rooftops, sedum can absorb up to 70% of the city’s rainfall, which can get into the sewage system and pollute the waterways. It can also act as an insulator, reducing heat from rooftops that can be trapped in the building, lowering the use of air conditioning in the summertime.

With so much effort going towards making our world greener, this is one of the better ideas in my opinion. Instead of trying and failing to develop new methods to improve the environment, we are using nature to help nature. However, this method is still somewhat expensive to implement; more states should consider New York Governor David A. Paterson’s tax abatement plan for developers and building owners who install green roofs, this might alleviate the pain for some buildings who are considering this.

The citywide to worldwide benefits will outweigh the short-term costs in the long run.