Green roofs sequester CO2 as well as reducing energy costs

clipped from www.energyefficiencynews.com Green roofs can not only reduce heating costs and improve the energy efficiency of building but can also sequester CO2, according to a report from US scientists. The study by Kristin Getter and colleagues at the Michigan State University finds that replacing traditional roofing materials with green roofs in an urban area the size of Detroit could capture over 55,000 tons of carbon. The carbon reduction provided by installing green roofs is equivalent to taking 10,000 mid-sized SUVs and trucks off the road for a year. Green roofs are already gaining popularity because they reduce heating and air conditioning costs and retain stormwater. In the last couple of years, green roofs have grown by 30% in the US. And while scientists knew that green roofs would absorb CO2, no one had studied how much.