Green Roofs: Green Makes the World Go Round
A green roof, also referred to as an eco or living roof, is a layer of vegetation that is installed on top of an existing flat or slightly sloped roof. These roofs have been used as an alternative for lost natural spaces and ecosystems in urban cities. Green roofs date back thousands of years ago. The first example was seen in one of the seven wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, around 500 BC. Vegetation was placed on the roof and draped down the wall to make the building more visually appealing. The stone pillars and roofs were waterproofed with layers of reed and tar. In more modern times, sod and grass were used on the roofs to insulate the interior of buildings. This was a very popular way of covering houses in the Middle Ages, especially in Newfoundland. By the 1900s, Germany was installing green roofs on flat buildings, and by 1970, they started to look into using green roofs for energy conservation. In 1931, green roofs made their first stateside appearance at the Rockefeller Center in New York City (pictured below). From there other U.S cities, such as Chicago, have implemented these roofs due to their economic, social, and environmental benefits. The main benefits include reducing energy costs, increased biodiversity, stormwater management, moderating the urban heat island effect, improving air quality, improved roof life, and carbon sequestration.
For my final project, I chose to create an education website titled “Green Roofs: Green Makes the World Go Round.” My audience for this project was individuals or companies that are interested in including green roofs on their buildings or homes. My overarching goal was to create a one-stop shop for information on green roofs. The topics covered are as follows: what green roofs are, history of green roofs, components of green roofs, case studies, benefits, and actions that individuals can take. In addition to the information present on the website, I added sources to my Linktree in case viewers wanted to learn more. These sources ranged from websites to scientific papers. In order to advertise the website, I made an Instagram story post on my personal account and on the account that I made last semester for the Environmental Communication final project. I also made a post on my personal Facebook account.
Before I started this project, I set measurable goals for myself to accomplish my intended outcome. The set goals were to have 15 views and 3 questions on the website, 100 views on my personal Instagram account, 50 views on the other account, 10 likes on the Facebook post, and 10 views and clicks on the Linktree. The website got 92 views and 8 questions. I received 254 views on my personal Instagram account, 178 views on the other account, and 2 likes on the Facebook post. One of my family members reposted my Facebook post, and it got 18 likes and 5 comments. On the Linktree, I got 19 views and 35 clicks.
I felt that creating a website was the most effective way to get the information out to the public in such a short time span. I was able to publish it on April 28th, leaving plenty of time for individuals to interact with it. There is a lot of information about green roofs on the internet, and my website concentrated the main topics into one area in a format that was easy to maneuver. Using the concepts I learned in this class, I was able to successfully communicate information about green roofs to the public and achieve my intended goals. The main strategy I utilized was framing, which is presenting an issue through a certain lens. I stayed away from the “doom and gloom” frame and focused on a positive and opportunistic frame. This website illustrates that green roofs are an eco-friendly option that an individual can implement. Additionally, it shows that the benefits outweigh the few drawbacks.
Citation:
Stoknes, E. P. (2015). What we think about when we try not to think about global warming: toward a new psychology of climate action. Chelsea Green Publishing.
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