Green Roofs for the Environment and Economic Benefit

In popular discussions of ecological issues, which as a non-expert is all I’m privy to, it seems to me that each potential solution is judged as a solution to the whole problem. For example, the question in biofuels seems be whether they can solve dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuel emissions on their own. Of course, they will never meet that standard. It’s hard to tell just how much they can do. I’ve seen enough to make me wonder.

But I have always thought that with the proper atmosphere (intellectual, not physical!) entrepreneurial activity would produce solutions, probably in many small pieces, that would allow technology and sound ecological policy to coexist. This article from MSNBC.com seems to me to point at one idea that has potential. The savings in energy costs could be substantial over the life of a building.

I think this also suggests that the idea of charging for environmental impact, provided such charges can be realistically established, would be beneficial as it would make the economic incentive both greater and more immediate. Saving on your own power bill is one thing; being charged for your impact on the environment of a city would be much more substantial. Some think it would be unfair and put an excessive burden on business, but if the costs were realistically calculated, then somebody is already paying. Shouldn’t it be the person who is having the impact?

With an economic incentive, creative people will find ways to reduce that impact, and that creates an industry rather than destroying industry. With some suggesting that ecological responsibility will ruin our standard of living, and others suggesting we ruin it for the benefit of the environment, perhaps we can find some really creative people in the middle who will make it all work together.

That’s one non-expert’s hope, at least!