National Geographic drops in on the green roof at Dearborn’s Ford truck plant

A tree grows on top of a neglected building, next thing you know it could save the planet. OK, not really, but it’s a start — and the benefits of a green roof are plenty. Excerpt:Proponents of living roofs argue that they have met most, if not all, of the technical challenges involved in grafting a biological layer onto the top of buildings of almost any scale: everything from a vegetable stand or bus stop to the ten-acre roof of Ford’s truck plant in Dearborn, Michigan. While the average cost of installing a green roof can run two or three times more than a conventional roof, it’s likely to be cheaper in the long run, thanks largely to energy savings. Vegetation also shields the roof from ultraviolet radiation, extending its life. And it requires a different kind of care, akin to low-maintenance gardening.Read the entire article here.