Opinion: Green Roofs For a Green Community

The following was submitted as a letter to the editor. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, email samantha.mercado@patch.com

I am 19 years old and have lived in Northborough my whole life. I currently attend college in Vermont. When I think about Northborough, I think of the trails of Carney Park where I walk my dog with my family, amongst hundreds of other members of the community. It was the place where I saw my first beaver. They amazed me, especially how they could chop down a whole tree with their teeth. I also think of the woods in my backyard. That was the place I saw my first deer, and where each spring my family and I would walk through it, all the way to my grandparent’s house looking for the antlers that had fallen during the winter.

One of the things I have always loved about Northborough, there used to be as many trees and fields as buildings and homes. Looking back, I don’t remember the buildings or homes that cluster the town, where there once was nature. But I do remember all the wild lands quickly disappearing that provide homes for wildlife and contribute to ecosystem services that all life needs to flourish. It not only saddens me but scares me that while our planet is facing one of the largest existential crises, that the town is tearing down and not building up what life needs to survive. This is why I believe that we need green roofs to compensate for the construction of buildings and destruction of wildlife.

A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation on top of a tight soil. The town of Northborough is primed for them, as they are mentioned in the Industrial Design Review guidelines. There are only benefits, since it is already paid for if Northborough chooses to use the $149,309 which the city was granted when designated by the Department of Energy Resources as a green community. If Northborough is truly a green community then the town should, at the least, look green.

One of the biggest areas in Northborough where trees have been torn down is Algonquin Regional High School, which is one of the most visited places in Northborough. Over 1440 students attend this school. A green roof would have the biggest impact here for that reason. It would provide environmental, educational and economic benefits for the students and community. It would help make Northborough a true green community because green roofs mitigate climate change by removing particulate matter and green house pollutants from the air. Green roofs also reduce energy use since the vegetation decreases the flow of air through the roof cooling the building in the summer and warming it in the winter.

Mass Art is one of the several schools in Massachusetts with a green roof. They received a $10,000 pilot grant from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, MA in 2006 to allow students to design and construct a green roof. The students designed it with the goal to demonstrate storm water reduction and reduce temperature ranges. The students who worked on it said that it was one of the most powerful lessons in their years of study.

A green roof sets a prime example for students on how to make urbanization greener, while also looking greener. Urbanization is projected to increase, so it is important in the midst of the planetary climate crisis to preserve green space. Nature has been found to have a positive effect on mood and cognitive function, as well as positively effecting mental health. It is important for students to be around nature to improve their quality of life. Students are our hope for the future so they need to be aware of actions they can take to help the planet.

As urbanization increases, there is a disconnection from nature and we lose the ecosystem services, like clean air, that it provides. It is vital to bring back what is lost through implementing green infrastructure. No matter where a green roof is put, it will have immense benefits and positive impacts on the community. This is why it is important that Northborough use the grant money for a green roof. Northborough can inspire young people in the environmental movement and give members of our community something to be proud of.