EAST LANSING, MI — A new study performed at Michigan State University (MSU) found that living roofs can store heat-trapping carbon dioxide and prevent it from entering the atmosphere, according to the Lansing State Journal.
The focus of the study that spanned two years was the Detroit metropolitan area, which has between 77 million and 101 million square yards of available rooftop, the story stated.
According to the study, planting green roofs on all available rooftops in Detroit would have the same environmental benefit as removing 10,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) from the road or approximately 55,000 tons of carbon.
Twenty plots of plants were placed on MSU's Plant and Soil Sciences Building, and once researchers harvested plant material every other month during growing season, the plants were weighed and their carbon content measured, the story noted.
Kristin Getter, head researcher for the study, said: "This study is the first of its kind. We knew these roofs had benefits, but we didn't know they would be able to store carbon. A traditional roof is not storing any carbon, but a green roof is a brand-new storehouse. We were thinking they probably wouldn't store very much, and it isn't a lot compared to a forest or grassland, but it is more than what a traditional roof would have."
The study's results, which were published in Environmental Science and Technology, found that approximately 13.3 ounces of carbon per square meter was stored throughout the two-year study period, the story added.
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