Greening the World: From the Grassroots Up

One of the things that truly delights me is to see how deeply the grassroots of the green movement has taken hold. Amazing things are happening in all segments of what I think of as the greening of our world. That is, a more conscious approach to living by an ever broader number of people from so many walks and so many countries.

Here’s an example: an international Green Roof conference kicked off in Vancouver, Canada today. Over a thousand delegates are expected from as far away as New Zealand, Denmark and South America. The eighth annual CitiesAlive green roof and wall conference runs until December 3rd. Unofficially, though, it’s been an important focus for 20 Vancouver grade six and seven children for the last week. The class has been building their own green roofs at a local college campus, getting a real grassroots feel for what this all means in real world terms. From The Vancouver Sun:

The kids used real green roof building materials and a few varieties of drought-resistant hardy sedum plants to create their mini-roofs inside quarter-litre milk cartoons.

Next, they tested their constructions to see if they retained water. Most worked well.

As important as that, however, is the fact that those kids will retain what they learned all their lives. Not just the pieces of technology they’ve no doubt picked up, but also the idea that we are all part of something larger than ourselves and that our attention is needed in very intimate ways in order to make a difference. And that alone will make a difference.

The conference sounds amazing, too. I wish I were closer and able to attend. It seems like it’s going to be part think tank, part trade show, part brainstorming session. Again, The Sun:

There will a wide range of experts, include urban planners, architects, environmentalists and landscape designers, who want to share information and learn more about green roof and green wall technology.

Green roofs are seen as a way to cut energy costs, recycle rain water and reduce the heat-island effect buildings have on their immediate surroundings, considered a significant contributing factor to global warming.

The Vancouver Sun piece is here. The conference web site is here.