KISSS Irrigation Systems Nurture 'Living Roofs' LONGMONT, Colo., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to cool buildings, reduce stormwater runoff and restore the natural environment, cities increasingly are turning to "green roofs". Municipalities can't rip up the concrete and steel that cover the urban landscape, but they can use rooftops to bring nature back to high-density areas. Green roofs are rooftops that are covered with vegetation. Planted over waterproof materials, they often include underground irrigation devices such as the KISSS Subsurface Capillary Irrigation system. KISSS is the most advanced subsurface irrigation system available, sustaining plant growth while reducing evaporation. Traditional roofs soak up the sun's energy and return it as heat. In contrast, green roofs enhance the environment by lowering air temperatures, absorbing rainwater, reducing runoff, and creating wildlife habitats. "Green roofs combat air pollution and bring urban areas back into balance with nature", said Edmund C. Snodgrass, a green roof expert from Maryland who has collaborated with colleges and universities to research the subject. "There is no factory in the world that makes oxygen for atmospheric consumption," he said. "Every bit of oxygen we breathe is produced by plants." To fight global warming, society must reduce its carbon footprint. Conservationists envision a day when someone flying over major U.S. cities will look down and see hundreds of patches of green where there once had been only concrete, pavement, steel and glass. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, green roofs, which are increasing in use, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The potential for covering many of the nation's urban rooftops with vegetation "is very exciting," said Dan Silver, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Endangered Habitats League. "It has the benefit of supplying habitat for some native species, such as birds and butterflies."
