Conservationist and community-revitalizer, Majora Carter is proving that, yes, you can go home
again. A native of New York City’s South Bronx, Carter recalls her early ambition of leaving the
neighborhood “to get an education with the hopes of never coming back. The South Bronx was
not such a happy place”, she says. In spite of these early goals, Carter found herself inspired by
local community activists while she was living at home with her family and completing her
MFA. “These women were doing such powerful things with their lives,” she says, and so she
wound up with a new agenda: to revitalize the environmentally ravaged landscape and rejuvenate
the spiritual connection of the residents to their community.
Just as we were going to press with the last Journal issue, Carter received a $500,000 Genius Grant from the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for promoting Green initiatives through Sustainable South Bronx (SSB), the organization she founded in 2001. Dubbed an “urban strategist” and “environmental champion”, the project Carter was working on when she received the honor was a demonstration “green roof/cool roof” intended to entice local property owners to get on board with green technology. After all, as Carter says, “green is the new black.”
The far-reaching benefits of replacing bituminous or tar roofs with “green” alternatives makes it clear why conservation is a top priority for Carter. A “green roof” is a layer of soil and foliage, while “cool roofs” are painted with a highly reflective coating to reflect more of the sun’s energy than they absorb. The difference “green” can make, especially considering that flat roof tops cover 19% of NYC’s surface area, is astounding - a fact that both inspires and depresses Carter.
Tar and metal roofs create a vicious cycle. Their surfaces can reach 190F degrees during summer months, cumulatively adding to the Urban Island Heat Effect, which can make a city an average of 5F degrees hotter than the suburbs. With the rise in temperature, air quality worsens, since smog forms more rapidly at higher temperatures. Not surprisingly, certain health conditions, such as asthma, are then exacerbated. In fact, over 2000 deaths occur annually in the New York City metropolitan area due to stifling heat and smoggy air.
This extreme heat puts as much stress on buildings as it does on people: lowering the life span of a typical roof, generating the need for power plants to produce more electricity for air conditioning, and creating the need for more power plants, of which there are 4 within eyesight of Carter’s office. Moreover, New York City’s excess rainwater runs off traditional rooftops and combines with street gutter run off and sewage which is discharged into our rivers – untreated!
Replace black roofs with green roofs and an entirely new cycle is unearthed. With widespread use, green technology would reduce citywide temperatures overall. Green and cool roofs can reduce summertime energy demand of a building by about 35% helping older buildings save an average of 15 cents per square foot in energy costs. The demand for air conditioning alone would be reduced up to 75%. Eliminating the need for more power will eliminate the need for more power plants.
Just as we were going to press with the last Journal issue, Carter received a $500,000 Genius Grant from the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for promoting Green initiatives through Sustainable South Bronx (SSB), the organization she founded in 2001. Dubbed an “urban strategist” and “environmental champion”, the project Carter was working on when she received the honor was a demonstration “green roof/cool roof” intended to entice local property owners to get on board with green technology. After all, as Carter says, “green is the new black.”
The far-reaching benefits of replacing bituminous or tar roofs with “green” alternatives makes it clear why conservation is a top priority for Carter. A “green roof” is a layer of soil and foliage, while “cool roofs” are painted with a highly reflective coating to reflect more of the sun’s energy than they absorb. The difference “green” can make, especially considering that flat roof tops cover 19% of NYC’s surface area, is astounding - a fact that both inspires and depresses Carter.
Tar and metal roofs create a vicious cycle. Their surfaces can reach 190F degrees during summer months, cumulatively adding to the Urban Island Heat Effect, which can make a city an average of 5F degrees hotter than the suburbs. With the rise in temperature, air quality worsens, since smog forms more rapidly at higher temperatures. Not surprisingly, certain health conditions, such as asthma, are then exacerbated. In fact, over 2000 deaths occur annually in the New York City metropolitan area due to stifling heat and smoggy air.
This extreme heat puts as much stress on buildings as it does on people: lowering the life span of a typical roof, generating the need for power plants to produce more electricity for air conditioning, and creating the need for more power plants, of which there are 4 within eyesight of Carter’s office. Moreover, New York City’s excess rainwater runs off traditional rooftops and combines with street gutter run off and sewage which is discharged into our rivers – untreated!
Replace black roofs with green roofs and an entirely new cycle is unearthed. With widespread use, green technology would reduce citywide temperatures overall. Green and cool roofs can reduce summertime energy demand of a building by about 35% helping older buildings save an average of 15 cents per square foot in energy costs. The demand for air conditioning alone would be reduced up to 75%. Eliminating the need for more power will eliminate the need for more power plants.
Another added bonus is that by minimizing wide temperature fluctuations the longevity of
rooftops would be extended. Green roofs normally last 40 years and cool roofs 20 years – 3 to 5
times longer than black top roofs. What’s more, green roofs absorb approximately 75-85% of
peak storm water year-round preventing run off and the overwhelming of water treatment plants,
which translates into less pollution of local rivers.
Carter’s demonstration green/cool roof is a testament to the value of this kind of technology. The green portion of her roof at the SSB building is holding steady - no leaks - while other parts of the building’s three-year-old roof have already begun to deteriorate. An additional benefit of green technology is the potential for local economic stimulation. For example, Carter says, Green Roof businesses earn over $780 million annually in Germany.
“Right now green roofs are thought of as trophy projects or luxury items. They need to be accessible to the guy that owns the warehouse down the street”, says Carter. For now, SSB will be focusing its energies on the crucial next steps of creating more cost-effective green technology and marketing it to the public. SSB has also recently partnered with Columbia University to develop a cost benefit analysis for the Hunts Point Market, the world’s largest food distribution center, to justify using green roof technology for their heavily air-conditioned low rise buildings. For Carter, that means she will not rest until “migratory birds look down onto New York City and see miles of roof top sanctuaries”.
Carter’s demonstration green/cool roof is a testament to the value of this kind of technology. The green portion of her roof at the SSB building is holding steady - no leaks - while other parts of the building’s three-year-old roof have already begun to deteriorate. An additional benefit of green technology is the potential for local economic stimulation. For example, Carter says, Green Roof businesses earn over $780 million annually in Germany.
“Right now green roofs are thought of as trophy projects or luxury items. They need to be accessible to the guy that owns the warehouse down the street”, says Carter. For now, SSB will be focusing its energies on the crucial next steps of creating more cost-effective green technology and marketing it to the public. SSB has also recently partnered with Columbia University to develop a cost benefit analysis for the Hunts Point Market, the world’s largest food distribution center, to justify using green roof technology for their heavily air-conditioned low rise buildings. For Carter, that means she will not rest until “migratory birds look down onto New York City and see miles of roof top sanctuaries”.
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