Even the least agile among us should be making a minimal effort to be a little green (in one way or another).  Green roofing is one of those things you can possibly handle yourself, if you’re not afraid of plummeting 50 feet to your eco-friendly death.  In any case, This Old House claims that it’s not that hard.  I can see Bob Villa now…

You know, guys, instead of asking semi-ridiculous questions, the lay-man can always check out Wikipedia.  Since I’m feeling a bit froggy today, here is your straight from Wiki list of benefits of green-roofing.  Don’t e-mail me asking about it until you read it.

Green roofs are used to:

• Provide amenity space for building users — in effect replacing a yard or patio
• Grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers
• Reduce heating (by adding mass and thermal resistance value) and cooling (by evaporative cooling) loads on a building — especially if it is glassed in so as to act as a terrarium and passive solar heat reservoir
• Reduce the urban heat island effect
• Increase roof life span
• Reduce stormwater run off — see water-wise gardening
• Filter pollutants and CO2 out of the air — see living wall
• Filter pollutants and heavy metals out of rainwater
• Increase wildlife habitat in built-up areas — see urban wilderness

A green roof is often a key component of an autonomous building.

You can get the This Old House DIY Green Roof Guide here.  Here’s a little excerpt from Stephen Milioti’s article:

Not that you can’t find the engineer, roofer, nurseryman, and architect to professionally install a green roof. But everyone loves an option that cuts out extra labor, materials, and middlemen. That’s why the eco-obsessed editors here at This Old House had to see GreenGrid, a DIY green-roofing kit. Its freestanding modules ostensibly give the same benefits as green roofs the experts install—if your roof’s already sound, fairly flat, and watertight. Don’t bet on the same polish as with a pro team. But you may see the usual improved cooling and heating and reduced rainwater runoff. (We’ll see how our kit fares.)

Enjoy