Mindful Monday: Can You Mow Your Roof?

This article from the Washington Post shows that rooftop greenery may be an answer to some of our environmental, and mental woes.

While it has been something that has happened for many years in other countries... like Italy where people are often encouraged to have roof top gardens, it is a fairly new idea here in the US.  The environmental benefits may seem fairly obvious to those who tend to be a little green minded, but according to this article it is a mental boost too.

I do remember when I was in New Orleans, at the National Land Rally a couple years ago, looking out across the city from my high rise hotel and seeing many roof top oasis with pools and tiki bars.  That certainly made me smile.  Just to see something other than sweltering concrete and tar, and I kept going back to look again each time I was back in my room.  I didn't do what I normally do, which is to close the curtain and leave it that way. 

As I sit here with my very beautiful view out my window (even on a rainy day,) I try to imagine if I was working in a city and all I could see was roof top after roof top with the summer air coming off the top making everything look like water because of the heat distortion.   I am not sure I would like that.  The idea of looking out over the rooftops and seeing gardens and seas of greenery is much more appealing.  Seems to be a simple answer...(other than how to get the dirt up there.)

With all this research coming out about how we long to see nature, it helps us sleep better, work better, eat better, and even communicate and act better...  how long before we start to take stock in our own research, or is it research for research sake? 

Every week when I look for articles, I find more research about the importance of our connection to nature.  Things like, lower crime rates in cities with larger canopy cover, better students who have access to the out of doors during their school days, less stress for those who look at nature on their breaks.  Clearly, nature is calling us back.

We are lucky enough to live in a place where so many of the places that make us unique have been saved for use by everyone who visits and lives here.  We are fortunate that there are trees right up until you see the ocean right in front of you.  We have clean air, We have parks, and paths, and plans to get kids outside and families enjoying the beautiful land around them, its part of why we all feel so lucky to be here. 

Wouldn't that be something if everyone had that?  If where ever you were, you had access to see something green, even if you were working on the 115th floor?  Would it help with out CO2 levels, or even just our stress levels?  Its an interesting question, and it makes me wonder, if anyone is paying attention to all this research we are doing, and where it will lead.