Chicago Wal-Mart to Sprout Green Roof

I'm a big fan of green roofs so this is really good news. I wonder if other Wal-Marts will be using green roofing systems in the future as well.

I haven’t read the full article but I know that sprawl mart has had every past proposal rejected by the city of Chicago because they refuse to pay the cost of living in the city. If sprawl mart does open in the city its employees will not be able to afford to live in the city. This means the workers will have to commute from rundown poor suburbs. Imagine if workers could afford to live near their jobs.

First, allow me to make clear my happiness for the people of Chicago. If a 67,000 square-foot big-box were descending on my city, I would sure prefer that there be a green roof carpetting the thing. And kudos to Wal-Mart for at least tipping their hat to the rising tide of environmental consciousness among consumers.

I still can't help but think of how my good friend Evan replied when I told him about the world's largest retailer introducing organic produce in select markets:

"Wal Mart can green wash their image all day but won't ever reverse their impact on the environment."

Eric, I believe two are already going in. They are building in 'less-affluent' neighborhoods, where they were able to get the job-hungry locals to vote in their favor. Of course, these folks don't realize that they are just making their neighborhoods less livable, as the traffic is going to quadruple, and the local shops are all gonna go belly-up.

I don't care how many greenwashing little gestures Sprawl Mart makes - some organic produce, an alt-powered store, a green roof. None of this even begins to balance out the effect their way of doing business has had our country and our environment.

Please people, do not ever, ever shop at Wal Mart if you have any other alternative.

Think about all the fuel being used to ship all the stuff from China! Think about all the of pieces of junk (mostly made of plastic) you don't really need that these guys are moving every week!

I'm ecstatic about the greening of sprawl-mart. Everyone should Google the walmart down here in McKinney, Texas. It's one of their experimental stores, complete with semitransparent PV, building integrated PV, a bioremediating runoff collection pond complete with a bioswale run by a PV powered pump, a small wind turbine, and even a testbed of permeable pavement. Too bad they still paved a couple acres of parking lot, and the store footprint is the typical small-neighborhood size. Although it is a good first step, and a green roof wouldnt do as well through a Texas summer as their PVs might...

I keep thinking of the INX song "devil inside". No matter how green Walmart is on the outside it cannot cover up the destruction it causes every where in this county. I fear the day when Wal-Mart is our only option for shopping. Isn't that what we are moving toward here? And doesn't the fact that they are making it easier to swallow by making their stores a little green scare anyone else?

The 'Green Wal-Mart' debate is always interesting, and I prbably lean more towards the don't support them anyway, but this time I am more interested in the picture that is posted with the story.

Can anyone tell me where the picture is from? I would love to learn more about DIY green roofs. Green roofs are cool, and the 'pros' are no doubt numerous, but if I were attempting one myself, what 'cons' would have to account for. Thanks

Green Roofs may be, "Gee Golly gosh, I care about the environment", but the fact is, if not maintained properly, they are a health hazard. During Rain Storms, they are a loose object hazard, and the standing water is a breeding ground to mosquitoes. Maintenance starts out and than rapidly falls off. Not a good idea. Patrick McDonough.

If Mayor Daley and his corrupt cronies want to really help the Chicago's environment, here are some suggestions: First make it worth while to take the public transportation system. Second relocate the next airport out of the air we are breathing. Third, Recycle the right way, Chicago's recycling program is a political bust and corrupt. That is were Chicago's Patrick McDonough would start.

This is in response to Morgan's comment. The picture of the green roof schematic has been floating in the community for several years. A slightly different version is on the Tremco Sealants website if you're interest in tracking it down.

In response to your question about DIY green roofs, the 'cons' are typically the additional upfront cost over a conventional roof and finding the expertise to ensure that the design is appropriate for the roof, climate, and plants. The industry is currently targeting commercial or industrial roofs, so there isn't a lot of information out there for DIY. I would check out Do It Yourself Green Roof for Homeowners - Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. The article mentions the company GreenGrid and a new DIY kit.

Well the Mayor Daley Spin Monsters really almost fooled us again. As a taxpayer and Union Member in Chicago, I am sick of the Daley law firm spinning Green Roofs for Walmart. Daley is a "Green as a Snake". Let us have real reform in Chicago and Hire Young men right out of College that are not corrupt to handle the City of Chicago Environmental concerns, no politicians. Patrick McDonough

Though not a huge fan of Daley's politics, I applaud him for his effort in promoting installation of green roofs in Chicago. Green roofs alleviate heat island effect, prevent excessive rainwater runoff lessening the burden on already over-taxed sewer systems, provide a haven for certain species of wildlife in the midst of miles of concrete, lower cooling costs by 10-20%, and are asthetically pleasing. We all need to see more of this around the country.
If WalMart, the cheapest and stingiest company in the universe, is putting green roofs on their box stores, what excuse do the rest of us have?
http://www.carlisle-syntec.com

I think this is great! We need to conserve energy! Keep it up!