Here you see 2 pictures - Which of these two photos present landscape for you?
Surely you will now tend to picture 1 - untouched nature, no buildings, no people, no traffic. We feel very clear to choose picture 1 as the typical landscape.
But image 2 is also landscape - the city landscape - even if we do not perceive it as the typical beautiful landscape. It is created by ourselves, stolen the surface of nature and harnessed for us.
We use the space as living -and working space, for roads etc. We do not ask nature, we just simple take the surface and use it for our benefits.
A
good basis for calculating the using of land provides the Ecological Footprint.
It tells you how big is the area that you need for living. The ecological
footprint can not be calculated only for individuals or households, but
also for nations and regions.
The Earth's surface is about 51 billion hectares, which is not the entire
surface to reach individuals. These include sea ice, deserts and barren
land. The bottom line is only 8.3 billion hectares of „productive
land“ which is relevant for the calculation of the Ecological Footprint.
These 8.3 billion hectares are shared fairly among all people, and add
an area for the conservation of biological diversity, so that for every
person 1.78 ha is available. For Malta, the ecological footprint is 2.53
ha. So we live definitely „on a wide foot.“
Finally if we take something from nature, we also should pay it back in
a certain way. If
you tend to choose picture 1 as the landscape picture -
Therefore our aim must be not to continue to take new land from nature,
but to create our cities that we perceive them in a certain way as a naturally
beautiful landscape.
So why not simply combine the natural with the urban landscape and give
back a part of nature that we have robbed. Landscapes in the city - we
just have to make
our buildings „greener“.
The urban cities on Malta contain best requirements for a landscape in
the city.
What can I do
to make my building „greener“?
Whether you are or are not into gardening, covering your roof surface
with a layer of vegetation is the way to go. All you have to do is purchase
shallow, free-standing containers and hardy plants that are able to grow
in shallow soil, like sedums, to create an insulating layer on top of
your house.
You can do this in phases, adding a module every couple of month or as
your budget allows.
This ancient knowledge is fast gaining popularity and has even been incorporated
into building and construction law in places like Basel, Switzerland.
Studies show that greening your roof can save you lots of money by cutting
down your heating and / or cooling costs. Just image how much cooler upper
floors could be on Malta during the summer with a thick blanket of vegetation
on the roof protecting your home or office from the sun.
But green roofs have not only a cooling effect, they also store the rainwater
and hold it back. They contribute significantly to minimize the flood
problems in the cities.
Green your roof - and make your contribution to an environmentally conscious city.
So why not invest in landscape ?
