The Plants Above Your Head: How Green Roofs Can Reshape Urban Living

What if the most powerful climate solution isn’t in some distant technology — but growing right above your head?

In this episode of the Lean to the Left Podcast, host Bob Gatty sits down with Joshua Harrison, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Leaf Island, to explore how green roofs and nature-based design can radically reshape the way we live in cities.

With more than 80% of Americans living in urban areas, rising heat, pollution, and climate vulnerability are intensifying. But Harrison explains how integrating nature into our built environment — from rooftops to walls — can cool cities, absorb carbon, reduce energy costs, and create healthier spaces for everyone.

🌿 Inside the episode:

• Why green roofs are one of the most effective tools for fighting the urban heat island effect

• How plants use evapotranspiration to naturally cool entire neighborhoods

• The innovative way Leaf Island turns styrofoam waste into lightweight soil

• What cities like Singapore, Paris, and Mexico City can teach the U.S. about urban greening

• The surprising financial incentives for building owners

• How green infrastructure can extend roof life, reduce emissions, and support biodiversity

Harrison's message is simple and powerful: Cities don’t need to choose between modernity and nature — they can (and must) embrace both.

This conversation reveals a future where green roofs are not a luxury, but a standard part of urban resilience and climate adaptation.

👉 Learn more about Leaf Island

https://leafisland.org

👉 Subscribe for more discussions on climate, politics & social justice.

https://youtube.com/@leantotheleft

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to the Lean to the Left Podcast

00:10 The Environmental Challenge of Urban Heat

00:52 Introducing Joshua Harrison and Leaf Island

01:38 The Concept and Benefits of Green Roofs

03:17 Transforming Urban Spaces with Green Infrastructure

08:23 Challenges and Solutions for Existing Buildings

19:27 Global Examples of Green Infrastructure

21:49 Incentives and Benefits for Building Owners

24:08 Political and Environmental Perspectives

27:59 The Center for the Study of Force Majeure

30:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts