We work and spend a lot of money to get rid of moss; moss that we don’t notice while walking in nature, moss that invades our gardens, roofs, paths and patios. But what is it that makes this moss our Earth’s blessing?
When we ask ‘what is the Earth’s most important source of oxygen?’ most of us would answer with ‘trees’. However, the answer is in fact moss (i.e., algae in water and moss on ground). In comparison to trees, moss uses much less and produces at least five times more oxygen. Around one square meters of moss provides us with more oxygen than ten fully grown pine trees.
So, should we be disposing of the moss that invades our roofs? What if it wears down the roof? Moss lacks roots and stems. They get their nutrition from the moisture in the air and from photosynthesis. They would not wear down your roof, in fact, they would help keep your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The pressure water that is used to dispose of moss and ‘clean’ roofs cause significant damage.
We have been gaining more information on the benefits of moss with the increasing awareness on its importance which result in more scientific research studies being done.
Cambridge University’s biochemist Paolo Bombelli developed “biophotovoltaics (BPV)”. Elena Mitrofanova, student at Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, has taken advantage of this technology by designing “MossVoltaics”: wall of moss placed on the exterior of buildings. These walls of moss seem to cost significantly less and are more sustainable than solar panels. Especially considering urban living, this eco-friendly option to provide some of our energy needs is a light of hope for the future.
Another interesting moss-centered project is called “City Tree”. A German company named Green City Solutions implemented the City Tree Project on Glasshouse street in 2018 with the support of Westminster City Council and Evergreen Systems. Designed as a type of urban furniture, City Trees can also be used as benches. The most important feature of this urban furniture is that it combats pollution at the same capacity as 275 trees while only occupying 1% of the space those trees would occupy.
This system is being implemented in other European cities such as Paris, Amsterdam and Oslo. Green City Solutions aims to create an eco-friendly and sustainable solution to combating pollution.
The third project we’d like to touch on is something we all can implement into our lives easily: moss walls and ceilings. Indoor moss walls are in high demand when it comes to horizontal gardening and are gaining popularity in indoor design. Although live moss is being preferred, those which have stopped biological activity and can sustain their colour, texture and look without needing care can give a natural and environmentalist look as well as absorbing noise and particles when used in spaces like offices, restaurants, schools, plazas and foyers.
Protecting moss is as important as protecting trees today when sustainability is gaining more importance each passing day. As we can understand from the moss that we have been viewing as a curse but is indeed, a blessing, we need to stop acting like the masters of our Earth if we want to live in a more sustainable environment. We need to think before we adjudge even the smallest of particles. As Albert Einstein said: “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”.