Rooftop Gardens

Next time you are in a city skyscraper, take a look outside and see just how many green roofs are sprinkled across town. If you are in Chicago, you'll probably see more than a handful, as this mid-West city offers tax incentives and technical assistance to encourage builders and managers to create urban gardens.

These gardens are not just for looks, but rather they offer so much more:
1. They insulate the building in the winter and lower temperatures in the summer, saving heating and cooling costs.
2. They reduce pollution, because electricity plants don't have to power as many air conditioners or heating systems.
3. They save water run-off. Instead of rainwater being funneled to the sewer system, which then dumps into rivers and streams nearby, 75 percent of the water is absorbed by the soil and plants on the roof. Only 25 percent becomes run-off (vs. 95 percent on a asphalt roof), which is "treated" by the soil and plants, thereby making it safer for a stream's water quality level.