Green Roofs

On city hall in Chicago they found that on the roof one summer the flat roof in one place was 169 degrees Fahrenheit but on the other half of the roof that had been planted with greenery the greenery and soil had absorbed all the heat but 90 degrees Fahrenheit. So, the roof of city hall was covered with greenery which now saves about 3600 dollars a year in cooling bills for the city. Since then since Chicago may soon be like Atlanta, Georgia because of Global warming and since Chicago has raised more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit in Average temperature since 1945, green roofs, and green alleys have sprung up all around Chicago since 1995 when so many died their of heatstroke one summer. They have also found since global warming increases rainfall in places like Chicago because there is less snow, flooding is more of a problem as a result. Once again Green Roofs and Green Alleys help to absorb more of the rain so there is less flooding as a result. Also, researchers have seen that it is now 5 degrees warmer in Chicago because of all the cement and asphalt during summers than it used to be as well. So, other cities who are experiencing Global warming symptoms worldwide might learn something from what Chicago is now doing to keep their citizens alive during the summer by creating "Green Roofs, Green Alleys, and cooling stations using fire hydrants etc. to keep their citizens alive no matter how hot it gets and safer no matter how much more rain falls because of Global warming.  The facts are from a report on PBS news Tuesday October 9th 2012.

Presently, Chicago has 359 green roofs more than any other city on Earth at present. Millenium Park at 25 Acres is presently the largest green roof in the world.

Also, in alleys all over Chicago they are installing tiles that drain water into the ground around the edges of the tiles and also the tiles are a color that reflects light and heat back up into the sky rather than to keep it in the ground. This way it prevents flooding by allowing water to seep back into the ground around the tiles and it keeps the city cooler by reflecting heat and light back up into the sky.