Normally in our Green Scene blog, we would hand out some tips on saving energy at home; but you all know about CFLs and you're probably no stranger to the energy-saving benefits of light timers and ceiling fans, so we're expanding a bit this week.

In honor of the cool summer we've been having (which makes for some pleasant outdoor relaxing), we're heading to the roof to find out if the "green roofs" that keep popping up in new construction are environmentally green...or just colored that way.

So, the big question is: can green roofs really help the environment?

Answer: Yes - in a number of ways.

First of all, green roofs collect rain water while regular roofs are designed to let rain water run off the building. The green roofs use living plants and grasses on top of a building to absorb, collect and reuse rainwater while preventing runoff. Plus, it's pretty.

Which brings me to reason #2 green roofs are beneficial to the environment. All of those lovely, colorful plants up there are actually functional. They help curb the urban heat island effect. Large metropolitans like Chicago can be significantly warmer than the surrounding, less populated areas. Adding green space to your roof helps to alleviate this in a couple of ways: it absorbs the sun's heat, meaning your home actually stays cooler and it filters pollutants like carbon dioxide out of the air.