Chicago's city lights and skyline are iconic, but how are they affecting our everyday lives and the ecosystems around us?



According to UIC's office of sustainability, there are several disadvantages to the many city lights we see every night. Below are a few that caught our eye:

• Research shows our natural body clock and circadian rhythms (and potentially our health) are affected by lights at night .
• Night lighting increases air pollution.
• Lighting that reflects upward not only lightens the night sky but is wasted energy. The International Dark Sky Association estimates we waste 22,000 gigawatt hours a year, which at 10 cents per kilowatt hour amounts to $2.2 billion annually.
• Populated areas have lost the ability to see and experience the wonder of our starry sky.


Chicago's "Lights Out" programs serve as sustainable options for those looking to conserve energy and light. Within the "Lights Out" program, many tall buildings voluntarily turn off their office lights during migration, thereby minimizing collision danger as well as lessening the confusion factor to which birds and bats are prone. This is to say nothing of the energy savings and potential pollution that's avoided.

For more information on this topic, click here.

This week our urban gardening tip comes from Ryan Beck, head gardener of the Jane Addams Hull House farm located on UIC's loop campus. This is the fourth season for the garden and he says that he has biodiversity to thank!

Biodiversity emulates natural gardens and helps maintain the balance of life within the garden. Native prairie plants and a buzzing bee hive create a unique ecosystem that allows the plants to grow and thrive. Companion planting also helps create biodiversity. In this way, Ryan is able to grow larger crops since the plants can feed off of each others nutrients.

Garlic plants at the Hull-House farm

His tip to us was to trim the new growth on your plants. This helps produce more fruit by tricking the plant into thinking it’s dying so in turn, it wants to produce as much fruit as it can.

Make sure to check back on Monday for our interview with UrbanEater!