Archive for October, 2007
Chicagoans like to think of their city as green; now, former Vice President Al Gore agrees.
Only a week after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his crusade against global warming, Gore gave the windy city a round of applause.
“The rest of our country looks to Chicago,” he told about 2,000 people gathered at the Hyatt Regency Chicago hotel Wednesday. “If you start banging the drums, the rest of the country and world will respond.”
The Chicago Tribune covered more of Gore’s speech.
October 18 2007 | Green Leaders | 1 Comment »
The Field Museum unveiled its Renewable Energy Vehicle Program Wednesday, Oct. 17. at Gurdon S. Hubbard High School for 30 freshman and sophomore high school students. The eco-friendly van, which resembles the magic school bus come to life, is powered by vegetable oil and carries a solar-powered laptop and iPod docking station, as well as a veggie-fueled go-kart. The van will be used as a school on wheels throughout Chicagoland to teach two major topics: alternative fuel choices and alternative energy.
October 17 2007 | Green Energy | No Comments »
Some people are taking the green trend to a new depth — six feet under to be exact. Going green is no longer just for the living; some burials are going green.
Families are choosing to make burials for their deceased loved ones an environmentally friendly practice. Rather than use toxic chemicals, some funeral homes are opting to refrigerate bodies and place them on dry ice before public viewings.
In addition, green cemeteries are burying bodies in biodegradble materials, such as wood boxes or cloth shrouds. Recently, Green Burial Council founder Joe Sehee discussed green burial options at Chicago’s Fairmont Hotel.
October 17 2007 | Green Trends | No Comments »
Chicago’s Green City Market just stepped up its farmer’s market game.
Alice Waters recently visited the market located in Lincoln Park and named it among the top ten farmer’s markets in the nation. An article in USA Today showcases the top markets and their best assets.
Visit Chicago’s market to support local, organic farmers on the green scene before it gets too cold. October 31st is the last scheduled market day, but check out the calendar for upcoming events.
October 14 2007 | Green Farming | No Comments »
Energy efficiency is a hot topic among environmentalists, politicians and the general public.
The CasEnergy Coalition and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce hosted former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman at a luncheon and discussion of nuclear power today at the Hyatt Regency. Gov. Whitman urged the audience to bring energy to the forefront of discussion and to make decisions about the matter based on facts rather than emotions. She readily admitted that a single solution doesn’t exist for the nation’s energy problems, but encouraged Americans to find a way to meet their energy demands without depleting the environment.
An article in Business Week illustrates her case for nuclear energy.
October 12 2007 | Green Energy | No Comments »
Algae–the green slime that forms on the top of stagnant water–may become the fuel of the future.
A new venture called Vertigro Energy started a pilot bioreactor laboratory in Texas that mass produces algae and extracts its oil. In theory, it could produce far more oil per acre, potentially reduce the cost of biofuels and significantly lower green house gas emissions.
While it may take a while for Americans to fill their tank with algae fuel, scientists see the potential for the slimy plant. Glen Kertz, president and CEO of Valcent Products, decribes the algae-to-biofuel process in full detail.
October 11 2007 | Green Technology | 1 Comment »
People across the nation are taking the notion of living green to a whole new level. Forget about vegans; “freegans” are literally taking other people’s trash and turning into treasure. A CBS News article explores the life behind this new extreme-green movement.
October 10 2007 | Green Lifestyle | No Comments »
Sustainability comes in all shapes and sizes.
Fashion Focus Chicago 2007 invites people to watch students of the International Academy of Design & Technology create an outer-covering made of all recyclable materials. ABC7 provides full detail of Chicago’s 3rd annual Fashion Week.
October 09 2007 | Green Fashion | No Comments »
People interested in environmental issues and urban sustainability often communicate through online discussion. Web sites, discussion boards, Facebook groups, content threads on blogs, etc. demonstrate that people in Chicago are more than willing to discuss how their city is “going green.”
Other Web sites:
http://www.urbansustain.org/Home.asp
Blogs:
http://sustainablog.blogspot.com/
http://edenslostfound.blogspot.com/2006/06/sierra-celebrates-urban-sustainability.html
http://greenoptions.com/
http://pressblog.uchicago.edu/2007/10/03/review_chappell_chicagos_urban_1.html
Facebook Groups:
Go Green http://uga.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2360873023
The Light Green Approach http://uga.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2297933020
October 04 2007 | Green Lifestyle | No Comments »
The environment is such a hot topic right now in the news and available information is endless. The best places to monitor for breaking news and events at the local and national level include the AP daybook, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and City of Chicago Department of Environment. Other useful local publications are Conscious Choice and Chicago Wilderness magazines.
All of these sources can be found on-line at the following sites:
http://www.apexchange.com/login.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
http://www.epa.gov/
http://www.epa.state.il.us/
http://www.cityofchicago.org/environment
http://consciouschoice.com/index.html
http://chicagowildernessmag.org/
October 04 2007 | Green Places and Green Lifestyle | No Comments »
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