Green Cities: From Portland to Chicago to the 49th Ward--Final Green Workshop


Posted: 4/23/2009
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Dear Neighbor,

The WHY WATER MATTERS HERE workshop series draws to a close this Monday with a look at what Chicago and other communities are doing individually and collectively to save our planet.

Join us for the final WHY GREEN MATTERS HERE workshop "Learning from Others and Taking Action Here."  Sponsored by my office and the 49th Ward Green Corps, the workshop will be held this Monday, April 27th, 6:30 p.m., at the Loyola Park Fieldhouse, 2nd Floor, 1230 W. Greenleaf (at the Lake).

Fresh from attending the National League of Cities' Green Cities Conference and Expo in Portland, Oregon, I will give you the latest on all the exciting and innovative activities that cities across our nation are undertaking to "go green" and create economically and environmentally sustainable communities.  I've brought back a host of ideas that we can replicate right here in the 49th Ward.

We'll then dive into Chicago's Climate Action Plan with one of the chief architects of that plan, Sadhu Johnston, Mayor Daley's Chief Environmental Officer.  The plan was introduced last fall to critical acclaim and provides a roadmap to achieve Chicago's goal of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions 25% below 1990 levels by 2020.  Sadhu, a 49th Ward resident, will lead us through the highpoints of the plan and answer your questions.

Finally, members of the 49th Ward Green Corps will present examples of how one individual working in a supportive community can impact change and send ripples far beyond what they imagined.  Explore how you might want to fit into the 49th Ward Green Corps community.

Here are some of the successful 49th Ward Green Corps projects that have occurred just in the last few months:

  • Expanding recycling to multi-dwelling condominium and rental buildings.
  • Installing energy efficient and cost-saving light bulbs in the homes of our senior citizens.
  • Educating building owners and condominium associations on the benefits of green roofs and encouraging green roofs on new and existing developments.
  • Establishing verma-composting at the Gale Academy greenhouse.
  • Organizing a "community swap" where community residents exchange with their neighbors items they no longer wish to own, thus reducing the amount of items that are discarded and placed in landfills.
  • Giving away reusable shopping bags and encouraging neighborhood businesses to provide reusable shopping bags to their customers.

Now's the time to get involved by joining one of those projects or starting your own!

So stop by for an informative and fun meeting!

Sincerely,

Joe Moore