September Green Events in Chicago
News Room | 
Aug 29th, 2008 | 
- Thursday, September 4: Growing Chicago’s Green Business and Clean Tech Economy
- Saturday, September 6: HCCRF Open
- Tuesday, September 9: C3 Teacher Club Orientation
- Tuesday, September 16: Greening Your Office seminar
- Saturday, September 20: Environmental Resource Event
- Save the Dates: Sunday, October 5 and October 26: Sunday Parkways
- Chicago2016 Call for Submissions: Tell the World “Why Chicago”
- Smart Home Green + Wired: Museum of Science and Industry
- Recycle Your Cell Phone: It’s An Easy Call
Growing Chicago’s Green Businesses and Clean Tech Economy
- Tuesday, September 4 from 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Cost: $75; registration required
Within the next three years, one city will emerge as the center of America’s green business/clean tech sector. Will it be Chicago? Please join us for a high-level discussion on September 4 from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm about Chicago’s leadership in the growing green business/clean tech sector at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center. The event is co-hosted by the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Register online at www.elpc.org/greenbusiness/. Space is limited. $75 registration fee. Questions? Contact Jaclynn Jutting at (312) 795-2709 or jjutting@elpc.org. This should be a great event and some of the GreenWerks team will be present.
Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility Open
- Saturday, September 6 from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- 1150 N. North Branch St.
Rid your home of unwanted paints, chemicals, and computers at our Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility, 1150 N. North Branch (two blocks east of the Kennedy at Division St.) For more information and a complete list of accepted materials, visit www.cityofchicago.org/environment and click on “Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility” on the right-hand side. This facility is great for those looking to recycle those items like paint and electronics.
CPS Teachers: Start a Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) Student Club at your school
- Mandatory orientation September 9
Teachers receive a stipend, materials, project guides, staff support, and other resources from the Chicago Department of Environment to run an after-school environmental service club for CPS 8th through 12th graders. Program includes year-round staff support and environmental
leadership workshops.
To learn more and apply, attend the required orientation session: Tuesday, September 9, 2008
5:00pm - 6:30pm @ Chicago Center for Green Technology 445 N. Sacramento Blvd.
Greening Your Office: Tips on How to Make Your Workplace Eco-friendly
- Tuesday, September 16 and October 28 from 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
- Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan
- Registration required, greenofficechallenge@cityofchicago.org
Ever wonder how your office could be “greener”? Do you put paper in the recycling bin but you’re not sure if it actually gets recycled? Are your office lights turned on 24/7? Join us for a Brown Bag lunchtime lecture series where you’ll learn how to “green” your office. The series will focus on waste reduction, energy conservation, green transportation, property management engagement, how to start an office “green team”, and more.
Lectures are geared toward Green Office Challenge participants, but all are welcome. Co-sponsored by the Chicago Department of the Environment and the Chicago Architecture Foundation To register for the lectures: email greenofficechallenge@cityofchicago.org. Include your name, workplace address, phone number, email address, and which event you plan to attend.
Environmental Resource Event
- Saturday, September 20, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- City Parking Facility, 900 E. 103rd St.
Be safe at home. Participate in the Department of Environment’s fourth Environmental Resource Event of the year and take the opportunity to:
- properly dispose of your household hazardous waste
- recycle your old computers, monitors, laptops and cell phones
- bring in your expired or unused medications and keep them out of our water system
- pick up a free compact fluorescent light bulb (limit one per household)
- purchase a $30 outdoor compost bin or $40 rain barrel (available to
Chicago residents only, must pay with check or money order, limit 1 per household)
Call the Chicago Department of Environment at (312) 744-7606 for more
information.
Save the Dates: Sunday Parkways
- Sunday, October 5 and Sunday, October 26
- Chicago’s Boulevards
Come discover what happens when your streets turn into parks. The first-ever Sunday Parkways, will close streets to cars and open them to people for walking, biking, skating, dancing and playing. Sunday
Parkways runs along Chicago¹s historic boulevards, connecting Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Little Village neighborhoods, and displaying the vibrant culture of Chicago¹s
communities along the way. The route will be lined with physical activity stations where people can come together for exercise and fun. The space will be free for all to enjoy and build healthy bodies and
communities. For more information, visit www.biketraffic.org/sundayparkways.
Tell the World “Why Chicago”
- www.chicago2016.org
Supporters of bringing the Olympic Games to Chicago in 2016 are invited to visit the newly unveiled Chicago 2016 Channel (accessible via the Chicago 2016 Web site (www.Chicago2016.org)) and post their own videos about “Why Chicago” is the best city. Participants, including performers, songwriters, artists, or anyone with a video camera or web cam, are encouraged to make their videos fun, unique and loaded with Chicago flavor. The best videos will be chosen by the public and highlighted for
special recognition. Stay tuned to the Chicago 2016 Channel, which will also feature fun videos being created by a cross-section of rising stars from the Chicago improv community.
Smart Home Green + Wired
- Museum of Science and Industry, 57th St. and Lake Shore Drive
- Open until January 4, 2009
You’re invited to explore a real, three-story modular and sustainable “green” home in the Museum’s own backyard to learn about the ways, big and small, that you can make eco-friendly living a part of your life. Celebrating exciting new directions in sustainable living and spectacular, environmentally-friendly technology, Smart Home offers guests guided tours of the 2,500 square-foot home and grounds, located in a park on the east side of the Museum. Bring your family to discover
the latest innovations in reusable resources; smart energy consumption; sustainable gardens and green roofs; and clean, healthy-living environments in a contemporary setting.
Recycle Your Cell Phone: It’s An Easy Call
Did you just get a new cell phone? Are you wondering what to do with your old one? Instead of stashing it-recycle it! Recycling or donating unwanted cell phones, PDAs, chargers, and batteries has never been easier. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Plug-In To eCycling program has teamed up with leading cell phone and PDA manufacturers, network providers, and retailers to offer thousands of convenient recycling drop off locations. For more information on where to recycle your cell phone, visit www.epa.gov/cellphones.
Free Us From Foreign Oil
The We Can Solve It Campaign have launched a new video advertisement about how the politicians need to act now- Check out the commercial below…
$427 million. That’s what the oil and coal industries spent during the first half of 2008 on lobbying and advertising. They’re protecting their interests – and hurting ours.
This ad is running on TV right now, but we need millions more to see it. The special interests will outspend us, but we can compete head-to-head with them when we find ways to share these messages for free.
We must rebuild our economy, lower fuel costs, free ourselves from our addiction to oil, and save ourselves from the climate crisis. To do this, we need to demand that we Repower America with 100% clean electricity within 10 years. Meeting this ambitious goal would create millions of new jobs, lead to lower energy costs for families and help America lead the fight against global warming.
Visit We Can Solve It for more info
Solar Taxi powers its way through Chicago
The Sears Tower welcomes another history maker to Chicago. Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer will stop at the country’s tallest building on Monday, August 18, as part of his world tour in his solar-powered vehicle, the “Solartaxi”
With climbing gas prices, Palmer’s Solartaxi is traveling 32,000 miles – visiting 40 countries on five continents – without spending a single penny on gas or releasing a single emission into the air. It is the first car driving around the world on the energy of the sun alone, and this is the first time the car will be in Chicago.
Palmer and his Solartaxi will be on display at the Sears Tower, which is dedicated to environmental stewardship. He will also give a presentation on the Solartaxi’s background and green features!
When & Where: Monday, August 18, 2008 12:00 p.m. – 2 p.m.
You can view this beauty at the Sears Tower (on Wacker Drive, at the southwest corner near the Skydeck entrance) 233 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago
Earth Class Mail
This revolutionary company has rethought the whole process of receiving mail. They have a process of that will accept your incoming letters and junk mail, scan it in and you can read it online. If you need the piece of mail it is sent you, if not it can be shredded and recycled. This service starts at $9.99 a month and is about the same cost of a traditional PO Box. Earth Class Mail has a very cool system that tracks and sorts all of the mail, that would give the USPS a run for its money. They have several patents pending for their technology that has given them a television show that has followed the start up as they grow into a large corporation.
10 Creative Uses for Junk Mail
Junk mail is renowned for cluttering mailboxes, increasing the risk of identity theft, and, of course, killing millions of trees every year. Not surprisingly, it elicits annoyance from most people. But, believe it or not, it also elicits creativity from others. Below I’ve compiled a list of the “Top 10 Creative Responses To Junk Mail,” accompanied by a bunch of cool pictures. Personally, I’d be content to never receive another piece of junk mail for the rest my life, but who knows, maybe these people are onto something. Maybe there’s more to junk mail than meets the eye. If nothing else, these responses represent some interesting and unconventional ways to recycle. We thought that this were very cool pictures of what you can do with junk mail.
Ikea is investing in Green Technology
Ikea, the store that is known for cheap and disposable furniture is remaking its image. Ikea has begun to reshape its image by selling better quality products in the US, that last longer. Recently they began charging for plastic bags and have diverted 95% of the plastic bags that used to be common in the major retailer. They have been selling millions of their branded reusable bags which has created a flock of new users for recyclable bags. So, we know it’s hip to be a cleantech investor, but so far new cool-cred seekers have come largely from politics, the dotcoms and, well, Google. But Swedish home furnishing designer Ikea? — Yeah, at least that’s according to the Cleantech Group. The site reports that Ikea has created a green fund, Ikea GreenTech, which will invest €50 million ($77.17 million) into cleantech startups over the next five years.
Ikea’s ultimate goal is to sell consumer cleantech products like solar products, efficient lighting sources, and water purification products, says the report. The company will likely use the same mantra that it’s used for its other products — well designed and low cost. Its slogan “affordable solutions for better living,” could soon echo “for greener living.” Ikea already sells pre-fab homes in certain locations, and we can easily envision LED lamps, solar water heaters and even DIY solar panels.
Ikea GreenTech was established about 8 months ago, employs just four people, and is located in Lund, Sweden. The fund will largely invest in local and European cleantech startups.
Source Green Tech
Cutting the lawn
Video has Been Removed Sorry!
Mr. Fix-It shows off some electric lawnmowers that do a good job without using gasoline. Here are a few eco-friendly lawn mower options which are great for the city lot. They are easy to use and very light. It also removes the exhaust, oil dependence and no fuel needed.
Better World Books
The online bookstore with a soul, Better World Books collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. With more than two million new and used titles in stock, they have a self-sustaining, triple-bottom-line company that creates social, economic and environmental value for all our stakeholders.
Here’s the best part: In addition to selling new titles, Better World Books supports book drives and collects used books and textbooks through a network of over 1,600 college campuses and partnerships with nearly 1,000 libraries nationwide. So far, the company has converted more than 11 million donated books into $4.5 million in funding for literacy and education. In the process, we’ve also diverted more than 6,000 tons of books from landfills.
This online company is green by recycling the books and doing fundraisers with libraries. With profits they purchase more books to fund literacy worldwide. All the books are shipped carbon free and most of the time they are priced cheaper than Amazon. So go and check them out online at Better World Books
You Know Gas Prices Are High When Texans Start Driving Golf Carts
The land of big oil and big trucks is seeing more miniature electric cars on the road - Wall Street Journal
This video and article talks about the sudden interest in electric cars and what their capabilities of these gas free alternatives.
This is a photo of Chicago’s Sopraffina Marketcaffe Zap Electric Car. They were out celebrating Earth Day with the unveiling of a new, first-of-its-kind, 100 percent solar-electric powered catering vehicle. Jessup’s Automotive in Lagrange is where you can purchase this electric car. 
New Housing Bill Approved by Senate
It’s not going to radically change the landscape of real estate here in Chicago but every little bit helps…
Here’s what it might provide for you:
-15 billion in tax breaks to first time homebuyers. The $7,500 first-time homebuyers tax credit applies for homeowners who purchase between April 9, 2008 and July 1, 2009. The full amount of the credit also is available for individuals with incomes under $75,000 or couples earning less than $150,000.
-New conforming/conventional loan limits. A new cap of $625,500 on the loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy in certain high-priced areas, and a cap in other areas of up to 15 percent above the median home price.
If you have questions about the bill please Living Room Realty a call at 312.226.3020. They’d be happy to talk with you about it!
