Killowatt Ours

Sunday, Mar 3, 12:30P /

Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore

, Forest Park -

Tickets

Jeff Barrie/55 min

Kilowatt Ours is a timely, solutions-oriented look at one of America’s most pressing environmental challenges.  Award-winning film Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America is a timely, solutions-oriented look at one of America’s most pressing environmental challenges: energy.  Filmmaker Jeff Barrie offers hope as he turns the camera on himself and asks, “How can I make a difference?” In his journey Barrie explores the source of our electricity and the problems caused by energy production including mountain top removal, childhood asthma and global warming.

Along the way he encounters individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities who are leading the way, using energy conservation, efficiency and renewable, green power all while saving money and the environment.

This often amusing and always inspiring story shows, “You can easily make a difference and here’s how!”

Jeff and his wife Heather share a plan to eliminate their use of coal and nuclear power at home by employing energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.  Through the Barrie's learning experience, viewers discover how they can save hundreds of dollars annually on energy bills, and use a portion of the savings to purchase renewable energy.

Kilowatt Ours invites viewers to help build a net zero nation, by conserving energy to the greatest extent possible at home, then using clean renewable energy to provide the electricity used.

Programming note: will be shown with Stories of Trust - Montana.

Oak Park's Smart Grid Initiative in the News

Two international environmental news outlets, grist.org and thinkprogress.org have both featured Oak Park's unique Smart Grid Initiative recently.  Oak Park was chosen from over 100 applicants to participate in the initiative, a partnership between the Korean Smart Grid Institute of the Village of Oak Park. 

In the program, 200 homes will be outfitted with smart grid technology that will usually include small solar systems to produce electricity, batteries to store it, and sophisticated two-way communication with the grid.  It also would make it possible for the home to feed energy into the grid, and the homeowner would be paid for it – the meter could be running backwards!  Or, your house could run from the battery at night, when demand is low, and not pay for electricity at that time.

None of the expense of the program (an estimated $6 million) will be paid by taxpayers.  The Korean group is paying half; Oak Park is working with the International Institute for Sustainable Design to secure funding for the rest.  The homes in the study will all be volunteers.  KC Poulos, the Village's sustainability manager, says she has already received hundreds of phone calls from people who want to participate.  She advises them to subscribe to the Village's enewsletter – that's where information will come out when it's time to apply.

The experiment should produce a local grid that is much more adaptable and resilient in the face of extreme weather and other disasters.  “This is about climate adaptation too – we’re not just looking at consumer benefits.”  Poulos said in her interview with Grist.  “You want the most resilient local grid system you can get.  As temperatures rise, the accumulative effects just keep getting worse and worse.  It’s going to keep on coming and we are going to be left holding the bag if we don’t have a system that’s redundant, self-healing, and monitorable.

In the long run, this program can be seen as a pilot for revolutionizing the entire national electric grid.  “Smart grid investment and infrastructure have the potential to provide even more savings and even more efficiency for business owners and residents beyond what you can do in your own building in terms of smart appliances and energy management and putting renewable energy on the building.  Having a whole smart grid infrastructure is just like what we went through in terms of changing form landlines to cell phones.  Think of all the things we do now with our phones that were not even conceivable in the 1970's.”

Energy Efficiency Workshop for OP-RF Congregations

Start the New Year off right and learn how faith-based institutions in Oak Park and River Forest can achieve PlanItGreen goals and save energy and thousands of dollars every year!

This complimentary workshop, co-sponsored by PlanItGreen, the Interfaith Green Network, and the Illinois Facilities Fund (IFF), provides actionable steps and timelines for how Interfaith Green Network and PlanItGreen-affiliated religious organizations can significantly lower utility bills, provide a healthy environment for their congregations, and support congregational and PlanItGreen sustainability goals for 2013.

WHEN:  Wednesday, January 9, 2013, 7:00pm – 8:00pm

WHERE:  Oak Park Public Library (Veteran’s Room, 2^nd Floor), 834 Lake Street

WHO:  This workshop is ideal for Oak Park and River Forest faith-based organizations operating in older facilities. Pastors, green team leaders, building operations managers, and congregation decision-makers are strongly encouraged to attend.

Participants will learn how IFF can:

• Assess your facility's energy use and evaluate your best options for energy savings
• Explain which grants and incentives are available to your organization to help cover costs
• Provide affordable, flexible loans for upfront costs—and use the savings from your lower energy costs to pay the loan back
• Oversee all energy upgrades and train your staff to help maximize savings

IFF's Energy Performance Program (E2P) has identified hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy savings for nonprofits and institutions of faith—join us on the 14^th to learn how IFF can help your organization!

To RSVP or to learn more, contact SGA at admin@sevengenerationsahead.org or Dick Alton at richard.alton@gmail.com.

Could You Live in a Passive House?

The River Forest passive house discussed in this post we published early in 2013 is featured on the upcoming Green Living and Learning Tour on Sept. 28th.  Read more about it in this article, and plan to stop there on the Tour! Oak Park architect Tom Bassett-Dilley has designed the first certified passive house to be built in the Chicago area.  The new house, built for the Lema family, uses only a small fraction of the heating and cooling energy of a conventional house.

Based on an interview with Tom Bassett-Dilley conducted by Doug Burke

As the 28th certified passive house in the United States the River Forest home represents a small but growing movement.  Bassett-Dilley, who heads the Passive House Alliance in Chicago, predicts that there will be 200 or more in the country by the end of this year.  There are many more passive houses in Europe.

What is a Passive House?

The name “passive” means that these houses use the environment around them as much as possible – for instance, by having lots of south-facing windows to take in the sun's heat in the winter, but with overhangs to shade those same windows in the hot summer.  Smart design reduces the amount of the work the home has to do to maintain comfort.  And a very tight building envelope means it doesn't take nearly as much energy to heat or cool the house.  A house built to the new Illinois code (just revised effective this month) is required to have no more than 5 air changes per hour.  A passive house must have no more than 0.6.  The River Forest house tests out at just 0.38 air exchanges per hour – far tighter than required by either standard.

There still has to be ventilation; a mechanical system draws out moist air from kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry, and feeds in air to the living areas.  Very good efficient heat exchangers retain 85% of the heat.

This produces a very comfortable and simple house, which use about 75% less energy than built-to-code homes to heat and cool.  Over a 30-year mortgage, the heating and cooling savings should at least make up for the slightly higher cost of construction -- about 10% higher, with 18-inch thick walls, thick insulation even under the building, and tight sealing everywhere.  Even with today's exceptionally low natural gas costs, a passive house should still be less expensive to own and operate than a conventional one.  And it is much better for the environment, using only a small amount of electricity in heat pumps for heating and cooling.  There is no need for a gas-burning furnace, nor any air-conditioning system except the heat pumps.

Learn more about this house, including the non-toxic and recycled materials used in building it, how it is laid out, and how it fits into the neighborhood, at Sustainable Chicago.  See also the article titled "The Heat is On - River Forest Home to be area's first certified passive house," in the January 2, 2013, edition of the Wednesday Journal, p. 35.

January Environmental Book Study

Please join us in January to discuss the book, Natural Capital and Human Economic Survival By Thomas Prugh.  This book includes contributions from the founders of ecological economic theory, how it differs fundamentally from the current “classical” theory, plus entropy, throughput, sustainability. How to define and value natural capital. Economic strategies for restoring our degraded natural capital.  The study will be held Tuesday, January 22, 7-9 p.m at the home of Jim Babcock, 927 S. Kenilworth, Oak Park.

To RSVP and for more information call:  Jim Babcock—630-740-0638 or Doug Burke—708-533-2316.

“Climate of Uncertainty” Exhibition at DePaul Art Museum

“Climate of Uncertainty” exhibition explores human impact on environment, opens Jan. 10 at DePaul Art Museum  - Taken from the DePaul Art Museum web site (click here for more details) The DePaul Art Museum will explore the human impact on the environment with “Climate of Uncertainty,” an interactive exhibition that opens Jan. 10 and runs through March 24. The museum is free and open to the public every day. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 10 at the museum, located at 935 W. Fullerton Ave., just east of the CTA’s Fullerton “L” stop.

“One of the greatest challenges that society will likely face in the coming decades and century is how to strategically plan for and adapt to the uncertain effects of climate change,” Fatemi said. “It’s unusual for an art museum to take on a subject that is so technical, but the premise of this exhibition is that artists, whose tools for communicating are visual, emotional, visceral and intuitive, can help build a public movement and engage audiences using a fresh vocabulary.”

Works in the exhibition reveal ways that individuals, industries and governments have exploited, abused or depleted natural resources and explore alternative approaches to environmental issues by challenging the viewer to imagine a more hopeful future.

“Climate of Uncertainty” features 12 artists engaged in long-term projects that address the human role in environmental degradation.  Seven photographers document issues ranging from the destructive effects of extractive industry to the effect of careless waste disposal on animal populations. Several artists use installations to provide audiences with a participatory and immersive experience around deforestation and the enormous consequences of large-scale damming. Other media included in the project include sculpture, printmaking, and mixed media.

In conjunction with the exhibition, a number of programs featuring leading scholars, environmental activists and artists will be held at the museum to encourage a dialogue on the topics.  Programs include:

● Sustainability Conference, Jan. 18, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; curator’s tour, 5 p.m. A conference on sustainable business organized by the Driehaus College of Business’ Finance Department is designed to introduce the concept of sustainability to the value creation process of for-profit firms. Keynoters, panelists and presenters from industry, policy-making organizations, and think tanks will discuss the many avenues through which ideas may be developed for profitable projects that are mindful of the environment and social challenges of our time. The conference will include speakers from Northern Trust, Manulife Insurance, New America Foundation, PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Chicago Metropolis 2020, Interface, Haworth, Boeing, Eli Lilly, Biohabitats, and E2.

● The Art and Science of Climate Change, Jan. 30, 6 to 8 p.m. A panel of speakers will discuss climate change through the lenses of several academic disciplines. Mark Potosnak, assistant professor, environmental science and studies at DePaul, will introduce the science of climate change. Barbara Willard, associate professor in the College of Communication, will focus on how the public perceives climate change and outline {propose, suggest] methods for more effective communication. The economic implications of climate change and potential policy responses will be covered by the third speaker, Christie Klimas, a lecturer in environmental science and studies at DePaul. Chicago photographer Terry Evans will discuss her project, A Greenland Glacier: The Scale of Climate Change.

Three Numbers that Tell an Urgent Story

by Doug Burke Twenty plus Oak Park and River Forest residents were among the sold-out crowd at the Athenaeum Theater, when author and founder of 350.org, Bill McKibben, made a recent stop in Chicago as part of his “Do the Math” tour.  The tour began in Seattle the night after the election, and continued through 20 cities drawing capacity crowds at each stop.

The “Do the Math” title refers to three numbers that McKibben uses to communicate the urgency of his message.  It goes like this . . .

• 2 degrees Celsius = the widely agreed upon maximum temperature increase possible without causing devastating results. (Note: We have already raised the average temperature about 0.8 degrees Celsius and it has caused far more damage than most scientists expected and many think 2 degrees is too much.)
• 565 gigatons = the maximum amount of carbon that scientists say we can use without exceeding the 2 degrees Celsius limit
• 2,795 gigatons = the amount of fossil fuel that companies possess in their known reserves available for use

If we are addicted to fossil fuels, McKibben asserted, the oil and gas companies are the pushers, and we need to go right after them.  While continuing to “play defense” by trying to stop things like the Keystone XL Pipeline, he said, we need to go on offense at the same time.  Inspired by the impact of the divestment movement focused on South Africa during the era of apartheid, the primary strategy for putting pressure on the fossil fuel companies introduced during the “Do the Math” tour aims at launching a movement to get colleges, universities, and other institutions to divest from investments in fossil fuel companies.

McKibben noted some early successes of the divestment campaign: Unity College in Oregon has announced that it will divest from fossil fuel companies.  Divestment campaigns have been started on over 100 campuses.  Harvard students voted 72% in favor of divestment.  There were groups of students from many Chicago area campuses at the local gathering that expressed commitment to work on divestment strategies on their own campuses.   And the mayor of Seattle announced his support and his plans to meet with the city treasurer to discuss how the city can divest.

McKibben’s talk was puctuated with video statements of support from Van Jones, Naomi Klein, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and others.  The mood at various points throughout the evening fluctuated from serious to energized to determined.

The Reverend Lennox Yearwood, president of the Hip Hop Caucus, a group that organizes young people to be active in elections, policymaking and service projects, introduced McKibben and described this struggle as deeper than the civil rights movement.  If the civil rights movement had lost, Yearwood said, then he as an African-American might have had to ride in the back of the bus, or use a different water fountain.  But the fight over climate change is a question of our existence.

Related articles:

New York Times Article on divestment campaign, 12/4/2012:  www.nyti.ms/SESrfr

McKibben’s article in Rolling Stones magazine 7/19/2012:  http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719

Youth Films Demonstrate Commitment to Sustainability

One-Earth-Our-Earth-Contest-Logo2013

by Katie Morris The One Earth Film Festival 2013, organized by Green Community Connections, will sponsor the first ever Young Filmmakers Contest: One Earth…Our Earth.  This film contest is a way in which young people can showcase their abilities in making positive changes for their future.  It is an opportunity to engage our youth, and create excitement around how they can, and do, make a difference in our world and in our local community.

As part of the 2nd annual One Earth Film Festival, the Young Filmmakers Contest invites students in all eligible age categories (from third grade through college) to submit film entries that cover at least one of the following categories: water, waste, food, transportation, or energy.

With this contest, “we want to encourage youth to not just contemplate the issues surrounding sustainability, but to get them thinking about potential solutions,” said Sue Crothers, contest committee chair. “Youth involvement in the sustainability movement is the key to our future, and film is a powerful medium for them to express their concern and awareness. ”

The Rainforest Rescue Coalition (RRC), a Chicago based nonprofit organization, is currently working on a submission for the college-aged category of the contest.  Founded by four OPRF High School graduates among others, the mission of the RRC is to conserve and protect rainforest land around the world and to support sustainable relationships between humans and nature. RRC raises money for sustainability and conservation initiatives through direct action campaigns.  One of RRC’s goals is to help educate the public about conservation and environmental issues - including both the problems and solutions, . . . and what better way than through film?

Rainforest-Rescue-Coalition-148x150

According to Adam Bauer-Goulden, RRC President, RRC is creating their film entry as a way to show that anything is possible, if you put forth the energy and try to make a difference.   Though the film is still in its production phase, Bauer-Goulden reports that RRC’s film will begin with a montage of the terrible environmental disasters taking place in the world today. It will move into the story of how RRC was formed and show footage from its first 350-mile fundraising ride. The audience will have the chance to learn how they can become involved with RRC and other conservation efforts.  The film will close with a final montage of the great and positive things that the environmental movement is accomplishing.

Bauer-Goulden says, “Our inspiration is trying to get as many people involved as possible in our movement. I really believe that energy is the most important thing that we have. I believe that our purpose in life is to use our energy for something inherently good and to make the world a better place…we really just want to show people that we are just normal kids and anybody and everybody has the power to make change in this world, no matter what your situation...Anything counts!”

The deadline to submit a film to the Young Filmmakers Contest is January 25, 2013 at 5 PM CST.  For more information on the contest, please check out our website and facebook page, or contact Sue Crothers, suebillgee@comcast.net or Katie Morris, Katie.a.morris@gmail.com.

2012 Oak Park Environmental Stewardship Awards

by Laura Haussmann, Chairperson of the OP Environment and Energy Commission 2012 is the fourth year in which the Environment and Energy Commission has given the Green Awards. These Awards recognize individuals, groups, and organizations that have demonstrated leadership as stewards of the Oak Park environment.  Each award is given for specific deeds that embody and advance the Village’s of Oak Park mission of promoting a sustainable future. We hope that by celebrating these achievements, the inspiration will grow and become reality.

2012 Green Awards:

1.  Robert Morris University in recognition of its sensitivity to Oak Park’s sustainability goals in the development of Eyrie Restaurant.

The Eyrie is the nest of an eagle… a Robert Morris University eagle that is. It is a supportive learning environment for aspiring chefs, providing seasonal dining for the community while embracing sustainable practices. The restaurant is the result of a collaborative student effort.  They created the floor plan, marketing pieces, menu and business model to ensure Eyrie came to fruition.

The students chose environmentally friendly building materials and finishes, including recycled glass tiles, renewable cork flooring and bamboo wall paneling, and locally reclaimed wood for tables. This learning model continues on as you experience Eyrie for yourself.  Visit the restaurant, help the students learn more, and perhaps learn a few things yourself.  We would like to honor the students of Robert Morris University for the advancement of sustainability goals in the development of the Eyrie Restaurant.

2.  Beye Elementary  School in recognition of excellence in Zero Waste practices and 4^th and 5^th grade Green Ambassadors.

Beye School has worked collaboratively with Oak Park District 97's Zero Waste Elementary Schools since 2008 to divert more than 92 tons of solid waste from landfill. It has done this mainly by composting, increasing recycling, minimizing paper use, and creating reusable lunchrooms with the assistance of a high efficiency industrial dishwasher and no disposable utensils or trays. Compost is put back into our school gardens, and 4th and 5th grade Green Ambassadors apply to become green leaders for their school community, and conduct sustainability projects at the school and in the community.

Beye School Green Team representatives and students also have spoken at countless conferences, symposiums, and festivals to teach other schools, institutions, and individuals what it has learned along its green path, showing they are leaders in sustainability initiatives.

3.  Sam and Phyllis Bowen in recognition of their creative use of space by building a vegetable and flower garden on the roof of their new garage.

When the Bowen’s garage was falling down, they decided that it was not only time to re-build it, but to innovate it, as well. They built a 190sf garden on top of the garage. Rather than make trips across town to the community garden, they added convenience and recycled water for irrigating with water collected from rain barrels. The garden is used to grow vegetables, flowers, and attracts local bees and birds.

We celebrate the Bowens for their innovation in taking a problematic garage and creating a 190 sf ecological paradise.

4.  Debbie Becker for leading the way to change the village ordinance to legalize beekeeping.

Thanks to Debbie, backyard beekeeping is now legal.  If you did not know, bees are the primary pollinator for most flowering plants. This includes much of our local flower and vegetable gardens and nearby agriculture.  Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic decline in bee colonies and populations.  Some of this is because of epidemic disease, habitat disruption, and/or the use of pesticides within migratory areas.

Debbie now volunteers at local festivals to share her knowledge of beekeeping and encourage folks to get started. Thanks to Debbie for raising awareness of the plight of the local honeybee.

5.  Jim Doyle & Ana Garcia Doyle in recognition of their commitment and tenacity in obtaining the first permit in Oak Park to install a greywater system.

Greywater is water from bathroom sinks, showers, washing machines and tubs. It is safe to collect and reuse (in theory) for a variety of purposes, from irrigating yards to flushing toilets and can reduce home water usage by 27-30%.  But to say obtaining a permit for a greywater system is difficult would be a categorical understatement.  Under the state's current plumbing code, which is drawn up by the Illinois Department of Public Health, greywater recycling systems are illegal, supposedly for safety and sanitary reasons. But the Doyles made their case for water conservation and set a precedent for greywater system permit seekers and we honor them for their achievement.

6.  Park District of Oak Park in recognition of excellence in the renovation of Taylor Park.

The Taylor Park renovation has many wonderful new amenities, but there are a couple ‘green’ highlights of the renovation that the commission felt deserved recognition.

The park includes many mature tree root systems that grew under concrete and asphalt walkways. In order to best preserve the trees, a new system called root aeration was utilized. Root aeration is accomplished by clearing soil away from roots using high-pressured hoses and laying a root barrier fabric down before new asphalt or concrete is installed.  This new process was chosen as an alternative to root pruning, which can cause tree decline or death.

Additionally, after heavy rain or snow melt, the park would experience standing water and swamp like conditions. So, they built a swamp! – er, wetland.  This innovative idea now serves as an educational tool for residents and visitors of the many benefits of wetlands and demonstrates good storm water management practices.

In these respects, we honor the Park District of Oak Park for their stewardship.

7.  Cary-Laszewski Residence in recognition of being the first house built in Oak Park to obtain LEED Platinum status.

This is Oak Park’s first LEED registered home. And it didn’t just make the cut, it went Platinum (the highest level). And though it was an entirely new home, they sought to seamlessly blend the new home into the existing historic neighborhood. The goal of this project was to prove that a home can be new, eco-friendly and efficient and at the same time traditional and in keeping with the character of the community. Features of the project include recycling and re-use of the materials from the original home, locally sourced materials, geo-thermal heating and cooling, enhanced formaldehyde-free insulation, high efficiency appliances, finishes and decorative treatments with recycled content, reclaimed wood, and many more. They have set the bar high and now serve as a wonderful example of green home building in our community.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2012 Oak Park Green Awards!  Thank you for your commitment to sustainability!

The Environment and Energy Commission of Oak Park serves in two capacities: The first is to advise the Village regarding implementation of environmentally conscious policies to improve the quality of life for all residents.  The second is to encourage residents through various environmental awareness initiatives to make healthy, smart, and environmentally conscious decisions that conserve and protect natural resources. The EEC believes that the duality of these actions assists a strong local economy and improves the quality of life for all Oak Park residents.

Special thanks go to Karen Rozmus, our Village Liaison, and to two excellent Commissioners – Betsy Williams and Bob Peterson, who led the efforts in developing and organizing these awards.

'Tis the Season to Make Your Home Warmer, Cozier and Greener for Winter!

Submitted by Doug Burke

As we head into winter, we become more conscious of the comfort levels of our homes and the cost of heating our homes.  It's an ideal time to think about sealing and insulating your home to make it more comfortable and energy efficient.  Fortunately there is a program to help with that project!

Energy Impact Illinois (EI2) offers highly qualified, closely supervised work to reduce energy usage in homes, which saves money and reduces global warming emissions.  It includes a subsidy for 70% of the cost of insulating and sealing your home, up to $1750.  EI2 has a goal of doing energy efficiency retrofits on at least 100 homes in Oak Park before the program expires in May 2013.

In November, EI2 is offering two free presentations to familiarize area residents with the program.  The first will be held on Tuesday November 13th at 7pm at the Buzz Cafe (second floor),  905 S. Lombard in Oak Park, no reservation required.  The second EI2 presentation will be held the following night, November 14th, at 7pm, at Fitzgerald's, 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Berwyn. Those attending at Fitzgerald's are asked to register in advance at http://www.CityOfHomes.org..

For information on the program, you can also call Pamela Brookstein at 708-252-0623 or email pamela@energyimpactillinois.org

Also see related articles:

Energy Impact Illinois:  "This rebate program rocks!"  (Article and video of OP Resident, Anne Jordan-Baker's experience with the EI2 program.)

Tighten Up your House, Save Money, and Lower Your Carbon Footprint (Overview of the Energy Impact Illinois Program)