Congregations Can Make a Big Difference!

The Energy Star for Congregations web site asks -- Did you know?? If America’s more than 370,000 houses of worship cut energy use by 10 percent…

• Nearly $315 million would be saved for congregations’ missions and other priorities.
• More than 1.8 billion kWh of electricity would be available without additional cost and pollution.
• More than 1.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented, equivalent to the emissions of about 240,000 cars, or to planting nearly 300,000 acres of trees.

But, 30% savings are typical...

How much difference can they make in Oak Park-River Forest??

Representatives from 17 Oak Park and River Forest congregations gathered at the Oak Park Library on Monday, March 5th, to learn about a pilot program for reducing energy, waste and water, as part of the PlanItGreen sustainability plan.  Jim Babcock welcomed the group and inspired and challenged us with a reading from the "Declaration of the Jewish Environmental and Energy Imperative -- a Call to Action."

For if we do not do these things, who will do them? Though we are neither prophets nor the sons and daughters of prophets, are we not Earth’s custodians, guardians of a creation entrusted to us by God for all future generations, assigned to choose life? Call us watchmen, call us sentinels, call us your brothers and your sisters, who turn to you in every tongue of request: Join with us, that we may together restore what has been ruined, make straight the crooked way, preserve, protect, and cherish the bounty that is ours to tend and ours to bequeath, repaired, to those yet to come.

Kindy Kruller, of the Delta Institute, presented the PlanItGreen goals in the areas of Energy, Waste and Water, along with low cost and higher cost strategies that can be used to lower energy and water usages and the amount of waste that goes to landfills.  She also shared guidelines for implementation and resources that will provide more details.  See below to find links to the various resources shared in the power point presentation.

The congregations then met in smaller groups to explore what this might look like in their own congregations.  Congregations shared plans, such as conducting an energy audit, and planting a native garden -- which reduces stormwater runoff among other benefits.

The next event planned to support the congregational benchmarking process is a luncheon on March 19th, noon - 1:30pm, for building engineers and trustees or others responsible for the building and grounds of congregational facilities.  Click here to access a flyer for the event.

Energy Resources:

•Portfolio Manager

•Energy Star for Congregations

•ComEd Audit

Waste Resources:

•Green Community Connections - Reduce/Reuse/Recycle

•Illinois Recycling Association

•Oak Park Village website

Water Resources

•Water Sense

•Energy Star

Oak Park Website

Coming Soon! Residential Food Scrap Collection in South OP

Submitted by Karen Rozmus and Gary Cuneen Starting, April 2012, the Village of Oak Park is moving ahead with the collection of food scraps from residences as part of a pilot program to divert more material from landfill and achieve community greenhouse gas emission and waste reduction goals.  The Village of Oak Park in collaboration with PlanItGreen and SEOPCO will host three community forums in South Oak Park that will provide residents with information on the Village’s new residential food scrap collection pilot program targeted for April 2012 and seek input on implementation.  The forums, listed below, will also provide brief updates on PlanItGreen OPRF Sustainability Plan implementation and ways to get involved. Upcoming forums are:

South Oak Park Residential Food Scrap Program Forum #2 Monday, February 13, 2012 7:00-8:30pm Lincoln Elementary School 1111 S. Grove, Oak Park

South Oak Park Residential Food Scrap Program Forum #3 Thursday, February 16, 2012 7:00-8:30pm Ascension Catholic School, Pine Room 601 Van Buren, Oak Park

For more information contact act@sevengenerationsahead.org.

South Oak Park Residential Food Scrap Program Forum #1 Wednesday, February 8, 2012 7:00-8:30pm Irving Elementary School 1125 S. Cuyler, Oak Park

South Oak Park Residential Food Scrap Program Forum #2 Monday, February 13, 2012 7:00-8:30pm Lincoln Elementary School 1111 S. Grove, Oak Park

South Oak Park Residential Food Scrap Program Forum #3 Thursday, February 16, 2012 7:00-8:30pm Ascension Catholic School, Pine Room 601 Van Buren, Oak Park

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Related Article:

For a (slightly dated) overview of what other cities and towns around the U.S. are doing see http://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001992.html

Congregations to Pilot Strategies to Reduce Energy, Waste, Water

Submitted by James Babcock The congregations of Oak Park and River Forest have been invited to participate in a pilot program to begin implementing the PlanItGreen Sustainability Plan. Many of us in the faith community were very active in the development of this plan which was formally adopted in June, 2011. Now is our opportunity to continue to show leadership in the community by putting the plan into action.  To support this work in congregations, the Interfaith Green Network, along with PlanItGreen consultants from Seven Generations Ahead and Delta Institute, will host a Benchmarking Workshop, March 5, 2012, 7-8:30 pm, Oak Park Main Library, Veterans Room, 2^nd Floor.Participating congregations will work collaboratively on the three topic areas of Energy, Water, and Waste. The first step is for each congregation to accurately record recent usage—to determine in a unified way benchmarks against which future performance can be measured. The next step is for each congregation to identify steps to reduce use of energy and water, and to reduce the amount of waste that goes into the landfill. This will be an opportunity both to save money over time and to become better stewards of earth’s resources.

Subjects covered at the workshop include:

--detailed instructions on how to collect the data

--relevant strategies on how to achieve our goals for energy, waste and water reduction

--hands-on training

--we will break out into small congregation teams to discuss next steps and pledges for annual energy, water, and waste reduction

--we will share experiences with other congregations and gain encouragement and inspiration from our collective actions

Congregations are encouraged to have a team a 2-5 representatives at the workshop including faith leaders, trustees, members of environmental/stewardship committees, business managers, building and grounds committee members, and all others who understand the sacredness of the Earth and who feel called to exercise their responsibility for its protection.

Please join us and share this invitation with others in your congregation! To register or for more information email sallystovall@gmail.com.

PlanItGreen implementation gains momentum as first quarter priority strategies are identified

Submitted by Sally Stovall

The official  Oak Park-River Forest Sustainability Plan was presented to village officials, the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation, representatives of institutions in the area, and community residents in June of this year.   The plan, which was commissioned by the OPRF Community Foundation has been adopted by the the two villages and many other stakeholders.  Seven Generations Ahead and the Delta Institute have been retained as consultants to the project to guide the implementation process.

Twenty strategies in the 9 different focus areas have been prioritized to be started in the first quarter of the implementation.  This is not an exclusive list and other strategies may also be undertaken by various institutions and community groups.  Following is a brief description of the 1st quarter priority strategies, grouped by topic areas:

Topic Area:  Education

• Develop Sustainable Teachers Network / Task Force
• Develop local web-based resource and information portal through Green Community Connections
• Green Town Oak Park 2011   (Complete:  Held 10/12/2011)
• Develop best practice case studies by strategy and institution related to core topic areas)
• Conduct PlanItGreen Adopter / Stakeholder Forums  (Scheduled:  11/30/2011)

Topic Area:  Energy

• Access and promote existing energy efficiency upgrade loans and grants to support local business, residents and condo owners

Topic Area:  Waste

• Develop pilot residential food scrap collection and composting program in Oak Park & River Forest.  (A pilot program including 2500 homes in south Oak Park is being planned to begin in April, 2012).
• Establish building materials re-use center

Topic Area:  Water

• Align PlanItGreen water conservation education and resource development strategies with VOP/CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning)
• Educate VOP/VRF residents about state legislation promoting rainwater harvesting and greywater use and connect them to advocacy efforts
• Develop green infrastructure project proposals with local institutions

Topic Area:  Community Development

• Create sustainable development criteria / incentives for all OP/RF developments; review VOP / VRF ordinances to identify opportunities to incorporate those that support sustainability and eliminate those that do not; and incorporate criteria, codes and incentives into VOP / VRF comprehensive plans

Topic Area:  Green Economic Development

• Develop Green Business Criteria and Certification Program
• Analyze brownfield sites and develop plans for remediation, resuse, and green economic development (Note:  Brownfields are real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and takes development pressures off greenspaces and working lands.  Source:  http://epa.gov/brownfields/)

Topic Area:  Open Space and Ecosystems

• Incorporate green infrastructure into new construction and retrofit work, and incorporate criteria and best practices as part of municipal code review.

Topic Area:  Food

• Support development of plan for Dominican University to increase healthy and local sustainable food access.

Topic Area:  Transportation

• Convene "walking tour" and strategy session with consultant, Mark Fenton, to explore "complete streets" and bike / pedestrian friendly development options.    (Complete:  Held 10/11/2011)
• Increase biking and walking to and from schools.)
• Deliver bike safety education to 3rd-5th graders.
• Create plans for full service biking facility in downtown Oak Park

Additional 1st Quarter Strategies

In addition to the above strategies that are focused on the 9 topic areas, there are strategies focused on overall plan support including:

• Gathering the necessary data to support additional strategies and to develop a scorecard on progress
• Engagement of additional PlanItGreen members, organizations  and participants,
• Fund-raising, and
• Communications to keep the community informed

PlanItGreen Moves From Planning to Implementation

Thursday, June 23^rd was the official “Plan Release Event” for the Oak Park-River Forest Sustainability Plan.  Over 50 people gathered at Pleasant Home for refreshments and a display of posters highlighting the work of groups involved in the planning process and sustainability initiatives.  The event culminated with presentations on the plan.

Public and institutional adopters of the Sustainability plan to date include:  Village of River Forest, Park District of Oak Park, OP Township, OP Elementary School District 97, OPRF High School District 200, Dominican University, and West Suburban Medical Center.  Additional public and institutional bodies are expected to adopt the plan throughout July, including Rush Oak Park Hospital, Village of Oak Park, River Forest School District 90, River Forest Park District, and the public libraries of Oak Park and River Forest.

PlanItGreen is a broad based plan that addresses nine focus areas:  Energy, Education, Waste, Water, Community Development, Transportation, Open Space & Ecosystem Preservation, the Green Economy, and Food.  One of the next steps will be to identify priority strategies that will have the greatest impact.  Oak Park Village President, David Pope identified reduction of energy use in buildings as a priority.  He said that, while making buildings more energy efficient is not “sexy,” about 60% of our carbon footprint comes from the energy use of buildings, and progress in this area could make a big impact.

Funding for the PlanItGreen sustainability planning process came from the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation’s Communityworks initiative.  It is designed to engage community residents and stakeholders in creating and implementing a vision plan for a sustainable Oak Park and River Forest.

“As much as we’re really excited to have this plan be finished right now, the real proof  is going to be a year from now, two years, from now, 10 years from now to see whether or not implementation has actually occurred.” said Gary Cuneen, Executive Director of Seven Generations Ahead.  Both village presidents have also expressed their desire that the plan not sit on the shelf!  See related articles:

http://oakpark.patch.com/articles/planning-it-green?ncid=M255

http://www.oakpark.com/Community/Blogs/06-30-2011/Sustainability_plan_unveiled_for_Oak_Park_&_River_Forest

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/05-31-2011/Release_date_nears_for_PlanIt_Green_sustainability_plan

Click here for a copy of the complete Oak Park-River Forest Sustainability Plan.  Note:  Goals, Metrics and Strategies can be found on pages 13-48.

For those interested in being involved in implementation of the sustainability plan that are not already associated with a group that is working on it, please Contact Us at Green Community Connections and we will do our best to help you find places to be involved in this important work!

PlanItGreen - Sustainability Plan Release Celebration, June 23rd

June will mark the end of the development phase and the beginning of the implementation phase of the PlanItGreen Sustainability plan for Oak Park and River Forest.  The plan has been developed over the last 8 months with input from over 1,000 residents and community stakeholders.  PlanItGreen is part of the OPRF Community Foundation’s Communityworks initiative, which was designed to engage community residents and stakeholder organizations in realizing a vision for a sustainable Oak Park and River Forest. Plan to join with others committed to building a resilient and sustainable community for the release of the Oak Park-River Forest Sustainability Plan, on Thursday, June 23rd, 4-6pm.  The event includes an Open House with light refreshments and and a walk-about featuring the primary topic areas of the plan, and an official presentation of the plan starting at 5pm.  Location:  Pleasant Home, 217 Home Avenue in Oak Park.

The plan development included the following steps:

• Phase One baseline metrics were compiled and reported on community resource use, initially including data on KwH and Therm usage, water consumption, waste diversion, transportation-related emissions, air quality, and overall CO2 emissions equivalencies.

• Phase Two (July-Dec 2010) engaged community residents, youth, institutional stakeholders, and community leaders in designing a draft of the sustainability plan. This was done through a community-wide survey, a community input forum, topic area working groups, school-based vision activities, and additional community institution engagement activities.  Input was solicited on strategies across a broad range of sustainability areas, including energy, community development, transportation, waste, food, water, procurement, economic development, open space/conservation, and education.

• Phase Three (Jan-May 2011) incorporated further revision from the boards and staff of key community institutions, and incorporated additional feedback on the draft plan from the community via a draft plan feedback survey.

• Phase Four (June 2011-Ongoing)The plan release event will mark the formal presentation of the final plan and will also launch the implementation phase.

The PlanItGreen sustainability planning process has been facilitated by Seven Generations Ahead and the Delta Institute.  For more information check out SGA's web site, PlanItGreen.

River Forest: Greening Together -- the Latest on What's Happening Around Town

Posted by Sue Crothers

A lot is happening in our little town on the sustainability front.  So much, in fact that it’s hard to know where to start!

The River Forest Park District Foundation in collaboration with the River Forest Library just held a wonderfully attended and informative evening, “Your Grandma was a Locavore.” This was the final presentation in a 5 part series called, The Thoughtful Living Series, where the Library hosted discussions on various topics, from native gardening to zero waste school lunches.  The latest presentation was given by Growing Power, a local Mid-West non-profit that provides locally grown produce, educates and works with inner city kids to teach them how to produce their own food, supports local famers, builds greenhouses and the list goes on.  Check them out at www.growingpower.org The Thoughtful Living Series has been so successful that it will return to the Library in the fall, with an array of more wonderful and helpful ‘Thoughtful Living’ ideas.

Many people have heard something or know much about the PlanItGreen Sustainability Plan, and if they don’t they will soon!  Seven Generations Ahead, together with the Delta Institute, presented the Plan to the River Forest Board of Trustees along with the River Forest Service Club last week.  The idea is that the Governing bodies, schools and organizations in River Forest (and Oak Park) formally adopt and support the Plan so that we can work toward reducing waste, saving energy and water and looking to a brighter, more sustainable future in our Communities.

In conjunction with this work, a series of coffees has been held in the homes of residents around town, based on the three most important topics of the Sustainability Plan.  Education, Waste and Energy.  From these coffees, wonderful things have happened and a proposal for a Green Block Party Kit has emerged.  This kit can be obtained when submitting a permit at the Village for a block party.  Each permit will come with an information sheet about how to host a ‘green block’ party and if you are interested, you mark the appropriate box and the kit will be delivered to you with your block party barricades.  The Green Block Party Kit will include all you need to enjoy a wonderful green composting block party.  It will come with a free composter for the permit applicant, a compost caddy, how to instructions, fun games for the kids, where to purchase biodegradable products (if you choose not to use your reusable tableware), discounts on compost bins for those who may feel empowered to buy their own composter, along with a River Forest, Greening Together banner for the barricade!   The Village of River Forest and the Public Works department are in full support and assisting with its implementation.  The Proposal has been completed and is being submitted for funding support.

Notice the recycle bins in our parks?  The River Forest Park district is working to improve recycling with the new bottle shaped recycle bins.  We ask residents to support River Forest, Greening Together and utilize these when enjoying time at our parks.  River Forest is somewhat behind other Villages when it comes to landfill garbage Vs recycling.  We only recycle 38% of our waste.  Park District officials also inform us that when we use our parks we often leave our trash on the ground.  I urge residents to spread the word to use the bins and keep our parks beautiful.  Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!!

PlanItGreen Nears Release of Final Sustainability Plan

The Draft Environmental Sustainability Plan for Oak Park and River Forest continues to generate feedback from residents, businesses, government, and community institutions. To review the plan and provide input via a brief feedback survey, please visit www.sevengenerationsahead.org/planitgreen . A summary grid of key plan strategies can be accessed here:  PlanItGreen OPRF Sustainability Plan Overview and Matrix.

Recent Activities

• The Interfaith Green Network organized an energizing draft plan review forum at the Oak Park Library on Feb 16. 65 faith-based leaders, representing 17 congregations, attended and commented on the plan and discussed strategies that their congregations would commit to working on. View the report here.
• A River Forest Residents Coffee was held in March and April to review the EDUCATION, WASTE and FOOD sections of the draft plan. The groups are making plans to implement key strategies in the coming months, and will meet again to develop a plan and funding proposal for implementation.
• The Park District of Oak Park executive team met to discuss components of the plan related to Open Space and Ecosystems and their next steps for formally adopting the plan.
• The Community Business Managers met on March 9 to learn about PlanItGreen, review key plan components, and discuss steps for having each of the institutions represented formally review and adopt the plan.
• The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) hosted a PlanItGreen luncheon on March 10 to review the plan and provide feedback on priority strategies.
• 30 staff members from the Villages of Oak Park and River Forest met jointly on April 22nd to provide suggestions for revising and adding to the PlanItGreen Environmental Sustainability Plan. The spirit of collaboration exhibited by both villages produced innovative ideas for cross-community partnerships, displaying an interest in creating efficiencies across municipal borders to achieve common sustainability goals.
• Community-wide PlanItGreen Topic Area Forum - About 35 Oak Park & River Forest residents gathered to hear a report on PlanItGreen and give input on "what's missing" and what should be our priority strategies.

Upcoming Events

The plan will be finalized in June and a plan release event will be held.  Details to be determined.

Work on the structure for implementation is underway.

PlanItGreen is a project of the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation's Communityworks initiative, designed to engage community residents and stakeholders in creating and implementing a vision plan for a sustainable Oak Park and River Forest. Visit sevengenerationsahead.org to learn more.