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.

Holiday Lights Recycling

For those getting new holiday lights this year, or getting rid of them after the holidays, the old ones have a place to go that won't harm the environment.  Instead of throwing them out, residents are encouraged to recycle them!  Both Oak Park and River Forest are offering programs for holiday light recycling.  See details below: Village of Oak Park:  Drop them off at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd. during December and January.  The Village has partnered with Vintage Tech Recyclers to host the holiday light drop-off box.  Mini-lights, C7 lights, C9 lights, rope and LED lights, as well as extension cords, are acceptable. Items may be dropped off from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call 708.358.5700 or e-mail publicworks@oak-park.us.

Village of River Forest:  Residents can recycle their holiday lights at a Village collection site located on Central Avenue between Park Avenue and Franklin Avenue. The collection site will be open 24/7 until its closure on Monday, January 7, 2013.

Thank you to the Villages of Oak Park and River Forest for helping us keep items out of land fills!

A Reusable Holiday Tradition

by Sue Crothers (originally posted in OakPark.com, January 14, 2011) In order to eliminate the mountain of Holiday wrapping paper, I decided I was going to start a new family tradition.  One that rid my living room of the chaos brought about by the unruly mess created with the simple act of opening gifts.  One that turned our gathering back to a more tranquil experience, where we could actually see and feel the warmth of the fireplace!

So I ditched the wrapping paper!

Three years ago, before the Holidays I took myself off to the fabric store and purchased 15 yards of three different types of Holiday material.  I then purchased a number of rolls of cloth ribbon, which were surprisingly inexpensive as they were on sale.  These gifts wrapped in fabric looked beautiful and the variety of ribbon gave them each a different and unique appearance.  During that Holiday season alone,  I reused the fabric 3 times!   After we opened our gifts, I used them to wrap the gifts for my Australian side of the family, followed by my husband’s family and the final use for the season came with a belated Holiday celebration at a friend’s house.  When my friend asked to keep the fabric wrapping from her gift, I of course was thrilled for just maybe, this new tradition could branch out to another family!

Given that an estimated 4 million tons of wrapping paper and shopping bags are thrown out over the winter holidays, doesn’t it seem like a good idea to find an alternative where one can not only save some trees and help the well being of our environment, but save some $$ too!  Okay, so the initial outlay was a little more than I usually spend on paper wrapping, but not that much and hey, I get to reuse it again and again and again and I haven’t spent a cent on Holiday wrapping paper since!

Some may think that it’s no fun to have the same wrapping appear year after year, however I  would argue that it’s all in how you deliver it.  If you wrap it up as a new tradition, it can take on a special place in the Holiday ritual.  For example, from the time my children were old enough to understand the concept of Santa Claus, they have left a Santa sack at the end of their bed on Christmas Eve.  This red sack, decorated with Holiday design and about the size of a pillow case, is for just for Santa!  He fills it with unwrapped gifts and this special tradition has brought smiles to their faces from the first time they peaked inside on Christmas morning all those pre teen years ago. The sacks have now become a part of the Holiday magic, regardless of the fact that the Santa has long been out of the bag so to speak.  Not only do they appear each Christmas Eve, they eliminate waste, illuminate faces and save money.  But most of all, they create a sense of nostalgia and wonderful memories.

Now that the Holidays are upon us again, I thought I would share this tradition, in the hope of spreading the cloth Holiday wrapping magic!

Editor’s Note:  We’d love to hear your stories about innovations on holiday traditions that help you “feel the warmth of the fireplace” and create a holiday celebration that is kinder to the natural world.  Please email sally@greencommunityconnections.org.

The Next Generation of Recycling - August 1 @ 7pm

Free Event on August 1 from 7 to 8 pm at the Oak Park Conservatory, Light refreshments

Are you an avid recycler and wonder what more you can do to remove items from the waste stream? Or perhaps you are new to Oak Park and wonder why all the fuss about those blue carts. Karen Rozmus, Environmental Services manager for the Village of Oak Park, will bring us up to date on recycling. She will talk about the new programs that the Village has initiated and help us understand the impact our individual efforts make on the environment.   This program will provide the information that you need to go beyond recycling cans, bottles and paper.

For example, in 2011, the electronics recycling events collected 126,329 pounds of equipment that was diverted from the landfill. What else can be done? Food and other organic, compostable items are the largest source of methane gas coming from the country’s landfills and Oak Park now has a way to remove these items from the waste stream. Karen will describe this newest program in Oak Park.

Sponsored by the Park District’s Greening Advisory Committee. Free.

First Ever Recycling Extravaganza a HUGE Success!!

Submitted by Judy Deogracias on behalf of the D90 Green4Good Committee

600 cars brought all manner of items to be recycled!

Having never done anything like this, we weren’t sure what kind of response to anticipate. We had a modest goal of 50 cars (we thought that would be respectable for the first time). Needless to say we were pleasantly surprised by the actual volume as well as the gratitude expressed by those we served. People were thrilled to have this take place in their community and asked us if it would be an annual event. We certainly hope it will be! There was a lot of work to put this on - meetings, heavy lifting, getting the word out, logistics, etc. - but there was also a great energy among everyone involved.  Because of this, it just kind of all came together naturally.

Three semis of electronics and batteries were collected

River Forest School District 90’s Green4Good Committee organized the Recycling Extravaganza, a drive-up, drop-off recycling event on May 5, 2012. 8am to 1:30 pm.  When we officially closed, over 600 cars came through (a handful came through twice, and those aren’t counted twice in the tally!). Most drop offs were people from River Forest’s ZIP code but we also received substantial traffic from neighboring towns. We were astounded to see cars lined up as early as 7:30 when we did not officially “open” until 8:00. Three semis of electronics and batteries were collected as well as a substantial amount of scrap metal. There were also collections for unused prescription drugs, used bikes and many other items from a long list of vendors.

Success attributed to the cooperation and enthusiasm of partners and organizing team

The Recycling Extravaganza was inspired by a similar event organized by SCARCE, an environmental education not-for-profit in Glen Ellyn. District 90 Green4Good also wants to acknowledge that the event was successful because of the cooperation and enthusiasm for it we received at the District level (D90 School Superintendent Ed Condon volunteered during the event!) and collaboration of our event partners, which included the Village of River Forest, River Forest Citizens Corps, River Forest United Methodist Church, The River Forest Service Club, Whole Foods Market, River Forest Park District Foundation and SCARCE. The Recycling Extravaganza was designed as a zero waste event made possible by an on site household waste composter, donated to the event’s site host, the River Forest United Methodist Church, by the River Forest Park District Foundation.

Green4Good fosters a lifelong connection to the natural world for D90 students and families

District 90’s Green4Good Committee is comprised of the Green4Good Committees at each school, as well as several District 90 administrators all working toward making District 90 greener. Within each school, Green4Good strives to promote a safe and healthy learning environment; encourage environmental stewardship at school and in the community; and foster a lifelong connection to the natural world for all District 90 students and their families. 2011-12 Green4Good school committee members included Katerina Berin, Tina Ciserella, Keary Cragan, Judy Deogracias, Laura Maychruk, Julie Moller, Renee Sichlau and Liz Ziehl.

Vendors for the event

Vendors for the event included: ACME Recycling collected electronics (no dehumidifiers, air conditioners or refrigerators), batteries (household, computer and car), and scrap metal (including washers and dryers). SCARCE, an environmental education notfor-profit in Glen Ellyn will collect musical instruments, school supplies (old crayons, rulers, usable spiral notebooks and binders). In addition, plastic grocery and dry cleaning bags, and CFL bulbs (no fluorescent tubes) were collected, as well as tattered American flags and ink jet cartridges.

Additional collections on site: Whole Foods - corks and #5 plastic containers; Environmental Services of Cook County - prescription medications; Lions Club - eyeglasses and hearing aids; Amerigas - propane and Oxygen tanks; Cintas - fire extinguishers; Working Bikes - working and non-working bikes, sewing machines, bike helmets and accessories, non-motorized wheelchairs; Goodwill Textile Recycling - torn or stained clothing for recycling, all shoes, sheets and towels; Animal Care League - collars and leashes.

Please look for additional announcements about Green4Good’s initiatives on the District 90 Green4Good website, www.district90.org/subsite/dist/page/green-team-1385.

Take Action Against Weak, Restrictive Recycling Legislation

Excerpt from information provided by K.C. Poulos, Sustainability Manager, Village of Oak Park, provided to members of the PlanItGreen Core Team

It's not too late to take action!

New information:  A 12-year old Illinois girl, Abby Goldberg, has collected over 150,000 petitions in opposition to the Plastic Bags Bill (see details below).  Please check out her story on her web site,  "Gov. Quinn, don't let big plastics bully me!" and follow her lead.  Sign her petition and also call the governor's office (Info below), AND pass the word on to every Illinois resident that you know!

For those interested in working on letters and phone calls to the Governor’s office, the Plastic Bag Recycling bill is SB 3442.  The Village of Oak Park sent a letter in opposition while the bill was in committee.  Rob Cole, Assistant Village Manager, offered this analysis.

The bill is weak in mandating plastics recycling and strong in prohibiting local communities from acting on their own. In short, it’s a pro-plastics bill. For example, here’s the penalty for non-compliance with any of the proposed Act’s provisions: "Any [plastics] manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer who violates any provision of this Act or fails to perform any duty under this Act shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000." That does not sound like much of a deterrent to avoiding the Act’s provisions – enforcement and litigation costs would eclipse the fine, not to mention that many of the violations would involve overseas processing facilities far from the watchful eye of the Illinois EPA charged with enforcement activities.

At this point, despite its obvious limitations, the only thing that would defeat this bill is a veto from the Governor.  The best way to effectuate a veto is to flood his office with phone calls and letters in opposition to the legislation.  Please feel free to use the above information as you create your request to veto the legislation.

Here is contact information for the office of the Governor that deals with constituent concerns (the office compiles the information and sends the Governor summaries and graphs showing the level of interest by topic):

Phone:  312-814-2121

Online:  http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Pages/ContacttheGovernor.aspx

Finally, although we discussed that online petitions are not as effective as directly contacting the Governor’s Office, here are two that address SB 3442:

http://www.change.org/petitions/rise-above-plastics-veto-illinois-sb-3442

http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6130

The Story of Bottled Water!!

Recycle Old Electronics: Last Saturday of the Month at the OP Public Works Center

June 2012 OP/FYI Newsletter

Recycle old electronics…Now that electronic items are banned from landfills and not collected by trash haulers, Oak Parkers are invited to recycle old electronic equipment from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., the last Saturday of each month (through October) at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard (at Lombard Avenue). Acceptable items include computers, peripherals, laptops, monitors, TVs, cell phones, rechargeable batteries, printers, fax machines, MP3 players, portable digital assistants, video game consoles, video cassette recorders, digital video disk players, zip drives, scanners and microwaves. For more information call 708.358.5700 or e-mail publicworks@oak-park.us.

Oak Park Conservatory Summer Events

Garden Walk 2012 - Sunday, Jul 1 from 10am - 4pm The 19th annual Garden Walk is a self-guided tour that begins at the Oak Park Conservatory. This year’s Garden Walk will feature 10 gardens, both public and private, that are hidden gems and reflect current landscaping and plant trends. Garden art objects, an unusual raffle prize, and refreshments will add to this year’s impressive selection of gardens.  Tickets purchased the day of the walk are $18 and can be purchased at all vendor locations, but must be exchanged at the Oak Park Conservatory for a Garden Guide. The guide is required for Garden Walk entry. Tickets exchange begins at 9:30 am the day of the walk. The Garden Walk is a joint educational fund raiser for the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory and The Garden Club of Oak Park/River Forest.  Tickets are on sale now at the Conservatory and the following locations:

Oak Park Visitors’ Center, 1010 Lake Street, Oak Park. 708-848-1500 Magic Tree Book Store, 141 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park. 708-848-0770 Westgate Flower and Plant Shop, 841 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park. 708-386-0072 Good Earth Greenhouse, 7900 W. Madison St., River Forest. 708-366-9500 Carriage Flower Shop, 124 N. Marion St., Oak Park. 708-383-4862

Next Generation Recycling Wednesday, Aug 1 at 7 pm

Speaking of Green – Karen Rozmus will provide a bit of history on environmental programs, an update on the state of recycling in Oak Park, an overview of new and ongoing programs, and how residents are making a difference. For example, in 2011, the electronics recycling events collected 126,329 pounds of equipment that was diverted from the landfill. What else can be done? Food and other organic, compostable items are the largest source of methane gas coming from the country’s landfills and Oak Park now has a way to remove these items from the waste stream. Karen will describe this newest program in Oak Park. Sponsored by the Park District’s Greening Advisory Committee. Free.

Plant Clinic Come in to our plant clinic on Mondays from 2pm to 4 pm. Our staff will help with your gardening questions, plant identification or disease diagnostics. We also offer a potting service during this time.

Discover the Exploration Station - FREE program Every Saturday from 10am to Noon, docents will offer the Exploration Station! A new program is featured every month highlighting special aspects of the Oak Park Conservatory for both adults and children. This activity is provided by FOPCON. See what topics will be discussed next.