Treating our environment nicely.

I will spend this weekend working at the Green Festival in Chicago. It’s a great place to learn all the amazingly creative ways people are treating our earth better. If you agree with the spirit of Green Festival, but don’t feel like leaving Elgin, have no fear! Look what was printed in the Courier today:

Rain barrels and compost bins will be sold from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Elgin Public Works Department open house, at 1900 Holmes Road. The black plastic rain barrels are 57-60 gallons in capacity; feature a screened, screw-top lid and an internal PVC overflow system; and are the “Wide Overflow” model made by Chicago Rain Barrel. The compost bins are the Earth Machine model made by Norseman Plastics. Bins will cost $40 each and barrels $60 each, while supplies last Saturday, by cash or check only. Learn how to get the most out of your new earth-friendly products by attending a free seminar at 11 a.m. sponsored by the Conservation Foundation on “Creating Rain Gardens in Your Yard & Using Rain Barrels.” More information is available from the public works department at (847)697-3160, or the city’s Web site at www.cityofelgin.org.

Tags: Chicago, compost bin, Elgin, environment, green festival, Illinois, nature, rain barrel, rain gardens
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Beautiful gardens around Gail Borden?

I’m not sure that the Courier could publish an article that would excite me more. Click here for the full thing.

Water and wind turbines, a fish-watching spot, interactive games, rooftop gardens and babbling brooks could one day wrap around Gail Borden Public Library.

…

Hornig’s design includes cisterns that would capture water from the library roof. The water would then be directed into small streams, which would turn small turbines. Another spot, toward the Fox River, could have small windmills, which also would produce a small amount of power.

That power could be used to run an outdoor electronic game. “It’s like the game Simon,” where players must touch lighted screens in time with the game, Hornig said.

On the banks of the Fox River, the plan includes a fish library — a floating wetland in the river that would provide a habitat for the fish found in the Fox. To make that area accessible to people, a glass wall would be built into the bank.

Awesome!

Tags: Elgin, environment, fish, Fox River, Gail Borden Public Library, games, gardens, Illinois, nature, news, outdoors, rooftop garden, water, wetland, wind turbines, windmills
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Cool Globes!

DISCLOSURE: I was asked to write about this topic via e-mail. Often times I do not write about a topic when I am asked, but since this is Chicago and related to the environment, I thought I’d share it.

Essentially, the public art that has been around Chicago all summer is going to be auctioned off this week at www.coolglobes.org. The money goes to environmental efforts in Chicago. Read below for the text I was sent.

(Photo from chicagophotos.blogspot.com)

COOL GLOBES “RECYCLES” GLOBES BY BILL CLINTON, ROBERT REDFORD, MAGIC JOHNSON, TONY BENNETT AND MORE

Online auction of artist and celebrity-designed globes to benefit
environmental education for Chicago youth

For one week only, select large and mini-globes from this summer’s “Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet” exhibit in Chicago will be auctioned to raise funds for the Chicago Conservation Corp Clubs, which provide environmental education opportunities for Chicago’s youth.

The good news? Potential buyers of these works of art don’t have to be in Chicago to buy one. The auction will take place online, hosted by eBay.

The globes are part of Cool Globes, a project that uses the medium of public art to increase awareness about and inspire individuals and organizations to take action against global warming.

Artists from around the world designed the globes, each depicting a potential solution to global warming. About 200 mini-globes were also created for the exhibit and ongoing education initiatives.

Among the globes to be auctioned are mini-globes from:
• Bill Clinton
• Robert Redford
• David Schwimmer
• Tobey Maguire
• Eva Mendes
• Rob Corddry
• Jenny Lennon and the cast of “Reno 911”
• Magic Johnson
• Dave Winfield
• Chicago Bear Tommie Harris
• Tony Bennett
• BB King
• Heather Headley
• The Gypsy Kings

Details for the Cool Globes online auction are as follows:

WHEN: Begins—Monday, November 26 at 9:00 a.m.
Ends—Monday, December 3 at 9:00 a.m.

WHERE: To view globes or place a bid in the online auction, visit www.coolglobes.org.

Tags: auction, charity, Cool Globes, environment, public art
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