Green Drinks Series: Steps Toward a Sustainable Future: Energy, Food & Water

Help Stop Fracking in Illinois

Please call into the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules today, and daily through Sept 15th, about the rules for fracking and say- "Please prohibit the rules for fracking.  The IDNR did not develop detailed plans for air pollution, radiation, seismicity and chemical disclosure that will actually protect Illinois residents from fracking related harm.  And what's up with the IDNR charging such low fines? Fracking can harm people, animals and the environment - why give the industry a pass?   The IDNR is understaffed and underfunded. They admit it themselves. They are not ready to take on the daunting task of regulating this dangerous industry.  We ask that you prohibit the rules for fracking." 12 calls to 12 members of the committee, in 6 days -- we can do this! Their office numbers can be found here: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/member.pdf

If JCAR, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, votes to prohibit the rules then that would shoot a hole in the hydraulic fracturing program in Illinois and would send the regulations back to the General Assembly for a do over -- yahoo!

The rules can be found at: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/OilandGas/Pages/PublicHearingTranscriptsAndComments.aspx

The IDNR admits, in their responses to the over 30,000 public comments about fracking, that they are understaffed, and that they face many challenges and unknowns about the daunting task of regulating of the fracking industry. (You can find it on page 14): http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/OilandGas/Documents/IDNR%20Response%20Document.pdf

Thanks for making these calls and passing this to your contacts, Frack Free Illinois https://www.facebook.com/FrackFreeIllinois

Here comes the sun . . . Solar discount program reduces cost by 25%

SolarChicago Workshop:  Thursday, August 21, 2014, 7:00-8:30pm, Oak Park Main Library, 834 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL  60301 This program helps homeowners pool their buying power to make going solar more affordable than ever (25% off the average installed cost) while helping to achieve community clean energy installation goals.  Solar Chicago was undertaken by the City of Chicago (City), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Vote Solar, a non-profit organization working to bring solar energy into the mainstream.  This initiative is available to Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and other Cook County residents as well.

Learn more from the program contractors about the basics of residential solar and have your questions answered at the upcoming workshop:  Thursday, August 21, 2014, 7:00-8:30pm at the Oak Park Main Library, 834 Lake St, Oak Park, hosted by Green Community Connections, Seven Generations Ahead / PlanItGreen, and the Interfaith Green Network.  The workshop is free and open to the public.  If you are unable to attend, program details are on the Solar Chicago web site.  (http://www.mygroupenergy.com/group/solarchicago/news)

Eminent Climate Scientist Advocates 3-Part Strategy to Combat Global Warming

“Continuation of high fossil fuel emissions, given current knowledge of the consequences, would be an act of extraordinary witting   intergenerational injustice.”                                                                                      -- James Hansen, et al, Abstract of “Assessing Dangerous Climate Change” Let the above statement sink in for a moment. It was written by James Hansen, widely considered the world's greatest climate scientist.  He has been researching global warming since the 1970s, and has been raising the alarm since 1988, when he gave Congressional testimony.  In 2013 he ended his 46-year career at NASA to put all his energy into global warming organizing.  Bill McKibben said of Hansen:  “He's done the most important science on the most important question there ever was.”

Recently, Dr. Hansen wrote an intriguing essay, “The Wheels of Justice,” which we would like to share with you. It is strong and actionable.  The essay outlines a three-front strategy required for success in the struggle to stabilize the planet.  The strategies are:

1.  Through the courts.  This front is less familiar to many. In his essay, he reports on a group called Our Children's Trust, which has gone to court to fight for the right of young people and future generations to have a livable planet.  This group has also produced a series of short documentary films called “Stories of Trust,” several of which were shown in the 2013 One Earth Film Festival. Action Opportunities:  Contribute to the legal costs of Our Children’s Trust, and use the short films to engage the community about legal challenges to government inaction.

2.  Public involvement. As Hansen points out, “The courts seldom get far ahead of the public.  Thus public involvement is a second essential front.”  He gives examples of civil rights advances ordered by the courts only after public support became too great to ignore. In the current struggle for our right to a livable planet, Hansen highlights 350.org as the primary leader on this front. Action Opportunities:  Participate in The People’s Climate March on Sept 21^st in New York City. Join the Chicago chapter of 350.org and/or make a donation.

3.  A gradually rising carbon fee. Finally, Hansen says, “No matter how many people participate, if young people do not demand a policy that will actually work, the effort may be largely wasted.” The workable solution Hansen supports is “ to collect a gradually rising carbon fee from fossil fuel companies and distribute 100% of the funds in equal payments to all legal residents."  Hansen names the non-partisan Citizens' Climate Lobby, which works systematically to educate and engage support of legislators and the public, as the leader on this front.  Action Opportunity:  Join the local chapter of Citizen’s Climate Lobby that meets in Oak Park.  It's free to join, and you'll meet many smart, resilient, committed neighbors who are standing with us in this fight. The next meeting is July 12^th.  See calendar for details.

In addition to this three-pronged approach, Dr Hansen makes two central arguments:

First, all three approaches – court battles, public involvement and lobbying for a carbon fee – are needed, and buttress each other.

Second, we need a carbon tax. Schemes involving caps on emissions or alternative fuel mandates are inadequate and misleading.

While not an easy read, “The Wheels of Justice” is worth wading through and is even encouraging to know that these three strategies combined could actually generate necessary change.

Solar Chicago pools purchasing power and reduces cost 25%

Owners of single-family homes and two-flats in Chicago and surrounding communities can participate in a new  solar discount program that pools buying power to make going solar more affordable than ever (25% off).  Take these three easy steps to get started:

1.       Learn about the program:  Attend an upcoming workshop on Thursday, August 21, 2014, 7:00-8:30pm at the Oak Park Main Library, 834 Lake St, Oak Park. Learn the basics of residential solar from the program contractors, Juhl Energy / Microgrid Solar,  and have your questions answered. The event is hosted by Green Community Connections, Seven Generations Ahead / PlanItGreen, and the Interfaith Green Network.  If you are unable to attend, find program details on the Solar Chicago web site.

2.      Sign up, with no obligation:  Register at the 8/21 event above or at www.mygroupenergy.com/group/solarchicago. Once you register, Juhl Energy / Microgrid Solar will contact you to schedule a free on-site evaluation. 

3.      Have your home evaluated.  A contractor will help you determine what works best for your needs and budget and provide you with a written, no-obligation proposal and price quote.

October deadline:  Homeowners have until October to sign a contract and lock in the savings offered through SolarChicago.

Help Spread the Word:  More participants means a better deal for you and more clean, reliable solar power for your community.  If the group collectively installs more than 100 kilowatts of new solar capacity, the Juhl / Microgrid Solar team will provide each homeowner with an additional cash incentive.

Here comes the sun, at a discount!

Solar Chicago is a new, community-wide group solar discount program offered by the City of Chicago, the World Wildlife Fund and Vote Solar, a non-profit organization working to bring solar energy into the mainstream. This initiative is available to Oak Park and other Cook County residents.  Through this program the contractor will offer residential solar to the program's participants starting at $3.49 per-watt — more than a 25% discount off average market installation costs. Please join us for an informational workshop on the Solar Chicago Discount Solar Program on Thursday, August 21, 2014, 7:00-8:30pm, at the Oak Park Main Library, 834 Lake Street, Oak Park, to learn more about the program.   There will be opportunities learn more about how the program works and to ask questions.

This program is intended to help homeowners pool their buying power to secure significant discounts that make installing solar more affordable than ever. Solar Chicago simplifies the process of researching and choosing a solar provider, making it easy for you to save money and produce clean, renewable energy.  Oak Park and Chicago are part of the core program area that will receive a guaranteed base installed price of $3.49 /w.  Installations outside the core program area but within Cook County will receive a base installed price of $3.59 /w.

See the web site for more information.After vetting several solar companies, a community evaluation committee has selected the team of Juhl Renewable Energy Systems and Microgrid Solar as Solar Chicago's installation partner.

The program will only available through September 30, 2014. Now is a good time to explore solar power for your home!  You can register to receive a no cost / no obligation proposal through Solar Chicago. The contractor will schedule free site evaluation and provide you with a proposal specific to your home.

Please help spread the word about Solar Chicago to your co-workers, friends, family and neighbors.  Solar Chicago Information Session Flyer.

To learn more, visit: http://www.mygroupenergy.com/group/solarchicago/news/

Information excerpted from SolarChicago web site

Euclid Ave UMC Solar Dedication and Sustainability Fair

Please join Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church and the Interfaith Green Network and a host of special guests for the dedication of Euclid's Solar Energy array and a Sustainability Fair.  The public is invited to join us on Friday, August 22nd, 4-6pm, at 405 S. Euclid Ave, Oak Park, as we share accomplishments and works in progress in our journey toward reducing our carbon footprint and caring for God's creation.   Refreshments will be served and there will be opportunities to socialize and learn about how you can make a difference in your congregation and home with sustainability initiatives including:

• An installed geothermal system which provides heating and cooling to our buildings and reduced  energy consumption by 81%
• Use of  permeable brick in our parking lot to make sure 100% of the rainwater is absorbed into the ground and replenishes the water table .
• The amount of trash that we send to the landfill has been reduced by increased recycling and composting.
• Butterfly Sanctuary:  Children and adults from the congregation have planted native plants to provide habitat for birds, bees & butterflies.
• And most recently we have installed 99 solar voltaic panels on the roof that will provide 27% of the electricity needed.

Please RSVP to Dick Alton (richard.alton@gmail.com or call 773-344-7172) so we will be sure to have enough chairs and food!

Community Profile: Julie Carlson and her River Forest Passive Solar Home

This month, the 2014 GreenBuilt Home Tour stops at two innovative homes in Oak Park and River Forest: one is a thoughtful green rehab with a greywater system, the other is a spectacular custom-built, passive solar home. The self-guided tour, which showcases the best in sustainable design and construction in home building and remodeling in Illinois, runs Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27. We chatted with one of the homeowners, Julie Carlson, about her River Forest passive solar home. Read on to learn Julie's biggest challenge in building the home. (Hint:  Julie, an editor by profession, acquired a whole new vocabulary to meet the challenge.) Plus, discover which stainless steel appliance is her favorite green feature of the home...but it's not for cooking!

In June 2013, Julie and Quinn Carlson broke ground on a custom green home built to passive house specifications. Their passive solar house includes features like a super-insulated, air-tight building envelope and massive specialized windows that minimize airflow and maximize energy capture from the sun. Completed in May 2014, the home meets or exceeds multiple national certification standards for green building, air quality and energy performance. A recent energy audit revealed that their home earned a super-low 21 rating on the Home Energy Rating System (HERS), which is the most efficient score of all 17 homes on this year's GreenBuilt tour.

Here's what Julie had to say about the project:

GCC:  When you began thinking about building a home, what were your top goals?

Julie Carlson: In building this home, we really thought a lot about our children and how important it is to make a healthy home for them. In addition, we agreed that we wanted the home to be energy efficient, but also blend with all the beautiful older homes in the neighborhood.  We wanted to preserve the large backyard where our kids could play. That meant having a contained building footprint with a smart floor plan that fit our family of four. Space planning took a long time. We thought about every room and how we would use it. For example, we opted not to have a formal dining room or living room. Our dining table is in our kitchen/great room.

GCC: Why did you choose passive solar as the main strategy?

JC: The ultimate goal in green building these days is a "Net Zero" home, where your home produces as much energy as it uses. But that is hard to achieve in Chicago's climate. We thought we could get close to Net Zero with a passive solar, all-electric home.

I haven't turned on the air-conditioner yet. It's been really comfortable so far. We don't have a traditional furnace for winter. Instead, we have massive windows that let the sun warm up the house in the winter, and the home is super insulated and sealed tightly, so there's very little airflow from outside.

GCC: What was the biggest challenge to building a green home?

JC: My husband would say it was the budget. When you're building green, everything costs more, from the LED lights to the paint.

My biggest challenge was educating myself about green building. It was a lot of work! But in the end it was great, and I learned a lot. For example, now I know what a "lumen" is [the amount of light emitted by a source]. And when we started work on the closets and cabinetry, I learned that we should avoid products made out of medium density fiberboard (MDF) or particle board because of the toxins in it, which was really difficult to do, because it's everywhere!

GCC: What are your favorite green features of the house?

JC: Our giant windows not only bring in light and warm the house in the winter, they also look good and function well. They are aligned on the south side of the house and are specially designed in Europe for passive houses.

Another feature is the Energy Recovery Ventilation System – essentially the "lungs" of the home. Most homes are leaky and naturally breathe to allow fresh air inside. But our home is so tightly sealed, we need this equipment to exhaust out the stale air and bring in fresh air.

Finally, I love the smell, or lack of one: it doesn't smell like a new home! We used building materials with no or low amounts of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Our contractor put up signs on all the doors to warn workers not to bring toxic materials inside the house. We even purchased floor model furniture that had already off-gassed the bad stuff. We are all sleeping better, and the house feels really healthy.

You can see the Carlson's homes during the GreenBuilt Tour July 26-27. The Oak Park home of Ana and Jim Doyle is also featured on the tour. Their award-winning rehabbed home features one of the first residential greywater systems in Illinois. Learn more at greenbuilthometour.org.

Green Living: Caulk Your Way to A Lower Carbon Footprint

Insulating and caulking air leaks in your home isn't sexy, but aside from trading your car for a bike or train pass, it could be one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce your carbon footprint. With savings in reduced utility bills, the payback can be realized within several years, and -- with currently available energy rebates -- even sooner. Elevate Energy, formerly CNT Energy, is a non-profit that has worked with Illinois residents since 2000 to create and promote programs to help make home energy retrofits even easier. Elevate Energy's mission is to promote smarter energy use (www.elevateenergy.org). Skyler Larrimore, local adviser for Elevate Energy, is hosting workshops at local libraries in June and July.  Click CONTINUE READING for schedule.

Home Energy Savings Workshops

Berwyn Public Library (2701 Harlem Avenue): Monday, June 16 7-8 p.m.

River Forest Public Library (735 Lathrop Ave): Monday, June 16 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Forest Park Public Library (7555 Jackson Blvd): Monday, June 23 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Elmwood Park Public Library (1 Conti Pkwy.): Thursday, July 10 6:30-7:30 p.m.

At these workshops, Larrimore will present information on local resources you can use to make your home more comfortable, keep gas and electric bills in check, and increase home value. She will also highlight how you can use Smart Grid and Smart Meter technology to reduce your energy bills still more.

Elevate Energy estimates that with an energy retrofit (including air sealing and insulating), a typical home can save 300 therms of natural gas and 770 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. As of April, Elevate Energy says that Oak Park and River Forest residents who have gone through their program have saved a combined 690,697 total pounds of carbon dioxide and an estimated total of $62,800 on annual utility costs.

Contact Skyler at Skyler.Larrimore@elevateenergy.org or at 773-407-3784 to learn more.