I GOT WORMS

Worms Working for You!

An hour workshop to show how simple it is to make quality compost for the home. A free hands on demonstration about vermi-composting.

Join us for FREE:

Saturday, May 30

10:30 a.m.

Independence Park Branch Library

3548 W. Irving Park Road Chicago IL 60618

For more information contact: conservationleen@gmail.com

*WIN YOUR OWN WORM BIN

*MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN  

                                                            

Spring 2014 - Chicago - Environmental Leadership Training

FWDUptown- Food Waste Disposer hits Uptown, Chicago

Chicago is progressive in its efforts to curb waste by bringing in new ideas and opportunities for conservation and sustainability.  

Uptown, Chicago is participating in a research project that is focusing on food waste diversion from landfills.  

Please spread the word.  supplies are limited.  

FWDUptown

https://www.facebook.com/FwdUptown/posts/606802736008996

TONIGHT - FWD - Food Waste Disposal FREE Information Night

WANT TO KEEP YOUR KITCHEN CLEAN, IMPROVE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HELP THE ENVIRONMENT?

Join Uptown’s Clean Kitchen, Green Community project

Eligible Participants Will Receive a FREE InSinkErator® Food Waste Disposer!

The Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) and InSinkErator are launching a research project in parts of Uptown. The project will promote the recycling of food scraps using in-sink food waste disposers, and assess how much disposers can reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills.

To be eligible to participate in this project, residents must own their homes (single family or two to four flats), not already have a disposer, and live in the following area of Uptown:

North of Lawrence, South of Foster and

West of Broadway, East of Clark

INFORMATION SESSION!

MONDAY, JULY 1st  

5 TO 7 PM

BEZAZIAN BRANCH LIBRARY

1226 W AINSLIE ST

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED!!

Residents chosen to participate will receive a free food waste disposer installed in their kitchen by a licensed plumber.

InSinkErator food waste disposer discount coupons available for those not eligible to participate!

Questions? For more information, please email: UptownFoodWaste@yahoo.com

We Are Still Rolling...

Last we spoke there was some uncertainty of the future of C3, but the Corps is alive and thriving under the guidance of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum!  I haven't blogged in a while because I have been tweeting (@lafleen) more these days.  

Happy Spring 2013! 

It's rained every day for the last week here, more or less, and it doesn't look like the forecast for next week is calling for anything different.  Not a ton of rain, but enough to give way for some beautiful flowers and spectacular greenery.  I look forward to walking through Portage Park witnessing the trees sprout pink, purple and white blossoms. 

And of course it is baseball season.  Some may complain that it is the most boring to watch, but golf is only watchable, according to my mother, because of the locations of the golf courses.  I concur.  Baseball, you bet.  Go, go White Sox!  

Johnathan Winters passed this week and it hit home because my dad loves him and his dad before as well.  It reminded me of my dad who is 72 and still doing well, but it does give a good feeling to know Winters had a good run at 87 and he wasn't nearly as healthy as my dad.  My dad loves baseball, too!  A legitimate Yankees fan from Long Island, NY.  

Sustain C3!! Please Read

3/6/2012 URGENT DATED INFORMATION Contact: Sustain C3 Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SustainC3@gmail.com, 312-566-7222

“LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL VOLUNTEERS ASK FOR HELP TO PRESERVE CITY-
WIDE PROGRAMS”

Volunteer leaders with the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) fear the defunding and dissolution of the program. The contract for C3 expires June 30th, 2012. Unless greater funding is secured, C3 and other environmental programs hosted by the City of Chicago - the Center for Green Technology, Greencorps Chicago, and the Sustainable Backyards Program - are all at risk of severely cutting services or discontinuing based upon a lack of City funding.

Over six years, the successful city-wide program has touched 50 wards and built a diverse environmental network that is open to all Chicagoans under the motto, “You Care. Do Something. We’ll help.” The mission of the Chicago Conservation Corps is to recruit, train and support a network of volunteer leaders who work together to improve the quality of life in Chicago neighborhoods and schools through environmental service projects that protect water, clean air, restore land, and save energy.

Mayor Emanuel has pledged, “I want Chicago to be the greenest city in the world, and I am committed to fostering opportunities for Chicagoans to make sustainability a part of their lives and their experience in the city” (City of Chicago Environment and Sustainability).

C3 wants to help the Mayor achieve this. Operating on an already modest yearly budget, with only three full-time staff organizers, C3 has a high return-on-investment. Major successes, like the closing of the Fisk and Crawford coal plants, require vast efforts from the city, non-profits, and volunteers alike. C3 is an important part of these broad efforts and will be essential in keeping Chicago a national leader in sustainability.

C3 leaders have requested a March meeting with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, David Spielfogel (Chief of Policy and Strategic Planning, Mayor’s Office), Karen Weigert (Chief Sustainability Officer) Aaron Joseph (Deputy Sustainability Officer) to discuss the future of and funding concerns for the C3 program in light of recent developments with its sister program, Greencorps Chicago. We care about our role in the greening of Chicago, and wish to insure that these types of opportunities are available for many years to come.

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Electric Common Sense

In reading this article re-posted in the Chicago Tribune, it occurred to me, aside from the shady Volt battery issue, that car companies have been completely retarded about promoting the electric and/or hybrid cars. CAR companies need to invest in charging stations at their franchises; most have the space for at least 2. If they cannot, they should then be able to promote other locations for charging thus encouraging other local businesses to promote their own stations and the use of electric and/or hybrid vehicles. If the government can apply a first time investor credit applicable to the net or gross, whichever is higher. Call me naive or ideological, but seriously, what will it take for CEOs of major car companies to understand in order to bring the horse to water, one must provide a source for the water.