Ask Eco Gal—Leave Smaller Footprints this Summer

By Mayre Press

Dear Eco Gal,
My family spends lots of time outdoors each summer. How can we enjoy activities such as grilling and picnics, while still being Earth friendly?
Concerned Mom

Dear Concerned Mom,

First, you might want to re-think your grilling habit. Propane gas burns cleaner than charcoal or wood, but is a nonrenewable resource. For outdoor cooking, electric grills are the least polluting, with 91% less CO2 emissions than charcoal and 21% less CO2 than propane. If you must use charcoal, avoid the easy-light kind because the lighter fluid it's soaked in releases several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air while burning.

Think out-of-the-grill and give solar cooking a try. When you use a GLOBAL SUN OVEN® to bake, boil, or steam your food, the heat stays outdoors, saving energy costs while reducing your carbon footprint. It's amazing how the sun can transform ordinary foods into mouth-watering delights while cutting fossil fuel consumption.

The SUN OVEN can be set up or taken down in a matter of seconds. The reflectors literally fall into place at an angle that allows you to maximize the power of the sun. They are made of highly polished, anodized aluminum that can be cleaned quickly and easily with glass cleaner and will never oxidize or rust. Its size is 19'' x 19,'' with an average depth of 11'' and weighs only 21 pounds. The SUN OVEN retails for about $279 (less than many gas grills) and might be one the best investments you'll ever make. Visit www.sunoven.com for more details.

After cooking turkey burgers and steaming brats, serve your eco-friendly meal on tableware made from 100% recycled plastic (including yogurt cups). Preserve® plates, cutlery and tumblers are dishwasher safe, reusable and recyclable (where #5 plastics are collected). All Preserve products are made in the USA, so they can be shipped shorter distances using less fuel and limiting their carbon footprint. Check out other reusable items at www.recycline.com.

When shopping for your cookout or picnic, don't forget to stock up on fruits and veggies from local farmers' markets. Some of these markets even sell meats, cheeses and baked goods. Also remember to take reusable bags or baskets to hold your purchases.

Don't go outdoors without sun-damage protection even if your skin is prone to tanning, not burning. The FDA recommends using a broad-spectrum (protects from both UVA and UVB rays) sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater to protect uncovered skin. For best results, apply the sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every 1-1/2 to 2 hours even on cloudy days and after swimming or sweating.

Choose a lip balm from Eco Lips® and your purchase will serve two purposes. First, healing organic herbs and moisturizing organic vegetable oils provides lasting sun protection for your lips. Second, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Eco Lips was set in the heart of the flood that devastated parts of the Midwest. The water current of the Cedar River literally ran through the company headquarters where its sales, production and fulfillment were located. The good news is that Eco Lips is up and running in a new space and striving to make up for its losses. Please consider helping this small company's recovery by ordering online at www.ecolips.com.

With some careful planning and shopping, your family can enjoy the outdoors this summer with minimal impact on Planet Earth.

Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com

Evanston's Civic Center: An Opportunity to Model Sustainability

By Ellen Galland and Eleanor Revelle

In October 2006, the Evanston City Council authorized Mayor Morton to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, thereby committing the city to reduce Evanston's greenhouse gas emissions to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012 — the target set by the Kyoto Protocol for developed countries like the U.S.

Council members now have an opportunity to make significant progress towards this goal by making sustainability a priority in their decisions about the future of Evanston's Civic Center.

It's encouraging that the council is investigating the scope of rehab work that would be required to make the existing building safe and healthy for continued use in the near term. At a minimum, renovations are needed in the areas of life safety and ADA compliance — basic provisions of the building code that the city itself enforces on others. Roof repairs are also clearly needed so as to avoid further water damage and mold formation and to allow removal of the scaffolding, which is both an eyesore and an ongoing expense to the city.

But as council members consider allocating funds to this much deferr ed maintenance project, they should also commit themselves to renovating the Civic Center for the long term. A decision to remain in the existing building, updated in accord with as many green design principles as practical, is the most sustainable option for Evanston's civic headquarters. As is often noted in preservation circles, "the greenest building is the one that is already built."

Benefits of renovation over new construction
Renovating the existing structure will make use of the large investment in its embodied energy — the energy required to extract and process raw materials, transport finished products to the site and put up the building. Constructing a new civic center of comparable size would require a similar investment of new energy and resources.

Moreover, if the current Civic Center were to be sold and torn down, the "demolition energy" — the energy required to raze, load and haul away the old building — would also figure into the calculation of the energy investment in constructing a new facility.

The energy that would be consumed in building a new 100,000-square-foot civic center would be roughly equivalent to 1.4 million gallons of gasoline — or slightly more than 14,000 tons of CO2. The energy needed to demolish the old building would be the equivalent of about 10,400 gallons of gasoline — or 102 tons of CO2. (Calculations were made using an embodied energy calculator based on a model developed by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.)

A rehab project would also consume energy — but far less than new construction. As an example, in an analysis of the adaptive reuse of an 80,000-square-foot hotel into office and commercial space, the ACHP found that the renovation required less than one-fifth of the energy for materials and construction as needed for a comparable new facility. For the Civic Center, this would translate into a savings of over 1.1 million gallons of gasoline — or more than 11,000 tons of CO2.

Even compared to a highly energy-efficient new facility, the rehab option comes out ahead. The annual savings in operational energy for a new civic center would be but a small fraction of the amount of energy required for its construction.

Greening the civic center

Restoring the Civic Center also provides an opportunity to model how green best practices can be employed in older structures, demonstrating to other Evanston property owners the feasibility and environmental benefits of reusing older buildings. Goals for a sustainable, redeveloped Civic Center could include the following —

• Maximize the use of sustainable materials. Repair and reuse existing materials where possible. Insist that new materials have recycled content and that wood products come from independently certified, well-managed forests. Seek locally-produced materials.

• Improve the building's energy performance. Increase insulation levels. Provide for zoned heating and cooling and natural ventilation. Install high-efficiency lights and mechanical equipment, programmable thermostats, and high-performance windows. Explore active solar systems for hot water heating and for electricity.

• Promote water conservation. Install dual-flush toilets and water-efficient faucets.

• Enhance indoor air quality. Use only low-VOC finishes and formaldehyde-free materials.

• Emphasize green solutions to stormwater management. Use permeable materials for walkways, patios, and parking areas. Install rain gardens and bioswales. Collect rainwater from roof surfaces and reuse for irrigation. Landscape with water-efficient, climate-appropriate plants.

• Minimize environmental impact throughout. Reduce light pollution with diffuse lighting. Provide ample bicycle parking. Make it easy for city staff and visitors to recycle. Recycle construction waste.

Over the last six months, city staff and community volunteers have been collaborating on the development of an Evanston Climate Action Plan, a set of strategies designed to put us on the path towards fulfilling the commitment made in signing the Climate Protection Agreement. A green renovation of the existing Civic Center will advance this important goal.

Online resources

Assessing the Energy Conservation Benefits of Historic Preservation: Methods and Examples, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. http://www.thegreenestbuilding.org/1979_A CHP_Energy_Conserv_and_Hist_Pres.pdf

Embodied Energy Calculator. http://www.thegreenestbuilding.org/

Idle Cars Do the Devil's Work

By Jordan Graham

Since its conception about a year ago, School District 65's Ad-Hoc Green/Sustainability Committee has dedicated itself to developing environmentally sound practices, specifically aimed at reducing the size of the District's carbon footprint. The group, composed of teachers, administrators, parents, community members and members of District 65's Board of Education, has, among other things, devoted energy towards an anti-idling campaign.

An idling vehicle is defined as one that remains parked or immobile for any period of time with the engine running. According to a series of fact sheets provided by the Ad-Hoc Green Committee, idling is fiscally and environmentally irresponsible and is bad for health.

An idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollutants than one traveling at 32 miles per hour, and one hour of idling can burn up to a gallon of fuel.

With every gallon of fuel producing about 19 pounds of carbon dioxide, as well as significant amounts of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, benzene and other toxic chemicals, the Ad-Hoc Green Committee seeks to inform the public of the numerous harmful effects that idling can cause.

"People idle out of ignorance," says Katie Bailey, a member of the committee, as well as the Board of Education. "They don't necessarily know how bad it is." Ms. Bailey, who referred to the proposed policy as one that is "primarily educational," says she hopes that word of mouth will help to spread the message, adding that part of the goal is "to just get people to think about what they are doing."

Dick Peach, a committee member and manager of Dempster Auto Rebuilders, said he agrees. When asked how the policy might be enforced, he says he believes that the public wants to help. "You don't have to beat people over the head with a club," said Mr. Peach. "If you put the verbiage in, simple little things, the impact is huge. A lot of it is common sense." Mr. Peach cited distributing literature and classroom education as key tools in the process.

Both Ms. Bailey and Mr. Peach pointed to the fact that in this case, individuals, too, will benefit through "greener" actions. According to documents provided by the Ad-Hoc Green/Sustainability committee, "just 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine," and "idling your vehicle for 10 minutes a day uses more than 27 gallons of fuel a year." With gas prices over $4 and rising steadily, Mr. Peach says he hopes financial incentives will help steer people towards their cause. Stressing that idling can also cause health and engine problems, the committee provides plenty of reasons to park and turn off the engine.

The District has already taken steps towards a greener future. District 65 contracts its busing responsibilities out to Alltown Bus Service, which has chosen to implement an anti-idling policy for several years now. Recently, according to District officials, District 65 has begun the process of joining the Illinois Sustainable Schools Compact, which aims to lower carbon emissions and conserve energy throughout the state.

In addition to the anti-idling campaign, the Ad-hoc Green/Sustainability Committee has put forth efforts to reduce energy consumption, improve recycling and waste management programs, and implement new environmentally friendly policies in Evanston's schools. Though bigger plans may lie ahead for the committee, right now the group chooses to focus on the "small, obvious changes" centered on communication and education.

"Many in our community will make simple changes," reads the group's informational packet, "once they are educated on why it is important and how easy it is to make those changes. Conservation needs to be second nature to every student, teacher, parent and administrator."

The Ad-Hoc Green/Sustainability Committee hopes to finalize the environmental policy on Aug. 12.

Fifth NU Solar Car to Race in North American Solar Challenge

Forty undergraduate students at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science have designed and built a car fueled by the energy of the sun. The solar car, called NUsolar sc5, will race against more than 20 teams from universities around the world in this summer's North American Solar Challenge.

The student team, representing a range of disciplines, has worked on the vehicle for two years, creating a lightweight car that, in addition to being powered by Sunpower A-300 solar cells, also harnesses the latest lithium-ion battery technology. The car is called NUsolar sc5 because it is the fifth created by the Northwestern University Solar Car Team in the past 10 years.

The team and car headed to Texas on July 3 for qualifying trials and the start of the race. Four students will alternate driving the car 2,400 miles from Plano, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta, Canada.The race will last from July 13 to 23.

Students Vytas Bradunas and Patrick Markan are co-managers of Northwestern's solar car team project. Advisers to the team are Kornel Ehmann, James N. and Nancy J. Farley Professor in Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship; Walter Herbst, director of the Master of Product Development program at McCormick; and
Chi-Haur Wu, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science.

Pictured with the solar car (without the solar panels that fit on top) during a practice run on June 30 are, left to right, Professor Wu, Ren Chung Yu, Patrick Markan, Vytas Bradunas and Phil Dziedzic.

The Evanston Diving Team: No Ordinary Volunteers

By Judy Chiss

Repairing massive underwater equipment in Lake Michigan is all in a day's work for two members of the Evanston Water Department's scuba team. Photos by Judy Chiss

If Bob Bauer, crew leader in the Sewer Division of Evanston's Water Department, is wearing a diving suit, fins, mask and an oxygen tank at the Church Street Pier, no one should assume he is goofing off or playing on the job.

He is one of three City employees in the Water Department who make up the scuba diving team, a group that assists in the removal and control of zebra mussels in Evanston's water supply and water treatment equipment.

Mr. Bauer and his diving colleagues, Mike Steinbuck and Gordon Campbell, are all certified scuba divers with 49 years of collective diving experience. They volunteer for this portion of their Sewer Division duties, and their work contributions are saving the City significant outside contract dollars.

Scuba team members prepare for a dive.

The Evanston Water Department's dive team is a small but important part of the 42-person staff that keeps the water utility operating 24 hours/day and seven days/week - filtering, treating and analyzing our tap water.

As the Department treats Lake Michigan water to make it clean and drinkable to more than 350, 000 suburban residents, it relies on large intake pipes that draw lake water into its pumping facilities. These underwater pipes, if not carefully monitored, become infiltrated with the formidable but small freshwater mollusk, the zebra mussel, a hitchhiker mollusk originating in Eastern European fresh waters.

These recent invaders were first noted in 1988 in a small lake connecting Lake Huron and Lake Erie, and scientists believe it is likely that they were transplanted to U.S waters in the discharged ballast water of an ocean ship. The mollusks have been an expensive menace over the last 20 years since they have invaded American rivers and lakes; and many municipalities spend millions of dollars each year attempting to control the small but prolific striped mussels.

Before the Evanston dive team began its volunteer operation 18 years ago, Evanston's annual budget allocated $20,000 for underwater inspections done by contracted divers.

Today the Evanston dive team's contribution far exceeds that amount, in part because the divers manually clear the interior pipes of attached mussels, test the chlorine levels annually, and replace and repair damaged equipment. One of the team members estimated that the City has saved about $200,000 since the inception of the dive team.

"What we're doing looks like lots of fun, but it's pretty hard work, actually," said Bob Bauer. "If you are claustrophobic, you'd have a hard time wearing the gear. When we're zipped into our suits and have the full mask on, only our eyes are visible. We've got earphones and a microphone built in the mask, and every part of the body is covered," he said.

Gordon Campbell, whose regular job in the Sewer Division is maintenance, explained that the cold temperatures of Lake Michigan, (often below 60 degrees) necessitate wearing a scuba dry suit and insulated clothing underneath.

Mr. Steinbuck, superintendent of the sewer division, said the cumbersome nature of the diving gear calls for the team members to use a dive propulsion device, an underwater sea scooter, to maximize diver's energy and the air capacity available. "When I first started diving for the City, I used my own suit and gear, but as things wore out the City has replaced the suit and purchased gear for each of us," Mr. Steinbuck said.

"The scuba work is all voluntary on the part of the team," said Dave Stoneback, superintendent of the Evanston Water Utility. "It's not required. We used to hire contractors but now are able to do it in-house."

Mr. Stoneback explained that the scuba team has the necessary mechanical skills to do the job formerly done by contractors, and that the divers use the new Evanston rescue boat borrowed from Evanston's Parks/Forestry and Recreation Division.

The control technique used by Evanston - a common one used by other water plants - involves injecting warm chlorine into the mouth of the large underwater intake pipes.

Mr. Stoneback noted that the zebra mussel protocol is used when the water is calm and there is minimal wave action that would force chlorinated water back out of the pipes into the lake. The work of the Evanston scuba team is generally done in late summer or early fall, when the lake is warmest. One recent March, however, when the lake temperature was a mere 50 degrees, the team made a dive to replace a broken piece of equipment.

Through video and in-person inspection of the underwater pipes, Bob Bauer said that he and his scuba teammates have noticed a recent decrease in the zebra mussel population in the lake. "We assume the zebra mussel decrease is because the mollusk has a new predator, the round goby," said Mr. Bauer. The goby, a 7-10 inch bottom-dwelling fish also from Eastern European waters, is noted for its voracious appetite, prolific spawning and aggressive behavior.

With the changing ecosystem of the Great Lakes and more exotic species in evidence, it may well be that the Evanston Water Department's scuba team will have a vital job to do for years to come.

Ask Eco-Gal: Green Ideas for Father's Day

By Mayre Press

Last month's suggestions were for moms; now dads can be the recipients of green gifts for Father's Day. For something he will use every day, how about a green razor? Much safer than the straight razors used decades ago, yet not as wasteful as today's disposables, the Preserve Razor shaves clean and close and comes in an environment-friendly package. Its titanium-coated blades are polished, and the ergonomic handle is made from 100-percent recycled plastic made from products like yogurt cups. Go to www.recycline.com

The man with a sensitive side would appreciate Aveda Men's Shave Cream for a comfortable close, smooth shave. Its rich conditioners -- including peppermint, lavender and aloe -- pamper skin and provide easy razor glide. The cream also helps prevent nicks, dryness and irritations. Aveda After-Shave Balm is cooling and aromatic. Its soothing lavender, aloe and chamomile extracts respond to skin irritations such as razor burn and dryness. Get details on both products at aveda.com.

The HYmini personal wind turbine, a hand-held, universal charger/adapter device, should please gadget-lovers. The energy stored in its internal battery can be used to recharge a cell phone, MP3 player, iPod, PDA, digital camera or other 5V device. Dad can attach the HYmini to his bike with the HYmini bicycle attachment kit and charge a mobile power supply while on the road at wind speeds above 9 m.p.h.

Dad will also get a charge out of the Solio Classic Charger, available in white, black or silver. With one hour of sun, he can harness enough juice to play his iPod for about an hour or get up to 25 minutes of additional talk time on most cell phones. Solio's
compact lightweight design makes it convenient for travel or emergency use. Both devices are available at TerraPass.com.

For a father who quenches his thirst with a brew, there is organic beer -- a sampler package of India Pale Ale microbrews from various certified-organic award-winning breweries. The Organic IPA Beer Sampler, now available in a 6- or 8-pack, features two 12-ounce bottles each of Wolovers India Pale Ale, Bison IPA, Eel River IPA, and Fish Tale Organic IPA.

Does dad get a thrill from working the grill? Buy him a Stainless Steel Master Grill Set that features stainless steel tools with brushed stainless steel handles. The 20-piece set has a multi-function spatula, three-prong fork, marinating brush, four shish-kabob skewers, eight corn-on-the-cob holders, gripping tongs, barbecue knife, grill-cleaning brush and two extra grill-cleaning brush heads. It comes in an aluminum case that securely holds each tool in place.

Whether dad serves burgers or brats, a Gourmet Mustard Set will spice things up. The fat-free mustards come in these tantalizing flavors: Green Olive and Lemon Mustard, Chipotle and Lime Mustard, Ginger and Honey Mustard, Roasted Tomato and Balsamic Mustard. Each set includes four 8-ounce jars. Order the beer sampler, grill set and gourmet mustards online at ecoexpress.com.

For do-it-yourself dads, a bottle of Amazing EcoGlue has many applications. This water-based adhesive has less than 1 percent VOCs (volatile organic compounds), no animal derivatives, excellent water resistance and 100 percent recyclable packaging. EcoGlue bonds to a wide variety of substrates, including wood, stone, metal, tile, glass and cloth. For more information, go to eclecticproducts.com/ecoglue.

Now in its ninth season at the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Model Railroad Garden would make a great Father's Day outing. This year the outdoor exhibit features the West, with model trains, miniature representations of America's best-loved landmarks and colorful small-scale gardens. Check the garden's website for details: chicagobotanic.org/railroad.

Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com.

Green Ideas for Mothers' Day

By Mayre Press

Honor both Mom and Mother Earth by choosing green gifts this Mother's Day. A fine example is Organic Bouquet, the market leader in organic flowers. Their products are available online (organicbouquet.com) and in natural food stores, such as Whole Foods Markets, nationwide.

For moms who like to be green and stylish, try these ideas. Oregon Sewn finds leather and upholstery remnants and uses those reclaimed materials to create beautiful and useful products such as handbags and decorative pillows. Their Rainstone shoulder bags are designed and handcrafted by Oregon women and available at oregonsewn.com in a variety of exterior leather colors and interior fabric patterns.

Jewelry designer Stefanie Wolf recently introduced her Recycled Elements line featuring handmade objects. Her reincarnated glass pieces are from reused soda and beer bottles, window panes, and industrial scraps. The reclaimed silver comes from old jewelry and chemical and industrial processes such as film developing. All of the rings and wire in this collection are 100 percent recycled silver. The chains and other clasps contain mixed recycled content. Visit stefaniewolfdesigns.com to see her eco designs.

Greenheart, an eco and fair trade store, is located in Chicago's River North District at 746 N. LaSalle St. (312-264-1625). Convenient to both CTA Brown and Red line el stops at Chicago Avenue, Greenheart carries fun, unique and contemporary products that customers will feel good about buying. Shop for a variety of goods including recycled accessories and handbags, home goods, gourmet treats, cook books, glassware, jewelry, travel gear, personal care, organic t-shirts and more. Check out the merchandise at greenheartshop.org.

New moms will love a comfortable all-cotton Moby Wrap from Punkin-Butt, an online retailer (punkinbutt.com) that sells cloth diapers and other products for babies. The Moby Wrap is designed to use a mother's entire back and shoulders to carry the weight of the baby. There are no buckles, snaps or other fasteners. It is easy to adjust the fit of a Moby Wrap by varying how tightly it wraps mother and baby.

To shop locally for Mothers' Day gifts, visit Evanston's eco-friendly stores. Healthy Green Goods, 702 Main St. (847-864-9098) offers organic and natural clothing, tableware and gifts, personal care items, bags and totes, and books. Browse these items and more online at healthygreengoods.com. A bit farther north is Ethical Planet, 1110 Davis St. (847-866-2088), which promotes itself as "all vegan, all the time." Among the gift ideas there are vegan shoes, accessories, clothing, jewelry, candles and more. Shop online at ethicalplanet.com.

For a Mothers' Day outing, attend the no-fossil-fuel annual Mothers' Day House Walk offered by the Evanston History Center. Get an inside look at some of the finest private homes in the Ridge Historic District on May 11, 12-5 p.m., rain or shine. Call the EHC at 847-475-3410 to order tickets: $35 in advance, $40 on Mothers' Day (note: children 12 and over require tickets); Visa, MC and checks are accepted. Tickets are available for pick-up at the History Center, 225 Greenwood St., starting at 11 a.m. on May 11.

Moms, spouses or friends who are green-living devotees will enjoy the Green Festival, May 17-18, at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. It is accessible by public transit, and the $15 entry fee covers all activities for one day or the whole weekend. In addition to more than 300 exhibits of eco-friendly goods and services, there
will be presentations, special program-ming and healthy foods. For details, go to greenfestivals.org.

Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com.

Recycle. A Second Life for Everyday Household Items

By Allison Hagey

When April weather finally arrives, it is refreshing to step outside and flex long-unused muscles for spring cleaning. Instead of heaping trash bins full of unwanted junk along the curb for someone else to deal with, readers are invited to take a look at the places where lesser-known recyclables can be sent.

Tennis Shoes
One person's trashed-up tennis shoes are another's track token. Shoes still in usable condition can be donated to needy athletes and children in third-world countries or recycled into sustainable athletic and playground surfaces.

Chute Middle School, 1400 Oakton St., is running its annual athletic shoe drive in cooperation with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) and Nike's recycling program, Reuse-A-Shoe, through April 25.

With Reuse-A-Shoe, shoes are ground up and purified to become "Nike Grind," the material used for sports surfacing product ranges, such as basketball and tennis courts, running tracks, soccer fields, fitness flooring and playground safety surfacing.Shoes can be brought to Chute's school office.

SWANCC will also host their own athletic shoe recycling event in cooperation with the Reuse-A-Shoe program on May 7 and 8 at the Glenview Transfer Station, 3 Providence Dr.

Shoes can also be dropped off at various retail stores, such as Sportmart, 7233 W. Dempster in Niles, and at Nike's store locations, such as Chicago's Niketown, 669 N. Michigan Ave. All brands are accepted, but shoes must have no cleats, metal or lights. More information about Reuse-A-Shoe can be found at www.nike.com.

One World Running, a non-profit organization located in Boulder, Colo. donates shoes that are still in usable condition to needy children in third world countries.Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 2223, Boulder, Colo. 80306. Call 303-473-1314 for more information. One World Running sends shoes that are too beat up for shipment overseas to Reuse-A-Shoe.

Hazardous Waste
Since the City does not collect household chemical waste (HCW), it can be taken to Goose Island, 1150 N. Branch St. in Chicago. Phone ahead to determine availability and hours, 312-744-7672. There is also a one-day collection on April 19 in Chicago at DeVry Technical Institute, 3300 N. Campbell. HCW includes aerosol paints and pesticides, lawn chemicals, antifreeze, mercury, cleaning products, old gasoline, drain cleaners and oil-based paints. Visit www.swancc.org for more information on accepted HCW and collections.

Latex Paint Disposal
Latex paint will not be accepted at HCW collections. However, it can be disposed of at home because it does not contain toxic material.

If it is not possible to use up paint completely, shredded newspapers, kitty litter, or Waste Paint Hardener (available at most hardware stores) can be added to latex paint. After the paint has dried, put the container in the garbage with the lid off so the garbage hauler knows the can is empty.

Also, many local theatre groups, churches and housing authorities will accept leftover paint and put it to good use. If the paint is not usable and drying it out is not an option, Millen Ace Hardware, 1219 Wilmette Ave. in Wilmette, will take the paint in its original container. The charge is $1.50/qt., $2.50/gal., and $8/5 gal.

Chicago's Goose Island Facility also hosts a free latex paint swap. Residents can either safely dispose of unwanted-but-usable paint, take home free paint or do both. Call 312-744-7606 for more information.

Bicycles
Give an old bike a new home. RRB Cycles, 614 Davis St., is a drop-off point for donating used cycles to Working Bikes, a Chicago non-profit that "diverts bicycles from the waste stream in Chicago by repairing them for sale and charity." Lee Ravenscroft of Working Bikes says they donate the bikes to needy countries such as Angora, Tanzania, Guatemala and Cuba. "Cubans are desperate for bikes," he says. "They ride them forever." Working Bikes will accept any bike in any condition. Contact Working Bikes, 312-421-5048, or www.workingbikes.org for more information.

Similar organizations in Chicagoland include Evanston's The Recyclery, 735 Reba Place; and Blackstone Bicycle Works, 6100 S. Blackstone; and West Town Bikes, 2418 W. North Ave., both in Chicago.

CFLs
The government recommends using compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Energy-star-qualified light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than regular light bulbs. As long as energy is being saved, eco-conscious folks can take the next step and recycle these bulbs, too.

The City is cooperating with SWANCC and is accepting drop-offs of spent CFLs for recycling.

Each CFL contains an average of five milligrams of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. Mercury poses potential health risks, so the CFLs should not be disposed of in the garbage if there is a recycling option. There is no immediate health risk should a bulb break if it is cleaned up properly.

CFLs may be dropped off at the City's Department of Health and Human Services, 2100 Ridge Ave., 8:30-5 p.m. or at the Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd., 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Bulbs must be in zip-lock-type bags. The Health and Human Services department will accept fluorescent tube lights; the Ecology Center will not.

Needles and Medications
A search of any medicine cabinet will likely turn up old, expired medications that need to be disposed. SWANCC provides environmentally-safe mediation and sharps disposal with the Prescription Drug and Sharps Disposal Program, which also guards against potential theft associated with disposing of old medications.

Residents can drop off unused prescriptions, expired over-the-counter drugs and needles - known as "sharps" - at the Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. Pharmaceuticals should be in their original container with labels to identify contents.

All sharps need to be in a rigid container with a lid, and placed in a zip-lock-type bag prior to dropping off. Residents who administer at-home injections receive a 1-quart sharps container, which can be picked up at the Civic Center. A new container will be provided when the old one is dropped off.

Computers and Electronics
Enormous desktops from 1994 are an eyesore in many basements. The City is partnering with EcoPhones, an electronic recycling company, with a new drop-off box for electronics at the Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd. One hundred percent of these electronics will be recycled, and EcoPhones will reimburse the Ecology Center for donated products of higher value. Acceptable electronics include old or broken cell phones, digital cameras, iPods or MP3 players, laptops, ink jet cartridges and DVDs.

Old cell phones can also be donated to the Call to Protect program, which donates them to agencies that address domestic violence. After deactivating the phone's service, recyclers can drop off the phone, battery and charger at the YWCA, 1215 Church St.

Many computer brands list options on their website for donating or recycling their computers. Staples will also take all computer parts for a $10 fee, then send them off to be recycled for parts.

For any computer donation, it is best to destroy the hard drive before sending it in to protect any information stored on the drive.

Batteries
Household batteries can be disposed of in normal garbage pickup, but may also be brought to one of the HCW collections. Rechargeable batteries are not accepted at these collections. Rechargeable batteries, such as those found in cell phones, laptops, camcorders and cordless power tools, can be dropped off at various locations around Evanston. Call 1-800-8-BATTERY for more information.

Ask Eco Gal - Tips for Greener Driving

By Mayre Press

April is Earth Month and making greener choices is a recurring theme of this column.

A good way to commemorate this special month is to look at ways to become a greener driver. The Chicago metropolitan area is fortunate to have a decent public transit system. Yet, for a variety of reasons, not everyone uses public transportation as commuters or during leisure time.

With predictions that gasoline prices could reach $4 per gallon by summer, it will be useful to know how to drive more efficiently and with less strain on the pocketbook. Not all oil companies are created equal, as illustrated by a Sierra Club magazine article titled "Pick Your Poison: An Updated Environmentalist's Guide to Gasoline." The January/February 2007 piece ranked eight of the largest oil companies into three groups according to social and environmental practices.

Giving a slight twist to the categories, here are the rankings:
"The Good" - BP and Sunoco
"The Bad" - Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, Valero Energy Corporation and Citgo
"The Ugly" - ExxonMobil and Conoco-Phillips

Many may recall a Chicago Tribune report last summer that BP sought EPA permission to dump ammonia and other toxins into Lake Michigan from its Whiting, Ind., refinery. This proposed action hit close to home and many Chicagoland motorists chose to express their displeasure at the gas pump.

One must go further back - 17 years to be exact, to recall the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. Exxon-

Mobil still has not paid the punitive damages and the oil giant continues to seek permission to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge despite protests from millions of U.S. citizens. Other oil companies have better track records.

Moving on to automakers, in April 2007 the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) issued its biennial ranking of the greenest cars. Measured by the average emissions of CO2 and NOx from vehicles actually sold, Honda has topped the group's rankings as the greenest automaker in the U.S. for four consecutive years. Close behind was Toyota, with Hyundai-Kia, Nissan and Volkswagen in the third, fourth and fifth spots. At the back of the pack were Ford and General Motors, with Daimler-Chrysler in last place.

Don MacKenzie, the report's author, said, "There is a huge gap between the cleanest and dirtiest automakers. The winners are using clean technology across their entire fleets.

The losers are installing it piecemeal, or not at all."

A 2008 report at AOL Autos listed the top 11 fuel-efficient cars:
1. Toyota Prius - 45/48 mpg (city/highway)
2. Honda Civic Hybrid - 40/45 mpg
3. Nissan Altima Hybrid - 33/35 mpg
4. Toyota Camry Hybrid - 34/33 mpg
5. Toyota Yaris - 36/29 mpg
6. Toyota Corolla - 37/28 mpg
7. Mini Cooper - 37/28 mpg
8. Ford Escape Hybrid - 30/34 mpg
9. Honda Fit - 30/28 mpg
10. Honda Civic - 34/26 mpg
11. Hyundai Accent - 32/27 mpg

The U.S. Department of Energy offers these tips to improve gas mileage for all vehicles:
• The best way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it rather than idling for a lengthy period.
• Driving aggressively (speeding, rapid acceleration and hard braking) wastes gas; it can lower highway gas mileage by 33 percent and city mileage by 5 percent.
• Driving too fast wastes gas. At speeds above 60 mph, gas mileage drops rapidly. Information about this can be found at www.fueleconomy.gov.
• On the highway, cruise control helps maintain a constant speed and usually saves gas.
• Air conditioning should be used only when necessary.
• Extra weight, such as a trunk or backseat full of unnecessary cargo, can decrease gas mileage.
Contact Eco Gal at info@evanston-roundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com

'How Green Is My New Condo?' Questions to Ask the Developer

By Ellen Galland, AIA

During the next few weeks, discussion at the City Council will center on whether the proposed 49-story high rise is appropriate for the site at 708 Church St. in the middle of downtown Evanston.

The developers of this proposed new high-rise promise it will be a Silver LEED-certified building, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, which designates the gradations of LEED. (For more on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), see http:/www.usgbc.org.

One green aspect of the proposed tower as it is now planned is the green roof of the three-story base of the building. Other green features are yet to be confirmed. (For some of the pros and cons, see the minutes of the Plan Commission meetings held so far, on the City's website, www.cityofevanston.org. To sign a petition opposing the high-rise, see http://www.evanstoncrd.org.)

Evaluating Green Claims
How will the City Council, interested citizens and future buyers evaluate such claims to energy efficiency and sustainability?

A building can be "registered" with the LEED program before construction begins. Certification as a LEED building occurs only after the building is completed and requires verification by an independent third party.

Since promotional materials are no guarantee that a building ends up being as green as its developers claim, a potential buyer can ask the developer for what points the building is registered, and then at the end of construction ask what points and what rating it has achieved.

In the case of the proposed tower, even the architect for the project does not have a definitive answer about how green the final building will be.

When asked about the Silver LEED rating that the developers have promised, George Halik, project architect for the proposed high-rise at 708 Church St., said there is "no way of guaranteeing what you are shooting for." He said, though, his firm, Booth Hansen, has achieved a greater number of LEED points than expected on previous projects.

Further, the commissioning agent for a LEED-rated building deals only with mechanical systems, and the performance of these systems can be confirmed only when the building is operational.

Just a few blocks south and west of the site of the proposed tower, the developers of Winthrop Club, an 15-story condominium high-rise under construction at 1567 Maple Ave., promise many green approaches and say they are committed to achieving a LEED Silver certification.

According to the project's website, www.winthropclub.com. the developer "is committed to pursuing development that measures up to the Council's LEED rating system."

Chad Baugh, sales and marketing director for Winthrop, says a developer should be willing to explain the evaluation process. In this case, Winthrop Club has hired a LEED consultant to oversee the process. The consultant reviews every change and receives necessary documentation. The building envelope is tested regularly both during construction and before the building is occupied.

The developer says that Winthrop Club has been designed to achieve an unusually high level of indoor air quality.

First - per LEED requirements - no smoking was allowed on site during the construction phase. Paints, adhesives and sealants used were low-VOC.

Second, the developer took steps to reduce cross-pollination of smells between dwelling units, something that is very important in multi-family buildings. Mr. Baugh said Winthrop is using a filtration system that, by creating positive air pressure within the units, provides ventilation superior to that of most single-family homes.

Another important air quality feature is the "flushing out" of the building at the end of the construction period, which ensures that any construction-phase airborne particulates will be reduced, he added.

When asked whether buyers are concerned about how much the green features add to the cost of the project, Mr. Baugh said that, for a larger, higher end project, the cost of LEED certification is "insignificant" in terms of cost to the buyer.

Realtor Questions:
Some realtors are organizing and attending seminars on green building practices and are themselves becoming LEED pro- fessionals. As realtors advise potential buyers, the following may be helpful.

Pocketbook Questions
The pocketbook category is usually the first question. Will these more energy efficient buildings result in savings on utility costs for the new owner? Since the exterior walls of most new condominium buildings are largely glass, this translates into the question of how energy efficient the building's windows are. A developer should be able to answer this.

The efficiency of the building's mechanical systems also affects how much a new owner will pay for heating and cooling. Some builders now include shading devices to reduce the air conditioning costs. Some are using geothermal systems to reduce heating and cooling costs. Green roofs help reduce cooling loads.

Green Amenities

The non-pocketbook questions relate to interior finishes and plumbing and lighting fixtures. Increasingly common are finish materials such as bamboo, cork or Marmoleum floors; carpets and countertops with recycled content; and low-VOC paints. Dual-flush toilets, low-flow plumbing fixtures and lighting fixtures for use with fluorescent bulbs are also worth looking for.

Other green aspects that are usually obvious are bike parking, proximity to public transportation, low impact landscaping.

Ask Eco Gal - Kitchen Composting

By Mayre Press

Dear Eco Gal,
...I decided to be serious about decreasing my garbage going into the landfill and began collecting compostable kitchen materials in large re-usable yogurt containers. Given I'm a vegetarian and live alone, this was easy to do. My problem is I have nowhere convenient (and eco-friendly) to take my compostable materials. I live in an apartment and do not garden.

I understand that Evanston has composting for lawn material. Are there any plans to develop a communal compost bin for kitchen scraps? If people composted their kitchen stuff, there would be no need to use garbage disposals or take up landfill space with plastic garbage bags filled with compostable materials. -- Joan D., Evanston

Dear Joan: First, kudos on your personal commitment to an eco-friendly lifestyle. Your decision to compost kitchen scraps is laudable. I spoke recently with contacts at the City of Evanston and, unfortunately, there are no plans for a communal compost site for kitchen scraps. Furthermore, the yard waste compost site in James Park was closed due to lack of funding.

You might want to replace the yogurt containers with an odor-free compost pail. A popular version is available from the National Gardening Association www.garden.org) and retails for about $20. It holds 1-½ gallons of kitchen scraps and has a lid that snaps firmly shut and a carbon filter to eliminate odors (filters last three months, with replacements sold separately). The pail measures 9" x 9" x 12-¼" to fit easily on a countertop or under the sink.

As a vegetarian, your diet automatically eliminates many of the materials on the "out" list of composting dos and don'ts compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency. Food items such as meats or fish bones and scraps; fats or oils; butter, egg yolks, milk, sour cream and yogurt are "don'ts" because they can cause odor problems and attract rodents and flies. Visit the EPA website www.epa.gov for the complete lists and other useful information.

Regarding what to do with composted kitchen waste, those who do not have a home garden may want to look at community garden options. Evanston has four such gardens: James Park Gardens, south of Oakton Street between McCormick Boulevard and Dodge Avenue; Twiggs Canal Gardens, by the intersection of Bridge and Simpson streets, on the south side of North Shore Channel in Twiggs Park; McCormick Gardens, at McCormick Boulevard and Bridge Street, across the street from the Ecology Center; and Lighthouse Gardens, off Sheridan Road, north of Grosse Point Lighthouse. Additional information is available at the Ecology Center, 847-448-8256 or on the City's website www.cityofevanston.org.

Another option is to offer your composted material for someone else's garden. By sharing your compost you are not only sending less waste to the landfill, you are also helping to beautify the community. Garden soil that is fed organic matter from composting usually improves its texture, water-holding capacity and fertility.

This basic composting information may spark the interest of some, and the resources listed here are a good starting point. For those who want to delve deeper into the subject, the Evanston Ecology Center will offer a composting class on April 17. Another local resource is the Chicago Botanic Garden, www.chicagobotanic.org.
Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com.

Indoor Air Quality, Tight Houses and Energy Audits: Thinking About Fresh Air

By Ellen Galland, AIA

Recent subzero weather has kept everyone inside more than usual. Yet people rarely think about the quality of the air in the home or work space. Today's tighter houses have raised the question of indoor air quality. The general assumption is that it is better (healthier) to have a little air leaking through the house, to keep the air fresh.

Fresh air controls moisture build-up, which can contribute to mold growth. It also helps reduce indoor odors, as well as pollutants such as radon, formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Green building practices encourage the use of sustainable and non-toxic materials and formaldehyde-free and low-VOC paints, fabrics and carpeting. These certainly contribute to healthy indoor air quality.

But proper ventilation should not be confused with air leakage. It may seem counter-intuitive, but, except in mild weather, reliance on fresh air to "ventilate" a house is not an energy-efficient approach. Air leakage, determined by how leaky a house is or how hard the wind is blowing, is the unintentional, uncontrolled movement of air. Ventilation is the intentional movement of air, exchanging indoor air with outdoor air.

It is much more energy-efficient to insulate a house well, prevent air infiltration, and mechanically control how fresh air enters a house than to have a leaky house. This also applies in hot weather, when air conditioning is used. The building industry's motto in this regard is "build tight - ventilate right." The City of Evanston's energy code mandates higher levels of insulation than previously. There is also increased emphasis on sealing ductwork to minimize air infiltration even more.

Some preferred ventilation strategies for tight houses are as follows:

• ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator) or HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator):
These are heat exchangers that make it possible to bring in fresh air while reclaiming energy (60-80 percent of the conditioned space temperature) from the air that is exhausted (in winter use, heat is regained, and in summer use, the opposite). That way the incoming fresh air is tempered before it reaches the living spaces.
• Spot ventilation:
Exhaust fans in kitchens and baths are used to remove pollutants and moisture at their source. These can be designed to operate at preset intervals.

Determining how tight a house is and whether additional ventilation is needed falls to a group of professionals who do energy performance tests (also known as energy audits, energy surveys or home energy ratings.) Using specialized diagnostic methods, they assess the energy performance of a house. These include "blower door tests" (calibrated air leakage and duct air leakage tests) that push air out of the house to create enough of a pressure difference that smoke puffers can locate sources of air infiltration. Infrared scanners determine the location and amount of wall insulation, both observing bad insulation placement and determining poor insulating value. Laser thermometers measure wall temperature. One or more of these can be used to determine the cause of frozen pipes.

These tests are especially appropriate when purchasing a new house, so that utility bills can be anticipated. Best practices for air sealing can also improve fire safety by blocking air flow in building cavities. Energy audits reveal that 80 percent of home air leakage occurs in locations that are not windows or doors. They can also determine whether there is leakage between a garage and a house.

When mild weather makes it possible to have windows open, natural ventilation is the most efficient way to ventilate. Even then, building design can improve the way the air is brought in, using cross ventilation or by using a chimney or stack effect at a stairwell. Neither uses electricity. Window, room ceiling and whole-house fans, although they use electricity, are far more energy-efficient than air conditioners.

Home energy audits are an excellent way to learn what else should reasonably be done. If a house is quite tight, an energy audit can help determine the need to introduce fresh air through mechanical means.

Useful Websites:

• www.eere.energy.gov
(do-it-yourself energy audit)
• www.epa.gov/iaq
• www.commerce.state.mn.us
click on "Energy Info Center."
• www.energyvideos.com
• www.keepwarm.illinois.gov
• hes.lbl.gov
(do-it-yourself home energy audit from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
• www.energydetectives.com
(Informed Energy Decisions, local provider of energy audits)

Ask Eco Gal: Valentine's Day Goes Green

By Mayre Press

All's Fair (Trade) in Love And Chocolate
This Valentine's Day treat your sweetheart and the environment by giving fair-trade chocolate. Who does not like taking a bite of smooth, creamy chocolate? On a chilly winter night, a cup of warm, soothing hot cocoa is tempting.

Cacao pods produce the cocoa seeds (beans) used for Endangered Species Chocolate grown in the natural shade of rich, diverse forests. Choosing the company's products is one way to support sustainable forest farmland and the species that flourish there. Since the raw materials are ethically traded, Endangered Species can ensure farmers humane working conditions and a fair price for their cocoa.

The Indianapolis-based company donates 10 percent of its profits to support species, habitat and humanity. Shop locally for these chocolate bars at natural food markets and other fair trade food merchants. For more information, visit www.chocolatebar.com.

Adopt an Imperiled Animal for Valentine's Day
Speaking of animal protection, how about adopting one for a Valentine? Until recently, polar bears have been one of nature's hardiest survivors. Due to global warming, scientists predict two-thirds of their global population could disappear within the next 50 years. Rising temperatures are literally melting the ice beneath their paws, drastically reducing their habitat and food supply.

The National Wildlife Federation's adoption center offers packages starting at $30 for polar bears and other imperiled animals. Visit www.nwf.org for details.

Save the Planet ...One Kiss at a Time
Can a tube of lipstick be good for the environment? It can if Aveda makes it. The cosmetics, skin and hair care manufacturer makes dozens of tempting lipstick shades in tubes that can be inserted into a sustainable case.

Organic ingredients such as alfalfa, bilberry, carnauba wax, mango butter and sesame oil are used to produce the lip colors, while the refillable lip-color case contains up to 65 percent post-consumer recycled aluminum and 30 percent natural flax fibers.

Visit www.aveda.com to learn more about the refillable lipstick case and lip colors. Wear lip products by Aveda and save the planet, one kiss at a time.

Organic Wine, Cheese and Thou
New York-based Four Chimneys Organic Wines is America's first organic wine company. Names such as "First Love" (a Riesling-like white) and "Honeydew Moon" (with the aroma and flavor of the melon), can set the mood for a romantic evening. For more details, visit www.fourchimneysorganicwines.com.

The award-winning cheeses produced by Wisconsin-based Organic Valley Family of Farms will not only please the palate but also promote regional farm diversity and economic stability. Check out www.organicvalley.coop to find a local market that sells their products.

Sweet Gifts For Sweethearts
From Rose Petal Tea and an Artisan Spa Box to an Organic Valentine Cookie Assortment and a Chocolate Nut Gift Box featuring California almonds and Oregon hazelnuts, Eco Express may have just the right gift for that special someone. Choose from hundreds of gift ideas at www.ecoexpress.com.

Nearly everyone has someone special (partner, family member, friend or colleague) they can treat. Follow one of these suggestions or use your imagination. ...Go green for Valentine's Day!
Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com.

Green in Perspective

By Nathan Kipnis, AIA, LEED AP

There has been a tremendous amount of information put out about various green and energy-related items. But a lot of the time, people have difficulty comprehending what all of this means. A car emits 6,000 pounds of CO2 a year; a well-insulated home can save 400,000 BTUs a month; normal use of electricity amounts to 700 kilowatt-hours a month. What do these statistics mean? Such an overload
of numbers may seem too distant to be meaningful.

Automobile Carbon Emissions
To put these numbers in perspective, some standard units need to be defined in understandable terms, beginning with carbon emissions. A gallon of gasoline weighs about 6.3 pounds. It contains quite a bit of carbon, as gasoline is a hydrocarbon. When it burns, each molecule of carbon in the gasoline links with two molecules of oxygen. Without getting too heavily into the chemistry, the 6.3 pounds of gasoline produces about three times as much carbon dioxide by weight. Therefore, burning a gallon of gasoline produces about 19 pounds of CO2.

Now, think about a 20-pound bag of charcoal for a backyard grill, which is a good comparison to the carbon dioxide output from burning one gallon of gasoline. Imagine periodically tossing charcoal briquettes out the window while driving down the road.

So a 16-gallon tank of gasoline produces over 300 pounds of CO2. That is like loading 15 large bags of charcoal into a car trunk. In a year, a car that actually gets 25 miles per gallon (mpg) and drives 12,000 miles will use 480 gallons of gas and will produce 9,120 pounds of CO2. This is about twice as heavy as the weight of the car itself. The emissions weight doubles for a vehicle that gets only 12 to 13 actual mpg.

It is often heard that trees can absorb some of this human-generated CO2. While there is no simple formula to explain how much CO2 any given tree will absorb - it depends on many different variables - one reasonable estimate is that a moderately fast-growing hardwood tree will sequester about 135 pounds of CO2 per year. The car that gets 25 mpg would need 68 trees to cover its annual CO2 output.

Carbon Statistics
The average daily CO2 emissions per person in the United States is 122 pounds or more than 22 tons of CO2 annually, which is the equivalent of 2,250 20-pound bags of charcoal a year. The average daily output per person for the world is only 24 pounds, nearly five times less than the average, while the amount that could be emitted per person without raising CO2 levels in the atmosphere is nine pounds.

The per capita daily usage in is just about half of the at 63 pounds. is 46.5 pounds, is 33 pounds, and in only 10.9 pounds per person per day. Some of these countries have high standards of living but do so in a much less wasteful way. It would be wise to incorporate their methods and techniques into everyday lives in this country.

Homes
Because buildings produce the vast majority of CO2, a basic understanding of what a typical home emits in a year is needed. According to the EPA's personal emissions calculator, the average household produces more than 27,000 pounds of CO2 annually, and that is for a two-person home. Evanston homes are typically larger than the average. Using our charcoal bag analogy, that would be 1,350 of the 20-pound bags of charcoal. Good luck storing those in the garage.

Most people do not think twice about leaving a light bulb on. However, a 40-watt bulb burning for 24 hours requires one kilowatt of electricity, which produces about one pound of CO2 (here in northern Illinois). To put that in perspective, an average person can generate about 100 watts during an hour on a bicycle - and be dead tired doing it. Stationary bikes can be connected to various types of lights. It is instructive to compare the energy expended pedaling to illuminate a 100-watt incandescent bulb to the pedaling required to illuminate an equivalent fluorescent bulb. For the latter, the effort is many times easier.

Summary
With more and more news about global warming, the public is being exposed to many new forms of abstract numbers. Figuring out a way to relate those numbers to understandable experiences can help everyone see the light.

Eight 'Green' Resolutions for 2008

By Mayre Press

Most of us make New Year's resolutions and, with recent news items about living greener, some plan to incorporate that. Here are ideas to combine 2008 resolutions with "doable" actions to create a greener life.

Some of these suggestions have been made before, and some have followed them. Bravo. Others though, may require a bit more prodding. So, as they say in advertising, "Tell them. Tell them what you told them. Then tell them again."

1. Take a reusable water bottle for working out. We have heard the phrase, "Just say no to bottled water." Now put it to use. Stainless steel or Nalgene plastic bottles are more durable and do not leach toxins. These bottles have wider mouths that make it easier to add ice.

2. Bring canvas bags for shopping. Look at the trees near any shopping mall to see a sad sight; bare trees littered with petroleum-based, non-degradable plastic bags. Canvas bags are not a luxury item as most cost less than $10, and some sell for as little as $5.

3. Use a mug for coffee or tea at the office. Take a favorite mug from home or buy one with your name, initials, favorite animal or cartoon character on it. Go ahead. ... Express your inner child. If you must be serious, go with basic black.... It will not show the tea or coffee stains.

4. Replace at least one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent (CFL). Gee, this one sounds familiar. The price for these little energy misers has come down to an affordable $6.95 for four bulbs. Now there is no excuse.

5. Turn the thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in summer. On a cold winter's night this may seem like a huge sacrifice. Most seasons, those extremely cold periods only happen for a day or two at a time. Conversely, during summer's hottest spells, two degrees warmer may be more than some can handle. Gratefully, those dog days of summer do not hang around long. So sleep winters in flannels or summers in lightweight T-shirts, and smile as the energy bills grown smaller.

6. Commute with an alternative transportation mode at least two days per month. This one is easy. ... carpool, walk, bike or take public transit. Use common sense. ... Don't pick the coldest or hottest days to be outdoors. Perhaps you will enjoy the change so much it will become permanent.

7. Eat lower on the food chain: Go meatless at least one day per week. Even meat-and-potato eaters can do this. There are plenty of other proteins available, such as beans, cheese, fish and eggs. Eating vegetables and grains mixed with some delicious proteins will still satisfy.

8. Be an advocate for greener living. Perhaps a neighbor or co-worker does not shop with reusable bags. Speak up about the need for public transit or the benefits of eating locally grown fruits and vegetables. A degree in environmental or earth sciences is not required to advocate on behalf of greener living.

Do not hesitate to go out and live greener in 2008. Please feel free to become overachievers. Replace four bulbs with CFLs or ride a bike to work one day a week. Throw another quilt on the bed and turn the thermostat down four degrees. Many eco-conscious readers may do everything on this list and have done so for years. Great. Now reread number eight and advocate, advocate, advocate.

Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com.

Carbon Offsets: A Cautionary Tale

By Eleanor Revelle

The carbon offset market is booming. More than 30 companies are ready to help eco-conscious consumers compensate for their carbon emissions by contributing to projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere.

The idea sounds promising. By purchasing carbon offsets, consumers can mitigate their climate impact and help finance projects that keep greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. In addition, as more people demonstrate their willingness to pay extra for green initiatives, it sends a signal to lawmakers that there is public support for tough climate legislation.

But critics consider promoting offsets to be a flawed approach. They argue that it encourages a business-as-usual attitude towards climate change by suggesting that consumers can neutralize their emissions without altering their lifestyle. Compounding the problem, there are as yet no agreed-upon standards to ensure that offset projects deliver the carbon reductions promised.

Nonetheless, well-chosen offsets can be an important part of a broader strategy to address climate change. They provide an additional opportunity for individuals who have already curtailed their energy consumption to reduce their impact on global warming still further. And fortunately, there are resources to help consumers find credible high-quality offsets.

How much does it cost?
Most offset providers have online calculators that allow potential customers to calculate their emissions and the cost of offsetting that amount. The various calculators frequently give quite different estimates of total emissions, however. This reflects differences in the level of detail users are asked to provide and in the assumptions used in the calculations. Estimating the climate impacts of air travel is particularly complex.

Moreover, the offsets that are offered range widely in price, from $5 to $25 per ton of emissions. For consumers trying to make a choice, analysts suggest that the quality of the offset project rather than the cost should be the determining factor. It is better, they say, to invest in high quality offsets than to buy as many offsets as possible.

Choosing a high-quality offset
Offset providers fund a wide variety of projects, but how can consumers be sure that the offsets they buy will result in real emissions reductions? A recent report published by Clean Air-Cool Planet (www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/ConsumersGuidetoCarbonOffsets.pdf) suggests a set of characteristics to look for in an offset project:
• Additionality. Will the offset revenues make the project happen or would it have occurred anyway (e.g., because it is required by law)?
• Baseline. Has a reasonable emissions baseline been determined against which reductions will be measured?
• Quantification. Are rigorous accounting rules used to quantify the greenhouse gas reductions?
• Permanence. Will the emissions reductions be permanent, or might they be subject to reversal in the future (e.g., if the trees in a carbon sequestration project burn or are cut down)?
• Verification. Are emissions reduction claims independently verified and verifiable?
• Registration. Are the offsets serialized and tracked to reduce the possibility that they could be sold more than once?

The bulk of the report focuses on the companies that sell the offsets. It evaluates the providers' understanding of carbon offsets and offset quality as well as the degree to which the information they offer enables consumers to make effective choices. The authors' longer term goal is to promote greater transparency in the retail offset market.

Another helpful resource for consumers looking for guidance is the Environmental Defense website www.fightglobalwarming.com/dangers.cfm, which identifies a small number of offset projects that meet the organization's quality criteria.

Renewable Energy Certificates
Another way in which consumers are encouraged to "offset" their carbon emissions is to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), also known as green tags. RECs are created when a renewable energy facility generates electricity. One REC represents 1,000 kilowatt hours of renewable electricity that is added to the nation's energy grid in place of conventional electricity generated from fossil fuels.

Buying RECs helps build a market for renewable electricity. As a general rule, however, RECs are not considered equivalent to carbon offsets because they cannot be assumed to be "additional." This is an important consideration for consumers whose goal is to become carbon neutral. Only if the sale of RECs is a decisive factor in a company's decision to pursue a renewable energy project can the associated RECs legitimately be used to offset carbon emissions.

An important resource for potential REC purchasers is Green-e Energy, an independent certification and verification program www.green-e.org/gogreene.shtml. Green-e certified renewable energy options meet strict consumer protection and environmental standards. Among the two-dozen-plus Green-e certified REC marketers are the non-profit organization Bonneville Environmental Foundation, www.b-e-f.org, and the Native American for-profit company, NativeEnergy www.nativeenergy.com.

The bottom line
For those who are serious about reducing their carbon footprint, the focus must be on cutting their energy consumption. And for real impact, everyone's goal must be effective public policy on climate change.

Green Gift Ideas 2

By Mayre Press

Ready for the next round of green gift ideas? Look no further than Greenfeet, (greenfeet.com) an online retailer that calls itself "the Planet's Homestore." In their stocking-stuffers section are items ranging from bamboo tongs and slotted spoons to bicycle-chain bottle openers, key chains and business-card holders. The site has a huge variety of gifts for the whole family and is for all budgets.

Taraluna (taraluna.com) is another online retailer that sells fair trade, organic and green gifts for babies, pets, children and grownups. They sell beautiful handmade jewelry and purses, tote bags, toys, dolls, accessories, stationery and cards, baskets and kitchen décor, tea sets and organic tea and chocolates.

Locally, holiday shoppers can visit two retailers that sell green items suitable for gift-giving. Ethical Planet carries all-vegan food and a variety of vegan and/or organic clothing, accessories, household goods and much more. The website, ethicalplanet.com, gives the store location, hours and other information. Healthy Green Goods places its emphasis on toxin-free cleaning supplies, body care, home furnishings and clothing. The store's website, healthygreengoods.com, has a complete list of their products, as well as the address, phone, hours and other details.

For fair-trade gift items Ten Thousand Villages at 719 Main St. is also a good shopping destination. They carry coffee, tea, home furnishings and clothing from third-world countries that follow fair-trade practices. Additionally, Evanston is fortunate to have not one but two natural-food retailers, Wild Oats and Whole Foods. A gift certificate to any of these establishments would be well received.

For the athletes on the list, Fair Trade Sports (fairtradesports.com) sells sports balls stitched by adult workers paid fair wages and ensured healthy working conditions. All of their apparel is sweat-shop free, and the company's after-tax profits are donated to children's charities. Good green sports will want to explore their products.

Techno-wizards will love the solar-powered flashlights, radios and chargers sold by solar style (solarstyle.com). Using one solar charger eliminates the need to carry additional batteries for digital devices, and it charges cell phones, PDAs, MP3s, CD players, gaming devices and digital cameras. Simplify someone's life - and be kind to planet earth - by giving a multi-function solar charger.

Nearly everyone has a person on their list who has everything. This is the person who might love a polar bear, a moose, a gray wolf or a desert tortoise. The National Wildlife Federation's adoption center offers packages starting at $30 for these and other imperiled animals. Visit the website at nwf.org for details.

A gift option for the diehard environmentalist is to buy carbon offsets from Terra Pass. The money from carbon offsets funds clean energy and other projects that reduce greenhouse gases to balance the impact of driving, air travel and household appliance use. Their website, terrapass.com, has other green gift ideas, such as a smart surge protector that automatically turns off peripherals when the computer is off, even if the owner forgets.

So grab the phone or click that mouse and start green shopping.

Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com.

Green About Town

By Ellen Galland

The green of the holiday season may well pale in comparison to the climate action plan for Evanston, the brainchild of the Network for Evanston's Future and the City of Evanston.

The Nov. 13 kickoff drew more than 100 persons, who then attended break-out sessions in the following areas: transportation, telecommunications and access; energy efficiency and buildings; renewable energy resources (of which this writer is a community co-chair); waste reduction and recycling; forestry, prairie and carbon offsets; policy, research and education; and communications and public relations.

The climate action plan will be the framework for the City to meet the obligations of the Kyoto Protocol, which the City Council adopted through its approval of the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. One goal of the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level that is 7 percent below the 1990 levels by the year 2012.

To do so, said Carolyn Collopy, the City's sustainable programs coordinator, the emissions must be reduced by nearly 15 percent over the next four years.

Changing behavior is one low-tech way to reduce emissions, said Linda Young of the Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago. Two of her suggestions were adjusting thermostats upward in summer and downward in winter, and retrofitting rather than building new. "Many [Chicago] residents want to retrofit, but they don't know how and are intimidated by contractors," she said. She enumerated several measures taken by the City of Chicago to promote sustainability, such as zoning breaks and the "green permit process" - a fast-track process - for contractors incorporating sustainable elements.

In the suburbs, said Ms. Young, cars are major culprits: "About 91 percent of the people are in cars. ... We need to reduce the vehicle miles traveled (VMTs)." At present, she added, "We need to just maintain mass transit. Evanston is [a] perfect [place] to promote this."

In Evanston about 10 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, said Ms. Collopy. Her office recently completed a greenhouse gas emission inventory for the City. In 2005, the baseline year, Evanston produced an estimated 1,307,875 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Co2E), she said. Electricity for residential and commercial uses produces about 64 percent of the emissions, according to the inventory, and natural gas about 26 percent.

State Representative Julie Hamos said what Evanston is undertaking is "exciting. ... State policy needs to support local actions." One sustainable highlight at the state level, she said, was the creation of an Illinois Climate Change Advisory Group. Another was the creation of an agency to purchase energy in bulk for municipalities who so wish, she said. More information about sustainability efforts on the part of the City and the citizens can be found at www.cityofevanston.org/green. To join one of the groups, contact Ms. Collopy at 847-448-8069.

The timetable for the Climate Action Plan is for the individual groups to meet and formulate their interventions, based on research into the most important interventions in each specific area, the resources (including organizations) available in the community and best practices of other communities that are adaptable to Evanston. Ms. Collopy says she hopes to have a draft "sector action plan" ready in time for April's Earth Month events. The plan would then be revised with community input and presented to the City Council a few weeks later.

First Fries, Then Shuttle Buses

Northwestern University engineering students who participated in the climate action kickoff have already come up with a biomass alternative to fueling Northwestern's shuttle buses. Ritu Gopal, a member of the renewable energy resources subgroup, submitted a possible alternative to the $28,000 the University spends each year on fuel for shuttle buses.

The shuttle runs approximate 150 miles per day, more than 1,500 miles per week, producing 3.5 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Sodexho, the University's food service, already separates food waste and oil waste and pays for the barrels of waste vegetable oil (WVO) to be hauled away - about 150 gallons per week. Engineers for a Sustainable World at Northwestern would like to convert unused oil into about 150 gallons of WVO fuel per week. A shuttle powered with WVO fuel would reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 50-90 percent, and reduce the cost by about 40 percent, saving the University about $11,000 annually, said Liz Voeller, a member of Northwestern's WVO team, according to the biomass report.

Eco-Gal: Green Gift Ideas

By Mayre Press

'Tis the season to be green and give gifts that use fair trade sources and/or recycled materials. Fine examples are the stunning designs by Moonrise Jewelry (moonrisejewelry.com). The two designers use only fair trade and "ethical-source" vendors for their raw materials (metals and gemstones). Recycled, reclaimed and renewable natural materials can be found in their necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

For the man or woman who prefers basic black accessories, a vegan wallet from Used Rubber USA (usedrubberusa.com) is a great gift. Made from reused truck inner tubes and stitched with heavy-duty industrial thread, these wallets can withstand an accidental run through the washing machine. Available in both standard and billfold styles with windows and pockets, the wallets are sleek-looking and waterproof.

Home décor items, such as the handmade sustainable products crafted by Enlighten Style (enlightenstyle.com) offer dozens of unique options. Bamboo lamps are available in hanging, table and floor styles, and compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) are recommended. Reclaimed wood gets a second life in the form of picture frames available for standard-size photos such as 3x5, 4x6 and 8x10.

Few children can resist a teddy bear. Wildlife Works (wildlifeworks.com) sells an eco-friendly one named Mikey. This adorable bear is handmade from organic cotton terry and is stuffed with scraps of organic cotton from the company's "Eco-Factory" in Kenya. The ears and footpads are made of tree bark cloth. Wildlife Works sells clothing for men, women and children, and home furnishings such as wildlife prints.

Perhaps someone is gung-ho about going green but is not sure how to start. Look no further than the Eco-Friendly Gift Bag from GoGreenGift.com. Packed inside an organic cotton grocery bag are household items: a low-flow showerhead and two CFLs; taste treats (organic fair-trade coffee, organic tea and fruit leather); natural body care (organic shampoo and conditioner, organic lip balm and a flower and herb-infused salve); informational resources (Mother Earth's EcoGuide, E-The Environmental Magazine), plus coupons and resource literature.

A sustainable gift deserves to be wrapped in nothing less than tree-free paper or gift bag. Peaceful Valley Earth Friendly Clothing & Gifts (peacefulvalleygreetings.com) sells an assortment of hemp, banana leaf, kenaf and other tree-free papers. All gift-wrap designs are printed with vegetable-based inks on recycled paper. Peaceful Valley also has a selection of 2008 calendars printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper.

Of course, these ideas are just a few of the thousands of options available for shoppers who want their gifts to be sustainable. Look for more holiday gift ideas next time... In the meantime, happy green shopping!

Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.

A Visit to the USGBC Greenbuild Conference and Expo

By Ellen Rockwell Galland

From waterless urinals to personal heating and cooling units for office workstations, the United States Green Building Council Expo ranged greatly in the products and services of its exhibitors.

The Expo held last week at McCormick Place was one of the largest ever held. Far more than the 20,000 registrants showed up to examine the 850 exhibit booths. Many of the attendees were business people who want to be part of this new direction of the building industry. Former President Bill Clinton was there to give the plenary address and to promote the Clinton Climate Initiative.

Many of the businesses and services at the Expo related directly to the emphasis on green materials and systems that the USGBC LEED program for rating buildings has generated.

The success of the LEED program, said Sam Borgeson, a graduate student in building sciences at UC Berkeley, has to do with its credibility with businesses and corporations.

The fact that the process is cumbersome is reassuring to them, he said. It convinces them that the investment they make in green building has long-term value. LEED also gives the building owners and their tenants a status that can help their images and therefore, hopefully, their profits. (For more information about LEED, see the article about LEED for existing buildings on the RoundTable website, evanstonroundtable.com, in the Green Column archives.)

Carolyn Brzezenski, formerly a building official with the City of Evanston, said she was impressed with the range of products and services exhibited. She noted that the businesses present at the Expo ranged from "upstarts" to sophisticates.

Ms. Brzezenski said one effect of the LEED rating system on businesses is that most now make sure that their products include a percentage of pre- and post-consumer recycled content. And a part of the process is that manufacturers hire consultants who work with chemical engineers to ensure that the documentation required by LEED can be met. She said the USGBC Expo is an example of all boats rising with the tide.

Bob Fisher of Evanston Lumber Company, touring the many lumber displays, said most of the companies and their products are now certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). His company had delivered its first load of FSC-certified lumber to a job site in Evanston that morning. In addition, he has applied to the FSC for "chain of custody" certification.

FSC means the wood has been grown and harvested using sustainable forestry practices. "Chain of custody" is the process of tracking and recording the possession and transfer of wood and fiber from the forests of origin through the different stages of production, to the end user.

Mr. Fisher said that his company is pursuing all avenues to provide its customers with sustainable products. He said he welcomes suggestions on green products his customers would like him to carry.

Waterless urinals were displayed at many booths. At the Kohler booth, a company representative explained to several people how the "waterless urinal sealing liquid," a sealant with a vegetable-oil base, allows the urine to pass through while preventing odors. The challenge to using this system seems to be to educate the maintenance staff not to put other liquids into the urinal.

At the Sloan "restroom solutions" exhibit, it was possible to enter a drawing for a photovoltaic backpack, capable of charging one's cellphone. These have become a popular item on college campuses.

A solution to office thermostat wars was displayed at the Herman Miller booth. In addition to recyled-content desks, keyboard trays and other work-station items, Herman Miller's "Be" collection offers a personal heating and cooling appliance. Its small-scale and attractive design make it an improvement over the improvised but probably less costly hardware-store solutions to this problem.

Patsy Welch, formerly of Evanston and now of Prairie Crossing, who was helping out at the RateItGreen booth said sustainability needs to be mainstream, "not just a group of people in the corner talking about green things."

Georgia Pacific promoted its mold-resistant exterior sheathing and paperless interior drywall to address the increasing attention being paid to molds.

Haworth had on display the model of its new headquarters in Holland, Mich. Diane Haworth said that achieving LEED certification for this building pulled together constructively the people working on the project. Among the features of the new building are "raised floor" systems for delivery of the heating and cooling air, as well as LED desk task lighting (also at the Herman Miller display). Haworth, a furniture manufacturer, makes the Zody chair, an ergonometric office task chair that is made of up to 50 percent recycled content and is recyclable at the end of its life (supporting the "cradle-to-cradle" concept which was introduced by the architect Bill McDonough.)

Of interest to Evanston birdwatchers was a conference session called

"Greening a Country: Taiwan Goes Green." Designers of highrises in Taiwan have studied how best to configure their buildings to protect the large numbers of migrating birds. Speaker Lin Hsien-te of National Cheng-Kong University said using the building shape to create a semi-open, partially protected area, rather than a rectangular block, works the best. He noted that 1 billion birds die in America every year because of the glass walls of our buildings.

Jumping on the green bandwagon were "coal-combustion products" and a group promoting the idea that vinyl and pvc may be sustainable.

On display at the Lucid Design Group's booth was an entertaining and educational web-based technology called "Building Dashboard." It "renders the environmental performance of buildings visible, engaging and easily, interpretable in real time." It is an example of how monitoring a building's performance can encourage users to reduce energy and water use.

Among the many students present at the Expo was a group from the Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley. They were possibly among the more sophisticated attendees, since their center works with "a consortium of leading building-industry firms and organizations committed to improving the performance of non-residential buildings." According to their center's brochure, these students learn about and research the "new technologies that allow today's buildings to be more efficient and responsible to occupant needs than ever before."

A bottom-line question is always how many of the products and services displayed are readily available and affordable. Since exhibitors pay a lot to be at Greenbuild, it would seem that these businesses and services are seriously committed to improving their presence in this new market.

For a list of the top ten green building products visit www.evanstonroundtable.com.

Curbing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Two Approaches

By Eleanor Revelle

Facing the growing evidence that burning fossil fuels is contributing significantly to global climate change, U.S. policymakers are beginning to evaluate strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide (CO2). They have two general approaches to consider.

Cap-and-trade
With a cap-and-trade system for CO2, policymakers set a limit on the quantity of CO2 that can be emitted in a given period. The total emissions allowed under this cap are divided into permits (e.g., one ton of CO2), representing the right to emit that amount. The permits are then allocated to the sources covered by the program (e.g., power plants). At the end of the compliance period, each source must report all emissions and surrender an equivalent number of permits.

Since the number of permits is limited, they have financial value. Companies able to reduce their emissions at low cost can sell the permits they don't need to companies for whom the cost of reducing emissions is high. Each company has the flexibility to choose how to meet its emissions target, but market incentives encourage them to develop new, cleaner technologies. Over time, the cap is lowered to achieve more aggressive emissions-reduction targets.

Carbon tax
A carbon tax is imposed on fossil fuel suppliers at a rate that reflects the amount of carbon that will be emitted when the fuel is combusted. The tax is included in the price of the coal, oil and natural gas supplied to wholesale users and ultimately is passed on to consumers in the price of electricity, gasoline and other energy-intensive products. By raising the price of carbon-based energy, the tax creates incentives to reduce energy use, stimulates demand for more energy-efficient products, and promotes a shift to cleaner fuels and renewable energy.

Emissions certainty
The strength of the cap-and-trade approach is that it sets firm limits on emissions. The cap is set at a level designed to achieve a desired environmental outcome (e.g., reduction of CO2 emissions to 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050).

A carbon tax allows the quantity of emissions to fluctuate as the demand for energy rises or falls. Allowing emissions to vary from year to year gives firms the flexibility to abate less and pay more in taxes when abatement costs are unusually high (and vice-versa when abatement costs are low). In order to achieve climatic goals, the tax rate can be adjusted over time to attain greater emissions reductions.

Price predictability
The advantage of a carbon tax is that it fixes the price of carbon emissions. It creates a permanent incentive to reduce emissions, thereby encouraging investment in alternative fuels and energy-efficient technologies that have high up-front costs.

Under a cap-and-trade system, the price of emissions permits may vary considerably from year to year. An especially cold winter, for example, could increase the demand for energy and cause a spike in the price of permits. This volatility could weaken incentives to invest in cleaner technologies.

To address this volatility, most cap-and-trade proposals include cost-control mechanisms, some of which would allow the level of emissions to exceed the cap.
• Safety valve - establishes a ceiling on the price of permits. If the price reaches this level, the government can sell additional permits at this price to the capped entities.
• Circuit breaker - freezes a gradually declining emissions cap if the permit price rises above a predetermined level.
• Banking - allows companies to save unused allowances for future years.
• Borrowing - allows companies to borrow permits from future years and pay them back, with interest, later.
• Offsets - allow companies to cover some of their emissions by purchasing credits created by carbon mitigation projects (e.g., tree planting) from sources outside the cap-and-trade system.

Equity
Under most cap-and-trade proposals, a substantial portion of the emissions permits are to be distributed free to the capped entities. Research indicates that most of the cost of the program will be passed along in increased prices to consumers, which would disproportionately affect lower-income households.

A carbon tax directly raises substantial revenues. These could be used to fund "progressive" tax-shifting policies that would reduce the burden of higher energy costs on lower-income groups.

Simplicity and transparency
A cap-and-trade system requires new institutions (e.g., a system to allocate permits, markets where firms can buy and sell permits, a means of monitoring emissions and trades). Auctioning the permits rather than distributing them free could help promote simplicity and transparency.

A carbon tax can be levied and collected through existing institutions with experience in enforcing compliance. It is simpler and less expensive to administer and enforce than a cap-and-trade system. Its underlying premise-the price of energy should include environmental costs associated with its production-is transparent and readily understood.

[A more comprehensive discussion of this subject can be found on the author's website at revelle.net/lakeside/lakeside.new/CandT-CarbonTax.pdf.]

Green stuff

Ask Ecogal: Paper or Plastic? Neither!

By Mayre Press

At one time, grocery shoppers were asked at checkout, "Do you want paper or plastic bags?" The green response remains, "Neither." Most grocers do not bother to ask and automatically reach for the annoying and deadly (for small children, pets and sea-life) plastic bags. If paper bags are available, they are often the reusable kind with handles, a/k/a shopping bags, which can be used and reused until they tear, their handles break or they become wet.

Both of those options have a negative environmental impact. In the United States, about 12 million barrels of oil (a non-renewal resource) and 14 million trees are used annually to make plastic and paper bags, respectively. At the grocer's, observe how many plastic bags are used to hold other shoppers' groceries.

Often a bagger puts four items or less in a single plastic bag, and it is not unusual to see one shopper leave with ten bags or more. Multiply that by tens of thousands of shoppers, and the appalling result is that U.S. consumers throw away 100 billion plastic bags each year.

In autumn, after the leaves have fallen, the bare trees in almost any neighborhood or along any roadway have plastic bags clinging to their highest branches.

According to the Center for Marine Conservation, plastic bags are one of the 12 most common items found during coastal cleanups. Thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die yearly from eating discarded plastic bags they mistake for food. The bags do not biodegrade, they photodegrade or break down into smaller toxic bits that contaminate soil and waterways and then enter the food web when ingested accidentally by animals.

Plastic bags, even the smaller type for holding groceries, pose a hazard at home to small children and pets. Both suffocation and accidental ingestion are potential risks. Store all plastic bags out of the reach of children and pets.

Some cities are trying to eliminate the problem through legislation. San Francisco enacted a ban in April that applies only to larger grocery stores and drugstores. Similar measures are under consideration in Annapolis, Md.; Boston; Baltimore; Oakland, Cal.; Portland, Ore.; Santa Monica, Cal.; and Steamboat Springs, Col.

A July 23, 2007, piece in The New York Timesquoted Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau and director of EarthEcho, a Washington, D.C. environmental education group: "Banning plastic makes sense for the simple reason that it takes more than 1,000 years to biodegrade, which means that every single piece of plastic we've ever manufactured is still around, and much of it ends up in the oceans killing animals."

Annapolis Alderman Samuel E. Shropshire, sponsor of that city's ordinance to ban plastic bags, said, "What we need for the improvement of Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries is some radical legislation." Under the proposed Annapolis ordinance, stores would have to issue recyclable paper bags, or customers would have to provide reusable bags. Violators would face up to a $500 fine.

What can environmentally conscious consumers use? For durability, space and style, an excellent choice is a canvas bag or one made from another renewable resource material such as woven nylon. Some local nonprofit groups offer cotton canvas bags as membership premiums. A ChicoBag (www.chicobag.com), for example, measures 18"x18" when unfolded, and stuffs neatly into a 3"x4" pouch. At $5 a bag, one can be kept in the car, backpack or purse to carry shopping items.

Next shopping trip, avoid paper or plastic, and BYOB ("bring your own bag").
Contact Eco Gal at info@evanstonroundtable.com or ecogal247@yahoo.com.

October is 'Evanston CAN Recycle!' Month

The City of Evanston and Keep Evanston Beautiful are calling on Evanston residents and businesses to recycle as many aluminum beverage cans as possible during the entire month of October, now designated "Evanston CAN Recycle!" month.

Evanston has accepted the challenge to compete against other municipalities its size in the U.S. Conference of Mayors Cans for Cash program. The monetary prizes of up to $10,000 can be put toward enhancing Evanston's recycling programs.

"This challenge is a great way to put Evanston on the map as a green city," said Carolyn Collopy, Evanston's sustainable coordinator. "If we all make a concerted effort next month, we can show the country how serious we are about saving the environment." Evanston will compete in Division Three against other cities with populations between 50,000 and 99,999. Last year's winner was Bowling Green, Ky., which recycled 78,310 pounds of aluminum cans.

Ms. Collopy said Evanston community members do not need to do anything extraordinary; simply make certain all of their aluminum cans are in recycling containers. Groot, the City's recycling hauler, will sort and weigh the aluminum cans.

The aluminum can is the country's most recycled beverage container and has been so for more than 20 years.

For more information on Evanston CAN Recycle, call Ms. Collopy, 847- 448-8069 or Suzette Eggleston, superintendent of Streets and Sanitation, 847- 866-2940.

'Our Climate Matters' Oct. 18-21

Several local Leagues of Women Voters are holding a four-day symposium on global warming, entitled "Our Climate Matters," from the evening of Oct. 18 through the evening of Oct. 21 at the new Glenview Park District facilities, 2400 Chestnut Ave. in The Glen.

Scientists, business people, economists, legislators and other policymakers, architects, and citizens will discuss such topics as the economic ramifications of action and inaction, environmental law and policy, green architecture, the health of Lake Michigan, "Ways to Make Your Town Green," and what is happening in governmental policy at the national, state and local levels.

Friday's keynote speaker, Peter Goldmark, is director of the climate and air program at Environmental Defense; his topic will be "Global Warming: What To Do About the Express Train Coming at Us." He will speak at 8 p.m.

Saturday's programs include a panel entitled "Building Matters: Shades of Green." Walter Kihm, Ed Noonan, Steve Sturm and Cappy Kidd will be on the panel. Evanston architect Ellen Galland will be the moderator.

Interested parties are invited to form carpools, fire up the hybrid, or grab a bicycle to attend "Our Climate Matters." All programs are free and open to the public.

Lighting the Way to a Greener Environment

By Eleanor Revelle

It's on every Top Ten list of things-to-do to save energy and help fight global climate change: Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

The benefits are compelling. CFLs use less than one-quarter of the electricity of an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light. This means savings for consumers through reduced electric bills. And by reducing the demand for electricity, it means less global warming pollution from coal-fired power plants.

Roughly one-third of global warming pollution in the U.S. is caused by coal plants generating electricity. And lighting accounts for 20 percent of the electricity used. For consumers whose electricity is pro