You’re Invited to the
Ecology Action Center’s
Green Festival Bus Trip
In 2007, the popular Green Festival is coming to Chicago’s McCormick Place onEarth Day weekend. The Green Festival, a joint project by Global Exchange and Coop America, was first held in San Francisco in 2001. This event includes 400 exhibitors and 200 presenters, how-to workshops, green films, yoga and movement classes, organic food and refreshments, green career sessions, and live music.
We are organizing a bus trip to bring 28 people to the Green Festival on April 21-22, 2007. What can you expect on our Green Festival Bus Trip?
• Help reduce pollution by carpooling on our charter bus from Miss Ann’s Charter. Avoid the hassles of driving and parking in the city! The bus is equipped with a lavatory, TVs, sound system, and plush seating!
• The cost for EAC members is $50 per person, $90 per couple; cost for nonmembers is $75 per person (and includes an EAC membership). Call for information on group discounts.
• The cost includes travel from Bloomington-Normal to McCormick Place and your hotel in Chicago, bus trips between your hotel and the conference center, and the return trip. The cost does not include lodging, food, or conference fees.
• Visit www.greenfestivals.org to make your own lodging accommodations.
• You may bring refreshments and food on the bus. Coolers and ice are provided.
• A non-refundable deposit of $25 is required by March 1, 2007 to reserve your seat on the bus. Full payment is required by March 31, 2007.
• Departure time: Saturday at 7:00 a.m. from IWU Shirk Center parking lot. You may park your car at the Shirk Center overnight. Return time: Sunday at 8:00 p.m.
For questions or to sign up, call 309-454-3169 or visit www.ecologyactioncenter.org
Is the Energy Answer
Blowing in the Wind?
Nineteen of the twenty turbines scheduled for completion during phase one of the Twin Groves Wind Farm are in place in eastern McLean County. According to Bill Whitlock of Horizon Wind Energy, the wind farm is expected to be ready for the second phase in March 2007.
Invenergy LLC, an energy company based out of Chicago, plans to build the 100-turbine White Oak Wind Farm in McLean and Woodford counties, but there has been a lot of controversy regarding the project. In both counties, recent hearings addressing the required zoning changes for the large turbines to be built were well-attended. The final rulings for the two hearings have been postponed.
Some of the original opposition toward the project came from members of the John Wesley Powell Chapter of the Audubon Society, who felt that the turbines could harm birds that live and migrate within the area. Invenergy LLC has been very receptive and worked with the JWP Audubon Society to remedy these concerns satisfactorily. Invenergy LLC agreed to restrict all turbines from being built within one mile of the Mackinaw River and 600 feet of any Conservation Reserve Program areas.
Until we learn to conserve, the hopes for wind energy are great. As fossil fuels become depleted and electricity costs are expected to rise, there is an increased need for a viable, pollution-free, and sustainable form of energy. Wind energy is a feasible solution. The Twin Groves Wind Farm alone is expected to provide enough energy to meet the needs of 120,000 homes annually. However, there are other benefits for a community which embraces wind energy projects like Twin Groves and White Oak wind farms. Farmers are given payment for the use of their land, providing a supplemental income to farming. They also provide increased tax revenues that can be put towards schools and improving city operations. Globally in 2005, wind power accounted for one percent of the total electricity production. Look for this number to increase in the future and watch for the verdict on the local hearings.
Eat for the Environment
During the Holidays
Ready or not, the holiday season is in full swing. As you plan your holiday meals and dinner parties, think green. The food choices we make impact our environment. Here are five ways you can reduce your ecological footprint during this year’s festivities.
1. Eat seasonally. Food tastes best when it’s fresh. Look for produce that is harvested in the colder months. Here’s a selection of winter vegetables that are in season now – include them on your menu for the holidays: Leafy greens such as kale, collards, and spinach, leeks, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, and brussel sprouts.
2. Buy organic. With our industrialized food model, new studies reveal many ways in which we harm our health and our environment by mass-producing what we eat. But farmers’ markets are hopping in our area, and are increasingly popular nationwide, so consumers are beginning to value food that has been grown and produced in an earthfriendly way. Dairy products are often loaded with antibiotics and growth hormones, which we ingest as we eat milk, cheese, and yogurt. Read labels: It’s the most important tool in a consumer’s toolbox.
3. Buy local. Most food in this country is picked about seven days before it arrives on your supermarket shelves and travels about 1,500 miles to reach your store - and that’s if it’s U.S.-grown produce. Meat and produce from other countries translates to even more miles and greater transportation costs, such as oil and storage. Plus, food that travels must be preserved and processed to remain “fresh” in the store. That equates to a loss of nutrients and takes a toll on our environment. This holiday season, support local farmers and look for “locally grown” foods, especially eggs, meat, and produce.
4. Buy fresh fruit, not canned or frozen. It’s better for you, and uses less energy in its production. Apples, pears, and oranges are in season during the winter months. So, includes these fresh fruits when planning your holiday menu. Everyone loves apple pie!
5. Recycle! With all the holiday dinner plans, you’ll probably be doing more cooking than usual. Don’t throw away the packaging that most of our food comes in – break down the cardboard boxes, clean out the cans, rinse out those glass or plastic bottles, and put it all in your recycling bins. Our environment will thank you!
‘Tis the Season to Be Simple
As the holidays roll around, many people experience increased stress and a need to “get through” the holidays; this should not be the reaction to a time of enjoyment with friends and family. Everyone has their own idea of how the holidays should be, but not everyone fulfills their ideal. Whether it is bearing a majority of the holiday responsibilities, or rushing out shopping the day after Thanksgiving, people do things that contradict how they truly want to experience the holidays. By simplifying holiday rituals and embracing the holiday spirit, people can look forward to the holidays with a new, positive outlook.
Whether it is financial worries, lack of time, or any of the other holiday stress producers, there is some aspect that can be simplified. Below are tips on how to better handle the holidays:
- Avoid stores during peak hours.
- Set a dollar limit for gifts, decorations, etc. and stick to it.
- Avoid advertisements if possible; limit TV time for children around the holidays.
- Give meaningful gifts (i.e. make gifts, offer services- babysit, teach skills) and do not feel obligated to buy everyone you know a gift.
- Share the holiday responsibilities so everything does not fall on one person; make a list with your family and delegate tasks.
- Learn to say “no” to the many holiday events; do what you and your family finds enjoyable.
Keep in mind that the holidays should provide fulfillment and renewal as time is spent with others. Through these simple tips, you can begin to reclaim the holidays and store memories to look back on years from now. So this year as the holidays roll along, share them with loved ones and make it a time to reflect on the year as a new one turns the corner.