The Chicago 77

16 October 2009 ?With Mayor Daley?s initiative to preserve Chicago?s historic architectural past while moving it forward through the “Green Revolution”, the city will be hosting the “Historic Chicago Bungalow and Green Home Expo 2009.” Started in 2002 for bungalow enthusiasts, the expo partnered with several environmentally oriented partners in 2006 to add a “Green […]

3 August 2009 ? The deadline to nominate your Chicago Bungalow for the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Bungalow Award is August 28, 2009. This recognition is part of the Chicago Historic Bungalow initiative started in 2000 by Mayor Daley. The objective is to preserve Chicago?s most distinctive style of architecture while maintaining affordability. The program […]

23 July 2009 – Chicago finally has its first net zero home. Simply stated, a net zero home produces as much energy as it uses. Chicago resident Michael Yannel has built a 2,695 square foot showcase for emerging green technology at 4895 N Ravenswood. The home?s green features include 48 photovoltaic roof panels, a rain […]

I have been pessimistic about the chances that neighborhoods like Uptown would continue to renew and rebuild…be a magnet for the middle class. However, after reading this Forbes interview, I’m beginning to think my pessimism may have been misplaced. At least I hope it was and their optimism is correct.

I’m going to assume that the family interested in going green does not have the cash available to pay for all the costs of an energy efficiency renovation all at once. You don?t want to use a credit card to finance the purchase, as the interest that you would pay makes the entire process much more costly than needed. So where can you turn?

The next question to answer is ?how in the world do I figure out where to start?? There is quite a bit of green washing out there. It seems that every magazine I read or junk mail flyer I get has something ?green? to say. In one respect I think that having the green movement become more mainstream is a benefit. The more people see it and hear about it, the more likely they will be to ask for it.

This is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day! Now more than ever we need to take a moment to think about what it means and why we have a day dedicated for it. Holidays and observances are saved for the truly significant and this is no exception. Take part in Earth Day and think about […]

In many articles you can find on the Internet, in publications, and in advertisements for energy efficient products, there are claims made of impressive energy savings for making certain energy efficient improvements to homes and buildings. What would it mean to our country if every building were actually able to reduce its energy use by that much? What about if the savings were more substantial?

What is Green, exactly? It?s one of those terms that has a connotation, but eludes strict definition because it means something different depending on its context and depending on the goals and motivations of the person using the word. It is not unlike other terms that have a strong connotation but inexact definitions. Words like, […]

My tenet is to focus on an integrated approach to American recovery. If we focus on Economy, Energy Efficiency, and Environmental Responsibility (E³) and work on all three simultaneously we can achieve the recovery we all hope for.