Published in the June 23, 2008 Sun-Times Letters to the Editor ...

Hybrid taxi plan good news
"Ald. Ed Burke's plan to switch all taxis to hybrids by 2014 is welcome news. We urge the mayor and City Council to follow through and make this law. It's a very visible way to show Chicago is taking seriously its goal to cut CO 2 emissions substantially by 2020. Hybrids are especially good in city driving, where there is a lot of stopping for traffic congestion and lights, because they switch off the gas while idling. Other high fuel-efficiency cars might be considered as well -- some get better gas mileage than some of the larger hybrids. But the idea is great. Go to it! If New York can do it, we can."

-- Cynthia Linton and Tony Fuller

Nov. 3, 2007
Late Fall Field Trip: Chicago Household Waste Recycling Facility
9:30 a.m., 1150 N. North Branch Street, on Goose Island

Back by popular demand, Chicago Group will once again tour the City of Chicago’s fabulous (yes, fabulous!) Household Waste Recycling Facility. Just in time for the holidays, make a clean sweep of your kitchen, basement, home office, garage and garden shed and gather up hazardous household wastes, electronics and cell phones for drop-off. It’s great to participate in a “group drop” of our collective clutter to see how big the pile gets to be.
 
Learn more about why safe disposal of dangerous materials and electronics is essential to safeguarding the environment and see how truly green and energy efficient this year-old facility is.
 
There also is a “swap” room for useable paint, cleansers, silver polish — almost any product that comes in a bottle, can or pot that you can think of might end up in the room. Your unused paint might be just the color another person is looking for to brighten up their home.
 
Brunch at Goose Island will follow for those interested. The facility accepts the following for recycling or safe disposal: antifreeze, used motor oil, old gasoline, oil-based paints, paint thinners, aerosol paints, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, lawn chemicals, solvents, drain cleaners, cleaning products, pool chemicals, hobby chemicals, mercury, fluorescent lamps and bulbs, computers and cell phones.
 
Please R.S.V. P. for the tour and/or lunch after October 10 to event leader, Christine Williamson, birdchris@aol.com or evenings 773-935-8439. Limit: 25.

More on the Chicago Household Waste Recycling Facility.
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Sep. 5, 2007

Every American deserves to breathe clean air. Please join us to demand the EPA adopt an ozone standard of 0.060 ppm. You can do this by attending a hearing in your city* or by submitting comments online.

Ozone, or smog, is a dangerous air pollutant that can cause a wide range of problems like shortness of breath, increased risk of asthma attacks, and premature death. It is especially dangerous for children, senior citizens, and anyone with a history of lung disease.

In June, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed strengthening the national ozone air pollution standard. This is a great step in the right direction, although it falls short of the reductions recommended by EPA's own scientific advisors. At industry's request, the EPA has also left the door open to doing nothing at all.

We need your help in demanding that the EPA protect our health and strengthen the ozone standard.

Smog Pollution Standards

Our nation's Clean Air Act requires the EPA to update the national ozone standard every five years. The current standard is 0.08 parts per million (PPM), which refers to the concentration of ozone in the air. The EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee unanimously recommended a new standard in the range of 0.060 ppm to 0.070 ppm. Unfortunately, the EPA has proposed a range of 0.070 ppm to 0.075 ppm, outside of the advice of its own advisors. We need your help in making sure that the EPA listens to real science, rather than caving into industry pressure.

How to help

The EPA is holding only five public hearings on the smog standard to hear what the public thinks of its proposal, including one in Chicago on Wednesday September 5. If you have a few minutes in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening, please consider signing up to testify or stopping by to show your support. We need your help to pack the room with clean air supporters. To find out how to testify or to learn more about upcoming activities around the hearing, please email Becki Clayborn at becki.clayborn@sierraclub.org.

*Chicago Public Hearing
  Wednesday, September 5, 2007
  Governor's Suite, The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago
  909 North Michigan Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60611

  Telephone: (312) 9437200

  Details: 9 AM to 9 PM with breaks from 12:30 PM to 2 PM for lunch
  and 6 PM to 7:30 PM for dinner.

We hope to see you there!