Morbid statistics highlight the havoc unrestrained pollution is creating on our environment. Magazine articles, television programs, and different kinds of media provide solution to our environment problems, how individuals can make a contribution to reduce the abuse of resources.
New developments in technology have increased the opportunities for green pursuits and raised awareness on the significance of adapting Green measures in a variety of business sectors. Unfortunately, the measures are not enough. To considerably tackle our green challenges, a larger and more detailed map is needed. Continue reading 'Design Innovation to Solve Green Challenges'»
Guest Post by: Rebecca Jones
Looking back to the origins of this model is required in order to understand the Volkswagen Passat TDI fully. The new Passat was designed by Volkswagen at the company headquarters located at Wolfsburg, Germany. And it has been designed keeping in mind the American market. The company has built a new factory in Chattanooga, which in itself is and a very modern and state-of-the-art billion dollar automotive facility for production; and currently the Passat is the only car being manufactured there.
Volkswagen has been able to design cars, which are equipped with excellent technology and enhanced quality. These cars also provide fun while driving. The advanced transmission of Passat provides for smooth and high torque acceleration. The torque-tastic Volkswagen TDI gives an average of 43 miles per gallon of fuel consumption on the highways. With this exceptional quality, the Volkswagen Passat is able to beat the Fusion, Camry, and the Sonata hybrid Continue reading '2012 VW Passat TDI to be the First Clean Diesel Car Built in US'»
Gas prices are climbing — but you can reduce costs by simply inflating your tires to the correct pressure (PSI). Properly inflating your tires improves gas mileage by 3%.
3% may not seem like much, but if every car, SUV, van and light truck in the United States had their tires properly inflated — as a country we could save over 4,040,200,622 gallons of gas a year.*
And that’s billions with a “B” — just by properly inflating our tires.
So next time you hop into your car and drive to the store like you usually do — stop at a service station, have your tire pressure checked — and improve your MPG.
Stop. Think. Choose. (c) Make a conscious choice that will lead to cleaner air while conserving resources every time you drive.
Reduce. Re-use. Recycle
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By: David Weiner
For a limited time, Cook County employers are still eligible to receive up to $1,700 for enrolling employees in a pre-tax transit benefit program. The transit benefits program allows employees to buy transit fare (Metra, Pace, CTA) before their paycheck is taxed, reducing their taxable income and saving up to $400 a year without costing their employers a dime.
But what can $1,700 really do for a company? Not much, right? Actually, $1,700 gets you…
Click HERE for the rest of the article.
By: Taylor McKinley
Gas prices got you down? How about tax-free transit passes? CNT is administering the Transit Ridership Improvement Program (TRIP) for the Regional Transportation Authority and Cook County Department of Environmental Control, which provides up to $1,700 to Cook County businesses that enroll employees in a pre-tax transit benefit program. Commuters can save between 30 percent and 40 percent on their commuting costs by purchasing transit fares before taxes. The incentive program has $250,000 made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the limited funds will be disbursed to employers on a first come, first served basis.
Pre-tax transit programs also benefit employers. Participating businesses reduce their payroll taxes by simply making the program available to employees. And in addition to saving people and businesses money, the program encourages people to commute via mass transit, which is typically cheaper and less polluting than driving. According to the American Public Transportation Association, Chicago transit riders can save an average of $11,889 annually by using public transit instead of driving, based on the current national average of $3.47 per gallon of gas.
“We’ve just experienced the fastest ever two-week increase in gas prices at a time when households are struggling to make ends meet,” said Jacky Grimshaw, CNT’s Vice President of Policy. “Families are pinching pennies wherever they can, and signing up for pre-tax transit benefits is a winner for commuters, it’s a winner for employers, and it’s a winner for the environment.”
By: Taylor McKinley
In the past, I have written of Place in my blog post cleverly named Place. When I talk of place, I am referring to where I (we) get the resources needed to survive and prosper. To simplify, I have split place into 5 zones and I define those zones:
- my family and my home (zone 1)
- my block and neighborhood (zone 2)
- my city and region (food shed and watershed) (zone 3)
- my country (zone 4)
- the planet (zone 5)
In order to think about how I am trying to get my local zones to be as rewarding and productive as possible, I have tried to practice Lifestyle Design (LD) in our day to day activities. Continue reading 'Place (Part 2) — Lifestyle Design'»
Chicago is northeastern Illinois’ historic center of commerce and employment, yet over the last half century, economic activity has continuously dispersed to outlying suburbs. For the most part nationally, the attention to neighborhood development around transit has focused on mixed-use development with residences, street-level retail and, occasionally, office space.
This paradigm ignores the fact that much vacant land within station areas is strictly zoned for manufacturing or commercial purposes that could attract businesses offering living wages. Next Stop: New Jobs, a new analysis by CNT, addresses these disparities by identifying opportunities to create transit-friendly employment in Chicago.
For the full article click HERE.
Download Next Stop: New Jobs
By: Taylor McKinley
How you are sustainable or regenerative has a lot to do with the place you are in. Each local ecology has its own set of circumstances, variables and things that are unique to that place. As I think about my personal environmental footprint and my place, I think about it from near to far. In permaculture, they call it zones. So I define my zones in the following way:
- my family and my home (zone 1)
- my block and neighborhood (zone 2)
- my city and region (food shed and watershed) (zone 3)
- my country (zone 4)
- the planet (zone 5)
I have started focusing on zones 1 and 2 by asking myself, “How do I get it so that as much of the needs that my family and community have are sourced locally?” There are a number of benefits to becoming more local and focused on place. Continue reading 'Place'»
Composting, Conservation, Green Building, Lifestyle, Local Food, Primitive Skills, Recycling and Waste, Renewable Energy, Transportation, Urban Agriculture
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Local, Permaculture, Place
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) $2.3 million to implement its Green TIME Zone strategy. The funds will be used to increase the SSMMA’s ability to acquire and redevelop vacant properties located near rail lines, allowing for more sustainable and affordable access to jobs and amenities.
HUD awarded Sustainable Community Challenge grants to local governments and regional organizations to revise land use plans and zoning codes to promote mixed-use development; increase the supply of affordable housing; redevelop older buildings and land for new purposes; or engage in other activities that promote environmentally sustainable and socially equitable land use, housing and transportation networks. The HUD grant application was issued jointly with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grants for improvements to highways, bridges, transit, rail and ports across the nation. The competition was fierce – only 62 of more than 700 applicants received awards.
Continue reading 'South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) Awarded$2.3 Million'»
The Chicago region sits at the nexus of six of the nation’s seven major railroads, which carry goods to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico and Canada. Until the early 20th century, many manufacturers located in Chicago’s south suburbs to reap the benefits of easy access to rail. But during the last two generations, many industrial jobs were exported to countries offering cheaper labor and fewer regulations, and highway development opened up inexpensive land in sprawling new exurbs, further draining south suburban communities of businesses, residents and tax revenues. The environment of the south suburbs and the entire Chicago region suffered with these changes as farmland was paved over, people were forced to drive to jobs inaccessible by mass transit, more cars and trucks flooded the region’s roads, and prime industrial land turned into “brownfields” containing toxic chemicals that could leech into the ground and pollute waterways.
Continue reading 'Sustainable Redevelopment in Chicago’s South Suburbs'»
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