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Navy
Pier’s
Green
Fest™ a
Rousing
Success
By
Erik
Meeks,
Editor/Tell
Us
Chicago
On
Saturday
and
Sunday,
May 16
and 17,
Navy
Pier
hosted
the
Green
Festival
for the
2nd
consecutive
year.
The
purpose
of the
festival
is to
lead the
push
toward
making
our
society
healthier—socially,
economically,
and
environmentally.
On this
weekend
many
organizations
and
businesses
showcased
programs
and
products
that
provide
the
bases of
a more
“eco-friendly”
world.
At first
glance
some of
the
programs
and
products
may seem
out of
reach
for the
average
family.
For
example,
the cost
of
installing
a solar
or wind
power
system
to run a
household
is very
expensive.
However,
a closer
look--a
true
analysis--
will
reveal
that
even
though
the
initial
costs
are
higher,
these
systems
can more
than pay
for
themselves
over a
few
years.
Plus, we
learned,
limiting
the
emissions
from a
normal
household
is a
foremost
function
of
alternative
energy
sources
and
truly a
step in
the
right
direction.
Many
other
displays
showed
the
public
ways in
which to
“green
up” a
home or
office.
A
primary
example
is the
installation
of
bamboo
flooring.
While
typical
hardwoods
come
from
trees
and take
a
tremendous
amount
of
energy
and
resources
to
produce,
bamboo
is
actually
an
extremely
fast-growing
grass.
Sustainability
and
excellent
quality
make
bamboo
an
optimum
choice
as a
building
material.
Show-goers
were
able to
sample
vegetarian
and
other
healthy
cuisine,
learn
about
organic
gardening,
and talk
with
energy
efficiency
experts.
The
entire
weekend
featured
guest
lecturers
sharing
information
and
skills
to
empower
attendees
to
create
positive
change
in the
world.
The
Green
Festival
essentially
introduced
to some
and
re-emphasized
to
others
the baby
steps
that we
all can
take to
make a
difference
in
assuring
that the
Earth—our
home—is
a better
place to
live.
Following
are
examples
of some
“small”
things
that add
up to a
huge
bottom
line in
improving
the
quality
of our
lives
and the
lives of
our
future
generations:
•
Recycle
and
reuse
household
items—
keeps
waste
out of
our
shrinking
landfills.
• Use
Compact
Fluorescent
Light
bulbs
(CFL)—one
CFL will
save
about
$30 over
its
lifetime
and pay
for
itself
in about
6
months.
A CFL
uses 75%
less
energy
and
lasts
about 10
times
longer
than
incandescent
bulbs.
•
Install
restricted
flow
shower
heads
and
faucets—conserves
energy
and
reduces
utility
bills.
• Try
organic
gardening—even
on a
small
scale,
this
saves
money
and
resources
typically
used in
transporting
produce
to
market
and
reduces
the
chemicals
that can
end up
in our
water
systems.
The
Green
Festival
is the
largest
sustainability
event in
the
world
and is
the only
‘green’
event
that
screens
exhibitors
for
their
commitment
to
sustainability,
ecological
balance,
and
social
justice.
The Fest
offsets
100% of
its
electricity
emissions
with
clean,
renewable
energy
and each
year
gets
closer
to being
a
zero-waste
event
(typically
over 90%
of waste
is
recycled).
The
Green
Festival
urges us
all to
buy into
the
concepts
of
conservation
and
sustainability--meeting
the
needs of
the
present
generation
without
compromising
the
ability
of
future
generations
to meet
their
needs.
Once we
accept
our
responsibilities
for the
future,
the more
easily
the
concepts
become
reality.
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