SUST Majors Celebrate Sustainability at GR2012 in Joliet

RU Sustainability Studies majors Sean Hattan and Stephanie Eisner participated as undergrad ambassadors for Roosevelt’s Sustainability Studies program at the 3rd annual GR2012 Celebrating Sustainability festival at Joliet Junior College on Saturday, 19 May 2012. They joined Professor Mike Bryson at RU’s information table among the many green exhibitors at the festival, and spoke with visitors (including prospective students) about the SUST program and RU’s many sustainability initiatives — from the new 32-story LEED-certified Wabash Building in downtown Chicago, to the 22-acre sustainable landscape redevelopment plan and community garden now underway at the Schaumburg Campus.

L to R: Stephanie and Sean (RU), Tiffany (JJC), Tori (Loyola), and Antonio (JJC) hang out at the GR2012 Festival

One of the highlights of the festival for Stephanie and Sean was taking a walking tour of the prairie, wetland, and lake restoration projects underway at the JJC Campus. The tour was led by JJC biology professor Andy Neill, one of several faculty who are developing ideas for sustainability-themed courses and degree programs at the college — including degree completion options for JJC students planning to transfer to RU. It’s inspiring, too, hearing stories from JJC students Tiffany, Antonio, and Tori (a recent grad who is starting at Loyola this summer) about how they and others are helping drive the college’s efforts to become a more sustainable campus.

Thanks on behalf of the SUST Program to Stephanie and Sean for volunteering their time at GR2012! And for more pictures of the event, check out this online photo album by Prof. Bryson.

Live from the GR2012 Celebrating Sustainability Festival in Joliet!

Today, May 19th, we’re blogging live from the 3rd annual Celebrating Sustainability Festival at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, IL — the largest sustainability party /community gathering / expo of its kind in the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago. Dozens of exhibitors are here displaying green products and services, sustainability initiatives throughout Will County, and various educational programs. Plus there’s a series of speakers, food, live entertainment, and a wide host of family-friendly activities throughout the day. It’s going to be a fun time!

RU’s Sustainability Studies program has an exhibit table in Tent A on the Festival’s exhibit and picnic grounds. Professor Mike Bryson and a few students from his spring 2012 SUST 210 and 350 courses will be on hand to talk with visitors about our degree programs, service learning initiatives, and community research projects. From 11am to noon, Bryson will give a slideshow presentation entitled “The Sustainable Suburb: From Oak Park to Schaumburg to Joliet,” which you can view here in pdf format.

Check this blog for updates later today! And if you’re in the Joliet area, stop by this amazing FREE public event and say hello.

Acclaimed Author and Environmental Activist at JJC on May 9th

Sandra Steingraber, one of today’s most talented and influential environmental writers, will give a public lecture and book signing at Joliet Junior College on Wednesday, May 9^th, 2012, at 6pm. This free event (register here) is an extraordinary opportunity to hear a gifted and inspiring speaker address the widespread use of toxic chemicals in our environment and their impact upon human health.

Steingraber is a native of Tazewell County in central Illinois who grew up along the Illinois River; a widely published poet/essayist, she holds a PhD in ecology. Like Rachel Carson’s writings in the 1950s and 60s, Steingraber’s books Living Downstream (1997 and 2011), Having Faith (2003), and Raising Elijah (2011) artfully communicate scientific concepts and ecological analysis in clear, compelling prose and thus rank as outstanding examples of environmental science writing. Now a full-time writer, speaker, and environmental activist, Steingraber’s essays are published in Orion magazine, the Huffington Post, and other prominent national publications. Her compelling personal story as a cancer survivor, scientist, parent, and activist are told in the 2010 documentary film Living Downstream.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Dr. Steingraber in her only appearance this spring in the Chicago region. The event is hosted by Joliet Junior College, the nation’s oldest community college, with additional sponsorship by the Sustainability Studies program at Roosevelt University and by Moraine Valley Community College.

When:  Wednesday, May 9^th, 6pm
Where:  Joliet Junior College’s theater (click here for directions and a campus map)
Registration:  Free and open to the public (register in advance here to reserve your seats)

 

Please distribute this announcement widely via email and social media!

New Environmental Friendly Roosevelt Addition

by Alexa Ulrich for SUST 210 online

A city rich in modern and postmodern architecture alongside its classics of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, Chicago now has an outstanding addition to its downtown skyline: Roosevelt University’s unique vertical campus building located on 425 S. Wabash Avenue.  Roosevelt University has been known for their main downtown campus building being renovated from a hotel, office building, and auditorium, a historic structure dating back to the late 1800s. There has been great nostalgia with the building and how amazing it has been to keep it intact and reusing that original space. With the rise in environmental awareness and more and more organizations adapting sustainable practices into their routine, Roosevelt University has decided to continue that growing revolution.

This new building set to have its grand opening in August of 2012 will incorporate many features of green design. The building will absorb natural light resulting in energy conservation for the building and cutting maintenance costs. This is exciting news for Roosevelt University because we strive to be environmentally sound and social justice-driven. This new building will be one of the few skyscrapers in the city of Chicago that is a leader in energy and environmental design, and will be LEED-silver certified. Our Schaumburg campus, current Chicago campus, and now this new vertical tower will represent “Green Design” beautifully.

The Wabash Building will be 32 stories high with a glass exterior emphasizing its sleek and contemporary look. Students will be able to observe Lake Michigan from their classes and experience an entirely new vibe to their university. The building will feature dining areas, lecture halls, classrooms, recreation, and even housing! What is unique about this building is that it is the second tallest university building in the entire country, setting Roosevelt apart from others.

Submitted 27 April 2012

Sustainable Gardening Trends for Homeowners

By Tim Longueil for SUST 210 online

Gardening in our communities has taken a huge upswing in the past few years. Sustainable gardens can be very beneficial to our local ecosystems by providing biodiversity and beautification while being able capture our planet’s natural energy and divert it back to the health of your garden without additional chemical inputs. These self-sustaining gardens can grow food for you to eat like fruits and vegetables as well as herbs and spices.

One thing to keep in mind when designing a garden is finding ways to keep maintenance time/costs down. Learning the basics of when to plant, how to water or fertilize is extremely important to your plants’ health as well as to the environment. Water is an extremely limited resource and we must do whatever we can to minimize use and save as much as we can. Gardeners can start by capturing rainwater in barrels and using that to feed their gardens — or water can be collected and stored underground in a tank to use for many tasks like laundry, washing the car, watering the garden, or even filling a pool.

Fertilizers also cause problems because they can pollute our water sources. Runoff occurs when the unused product gets washed away during a rainstorm and joins our local water supply. Consider using local-sourced organic fertilizers as opposed to synthetic ones that are produced by fossil fuels and shipped across the globe.

This recent article from the Daily Herald’s website describes new gardening trends for your home: “Besides beautifying our homes and gardens, plants play a vital role in our health and well-being. They elicit powerful positive emotions, revive neighborhoods and influence everything from what we eat to life’s milestones.” The article further discusses how to inspire community efforts toward gardening and agricultural projects,  as well as how to harvest rainwater for our plants and gardens. We must start thinking “green” when it comes to gardens and local agriculture.

Submitted 23 April 2012

Food Deserts in Chicago (RU event on 4/25)

One of the nation’s experts on food deserts and food justice issues, Mari Gallagher, will present her research on Chicago’s food deserts at a public lecture at RU’s Chicago Campus this Wednesday, April 25th. Gallagher has a flair for discussing a serious topic with a healthy dose of humor and optimism for the future.

Gallagher was in the news this week with her response to a recent New York Times story on food deserts and obesity. Read her response in the Chicago Tribune and join the conversation on April 25.

Don’t miss this free event that is part of RU’s New Deal Service Days!

Date: Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
Time: 5:30pm
Place: Roosevelt University’s Chicago Campus (430 S. Michigan)
Room: Auditorium Building, Congress Lounge (2nd floor)

An Earth Day Plea: Climate Change Needs More Attention

By Lonette Sims for SUST 210 online

The Chicago area and surrounding suburbs experienced one of the warmest winter seasons on record. There was hardly any snow cover in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.  Most people living here did not complain, but enjoyed the warm weather. However, Chicagoans need to be concerned about this abnormally warm weather because it is just foreshadowing of future climate conditions.  Likewise, March of 2012 experienced extremely temperatures for that month. As the Huffington Post reported, “[T]emperatures in Chicago over the course of March have been nearly 16 degrees above normal.”

Climate change in the Chicago area is due to our dependence of fossil fuels. We use fossil fuels for driving, electricity, online shopping, etc.  Everyone needs to reduce their dependency upon fossil fuels because emissions from their combustion contribute to climate change. As global warming progresses, Chicago average winter weather may change dramatically.  Chicago winters were known for being brutally cold, but this winter was too mild. Cold winters are normal and many local species are adapted to this cold weather. A pattern of extremely mild winters reveal that we are rapidly raising the Earth’s temperature; the surface temperature may become too warm to sustain certain organisms in given locations.

In Andrew Revkin’s article titled, “More on Global Warming from a Republican Meteorologist,” published on the Dot Earth blog site, he writes, “Pieced together [the evidence] revealed the full puzzle: There’s more heat and moisture in the atmosphere, and our emissions are largely responsible for keeping it there.”  There is more heat in the atmosphere because we are releasing carbon dioxide every time we burn fossil fuels; there is more moisture in the air because  earth’s temperature  is rising causing more water to be evaporated into the atmosphere.

Climate Change needs more media attention because humans are endangering the lives of future humans and organisms.  Earth Day is a great occasion to discuss environmental issues like climate change. Some people will implement green practices the celebrate Earth Day, but continue to depend on fossil fuels.  Earth Day was not intended on making people change for just a single day out of the year; Earth Day is supposed to inspire people to change their lifestyles. The media needs to discuss climate change at least once a week because it will bring more awareness to climate change. More awareness about climate change will inspire citizens, local governments, and the federal government to increase green practices, green policy, and green technology.

Submitted 20 April 2012