Five years later, still crazy for the environment

Posted on 04/26/2013 by Mike Nowak

April 21, 2013

Welcome to the 5th Anniversary Show!

Feel free to run out and buy me a two-by-four. The traditional 5th anniversary gifts are made of wood, representing strength and a solidified relationship, and silverware, representing connectedness. On second thought, lift some silverware from the next fancy party you’re at and pass it along to me.

Well, who knew that the grand experiment would last this long? Certainly not I. But as a lurch into another year at Chicago’s Progressive Talk, I would be remiss if i didn’t thank all of the good folks who have helped me along the way. People like Kathleen Thompson, Mike Sanders, Heather Frey, Joe McArdle, Beth Botts, Leah Pietrusiak, Mark Earnest, Jennifer Brennan and a bunch more, too numerous to name. And there’s the current team of Lisa Albrecht, Sarah Batka, Rob Kartholl and Denny Schetter.

On today’s show, we’ll get some work done but we’ll have a little fun, too. Since Denny has suggested it, I’ll pull out some of my favorite audio clips from the past five years. We’ll give away some stuff from my over-stuffed grab bag and who knows who might call in? And Jennifer Brenan will be here to talk about Dig In Chicago.

My thanks, of course, to my very loyal listeners and to all of you who log onto this website each week to read these words. We had 1.25 million hits on the site last year, and I’m sure we’ll crash through that number this year.

Okay, onto business.

Are yearly “once-in-a-century” storms the new norm?

A lot of you are bailing out from a week of near-apocalyptic rain in the Midwest. I knew things were bad when I walked out my back door early Thursday morning and saw the lake that used to be my backyard. Fortunately for me, just as the water started rising from the drain in the center of my basement, the rains stopped and the water in the basement–and the backyard–receded.

Many people in the area weren’t nearly so fortunate. So what is going on here?Jennifer and I will talk to Rick DiMaio, who will give us an overview of this week’s weather and a clue to what it means. To see the extent of the storm, take a gander at these graphs:

 

Another casualty of the rains was Lake Michigan. Friend of the show Josh Mogerman from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) blogged about the sewage-laden water that was released into the Great Lake as the relentless rain pushed our storm water system to the limit. Friends of the Chicago River wants even more photos of this rain event and wants to use the documentation to lobby for accelerating the timeline to complete the Deep Tunnel and Reservoir Plan. If you have pics of the flooding that you want to share, click here.

And there’s an unfortunate aftermath to all of this flooding if you have a garden–especially a vegetable garden. Now you have to determine whether your soil and/or plants have been contaminated by sewage-laden flood waters.

Check out this article from Franklin County, Kentucky Extension, this one from Purdue Extension, and this one from South Dakota Extension for some pretty good information.. I’ve culled some of their advice:

  • Consider the source of the flood waters. Rain water or water from a potable water source, or uncontaminated source does not carry the same potential hazards as water from a river, septic field, or other potentially contaminated source.
  • Following flooding, any leafy greens that are eaten fresh, such as lettuce or cabbage, should be destroyed. They are at risk of contamination for 90 days following a flood.
  • Leafy greens that will be cooked, such as spinach, should be cut back completely and allowed to re-grow before using. Cook them thoroughly before using.
  • Newly planted seeds and transplants may not survive even short-term flooding, and seeds may have washed away. Resist the urge to replant immediately; give the soil a chance to dry out first. Working wet soil will have long-lasting effects of soil compaction.
  • Gardeners should not attempt to make an unsafe, flooded garden product safe by using chlorine bleach or a similar product. The level of contamination on a flooded garden can be at dangerous levels
  • With rain and sunshine, the levels of the pathogens will disperse. After the first good rain, research shows that the majority of harmful cells are removed from the surface.
  • As for landscape trees and shrubs, it is difficult to say what the long-term effect of being underwater will be. When soils are completely flooded, oxygen is prevented from reaching the root system. Certainly, some trees are more tolerant of waterlogged conditions, but the longer the lack of aeration, the greater the chance of root death. The general thought is that most landscape plants can survive being submerged for about a week or so.

Ron Wolford, Cook County Extension Educator, provides even more links related to flooding and your gardens:

Safely Using Produce from Flooded Gardens-Wisconsin Food Science
Repairing Spring Flooded Lawns-Missouri Extension
Effects of Flooding on Woody Landscape Plants-Wisconsin Extension
It’s raining, it’s pouring, it’s a good time for a site assessment… The Garden Professors
Plants Tolerant of Wet Sites-Morton Arboretum

If you have more questions, consult your local extension office.

ComEd’s “Energy Doctor” is in the house

On this day before Earth Day, it’s a pleasure to welcome Sandra Henry from Commonwealth Edison to the WCPT studios on Milwaukee Avenue. Sandra is the program manager of ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Portfolio, and also serves as one of ComEd’s Energy Doctors. She is an elected regional director of the Illinois Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). She is also an LEED Accredited Professional.

You might have heard of Commonwealth Edison Company (or ComEd) before–and I say that tongue-in-cheek, of course. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million residential and business customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population.

Whether it’s winter, summer, spring or fall, there are always ways that you can make your home more energy efficient. That’s the reason Sandra is in the studio today. She’s using her 20 years of experience to make suggestions and answer questions about how you can save energy–and money.

Here are twelve quick tips that you might find useful from ComEd’s page on low-cost and no cost solutions to energy problems.

  1. Turn off the lights whenever you leave a room.
  2. Keep your home at 78 degrees in the summer, or at the warmest temperature that is comfortable for you.
  3. When leaving home for more than 4 hours, raise the thermostat 5 to 10 degrees in summer and lower it 5 to 10 degrees in winter. Do the same at night before going to bed.
  4. Close south-, east-, and west-facing curtains during the day to keep out solar heat during the summer.
  5. Clean the coils at the back of your refrigerator twice a year.
  6. Only heat and cool rooms you use; close vents and doors to rooms that are not being used.
  7. Keep windows closed and shades down when air conditioning is on.
  8. Check and clean air conditioning filters monthly and replace as needed.
  9. Unplug electric chargers, televisions, and audio/video equipment when not in use (or plug them into a power strip you can turn off and on). These devices use electricity even when they are not in use.
  10. Turn off your computer or put it in ”sleep” mode when it is not being used.
  11. Run energy-intensive appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer at night. The heat produced by these appliances will not need to be offset by your air conditioner during the day. Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher and clothes washer, and use cold water when possible.
  12. Keep lamps and televisions away from the thermostat. The heat they generate will cause your air conditioner to work harder. If you’re running an old refrigerator in your basement that isn’t being used, unplug it. Old refrigerators can use three times the electricity of modern ones.

Sandra has even more information on the show today. Call in with your questions: 773-763-9278.

 

Posted in Information from Past Shows | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spring renewal, a net-positive energy campus and a landfill that won’t die

Posted on 04/19/2013 by Mike Nowak

April 14, 2013

Here she is–star of radio,TV and print: Melinda Myers

For a lot of gardeners in the Midwest, 2012 is a year we’d like to forget. The heat and drought took their toll on our annuals, perennials, vegetables and lawns. It’s kind of a blessing that the 2013 growing season is off to such a slow start. It’s giving us a chance to slowly ease into the processes that came all too quickly last year.

So it’s a pleasure to welcome gardening expert Melinda Myers back to the show to talk about garden renewal in 2013. Since she hails from just north of here, in Milwaukee, Myers knows the problems that northern Midwest gardeners have experienced and how to fix them. In fact, she’s traveling all around this part of the country to spread the gospel of Garden Revitalization.

She also happens to be a TV and radio host, author & columnist, with more than 30 years of horticulture experience. That includes more than 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening, The Birds & Blooms’ Ultimate Gardening Guide , and Jackson and Perkins’ Beautiful Roses Made Easy: Midwestern Edition.

Melinda hosted “The Plant Doctor” radio program for over 20 years as well as seven seasons of Great Lakes Gardener on PBS. She hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment segments which air on 115 TV and radio stations throughout the U.S. If you want to get some great tips for early April, just click here.

Melinda and I also want to tell you about the Milorganite Community Garden Giveaway. On Earth Day (April 22 nd , 2013) Milorganite will reward five community gardens that are having the greatest impact in their communities. Those gardens will receive a one year supply of Milorganite organic nitrogen fertilizer, which amounts to 56 bags, each weighing 36 pounds.

All entries must be submitted by April 15 th, so get thee to it! You can find details for the contest here.

Can AGC become the first Illinois “net-positive” energy campus?

It was almost exactly three years ago that I talked to Dan Schnitzer, the Director of Sustainability and Operations for a Chicago charter school called the Academy for Global Citizenship, located on the City’s southwest side near 47th Street and Cicero.

This time around, I’m pleased to have Sarah Elizabeth Ippel with me in the studio. She is is the founder and executive director of AGC and recently was named to Huffington Post’s 50 people “who are changing the world” and GOOD’s “100 people pushing the world forward.” Not bad for somebody who started out at 23 by riding her bicycle to the Board of Education with request: to reimagine what is possible in public education today.

She has followed through on that idea, creating a school that opened in 2008 and now has 300 kindergarten through fifth grade students, 90% of whom are minorities and 83% from low-income families. It is now on track to add one grade level per year to create the first southwest side pre-K to 12th grade International Baccalaureate Education institution in the Chicago Public School district.

Among its accomplishments:

• AGC has been internationally recognized for our progressive environmental, global and academic programs.
• AGC has raised literacy rates by 62% in three years.
• 93% of AGC’s Third Grade & Fourth Grade students are meeting or exceeding math standards.
• 100% of AGC’s K-5th Grade students are learning a second or third language.
• AGC has presented to the United States Department of Education on fostering systemic change.
• AGC was recognized by the Obama administration as a Green Ribbon School, part of the first award in U.S. history.
• AGC was invited to the White House by Mrs. Obama to be recognized the Midwest’s first and the nation’s second recipient of the USDA’s highest honor in its Healthier US School Challenge Gold with Distinction Award, presented in conjunction with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
• In our 4 years of operation, AGC has welcomed over 5,000 visitors from as far as Japan, Sweden and Nigeria.
• AGC has published a Sustainable Schools Handbook: The Key to Greening Your School that has been utilized by schools locally and across the globe.

Now, the school is looking to break ground on an Illinois first: a net-positive energy campus, which will be in Chicago.

And on May 16th, a group of renowned chefs are coming together for an event at Terzo Piano that will benefit AGC and their net-positive campus. Here’s the list: Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia, Bar Toma and Terzo Piano), Jimmy Bannos and Jimmy Bannos, Jr. (The Purple Pig), Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and Xoco) Iron Chef Jose Garces (Mercat/Garces Group), Paul Kahan (Avec, Big Star, Blackbird, The Publican and Publican Quality Meats), Bill Kim (bellyQ, Urbanbelly, Belly Shack), Jeff Mauro (Food Network’s “Sandwich King”), Giuseppe Tentori (Boka and GT Fish & Oyster), Marcela Valladolid (Author and Host, Food Network’s “Mexican Made Easy”), and Takashi Yagihashi (Takashi and Slurping Turtle).

Cook County landfills rising from the bathtub like Glenn Close?

Never underestimate the power of money to affect public policy in a bad way.

Last year, I stood across from the River Bend Prairie Landfill at 138th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue and watched as Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a General Assembly-approved measure that banned the operation of landfills in Cook County.

End of story, right? Not so fast.

According the organization No Chicago Landfills, Land and Lakes Co., which operated the River Bend Prairie site, “now say they want to “mine” their landfill for scrap metal and recyclables so that they can continue to make a profit. This process involves digging up decades-old, rotting waste and extends the life of the landfill.”

So the Cook County Board of Commissioners is planning a vote that could put this matter to bed for good. After all, the State of Illinois has already passed a law banning landfills in Cook County and the City of Chicago has a ban that will last at least until 2025. No brainer, right?

Ah, but something is amiss, though it’s hard to tell exactly what that might be. For some reason, some of the commissioners, including those pesky “good government” types, do not seem to have the backs of the good citizens of Cook County.

This is making environmental and community leaders nervous and rightly so. Commissioner John Fritchey has stepped into the fray and has introduced an ordinance to ban new and expanded landfills in unincorporated Cook County. Community residents on the south side and south suburbs have battled with operators to stop plans to reopen a landfill on unincorporated land between Dolton and the southern border of Chicago.

Without such a ban, they say, waste companies will once again be able to pursue landfills anywhere in Cook County, including areas that have been designated for environmental restoration – such as the Lake Calumet region. According to Fritchey, “This legislation will protect communities that have long suffered from dump sites and landfills and will also protect millions of taxpayers’ dollars in preservation and restoration work across Cook County.”

On Monday, Aprill 15 at 10:30 a.m., Commissioner Fritchey, People for Community Recovery, Golden Gate Community Recover and the Southeast Environmental Task Force will hold a news conference on the 5th floor of the Cook County Building, 118 N. Clark Street in Chicago. They will urge the Cook County Board to pass Fritchey’s ban on landfills.

Tom Shepherd from the Southeast Environmental Task Force joins me this morning to talk about why this issue just won’t go away.

Posted in Information from Past Shows | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BRT comes to Chicago and “Dr.” Wally goes to Berthold’s

Posted on 04/13/2013 by Mike Nowak

April 7, 2013

Bus Rapid Transit comes to Chicago (almost)

On November 12, 2012, commuters along the Jeffery Boulevard corridor found that they had a way to get downtown a little faster. On that day, Chicago launched the Jeffery Jump J14 service, the first part of an effort to introduce Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to the City.

The Jeffery Jump J14 service runs from 103rd Street to Metra’s Ogilvie and Union Stations. Corridor improvements have been made from 67th to 103rd Streets, with dedicated, rush hour lanes along Jeffery Boulevard between 67th and 83rd Streets. Jeffery Jump is an enhanced version of the existing #14 Jeffery Express service.

As I stated, this is just the first of at least three corridors that could have BRT runs within the next few years. But even the Jeffery Jump is only partially complete. There are a number of elements that make a BRT system different from tradition bus service, as listed on the Chicago BRT site:

  • Dedicated bus lanes or separate bus right of way from normal street traffic.
  • Traffic signal prioritization (TSP) which extends green lights and shortens red lights for buses.
  • The ability to bypass regular vehicular traffic
  • Fewer stops and additional customer amenities at special kiosks including pre-board payment stations, maps and digital customer information displaying bus and train arrival information.
  • A uniquely identifiable fleet with a distinct look and branding
  • BRT combines the efficiency and consistency of rail rapid transit with the flexibility and comparatively lower cost of bus service. BRT service has been implemented in cities throughout the world, including several U. S. cities.

In the case of the Jeffery Jump, dedicated lanes have been designated on only a portion of the run–the two miles from 67th to 83rd Streets–and even those lanes are bus-only during the rush hour times of 7-9am and 4-6pm weekdays. Also missing are the prioritized traffic signals, the ability to pay before boarding, and bus stops in the medians.

BRT systems have been shown to work in other cities. A notable example is the HealthLine in Cleveland, where the BRT has pumped as much as $4.3 billion into the City’s economy. Other cities that have incorporated BRT elements into their transportation systems are Los Angeles, New York and Eugene, Oregon. Not every city implements every aspect of BRT systems, yet the roll out of even parts of the concept have been shown to improve commuting experiences.

If you’re wondering where the money is coming from, the Jump is funded by an $11 million Federal Transportation Administration grant. There are also a lot of partners in this venture, including the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Active Transportation Alliance, Metropolitan Planning Council, Urban Land Institute Civic Consulting Alliance, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, and The Chicago Community Trust, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation

What’s next? The Central Loop BRT Corridor will move express buses along Washington and Madison streets, connecting Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Station, North Michigan Avenue, and Navy Pier. Six current bus routes will benefit from BRT improvements. Service along the Central Loop Corridor is expected to begin in 2014 and it’s financed by a $24.6 million Federal Transit Administration grant and $7.3 in local Tax Increment Financing funds.

When funding becomes available (always a sticking point), the City is exploring options for a BRT service on Western and Ashland Avenues. A study is being conducted for the approximately 21 mile length along Western and Ashland Avenues, from Howard Street on the north to 95th Street on the south.

I’m pleased to have Christopher Ziemann, Chicago BRT project manager, in studio this morning. Funded through support from the Rockefeller Foundation, Ziemann works between the Chicago Community Trust, the CTA and the Chicago Dept. of Transportation, and coordinates the efforts of civic nonprofit groups with city agencies.

“Dr. Wally” is back…and now he’s at Berthold’s!

If “Dr. Wally” is in the house this morning to answer questions, it has to be spring! For years, he has been a fixture at Pesche’s Garden Center. But with a new growing season, comes a new location. “Dr. Wally” Schmidtke (and you should know that he’s not a real doctor, he just likes the “M.D” license plates on his Radio Flyer Wagon), is now holding court at Berthold’s Floral, Gift and Garden, though we just call it Berthold’s Garden Center.

At the same time, Berthold’s has become a new sponsor of The Mike Nowak Show. Coincidence? I’ll leave that to you to figure out. Here’s what they have to say about bringing Wally into their operation:

Wally will lead us in various areas including:

  • Digital Pathology – Bring in a sample of a plant material with an insect or disease problem for diagnosis using a Celestron digital microscope.
  • Emails with topical gardening information.
  • Workshops and seminars presented at Berthold’s Seminar Building.
  • Presentations to garden clubs on various horticultural topics.
  • Expanded selection of ‘green’ gardening of curatives and amendments and how to properly use these organic/natural products.
  • Additional varieties of vegetables and herbs that perform well in our Chicago land area.

If you need any horticultural help, please stop in and find out why Wally has earned the nickname “Dr. Wally” from his customers and associates in the industry!

I couldn’t have said it any better. Throughout the year, you can expect gardening tips from “Dr. Wally,” some of which will be posted on this very website.

Amy Stewart: In search of the perfect horticultural cocktail

Here she goes again.

Amy Stewart has a knack for writing horticultural books that…well, that people actually want to read. C’mon, who wouldn’t want to cozy up in the bathroom with titles like Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities or Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects or The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms. I’ll bet you want to click on one of those links and order a book this very minute.

This time, she’s written a book about the world’s favorite pasttime: drinking. To be more precise, the book is called The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks, and it’s about how horticulture and alcohol intersect. She writes:

It would be impossible to describe every plant that has ever flavored an alcoholic beverage. I am certain that at this very moment, a craft distiller in Brooklyn is plucking a weed from a crack in the sidewalk and wondering if it would make a good flavoring for a new line of bitters. Marc Wucher, an Alsatian eau- de- vie maker, once told a reporter, “We distill everything except our mothers- in- law,” and if you’ve ever been to Alsace, you know he wasn’t exaggerating.

Here is how the book is organized:

Part I
we explore the twin alchemical processes of fermentation and distillation, from which wine, beer, and spirits issue forth Proceeding in an Orderly Fashion through the Alphabet: The Classics, from Agave to Wheat, Then Moving onto a Sampling of More Obscure Sources of Alcohol from around the World: Strange Brews

Part II
we then suffuse our creations with a wondrous assortment of nature’s bounty Herbs & Spices, Flowers, Trees, Fruit, Nuts & Seeds.

Part III
at last we venture into the garden, where we encounter a seasonal array of botanical mixers and garnishes to be introduced to the cocktail in its final stage of preparation Sorted in a Similar Fashion: Herbs, Flowers, Trees, Berries & Vines, Fruits & Vegetables; including Recipes and Sufficient Horticultural Instruction

Stewart also includes a fair number of cocktail recipes, including

Classic Margarita
The French Intervention
The Vavilov Affair
Prickly Pear Sangria
Bison Grass Cocktail
Moscow Mule
Dombey’s Last Word
Dancing with the Green Fairy
The Douglas Expedition
The Frank Meyer Expedition
Buena Vista’s Irish Coffee
Blushing Mary

And a list of syrups, infusions and garnishes such as

Prickly Pear Syrup
Homemade Maraschino Cherries
Brine Your Own Olives
Limoncellow and Other Liqueurs

Before you get started on your own, Stewart offers a few words of advice:

To those of you with more than a passing interest in distillation or mixology, I urge you to be wary of experimenting with unknown plants. As the author of a book on poisonous plants, I can tell you that dropping the wrong herb into a still or a bottle for the purpose of extracting its active ingredients might be your last act of creativity. I’ve included some warnings about deadly look-alikes and dangerous botanical relatives. Do remember that plants employ powerful chemicals as defenses against the very thing you want to do to them, which is to pluck them from the ground and devour them. Before you go foraging, get a reputable field guide and follow it closely.

By the way, Stewart will be in the area for the next couple of days. On Monday, April 8th, at 7 p.m., she appears at The Bookstall at 811 Elm Street, Winnetka. Then, on Tuesday, April 9th, The Standard Club of Chicago will be hosting a reception and luncheon for Stewart at 11:30 a.m. That evening at
7 p.m., Anderson’s Books in Naperville will be hosting a Drunken Botanist party with an assortment of cocktail-friendly plants!

Who says horticulturists don’t know how to party? Ladies and gentlemen, start your cocktails!

Sand mine moratorium in LaSalle County?

File this story under the heading, “Too little, too late.” County Board to consider moratorium on new sand mines, reads the story from The Times in Ottawa, Illinois, dated April 3, 2013. The article was sent to me by a concerned citizen down that way. Here’s how it starts:

Next Thursday [April 11] the La Salle County Board will consider placing a moratorium on new sand mines in rural areas.

The moratorium would extend until Friday, Nov. 1, to give the county time to update its 5-year-old comprehensive plan.

The moratorium would not cease operations for any existing sand mines or prevent the start of sand mines “grandfathered” in the county zoning ordinance.

Neither would it prevent municipalities from annexing land for sand mine operations, such as Utica has done.

So while it might prevent future rural sand mines in the area, it doesn’t seem to have any bearing on the proposed mine outside of Starved Rock State Park. One more part of the story that I think you should read:

[ Mike Harsted, the county's director of Environmental Services and Land Use] was philosophical on the issue.

“Ten years ago if the citizens of La Salle County would have taken part in the preparation and processing of the La Salle County comprehensive plan and the La Salle County zoning ordinance we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion on sand pits today,” he said.

“But instead, everybody spent their time and money in voting against countywide zoning because it put too many restrictions on the citizens. Well, guess what? Ten years later, low and behold, we didn’t put enough on. And they rely on you to right this for them.”

Cautionary tale?

Tracy Yang from the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club writes to people in LaSalle County::

Now is our chance to start making a difference. We are planning to get something out on Monday next week, but if you all have time to pass on this list (http://www.lasallecounty.org/flctybrd/board_members.htm ) to your local networks before then, I would encourage you to get the word out to others and start making these calls now!

I also encourage you all to be present during the vote to continue applying pressure on your board members.

Posted in Information from Past Shows | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment