Green Parent Chicago™

A Plateful of Politics: The Ghosts in the Garden

Halloween may not be until next week, but I've already seen a ghost. A garden full of ghosts to be exact. But before I tell my ghost story, allow me to provide a little background.

It wasn’t until mid-summer this year that I made it down to the 61st Street Farmers’ Market for the first time. In July, Purple Asparagus took part in the Market’s education program, the Market School. Since it was a little slow to start and we had some extra volunteers, I took the Market's manager, Dennis Ryan, up on his offer of a tour.

The Market is located on 61st Street in Woodlawn on Chicago's south side. Despite its proximity to the President's Chicago home and the University of Chicago, Woodlawn is a neighborhood with many needs. While it has made recent strides, it still suffers from higher poverty levels and lower access to fresh and healthy foods.

Video: Climate Rally at Fisk Coal Plant

-view photos of the rally

Earth Talk: The Fate of Honey Bees

Dear EarthTalk: Not long ago there were concerns about honey bees disappearing. Are the bees still disappearing, and if so do we know why and do we have a solution? -- David, Grand Rapids, MI 

The topic of disappearing honey bees first cropped up in 2004 and by the spring of 2007 was all over the news. Thousands of commercial beekeepers across the U.S. and beyond were reporting in some cases that as many as two-thirds of their honey bees were flying away from their hives, never to return. What made the problem—dubbed “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD)—so unusual is that most traumas to bee colonies leaves bees dead in or around their hives, not mysteriously gone altogether.

Strangely enough, there was no concrete evidence pointing to disease or predation or of mites that tend to attack bee hives. Some beekeepers reported that moths, animals and other bees were steering clear of the newly empty nests, leading to speculation that chemical contamination due to widespread use of pesticides might be to blame. But no smoking gun emerged and the mystery remains today.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which last year convened a multi-agency steering committee to assess the problem and find solutions, several factors could be combining to cause CCD. “Pesticides may be having unexpected negative effects on honey bees,” reports ARS, adding that as yet unknown parasites, pathogens or viruses could also be wreaking havoc on bee colonies. Studies have also indicated that poor management of populations of commercial honey bees—including inadequate diet and long distance transportation—may play a role.

In one study, researchers from Columbia University isolated the presence of a virus—the so-called Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus—in upwards of 96 percent of the hives studied that were affected by CCD. Other studies point to widespread use of Imidacloprid, a common grub-control chemical used on lawns and farms and which has already been banned in France due to its alleged effect on bees. But finding a single cause of CCD seems unlikely, and ARS researchers point to the possibility of “a perfect storm of existing stresses” weakening colonies to the point of collapse: “Stress…compromises the immune system of bees…and may disrupt their social system, making colonies more susceptible to disease.”

Whatever the cause, CCD remains a real threat to agriculture. About a third of all American farm production is dependent upon the pollination efforts of commercially-raised honey bees. While diversifying the stock of insect pollinators beyond just one species of honey bee would certainly represent a step in the right direction, re-jiggering the nation’s agricultural system represents no small challenge.

Not surprisingly perhaps, organic beekeepers have not experienced CCD, leading to speculation that overall greener management practices could be the answer even if direct causes are not determined. Meanwhile, efforts to genetically modify bees that are resistant to predators and pathogens could also prove fruitful, although such high tech solutions are still untested and could open up other cans of worms.

CONTACTS: USDA Agricultural Research Service, www.ars.usda.gov; CCD Steering Committee Q&A, www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/ccd.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

-photo credit: Rainer Hungershausen, courtesy Flickr

International Day of Climate Action: Chicago Groups To Rally Saturday at Fisk Coal Plant

Over 25 environmental groups will rally Saturday at Fisk Coal Plant to demand strong domestic and international policy action from President Obama as he sets forth to join international climate talks in Copenhagen.

The rally, in solidarity with International Day of Climate Action held worldwide, will take place at 1 p.m. near the Fisk coal plant at Dvorak Park in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood at 1111 W. Cermak Rd.

Organizers say the single biggest source of global warming pollution and air pollution in Chicago is Midwest Generation's Fisk and Crawford coal fired power plants. Midwest Generation is currently being sued by the EPA for violating the clean air act while operating these and 4 other sites within Illinois.

Saturday's rally will include guest speakers Executive Director of Greenpeace Phil Radford and 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore and music and activists representing youth and families from the communities of Pilsen and Little Village.

Activities and educational demonstrations planned for the rally include:
-The Rolling Sunlight, a solar-paneled truck to power the stage
-Solar panels to warm up coffee and hot chocolate for everyone
-Mock Wind turbines
-Energy Election ballots where you can vote for clean energy or dirty coal
-Face of Climate Change art display: those attending the rally may bring a photo of someone effected by climate change to add to the display (ex. kids, grandkids, friends, community members etc.)

To read more about the environmental cost of coal fired plants in Chicago and Illinois see: http://lvejo.org/coalpower.htm

Feeding the Hungry – A Homemade Video On How You and Your Children Can Make A Difference For A Food Bank!

According to AmpleHarvest.org, "an estimated 100 billion pounds of food, enough to totally eliminate hunger, is thrown away annually in the United States.” Be shocked – and then make a difference for your community by stopping the waste.

Regularly clean out your food pantry - – if you are not eating the food in your home, donate it to a local food pantry before it gets outdated. If you grow a garden and have leftover vegetables, do not leave it standing on the plants; take it to a local food pantry and donate it to someone who could really use it like we  did in the above video. Organizations like AmpleHarvest.org enable neighbors in need to obtain garden fresh produce that might be left standing unharvested due to over production in home and community gardens. Please send food pantry’s that are unregistered to this website to help make a difference for people in your community.

Above is a homemade video my daughter and I made about collecting vegetables from the garden and taking it to be donated. Having my eight-year-old help plant and grow the plants, then film our trip, gave her a strong sense of ownership with the experience. Notice how excited and proud she is that she is bringing “her baby” the pumpkin to give to some other child.

All of our children should understand and identify with the feeling of caring for others, most especially those in need right in our very own neighborhoods. Building our community means building our economy and contributing to the emotional health of other human beings. Of all lessons in life, I believe this one should take priority for our children.

Grow a garden if you can because it can make a real difference for the world. Teach your family and neighbors how to grow a garden as well. Get started planning right NOW – at the end of this gardening season – to plan for next year’s vegetable garden. Purposely plant vegetables which are easy to grow and which might be mass producers so you can contribute more to help those who really need it. If you cannot grow a garden on your property, invite your neighbors to participate or build a community garden on a local community property.

What will you do to have your children understand the importance of helping the hungry?

-Shawna Coronado is an author, locally syndicated newspaper columnist, health, and greening expert focused on teaching and living a green lifestyle. She blogs on conservation, greening and health tips at www.gardeningnude.com. Information on her books and other media can be found at www.thecasualgardener.com.

Little Locovores- Family Feast Days: Octoberfest

(My grandmother’s plate, a hand-painted ceramic made by a Long Island artist with the beer stein from which I drank little shots of beer with my German grandfather to wash down our sauerbraten.)

As the story goes, I first started cooking when I was four. My mom charged with me planning for and “cooking” dinner once a week. In the beginning, dinner was pretty Spartan – PB&J on Ritz crackers and English muffin pizza, as I have been told. While they’ve never admitted it, I’m quite certain that my parents ordered Chinese when I went to bed.

Despite a heavy course load and fair share of extra-curricular activities, this responsibility carried through elementary school, junior high and even high school. My recollection is that I felt somewhat ambivalent towards my assignment. Obviously, I didn’t hate it, but I don’t seem to remember much of what I cooked, so I must not have loved it either. The strangest happening of the matter was how the chore did ultimately turn to passion.

A few weeks before my high school graduation, I got a case of, oh how shall I put it?, the runs. Turns out that somewhere I had picked up a pretty bad case of salmonella. It’s still a matter of controversy, but the theory is that it came from the mayo dressing on a fast food hamburger. Suffice to say, anything that went in my mouth went out the other end and fast. To make matters worse, our family doctor misdiagnosed me and, in my weak condition, I wound up contracting mono.

While my high school buddies were enjoying there last days in our home town, I was convalescing on my couch. Not being much of television watcher, I started with books - I had a whole pre-read list for college. I went through those. Then puzzles, 1000 piece puzzles – the appeal wore off. Finally, and ironically given my lack of appetite, I started on my mother’s cookbook collection. I poured over the Julia Child, underlined her Craig Claibourne and starved over the Gourmets. This is what made me a cook.

The book that inspired this series of posts is the one that went untouched. Dusty and a bit smelly, chartreuse in that kitchenette color in vogue back in the 1960’s, Roy Andries de Groot’s Feasts for All Seasons remained on the shelf, pushed aside for more modern pleasures. It seemed old-fashioned, certainly nothing that even a starving 18-year old would give a second look to. But this was early in my cookbook obsession.

Significant CTA Fare Hike In the Works: Let Them Know What You Think

It's that time of the year, as the Chicago Transit Authority has unveiled its new budget including plans to raise fares once again. The agency is considering an ordinance to adopt a new 2010 Operating Budget and Program, the 2010 Capital Program of Projects and the Financial Plan for 2011 and 2012, along with proposed fare increases and service reductions.

Public hearings will be held on the city's north, south and west sides to allow comment by the public on the proposed plans. The dates and times of the hearings are:

-Monday November 2, 2009 at 6:00 PM at Lane Technical High School located at 2501 West Addison Street, Chicago, Illinois

-Tuesday November 3, 2009 at 6:00 PM at the South Shore Cultural Center located at 7059 South Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois  

-In addition, The CTA will hold an informational meeting on the proposed fare increase and service reduction on Thursday October 29, 2009 at 6:00 PM at the Austin Town Hall located at 5610 West Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois 60644. These facilities are all accessible to people with disabilities. "

The proposed "2010 Budget Book and Project Descriptions for the proposed Capital Program of Projects, and the Financial Plan" will also be available for public inspection, in standard size print and large print, from October 13, 2009 between 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. through November 3, 2009, at the CTA reception desk, second floor, Chicago Transit Authority, 567 W. Lake Street.

Those unable to attend the public hearings, may also send comments and concerns addressed to: Gregory P. Longhini, Assistant Secretary of the Board,
Chicago Transit Authority, P.O. Box 7567, Chicago, Illinois 60680-7567
or via email to: glonghini@transitchicago.com.
 
The deadline to submit written comments is Wednesday, November 10, 2009 by 5 p.m. 

Proposed service cuts include the elimination of nine X express bus routes.

Fares would increase to $3 per ride on rail and express bus routes. The full fare on all other buses via transit card, Chicago Card or cash would increase to $2.50. Transfers would continue to be 25 cents.

1 day, 3 day, 7 day and 30 day passes would increase as follows:

$8 for a 1 day pass, an increase of $2.25 (currently $5.75)

$18 for a 3 day pass, an increase of $4 (currently $14)

$30 for a 7 day pass, an increase of $7 (currently $23)

$110 for a 30 day pass, an increase of $24 (currently $86)

Reduced fares are also scheduled to increase from 85 cents to $1.25

Reduced fare transfers will decline from 15 cents to 10 cents but, the 30 day Reduced Fare Pass will increase from $35 to $40.

All proposed fare changes would take effect February 27, 2010.

-photo credit: Bill Ward, flickr

Kids and Recycling – Expand Their Brains When They Say, “I’m Bored!”

Fall rainy days and children combine to produce the inevitable complaint, “I’m bored.” Not too long ago my youngest daughter and I came up with a genius solution to the “I’m bored’s” which was fun and educational. Here’s how it went:

“Mom, I’m bored.”

“You can’t be bored. You’re nine years old – go play.”

“I’m still bored.”

“Do the dishes! That’ll keep you busy.”

“That’s not the type of bored I am.”

“Hmm…” As I glance around the kitchen, my eyes fell on the recycling bin. “Hey! Look at that – you have an entire recycling bin full of craft supplies.”

“I do?”

“Yep. You do.”

Two hours later my daughter put the finishing touches on the above creative crafts. One milk jug car and another aluminum can sports car, plus several other fun things. All ended up back in the recycling bin after dinner, but the products provided two hours of active, brain-building play. She had to figure out how the tires would fit on to balance the vehicle, why we all have license plates on our cars, and aluminum is very thin so it can also be sharp and dangerous. She learned just a little bit more about life.

We currently live in a country where 4.5 million children are diagnosed with ADD, millions of children suffer from depression, and childhood educational programs are being cut due to funding problems at our public schools. Enabling active play where children learn to build and create at home is an important part of brain development. Schools are just the beginning of a child’s education; we as parents, friends, and family of children should be actively working together to help our children learn and be healthy.

Make a difference in the life of a child – suggest creative and green ways to solve the “I’m bored’s” and your child will begin to see the world in a whole new way.

--Shawna Coronado is an author, locally syndicated newspaper columnist, health, and greening expert focused on teaching and living a green lifestyle. She blogs on conservation, greening and health tips at www.gardeningnude.com. Information on her books and other media can be found at www.thecasualgardener.com.

Fall rainy days and children combine to produce the inevitable complaint, “I’m bored.” Not too long ago my youngest daughter and I came up with a genius solution to the “I’m bored’s” which was fun and educational. Here’s how it went:

“Mom, I’m bored.”

“You can’t be bored. You’re nine years old – go play.”

“I’m still bored.”

“Do the dishes! That’ll keep you busy.”

“That’s not the type of bored I am.”

“Hmm…” As I glance around the kitchen, my eyes fell on the recycling bin. “Hey! Look at that – you have an entire recycling bin full of craft supplies.”

“I do?”

“Yep. You do.”

Two hours later my daughter put the finishing touches on the above creative crafts. One milk jug car and another aluminum can sports car, plus several other fun things. All ended up back in the recycling bin after dinner, but the products provided two hours of active, brain-building play. She had to figure out how the tires would fit on to balance the vehicle, why we all have license plates on our cars, and aluminum is very thin so it can also be sharp and dangerous. She learned just a little bit more about life.

We currently live in a country where 4.5 million children are diagnosed with ADD, millions of children suffer from depression, and childhood educational programs are being cut due to funding problems at our public schools. Enabling active play where children learn to build and create at home is an important part of brain development. Schools are just the beginning of a child’s education; we as parents, friends, and family of children should be actively working together to help our children learn and be healthy.

Make a difference in the life of a child – suggest creative and green ways to solve the “I’m bored’s” and your child will begin to see the world in a whole new way.

--Shawna Coronado is an author, locally syndicated newspaper columnist, health, and greening expert focused on teaching and living a green lifestyle. She blogs on conservation, greening and health tips at www.gardeningnude.com. Information on her books and other media can be found at www.thecasualgardener.com.

Nature Museum Celebrates 10 Years With Free Admission and Special Events

Born out of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum debuted in 1999 transforming the concepts of natural history museum and natural science education into a single dynamic sanctuary for visitors of all ages. 

Museum administrators were early advocates of environmentalism and continued efforts demonstrate the museum's commitment to leading on green matters. Continuing its history of providing teacher training, the museum regularly hosts educator open houses and teacher workshops to provide guidance for those teaching science and environmental topics. Despite the economy, the museum's attendance continued to grow in 2008, according to news release  early this year.

This month, from October 23 to November 1, the Nature Museum will celebrate its 10 years of enriching the lives of the city's residents and its visitors with free admission and several days of special activities for kids and adults.

Bug-a-palooza on October 25, a first ever for the museum, will feature collections from the Chicago Academy of Sciences, roach races, a bug cooking demonstration and a Halloween costume contest.

Additional activities planned include a Go Go Green 5K Run/Walk fundraiser, Supper With the Snakes, book signings and readings and a Recycle Your Bicycle Drive.

A full schedule of events can be found on the museum's website here.

-photo credit: The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum