Urban sprawl no more

Emphasis in development shifts to “smart growth”

BY RACHEL WELLS

The catchphrase in city planning is no longer “urban sprawl” – a term that automatically turns too many people off from discussing environmentally friendly development. Instead, the conversation now focuses on “smart growth,” says Dr. Deanna Glosser.

To Glosser, president of Riverton-based Environmental Planning Solutions, Inc., urban sprawl is synonymous with a proliferation of impervious surfaces, such as asphalt parking lots, and the need for residents to spend more time driving their cars. The eventual result of that kind of development – increased flooding, more polluted waters and poorer air quality – is what smart growth aims to avoid.

Smart growth is a “set of tools,” Glosser says, that offers solutions such as mixed residential and commercial use development, redevelopment where infrastructure already exists and best-practice strategies to manage such issues as storm water runoff.

“I’m glad we’re dealing more with the term ‘smart growth’ right now,” says Paul O’Shea, the city of Springfield’s planning and design coordinator. He and Glosser served as panelists at a recent Sustainable Springfield discussion on smart growth. O’Shea says that when he first expressed concern about urban sprawl in the capital city about four decades ago, residents’ most common reaction was disbelief that Springfield could have such a problem. “I think understanding the term ‘smart growth’ is more effective.”

Sprawl isn’t a new issue, Glosser says. The phenomenon was observed as early as 1937 by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which noted that unchecked development “made the countryside ugly” and was “uneconomic in terms of services and doubtful social value.”

Smart growth is essentially anti-sprawl, but it offers ideas to encourage compact development where infrastructure already exists and to reduce emphasis on automobiles.

One of those ideas is infill – redevelopment of a city’s center. It means communities don’t have to bury new pipes and build new roads to serve distant subdivisions, saving taxpayers money.

O’Shea points to Springfield’s MacArthur Boulevard and Enos Park as great opportunities for infill development.

But in order to encourage smart growth, policy makers on all levels and in all areas need to work together, says panelist and Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission executive director Norm Sims.

“Planners often have competing goals,” Sims says. He says that new energy efficiency regulations or lead disposal requirements, for example, are hard to object to on environmental or long-term financial grounds, but they can mean increased costs for anyone who would tear down and redevelop an abandoned site.

“Without removing some of these barriers, you end up incentivizing people to move out of the city,” Glosser says.

In other areas, where sprawl has already occurred, smart growth is leading to a “retrofitting” of suburbia, Glosser says. Some communities are turning malls into main street intersections with streets running through what used to be fully connected all-indoor retail centers.

Whether in new or old territory, smart growth development incorporates natural resources in order to protect the environment, Glosser says, explaining that prairie grasses with their deep roots can help reduce runoff if planted around the perimeter of a parking lot.

But no matter what kind of development or environmental preservation techniques are in question, the panelists, who also included Ward 2 alderman Gail Simpson, agree that ideas for change must have an active constituency in order for them to see success.

“We need to be vocal, we need to let them [government representatives] know what’s on our mind,” Simpson says. “We need to educate them so that they don’t come kicking and screaming into this new arena of smart growth.”

Contact Rachel Wells at rwells@illinoistimes.com.

by Jim Johnston

Posted everywhere, hallways, offices, break rooms, at the Bunn Corporation’s manufacturing facility on Stevenson Drive is a placard with a stylized logo of a green coffee plant that says “Respect Earth” and reads:

            ‘Recognizing that our business operation impacts the total environment, “Respect Earth” reflects BUNN’s continuing focus on preserving the earth for future  generations throughout our supply chain. We are driven to continually identify ways to incorporate this respect for our natural resources into our daily business practices and products.”

This phrase is what environmental sustainability is all about.

The process of integrating environmentally sustainable methods and practices in the manufacturing and distribution of their commercial beverage equipment has been, for the past two years, a prime goal of this business.

Founded by George Bunn in 1957 the company’s products, manufactured under the name of Bunn-O- Matic, have been synonymous with its coffee makers which are a Springfield trademark. The commitment to sustainable business practices prompted its current CEO, Hy Bunn and the board of directors, to create the position of Vice-President for Sustainability as an integral player on the company’s corporate management team.

Bob Kobylarz, a manufacturing engineer by profession, is the current holder of this position and his enthusiasm for the job knows no bounds. With the blessings of the Corporation he now wants to share his company’s sustainable practices by forming a group geared specifically for Springfield businesses. The idea first sparked when he and Wynne Copela, the City’s Recycling Coordinator, brain stormed on how Bunn’s successes could be shared with other businesses.

To be called the Sustainable Springfield Business Forum, this group will function under the auspices of the not-for-profit local environmental advocacy group, Sustainable Springfield Inc. (SSI).

Formed on Earth Day in April 2007, SSI is an information sharing network that holds monthly public presentations, conducts field trips, maintains an informative website (www.SustainableSpringfield.org) and blog. It acts as a clearing house with the local environmental groups by publishing a monthly calendar via email. The adoption of a forum that promotes environmental sustainability for businesses is a logical function of its mission.

Kobylarz states, “We are willing to share Bunn’s experiences and accomplishments with recycling and other practices to help the initiative get started. A lot of the green movement has been focused on bike paths, refrigerator recycling, homeowner practices, etc. and now we need to focus on priorities for businesses.”

To many sustainable business practices mean maintaining a well run and profitable concern. About this he relates, “The business model and the environmental model should be connected so that both can be successful at the same time. SSI has identified an opportunity to create a forum where discussions and interchange of ideas can take place.”

The examples of sustainable practices implemented by Bunn are many and varied. While it is an industrial manufacturer (a rarity in Springfield these days), many of its practices can be easily implemented by any kind of business: service, retail, institutional, governmental, manufacturing. And it doesn’t matter about the work place settings either, albeit offices, stores, warehouses, clinics etc.

One key element to the success of the green practices of the company is the involvement of its employees. According to Bruce Bradbury, Bunn’s Facilities Engineering Supervisor   the 50 or so “quality work groups” (qwgs) are also responsible for starting many of company’s sustainable initiatives. Made up of four to five employees each, they have become “green teams” and each is charged with coming up with one green project each year. He said “The trash collected to be transported to landfills from work stations and break rooms is a fraction of what it was in previous years. The employees have bought into the program very well.”

The Bunn Springfield Operations recycles office paper at 72% recycle efficiency, even going to the extent of weighing all incoming mail, and subsequently weighing all mail that is to be recycled to keep track of what is sent to the landfill. All paper, cardboard, and plastics that is to be recycled is bagged and sent to Midwest Fiber Co. in Decatur. It is recorded that 218 tons of paper and cardboard was recycled in 2008 resulting in a savings of 3,709 trees, 82,916 gallons of gasoline/oil and 1,527,400 gallons of water.

Bunn recycles used batteries, and accepts dead dry cell batteries from its employees for shipment to a recycling center in California. 177 pounds of dry cell batteries (3,540 count) were recycled in 2008, and 209 pounds were recycled between January and July 2009.

All scrap metal used in the production of product is recycled, as are all used electronic items, circuit boards, computers and other electronic devices. Aerosol containers and other non-production metals that is scrap are sent to Mervis Co. in Springfield. 

The effect on the amount of trash taken to the landfill has been substantially less than in previous years. Their recycling efforts have resulted in a reduction of 38,000 cubic feet of material sent to the landfill (approx 10 full semi loads).

Ninety percent of all container shipping is now done using corrugated cardboard in lieu of  styrofoam blocks or peanuts. Given the amount of packaging undertaken by Bunn, this ecological benefit is huge. All onsite drinking cups are now paper biodegradable and not styrofoam as well.

Another popular program with the employees is the compact florescent bulb disposal. These bulbs must be disposed of properly as they contain a small mercury content and shouldn’t be broken or sent to a landfill. The company pays for the bulb disposal which it includes with its own bulbs to be sent to the Safety-Kleen Co. in Champaign. An item of non-perishable food is accepted by the company for each bulb to be disposed by an employee, and is donated to a local food bank.

Bunn’s energy use is monitored and calculated for both consumption and carbon footprint and includes calculations for the consumption of electricity, natural gas, water, sewage and diesel fuel. The company is working closely with local utility companies to audit energy consumption and install changes to become more efficient. 

Introduced the past year light bulb and ballast replacements are changed to more efficient fluorescent lighting. Metal Halide lighting is now replaced with energy efficient F-Bay fluorescent lighting in the production areas. Computers, monitors and other workstation electrical equipment turned off at end of the day.

Bunn now has generator sets installed in long haul trucks to significantly reduce engine idle time. Also 11% bio-diesel fuel is now consumed in its truck fleet.

The company participates and supports local initiatives involving energy conservation and environmental practices including CWLP’s Commercial Solutions Forum which is composed of the top energy consumers of the local utility. It also supports CWLP’s Energy Forums, the Mayor’s Cool Cities Climate Initiative, and has helped to organize the Illinois Department of Agriculture Community Garden at the State Fair.

With the establishment of the business forum there is according to Kobylarz “an opportunity to increase the level of understanding of Sustainability within the Business Community and improve the scope and efficiency of existing initiatives. It will create new ideas which can leverage for improved environmental responsibility and make a measurable positive difference.”

The forum’s purpose is to analyze the elements of the sustainability movement so an understanding of developing environmental initiatives and requirements and the potential impact on businesses in the community results. The organization will identify actions to manage/minimize the impact on our business models and opportunities for both environmental and commercial success. It will stress joint and combined efforts between businesses and employees to share learning, experiences and knowledge, leverage cumulative interest, partner with community initiatives and communicate accomplishments.

Among the stated functions of the forum is to share bulletin/information boards and other communication tools among participating businesses, and to create a shared library as a data source. Also recycling opportunities will be identified and new ones established.

Ways to encourage employees to participate in group initiatives in each business will be stressed. This can be accomplished by the creation of “green teams” which plays an important role in establishing a business’ green priorities.

Additionally the forum will share information regarding energy audits and carbon foot print calculations, which is the total measure of natural gas, water consumption, sewage and company gasoline/diesel fuel usage. Methods of cap and trade proposals and carbon credit purchases will be discussed as well as how energy efficiency can favorably impact company financials. Returns on investments, pay backs and how revenue streams will be impacted will be discussed. Also to be featured is information sharing regarding regulatory actions proposed at the federal and local level and how they might affect local businesses.

Other focused sustainability initiatives will be shared such as the US Green Building Council’s “LEED” certifications for buildings, and the “Energy Star” ratings for equipment. The identification of federal, state and local grants or other financial assistance may be available for energy efficiency investment will be catalogued.

“Recognizing that our business operation impacts the total environment, “Respect Earth” reflects BUNN’s continuing focus on preserving the earth for future generations throughout our supply chain. We are driven to continually identify ways to incorporate this respect for our natural resources into our daily business practices and products” quoting Kobylarz again.

It is satisfying to learn this business is so eager to share their knowledge with the Springfield business community through this forum.

The first meeting of the Sustainable Springfield Business Forum will be held at 7:00 pm at the Prairie Heart Center’s Dove Conference Center at Sixth and Mason Streets on Thursday, September 17. The meeting is open to the public and free of charge.

Jim Johnston is an Architect and Founder and President of Sustainable Springfield Inc.

he can be reached at jimjohnston9@comcast.net.

At the May 29th Springfield Business Alliance noon luncheon the noted architect and planner Douglas Farr will present “Sustainable Urbanism”, a program that illustrates the practices that have become more and more in vogue since Al Gore’s release of “An Inconvenient Truth” three years ago. Up until then, although some had embraced the “green movement” and had begun to employ sustainable practices, all too many were not aware or concerned about the impending peril of climate change and what could be done to mitigate its effects. Now sustainability and “going green” has become a hot button topic and it seems as if more and more business and product providers are literally jumping over themselves to get on board the green bandwagon.

His Chicago based Farr Associates have been pioneers in the green building movement since the late 1990′s and have designed three LEED platinum buildings. LEED stands for “Leadership Energy Environment Design” and is a US Green Building Council rating system for designating substantially built structures, and the platinum designation is the highest achievable.

Among the various planning projects his firm has completed is the Town of Normal’s downtown plan, which is being implemented by a project by project basis. He was also instrumental in introducing the green concepts to the Town Council which formerly adopted LEED standards for all major downtown building construction as well as a pioneering document, the Town of Normal’s Environmental Stewardship Policy.    

Farr was one of the original signatories for the Charter for The Congress for the New Urbanism in1996 which states in part that the organization “views disinvestment in central cities, the spread of placeless sprawl, increasing separation by race and income, environmental deterioration, loss of agricultural lands and wilderness, and the erosion of society’s built heritage as one interrelated community-building challenge.” He has also authored the book, Sustainable Urbanism, Urban Design with Nature, were he advocates for the construction of not only green buildings, but walkable, and transit orientated communities.

His talk will feature the role of businesses in the context of “green urbanism” and the beginnings of a new sector of employment known as “green collar jobs.” The talk will be part of the day’s events at the Prairie Capitol Convention Center which is centered on the topic of a Sustainable Springfield Business Alliance, but this presentation should be of interest to anyone concerned about the urban context in terms of energy and the natural environment.

There is no fee for any of Friday’s presentations. For those who desire a box lunch served free of charge please email wynne.coplea@cwlp.com. at the  City Office of Recycling which is hosting the event. Sustainable Springfield Inc, Bunn-O-Matic Corporation, and the Illinois American Institute of Architects are sponsoring Farr’s presentation.

Jim Johnston, President

Sustainable Springfield Inc

www.sustainablespringfield.org

Annual President’s Report, April 15, 2009

Our organization was formed in April 2007, and officially chartered as an Illinois Not-for-Profit Chartable Corporation on April 22, 2007 by the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.

Our by-laws were formerly adopted by the Board of Directors in January 2008, and our annual meeting was set for April 15th the following year. This report covers the Sustainable Springfield’s activities since its inception two years ago.

Not for profit Status

We applied for and was granted official 501(C)(3) status as a tax exempt not-for-profit corporation in June 2008. We can now accept donations from individuals and businesses that are tax deductible to the donor.

Public Meetings

The following Public meetings were held, most at the Prairie Heart Institute’s Dove Center, free of charge:

April 2007: Earth Awareness Day, at Exposition Bldg, IL State fair

May 2007: Mayor Chris Koos, Town of Normal: Normal’s Downtown & Plan Community Environmental Stewardshipy

August 2007:  Bob Croteau, CWLP Energy Services Office, Solar Energy

September 2007: Harvey Koplo, Building a Sustainable House

October 2007: Tour of the IMEA Building, Springfield’s first LEED building

November 2007: Michelle Covey Exec. Director, Ecology Action Center, Normal IL

January 2008 :  Richard Hiles, ClimateMaster Inc, Geothermal Heating &  Cooling

February 2008: Brett Ivers, IL DCEO, Recycling in the Workplace

March 2008:  Wynne Coplea, City of Springfield: Recycling in Springfield

April 2008:  Earth Awareness Day, at Lincoln Park

May 2008:  Dr. Janice Spears, Sustainable New High School, Cuba  Illinois

June 2008: Kent Olsen, Pawnee Lumber, Low E Insulation

July 2008: Mike Jackson Architect,  IL IHPA, Embodied Energy in Existing Buildings

September 2008: David Dow, Walton Architects, Erin’s Pavilion LEED design

October 2008: Will Reynolds, Sierra Club, Alternative Energy Cars

November 2008: Cindy Davis Resource One, Sustainable Interiors

January 2009: Green Teams Seminar, Lincoln Land Community College

February 2009: Sr. Sharon Zayac, The Climate project & the Faith Communities

March 2009: Dr. Tih-Fen Ting, Sustainability & Higher Education

Sustainable Springfield’s Board of Director’s Meetings

Ther have been a total of 17 meetings of the Board of Directors since April 2007 to present. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at the Koplo home/office. The meetings are held with board members only, however anyone may attend by invitation upon notifying the president prior to the meeting.

Other Activities Involving Sustainable Springfield Inc.

Three board members, Dr. Tih-Fen Ting, Dr. Marc Klingshrin and Jim Johnston served on the ad-hoc committee to have Springfield officially designated as a “Cool City.” Mayor Davlin signed the US Mayor’s Agreement for carbon emissions reductions and thus making Springfield an official “Cool City”, one of twelve in the state, in September 2008.

Several Board Members have been active in initiating “The Earth Springfield Coalition,” meeting every 3 months to co-ordinate and provide updates regarding the environmental groups in the area.

Board member Brett Ivers presented a program about recycling to the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Springfield class in April 2008. Brett also organized the first Storm Sewer Stenciling project, which involved students, also held in held in April 2008.

Brett Ivers additionally led the effort to plan and hold the “Establishing Green Teams in Your Business Place” seminar held in conjunction with Lincoln Land’s Community College’s Green Center, at the Trutter Conference center in January. 32 were in attendance which included speakers from Springfield, Mattoon, and Normal. The event was a success, and from it businesses are now establishing Green Teams, including both Memorial and St. John’s Hospitals, for example.

Board members Arthur Neal and Jim Johnston currently serve on the Springfield School District 186′s Facilities Feasibility Committee that is analyzing and making recommendations to the school board about its buildings and grounds. 

Sustainable Springfield Inc.’s Internet Activities

Since May 2007, www.SustainableSpringfield.org has been published and updated monthly. The site’s calendar provides announcements about each month’s events for not only SSI, but all the local environmental groups. Additionally these events are included in a monthly email list of 150. Also an environmental web blog has been up and running since August 2008.

Future Planned Activities of Sustainable Springfield Inc.

Springfield Earth Awareness Fest

The organization is actively involved in the planning of the expanded Springfield Earth Awareness Fest that will now be a two day event at the capitol City Convention Center, Friday and Saturday May 29-30, 2009.

SSI has arraigned for the noted architect and urban planner, as well as author, Doug Farr from Chicago to present the fest’s keynote address on “Sustainable Urbanism” at noon on Friday, May 29th. The event is free to the public. The Bunn-O-Matic Corporation and the Illinois American Institute of Architects, is assisting SSI by co-sponsoring the event to pay for Mr. Farr’s speaker’s fee.

Future Planned Activities of Sustainable Springfield Inc.

Community Consensus Building about Environmental Issues

Tentatively set for October 17, a community meeting to build consensus regarding which projects and policies should be brought before the City of Springfield and Sangamon County Board for ordinance action which might include, but not limited to:

            1)         Environmental Stewardship Policy

                        (similar to the Town of Normal’s)

            2)         Development of a new residential energy building code

            3)         Possible installation of green roof top gardens on

                        municipal structures

            4)         The establishment of Green Teams

            5)         Limiting Urban Sprawl

            6)         Adoption of the LEED Building Guidelines

            7)         Other

Final Thoughts

All in all it has been a very productive two years for our group which is essentially an upstart grass roots effort. We will continue in our effort to make SSI Springfield’s Sustainable Environmental Energy Networking Group. Thanks to everyone who has shown interest in our organization, and special thanks to our board of directors for their tireless efforts.

Respectively Submitted,

Jim Johnston A. I. A.

President

April’s Environmental Events

Compiled by Sustainable Springfield Inc.  

www.sustainablespringfield.org

April 7, Food Not Lawns

On Tuesday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m., Bill Hannaford will be discussing his exploration of heirloom vegetables. Find out the ins and outs of growing heirlooms, varieties that do well in our area, and even how to acquire FREE
heirloom tomato starts by participating in the heirloom tomato trials. Meetings are free and open to the public, and children are welcome. The meetings will take place at the downtown public library, 7th and Capitol, in one of the Carnegie meeting rooms on the 1st floor.  Parking is available underneath the library.

April 10,  1:00 PM – 4:00 PM  Starhill Forest Arboretum Tour   

Starhill Forest Arboretum, Southern Menard County, Petersburg, IL (Directions: www.ilstewards.org) Located on 48 acres, the land was purchased in 1976 by the Sternberg family.  The majority of the forest is old growth with the oldest trees dating back to 1850.  There are 1300 different types of trees on the property with the primary species being oak (quercetum).  The forest also contains approximately 150 other genera of woody plants that are available for study, as well as herb and perennial landscapes, a native prairie garden, several provenance tests, and a conifer plantation. To register or for more information, e-mail isa@ilstewards.org or call (217) 498-9707

April 18, Party for the Planet

3^rd annual Party for the Planet at the Henson Robinson Zoo on April 18, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  The event, which is held in accordance with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is an Earth Day celebration and centers on providing information in an enjoyable way.  There will be scheduled events and/or activities throughout the day as well as informational tables. 

Week of April 20, An environmental mini-film fest: Four new and entertaining environmental films are coming to Springfield during Earth Week.

“Flow” Monday, April 20, 6:00pm, Lincoln Library, Followed by a presentation from Citizens for Sensible Water Use. Free Admission, “Food Fight” Wednesday, April 22, 7:00pm,City Nights Theater at Capital City Bar & Grill, Followed by a program from The Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Free Admission

“Greening of Southie” Sierra Club Green Jobs Sunday, April 26, 5:00pm, Hoogland Center Theater, 3rd Floor, Suggested donation of $5 or more. Featured speaker at 6:30 State Representative Mike Boland of Moline, Sponsor of the Illinois Green Buildings Act. A brief intermission and raffle drawing will precede the second film, “Battle in Seattle”

Donations on Sunday will be used to offset costs of the film festival, and any additional proceeds will fund local environmental efforts by the Sierra Club Sangamon Valley Group.

April 21nd, UIS Earth Day Presentation Features Chad Pregracke: The founder of Living Lands and Waters who has made the cleaning up of the Mississippi River his life’s work. Click here to view a video broadcast on MSNBC about him, or check out this website. 7:00 pm, Brookings Auditorium, UIS. Reception to follow. See flyer http://www.sustainablespringfield.org/Graphics/UIS%20Flyer%204%2021%2009.pdf

April 24-25 Green Home & Garden Show:

Take your home to new levels…Learn all about the latest innovations in green solutions at the SAHBA Green Home and Garden Show. Green Building Seminars at the Orr Building, April 24th and 25th. Get your green on and join the next big industry show! 

SAVE THE DATE! May 29-30, Newly Expanded Earth Awareness Fair: new programs include speakers, seminars, exhibits, and music from name bands. Details to be announced.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – If you are looking for a spot to try out your green thumb, the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) has just the place. IDOA is announcing the inaugural year of the Illinois State Fairgrounds Community Garden. The garden was created to give residents a space to grow fresh produce, herbs, or other flowers and plants, in a friendly and safe environment.

“Many people have indicated to us that they would like to have a garden, but they just don’t have the space,” Agriculture Director Tom Jennings said. “We decided this would be a great opportunity for the Illinois Department of Agriculture to not only offer up a great location for garden plots, but also to help create a sense of community where growers can learn from each other.”

Individuals, organizations and other groups will be able to lease one or two plots, depending upon availability. The garden plots are 12′ x 12′ and cost $10.00 each, with the money collected going straight back into the garden.

“This garden will offer opportunities for ongoing education, such as mentoring programs between growers and local schools,” Jennings added.  “We also plan to offer hands-on training, through the U of I Extension Office, for everyone from novice to experienced gardeners.”

Gardeners will have the opportunity to help out the community by participating in the Plant a Row for the Hungry program. By participating, growers will be able to donate some of the food from their garden to local food pantries.

“I think this is a year that a lot of people are going to need additional assistance,” Master Gardener and Plant a Row for the Hungry Committee Co-Chair Barb Rogers said.  “We would be delighted to have individual growers make an effort to plant a little extra that could be donated to a local food bank.”

Those interested in becoming part of the Community Garden are urged to attend a public meeting being held at the Illinois Department of Agriculture Thursday, March 19, at 7pm. Potential gardeners will be given all the information they need at this meeting, and organizers will be present to answer questions. Information will be available on the website after the March 19 meeting at www.agr.state.il.us or by calling (217) 782-0777.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture building is located at the corner of Sangamon Ave. and 8^th Street on the Illinois State Fairgrounds inside Gate 11. 

FEBRUARY 26, 2009

Caring for Creation

Sr. Sharon Zayac joins others in the faith community to spread the word about climate change

BY AMANDA ROBERT
Last October, Sr. Sharon Zayac, the director of Jubilee Farm and a local environmental advocate, was chosen to represent the Dominican Sisters of Springfield at The Climate Project’s first-ever faith community training session in Nashville.

TCP, a nonprofit organization founded by former Vice President Al Gore to increase awareness of the climate crisis, has trained more than 2,500 volunteers to script and stage slide-show presentations, much like the one featured in his Academy Award-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth.

Zayac and 140 other pastors and leaders of Christian congregations were assigned the charge of choosing from among Gore’s 400-plus slides and crafting presentations to encourage their church communities to address global warming. Gore, who personally trained the group, Zayac says, emphasized that linking faith with caring for the earth would inspire people to act.

“He knows, as a person of faith himself, that when people in congregations and churches are moved to do something, things get done,” she says. “What he asked each of us to do was to take this material and put it in the context of our faith.”

Zayac has given her presentation in various Springfield locales and last week introduced it to Sustainable Springfield, Inc., in the Dove Conference Center at the Prairie Heart Institute. Her hour-long slide show presented facts concerning climate change, debunked the issue’s common misconceptions and discussed the role of faith communities in bringing about change.

She started with science: what causes climate change? Zayac explained to the audience that the Greenhouse Effect has kept the earth’s temperatures within a livable range for millions of years by trapping some of the sun’s heat. But as humans release additional amounts of such greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide and methane into the air, she said, the atmosphere thickens and traps too much heat.

Scientists have drilled core samples of ice layers and retrieved the air content, particularly the concentration of carbon dioxide, from trapped air bubbles. They’ve been able to look back as far as 800,000 years in Antarctica, Zayac said.

“In 800,000 years, CO2 levels have never been above 300 parts per million,” she explained. “This is where CO2 is today — 387 parts per million.”

Zayac pointed to melting sea and land ice as one example of the thickening atmosphere’s effect on world temperatures. In 2008, scientists charted the lowest volume of sea ice ever on record. Since 2003, they’ve seen two trillion tons of land ice break off into the ocean.

“There’s a chance now, a 75 percent chance, that the entire north polar ice cap will be totally melted by summer in five years,” Zayac told the audience. “The North Pole itself has acted as a mirror to reflect off a good portion of the sun’s rays back into space.

“It’s been acting as an air conditioner for the whole planet. If it disappears, it will become the biggest heat sink, trapping the sun’s heat and warming the planet even more.”

If Greenland or the west Antarctic melts, she added, scientists predict that sea levels worldwide will rise nearly 20 feet.

“The map of the world will have to be redrawn,” Zayac said. “We will see the greatest migration problem in history. Over half of the world’s human population lives along coastal areas, many of them right along shorelines.”

Zayac discussed three main misconceptions of the climate crisis. The first, she said, is that scientists disagree over whether it’s a real issue. But over a 10-year period, 928 peer-reviewed articles proved scientific evidence for global warming.

The second misconception is that economic needs outweigh environmental needs. Some corporations hold that they can’t go green if they want to increase profits, continue their research or maintain jobs. But, Zayac said, this attitude is changing as state governments cancel permits for coal-fired power plants and investment and insurance companies consider environmental responsibility in clients’ portfolios.

The third misconception, Zayac said, is that it’s already too late to fix global warming. Even though 2007 data show that carbon dioxide levels increased by 3 percent worldwide over the past year, the turn toward solar and wind energy and the production of electric cars is also increasing.

Because Jews, Christians and Muslims all support the belief that a sustainable world is necessary, Zayac said, their communities are responding. They’re writing pastoral letters and study guides to urge their congregations to move toward energy sustainability and carbon-neutral lives. They’re boycotting companies that significantly contribute to global warming. They’re even developing policies for aggressive climate change legislation and short-term emission reductions.

“It’s not very hard to find evidence of faith communities’ growing involvement in the work of protecting God’s creation and doing what we can to mitigate global climate change,” Zayac said. “Mitigation is the best that we can hope for. It’s too late to stop it, but we do have the power to soften its effects.”

A number of Springfield congregations are leading the local initiative, Zayac added, including the Dominican Sisters, St. Joseph Church, First Presbyterian Church, Unity Church and the Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

Wes King, an organizer with the Illinois Environmental Council, joined Zayac at the Sustainable Springfield, Inc., meeting and asked audience members to join the advocacy organization at its lobby day at the State Capitol on March 18.

“If we’re going to stop global warming,” King said, “it’s going to require policy changes. We have to pressure lawmakers.”

led holiday lights:  http://www.greentechgazette.com/