Monday, March 16, 2009

MCN and Davey Deliver 'Tree of Life' to Legislators in Springfield: Elgin Day 2009

On Feb 26, 2009 Elgin leaders and citizens traveled to Springfield to encourage state representatives and senators to remember their 'Tree City' for capitol funding from the stimulus bill.

Volunteers delivered 200 Dark Green Arborvitae (Tree of Life), donated by McHenry County Nursery and distributed by DaveyTree, to the desks of legislators.

Trees and shrubs are an important part of any infrastructure planning, but are vital to an environmentally friendly 'Green' infrastructure plan.

For more information on the value 'Green' communities,
see our Street Smart article series.

Combating Climate Change with Landscape Architecture

"ASLA has produced a guide to the best online resources for landscape architecture-related climate change mitigation. The resource guide includes links to web sites focused on sustainable site planning, land-use, open spaces, stormwater management, green roofs, plant selection, and other areas."

Go to the resource guide

Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Green in the Economic Stimulus Bill

"A key way to stimulate the economy is through the creation of a green workforce ... improving and restoring our nation’s landscapes. Rebuilding the green infrastructure as we rebuild the gray infrastructure ... urging our leaders to put economic stimulus package to work where it can do the most good for people and the environment."
The legislation gives government flexibility so they can quickly implement ‘shovel ready’ projects. Restoring the environment will also improve the local economies and the quality of life.

The final bill includes $500 million and should urban forest tree planting projects.

The legislation also includes Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) funding. Cities and counties should "consider shade tree planting as an easy, cost effective way to conserve energy around buildings. As few as three strategically-placed trees around a home can cut air-conditioning costs and energy use by one-half!"

Full Article by Deborah Gangloff - Executive Director of American Forests

Monday, March 2, 2009

Polycarbonate gets new life as crates

Polycarbonate is a material that’s plentiful throughout the green industry, and historically it hasn’t been recycled.
Green-Tek Inc., a plastic coverings fabricator in Edgerton, Wis., has replaced the oriented strand board (OSB) sides of its shipping crates with the used polycarbonate sheets, keeping them out of the landfill. Green-Tek customers can return their old polycarbonate sheets when they purchase new sheets.
Polycarbonate gets new life as crates