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Park Forest is going Green!
The Village of Park Forest is embarking on a plan to become a leader in environmental sustainability.
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When Mayor John A. Ostenburg returned from the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference in March of 2009, he exuded enthusiasm about the potential for Park Forest becoming a leader in "green" sustainability. Mayor Ostenburg said he was especially impressed by comments made at the conference by U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize winner, who discussed several innovative ways in which the administration of President Barack Obama is promoting energy efficiency and conservation.
Mayor Ostenburg subsequently attended the NLC's Green Cities Conference in Portland the following April and gained even more insight as to what towns across the U.S. can and are doing to preserve the environment while still providing for citizen needs. He returned from that conference to share thoughts and ideas with Village Trustees and with members of the Park Forest Environment Commission. Since then, a number of environmental efforts have been completed in Park Forest, but Mayor Ostenburg said he has more goals that are yet to be finalized. He explained that he has gained even greater insights into what municipalities can accomplish environmentally as a result of his participation at the 2009 NLC Congress of Cities in San Antonio and from extensive reading and research he has done. At San Antonio, he spoke personally with actor and mega-environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. -- author of a practical guide to sustainable living -- and gained even greater insights. At present, Mayor Ostenburg is developing an environment sustainability plan for the Village.
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What Park Forest is doing
to promote environmental sustainability...
...The Park Forest Wetlands Project is a major conservation effort duplicated in few communities anywhere in Illinois. Working with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, with financing coming from grants made by outside agencies, the Park Forest Parks & Recreation Department created an area where birds and other natural wildlife can thrive, without posing any problems for the suburban human population. Already, the local Audubon Society has identified hundreds of different species of birds that long were gone from our region but now are found in the wetlands. The Park Forest Rotary Club donated funds for construction of a plank walkway that allows visitors to the wetlands to walk well out into the center of the area to experience more fully what nature has to offer. To date, several area schools -- including some from Chicago -- have sent students on field trips to study what the wetlands have to offer.
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Some environmental tips
from Mayor Ostenburg
Help in preventing heavy drains on the power grid by performing certain routine tasks at times when other energy use is less. For example, if you have a dishwasher, run it late at night, perhaps right before going to bed. By doing so, you will be helping the power grid from becoming overloaded. Also, if not at home during the day, turn down the thermostat during colder weather and turn it up on hot summer days. It won't take too long when you're back at home for the evening to get the temperature to a comfortable level, but lots of wasted day-time energy will have been saved.
Here's a way to dispose of your household garbage without spending lots of money on garbage bags and also by recycling some regular household items. Take those plastic covers that come with dry cleaning, tie the top portion tightly, and then use them to line wastebaskets, etc. You might think they're not strong enough to hold your garbage, but you'll be surprised if you try it.
Finally, stop sending all those plastic water bottles to the landfills. Centuries will pass and they still will not have degraded. Instead, buy one of several aluminum or stainless-steel water containers that are on the market and fill with tap water. Did you know that Park Forest water has been judged the tastiest in Illinois? Also, tap water contains is purer.
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Have a question, comment, or complaint
that you want to share with Mayor Ostenburg?
If so, send e-mail to
JOstenburg@aol.com
Also follow Mayor Ostenburg on Twitter at
TWITTER
And thanks for visiting The Mayor's Page.
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