Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008 - (Page 19)

the green scene Green Movement Sits Atop Chicago’s Big Shoulders This September, the City of Chicago and its Mayor, Richard M. Daley, presented the Chicago Climate Action Plan—which describes the results of scientific studies on the eventual negative impacts of climate change on the city, as well as a comprehensive action plan to counteract their grim findings. Leading scientists and other environmental experts and researchers on the Action Plan’s Task Force provided Daley with a grim report of a Chicago in the year 2050, whose climate now resembles that of present day East Texas, accompanied with an escalation of severe storms, threats of severe flooding, a dire impact on the health of its citizens, and a city economy in an even more ominous situation. Creating the Task Force and the Action Plan was in response to t “In Chicago we have long appreciated that cities are no longer the enemies of the natural environment; rather they’re leading the way in preserving and protecting it” - Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley by Stephen Ashkin Mayor Daley’s signing of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which commits 800 of the nation’s mayors to help their city meet 1997 Kyoto global warming protocols. While the plan is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction—creating benchmarks for progress and explaining the need for action, defining the goals of the program and explaining the specifics of the efforts of the city to fight global warming. The plan details the strategies that will be used in areas of concentration, including: Energy Efficient Buildings, Clean and Renewable Energy Sources, Improved Transportation Options, Reduced Waste, and Industrial Pollution and Adaptation. Mayor Daley has often called his city the nation’s most environmentally-friendly, and has tried to continually set standards for other cities to look to when facing environmental obstacles. Daley stated in a release to announce the plan, “ I believed then and believe even more deeply today that when you do such things as planting trees and creating open space, when you invest resources to remove pollution from the air, and encourage the construction of buildings that are smart for the environment, then you enhance quality of life for all the residents of the city.” Chicago also initiated a few immediate measures, such as a “Green Office Challenge” to inspire office buildings to save energy, reduce paper, increase recycling, and increase water efficiency. Plans to promote innovative ways to help property owners save money by (continued on page 25) November 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 9

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008 Contents Executive Corner The Most Unwelcome Guests Good Housekeeping: Eliminating Pests from the Equation Frugal Housekeeper Director-at-Large Distribution Don’t Just Clean up After Birds—Get Rid of Them! Monday Night is Fly Night Green Pest Control Practices Executive Profile The Green Scene Keeping Hard Floors Clean For the Holidays Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members Advertisers’ Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008

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