This is Part 4 of my series Electrifying Our Old Oak Park Home. Read all 4 parts here.
A little over a year ago in April of 2023, we completed the electrification of our house. Since then, I’ve received a lot of interest in this project, was awarded a Green Award by the Village of Oak Park, and was even featured in the Chicago Tribune!
On Saturday, July 27, from 1 to 5 p.m., West Cook Wild Ones will host its annual native garden tour of 9 colorful, life-filled gardens in Oak Park and Berwyn, Illinois. You can find more information about the tour here.
But while you’re waiting, here are three of the native-plant-loving people who have created gardens (or shall we call them habitats?) that are on the tour: : Laura Derks, Monica Cecero, and Beth Fioritto.
Since Unity Temple’s latest renovation in 2017, led by Harboe Architects, a plethora of modern features, many cleverly hidden from view in columns or ductwork, have coexisted with historic elements. Moreover, a lot of the newfangled improvements—a geothermal heating/cooling system, energy-saving LED lights, upgraded skylights, motion sensors—might even qualify the Temple as a certifiable green structure. Thanks to the geothermal apparatus' connection with the moderate temperatures of the earth, the building is air-conditioned for the first time in its history.
For more than a decade, One Earth Film Festival has featured films about a range of topics from climate change to plastic waste to water justice to conservation. Thankfully, with the increase in available media, arts, and storytelling, another topic has taken center stage: environmental and climate justice at home and abroad. Not only are there more shareable stories on which One Earth can shine a light, but we are grateful to be in conversation with and learning from environmental justice leaders across the Chicago region and beyond.
Q: How many countries participated in the 2023 One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest, and were there any surprises?
A: We received entries from 45 countries. This shows how much our contest resonates with young filmmakers around the world. I think the biggest surprise was that two of the winners flew into Chicago from Brazil and Mexico for our Awards weekend. It was very exciting. And the nicest surprise was the esteemed Dr. Jane Goodall’s participation: she opened our awards event on screen!
This past March, my husband and I had the good fortune to visit the Fashion for Good Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands—an interactive museum that tells “the stories behind the clothes you wear and how your choices can have a positive impact on people and our planet.”
The health of the planet is top of mind for people in Amsterdam—something we learned almost as soon as we arrived, as the cab driver who took us from the airport to our hotel, driving a fully electric vehicle, mentioned the concern: Amsterdam is below sea level, likely to feel heavy impacts of climate change, and thus, a place that is working toward solutions and adaptations.
