Happy Earth Day!
Chicago is a beautiful city. It boasts one of the top five greenest universities in America from The Sierra Club Magazine. It is also one of the greenest cities in America, a forefront goal of former Mayor Richard M. Daley and of current Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. Local groups like Chicago Open Gov Hack Night have projects, such as MyBuildingDoesNotRecycle.Com, to identify apartment buildings with 5 or more units without recycling. It’s how I found out my building didn’t have recycling.
The truth is that Chicago struggles environmentally. Just look at the river that cuts through the city, or try to swim in Lake Michigan during the summer. One of the saddest realizations of summer is lying next to the lake, but not swimming in it. I gave it a chance, but it wasn’t long before I swam breast-stroke into empty beer cans. Earlier this month, Slate tweeted, “Good Lord, What Is Happening to the Chicago River?,” as they highlighted a DNAinfo article of “rust and dirt” protruding in the Chicago River.
To celebrate Earth Day, consider these activities tonight:
- “Just Eat It” Film Showing and Panel Discussion
Time: 6:00-8:30 PM
RSVP: Eventbrite
- Tweet Your Way to a Night Stay at Hotel Felix
Time: April 22nd until 5:00 PM
Details: Tweet about your sustainable ways to @HotelFelix and include #GreenFelix
Time: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Details: See live desert animals from 4 pm to 7 pm, music in the Palm House from 5 pm to 6 pm, environmentally themed family puppet shows by Golden Feather Productions with 5:30 pm and 6:15 pm performances, and the Slow Roll Chicago family bike ride from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
