BEYOND THE COLOR GREEN
            Green has taken on a new meaning lately. More than the color for St. Patrick’s Day or a Christmas color or the color of the coming of spring, these days, green is the word for being friendly to the environment and reducing energy use.
            Illinois is working toward “going green.”The 2007 Green Government Award of the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council went to eight departments of Illinois government. The award recognized achievement in the following: energy efficiency, green facilities, green office practices, green purchasing, innovative projects, sustainable construction, waste reduction, and water conservation. Twenty-nine schools have signed on to the Illinois Sustainable University Compact.
            Illinois Central Management Services (CMS) has lowered the thermostat at thousands of State buildings in wintertime reducing natural gas consumption by 2.2 million therms in 2005-2006. CMS is also building “green” requirements into contracts for office furniture, copiers, and cleaning supplies. By the end of 2007 all cleaning vendors will use Green Seal-approved products in State buildings.
            In 2006, CMS awarded its first competitive bid for “green’ office space to be leased for state agencies. The property is being rehabbed using green building practices such as properly disposing of interior construction materials, using recycled materials for carpeting, and selecting energy-efficient lighting fixtures.
            Illinois became the first state in the Midwest to begin recycling its surplus computers, cell phones, and other electronic equipment to prevent leaks of mercury, lead and other toxins into the environment. The State’s electronics will continue to be recycled or refurbished and reused.
            Illinois has become a major buyer of E85, biofuel, and flexible-fuel vehicles. Since 2004, 75 percent of all cars purchased for the fleet have been flex-fuel vehicles that can run on either gasoline or E-85 fuel. Most DOT trucks run on B-5, a common blend of biodiesel.
            The Chicago Center for Green Technology (opened to the public in 2002) has become a model for the nation, only the third building in the U.S. to be designed using the highest standards of green technology available. Tenants who occupy the building provide environmental products and services. It has become a place to learn how to incorporate environmentally friendly, cost saving features into homes and businesses.
            From the CMS website you can access a 297 page PDF file titled, “Green Your Space Supplier List.” Listed are sources for environmentally friendly building products – many in the Chicago area but others in downstate Illinois and neighboring cities of Iowa and Wisconsin – available, but not necessarily endorsed by CMS.
            As citizens, at home or in our businesses, we can follow the lead of Illinois Government and do everything we can to ”go green.”
Information from the Newsletter of the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council Summer 2007 and Illinois Central Management Services, www.cms.il.gov/green/

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, NRCS/Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District, an equal opportunity provider and employer, 11/15/07 (for publication on 11/24/07 in the Journal-Standard, Freeport, Illinois). Della can be reached at info@stephensonswcd.org