Chicago Plants Seeds of Olympic Hope
In an effort to snag the hosting duties of the 2016 Olympic Games, Chicago is getting a little greener.
So far, the Windy City has 3 million square feet of green rooftops throughout the city, wind, hydro-power and bio-fuels provide one-fifth of its energy, and last year Mayor Richard Daley pledged to slash greenhouse-gas emissions.
The International Olympic Committee will make its selection in October. Among the other contenders are Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Madrid is paving the way by promoting bicycle use, while Rio de Janeiro hopes to plant 3 million trees in nearby rain forests to offset carbon emissions and Tokyo is hoping for a zero-waste Olympics.
Organizers say vehicles provided by the games would run on low-carbon fuels or electricity, event sites would be powered by renewable energy, storm water would be collected for reuse; the venues would use recyclable or reusable products, and sites would adhere to green building standards which would coexist with natural habitat.
Chicago’s green-roof program, which helps to cool buildings and slow storm water runoff, started ten years ago and is the most extensive in the United States. Chicago also has approximately 140 miles of bicycle lanes and is buying hybrid buses.
Last year, officials’ n the Windy City pledged to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide to three-fourths of 1990 levels by 2020 by making buildings more energy-efficient, improving transportation, reducing industrial pollution and using renewable energy.
During a recent interview, Mayor Daley said of his decision to go green:
“When I started planting trees they thought it was a waste of money. We started planting a green roof. They said, ‘Oh, this is silly. What are we doing that for?”‘
How green is Chicago? Let’s have a look:
• 3 million square feet of green rooftops in the city.
• 500,000 trees planted over the last 15 years.
• 550 Parks which encompass more than 19 square miles.
• 900 acres of redeveloped industrial sites over the last 20 years.
• 15 million square feet of city buildings are more energy efficient than they were 20 years ago.