I’m policing a cafeteria recycling bin, directing students like a traffic cop: “That goes in the garbage; remove that straw and put the milk carton in here; dump the mac-n-cheese before you toss the container in the blue bin.” Welcome to Trash-Free Friday. That’s when North Shore students and nationwide are challenged to eliminate […]
Scott and Sharon Krone’s new home at the corner of 7th and Lake in Wilmette almost looks like your traditional North Shore masonry home. But solar panels perched on the aluminum roof, a tomato-red horizontal stripe wrapping the white exterior and ground-level, floor-to-ceiling windows hint that the Krones live a more vibrant shade of […]
Twenty years after finishing their dream home, Peter and Robin Baugher are at it again. The Baughers were the subjects of a mini Wilmette scandal in 1982 when they paid the then princely sum of $250,000 for a little house on Sheridan Road. Nobody could figure out why anybody would pay so dearly for a […]
When New Trier Township High School Architecture teacher Josh Wood heard about the Peter and Robin Baugher’s project to develop an environmentally friendly home on their Sheridan Road lot, he offered the assistance of his class. Intrigued by the possibilities, the Baughers met with Wood’s class as if they were clients, outlining their requirements in […]
As we head into the holiday season and get ready to deck those halls, Tony from Chalet gives his top 10 tips on keeping things green throughout the winter holidays. Keep your formerly live cut tree after the holidays. Cut the branches off and use them as a winter mulch for perennials or dehydration protection […]
We caught up with Bark, a physician from Evanston, who let us in on her green fairytale. When Bark’s old house flooded in 1999, it had to be demolished because of the carpet of mold that nature chose to install in the aftermath. Somewhere along the way Bark asked a contractor she knew from spin […]
Are you planning a fall remodel? Good news—there could be some cash coming your way. On the heels of a successful Cash For Clunkers automobile program, the federal government has approved a similar program for home appliances. Consumers will begin to see the program, sometimes referred to as “Cash For Refrigerators,” heavily advertised in […]
The world is literally running out of gas. And it’s going to change everything—not just your commute to work and your carpool, but also the way the countertops in your kitchen and your carpets are made. The era of cheap, petroleum-derived plastic, as well as cheap airfare, travel soccer leagues and so many other things, […]
Just when you thought you were becoming an eco-savvy shopper and saving the planet one dollar at a time, you suddenly realize … you’ve been greenwashed! “Greenwashing” is how environmental activists describe what some companies do to persuade consumers to buy products that may or may not benefit the environment. Manufacturers know that eco-friendly descriptions […]
Remember the gigantic rain barrel that the “Petticoat Junction” girls splashed around in? No need to tax your memory (what’s left of it!) because you’ll soon have the opportunity to have a rain barrel of your very own. Chicago’s Water Reclamation District is now selling rain barrels for individual household use. OK, so they aren’t […]
