As the worm turns: Kitchen compost made easy

Have you heard about composting with worms (vermicomposting) before but been afraid to give it a try? Worried about making a mess or just not liking the idea of worms in your house? Or would your kids love to learn all that worms can do to green your household? We've got the workshop just for you!

Urban Worm Girl, who just happens to be a ChiTown Rewards Member, is hosting a "Worm Composting Workshop" in Lincoln Park on Saturday April 4th from 1 - 2 p.m. Don't miss this special, hands-on opportunity to learn all about the process of composting with worms. You will also have the opportunity to buy supplies and set up your bin on-site: your worms will be ready to start working when you leave!

Come out and learn how to keep composting in the home easy, clean and fun for all. Call (312) 399-4725 or email Stephanie to reserve your spot today!

Eco-friendly bamboo bikes

As car sales continue to fall and gas prices remain above the $2/gallon mark, it seems like more and more people are taking up a common childhood activity - biking. Biking is a great way to get around the city- you don't have to deal with parking, gas, tickets, insurance, or traffic - AND you get some exercise along the way!

If you're thinking about buying a bike, check out the bamboo bikes from Calfee Design. Calfee Design claims that their bamboo bikes have the lowest carbon footprint of any bike on the market today. Moreover, Calfee Bamboo bikes have won awards for Best Road Bike, Best Off-Road Bike and Peoples' Choice Award at the American Handmade Bicycle Show.

I-GO and I save!

Ever wonder just how much you're saving by not owning a car? Check out the cost breakdown of one of our members' yearly driving expenses. Car sharing is about more than just "going green"—it can also save you some dough! And in today's economy, that's something we're all trying to do...

Car sharing in Japan grows as vehicle sales continue to fall

According to a recent article in Japan Today, car sharing is catching on in Japan as well as here in the U.S.. The article claims that, "car sharing is shifting into a higher gear in Japan as people try to save on car maintenance costs and be more environmentally friendly at the same time,".

While car sharing is growing, car sales are down. Vehicle sales in Japan hit a 28-year low in 2008, according to the figures released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JADA). Annual sales are expected to fall again in 2009. "We never imagined sales would fall this badly," said JADA Director, Takeshi Fushimi. "This is a bleak situation."

What is a bleak situation for auto dealers is great news for Japanese car sharing organizations. According to a survey done by the Eco-Mo Foundation, there were 19 car sharing organizations in Japan, with a total of 522 cars being shared by 3,875 members, as of August 2008. The numbers of cars and car stations more than doubled and the number of registered car sharing members increased by half since the same survey was done in January of 2007. Below is a photo of a car sharing site at a condominium in Japan.

Make your own takeout

Treehugger has links to great recipes for familiar takeout dishes that you can make at home, like pad thai, burritos, and General Tso's. Not only are you saving money and energy, but you can make your favorites even tastier - maybe tonight I'll make some ultra-spicy Thai...

Protect Your Skin When the Temperature Drops

Aside from the occasional I-GO trip, I rely on the CTA and my own two feet to get around. I spend a lot of time outdoors, even in these freezing temperatures. But sub-zero conditions can leave my face flaky, cracked and red. Here are some tips to keep your skin healthy while braving the elements.

1. Prevent flaky skin.First, avoid products that contain alcohol, which is drying. Instead, use a gentle cleanser and switch to a richer moisturizer. Neutrogena products are my personal favorite.

2. Stop a red nose. Unless you're guiding Santa's sleigh, no one wants a red nose (which, by the way, is caused by dilated blood vessels). Since sun exposure can also cause redness, wear plenty of SPF 30 sunblock, even in the dead of winter. Kiehl's makes a good one. And a warm — not hot — compress to the skin for a few minutes should also reduce redness.

3. Keep lips moist and crack-free. There’s no such thing as too much lip balm. It’s your first line of defense against chapped lips. Also avoid licking lips which dries them out even more.

For more tips to keep your skin healthy this winter, check out this post from Real Simple.

Green Your New Year's Party

Having a soiree this New Year's Eve? I have some fun useful tips for you to make it green and eco-friendly. You can find the full list here, but here are a few fun ideas.

1 . Cut down on paper and use technology. Email invitations or call people to invite them to your party.

2. Get organized with your transportation. Encourage friends coming to the party to use public transportation or car pool to cut down on their driving.

3. Avoid the paper products and instead use real cutlery, glasses and dishes for the party. You will have dishes to wash but think of the garbage you’ll reduce. If you don’t have enough glasses borrow from a neighbor or check with local caterers who will rent out glassware at a reasonable cost.

And here's another green tip for you...use I-GO to get all your New Year's Eve goodies. Reserve your car today so you can load up on food and libations at your favorite haunts like Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Costco.

Happy New Year!

Green Parent Chicago: winter activities for the kids

Not sure how to keep the little tykes busy this holiday season? Check out Green Parent Chicago's helpful list of ideas on ways to keep the kids entertained- away from the tube. Ever think you'd go snowshoeing in the city? Well, there's a first time for everything!

Will Obama help grow an electric car bumper crop in Hawaii?

Will Barack Obama’s childhood island state become the first in the nation to fully support a transition to electric vehicles? The President-Elect has made it clear he plans to make sustainability and green-collar jobs top priorities during his administration. Now, Hawaii is attempting to lead the country in adopting use of all-electric vehicles. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the greed and lack of vision we’ve been witnessing on Capitol Hill as the Big Three automakers beg for a bail-out.

This past Tuesday, Hawaii announced plans to become the first state in the U.S. to create a statewide electric recharging network for electric cars. The Hawaiian state government has joined forces with Better Place, an ambitious start-up that I posted about earlier this year, in an effort to make all-electric vehicles a reality by building car charging and battery swapping stations around the islands and purchasing renewable energy from Hawaiian Electric Co., the state’s largest utility.

They plan to have the recharging stations up and running by 2011, and to have built 50,000 to 100,000 charging spots across the state by early 2012. Shai Agassi, Better Place’s founder and CEO, claims the electric cars will cost the same as gas powered cars — at first. However, over time, electric cars will be less expensive to make because they use far less parts than cars with internal combustion engines.

In late November, San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area cities also announced plans to join forces with Better Place to create an electric recharging network by 2012. However, Better Place chose Hawaii as the first statewide rollout for several reasons: the size of the state, the contained environment and consistent climate the island offers, and the abundance of renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal and wave power.

Here are two short clips: one of Agassi and Hawaiian Governor Linda Lingle driving one of the Better Place electric vehicles (hopefully, we’ll be seeing more of these cars in the near future), and one of Agassi answering a reporter’s questions about Better Place’s agenda for the Bay Area.

Get the Gift That Keeps You I-GOing

In my family, our annual tradition on the Friday after Thanksgiving is to 1) eat leftovers and 2) make our Christmas wish lists. With the economy in the tanker, this holiday my list is not only pared down, but it only include things I actually need. Like an I-GO gift certificate for more I-GO Car Sharing driving credits. What could be better (for me) and easier (for my family) than that? My family can just click here, and their shopping for me is done. It's not only a great gift to get, but it's also a great one to give, so add it to your shopping list today!

Is green always green?

Dudes. Been thinking about how environmental stuff is really mainstream these days. There are as many "green" products and services out there as there are "lite," "premium," and "improved." This is great on some level, but I wonder how much making all the crap we buy and things we do slightly less awful for the planet does for the larger cause. Wouldn't consuming less crap be much better?

For example, sharing cars (with I-GO, obvs) to get your people and groceries around seems to make a lot more sense than schlepping around town in a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. What do you think? Are there some "green" things you've come across that don't make much sense?

(Image from Earthfirst)

I-GO...And the Livin' is Easy

We all know life isn't easy, but there's an organization out there that's working to change that. On November 13, more than 40,000 people in 175 cities in 41 countries will celebrate World Usability Day, dedicated to making the products and services in our lives easier to access and use, not to mention environmentally friendly.

This year, World Usability Day is all about transportation. And at an event in Chicago, I-GO's very own CEO, Sharon Feigon, will be a featured speaker along with folks from the CTA and the Illinois Institute of Design.

Join the fun and register here. Of course it's easy and also FREE. But register soon because space is limited.

I-GO Membership Drive: Edgewater

I-GO Membership Drive
Tues., Oct. 28, 5-7pm
6301 N. Sheridan Rd.

Hello, Edgewater! We recently added a new car at 6301 N. Sheridan Rd. (vehicle I.D. #4404), and I-GO staff will be there to answer all your questions about our service and to sign you up! Come for the membership sign-up discount (just $25 - a savings of $50 off the standard rate!), stay for the wine and cheese. Get a friend or family member to join, and we’ll give you $20 worth of driving credits!

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Green Giant

An article in today’s Chicago Sun-Times highlights the green strides being made at Chicago’s tallest building, the Sears Tower. The Sears Tower now has an I-GO Car Sharing vehicle (a Honda Civic hybrid) in its garage, available for both tenants and businesses. Additionally, they’ve also made three “courtesy bikes” available to tenants through an online reservation system, and quadrupled their indoor bike storage program—although, admittedly, that only brings the indoor storage count up to 49 bikes, a rather small allocation considering the building’s tenant population. Tom Dempsey, Sears Tower vice president and general manager, says they plan to add more courtesy bikes, along with bike locks and helmets.

Car Sharing Across the Border

Check out this Canadian news report on car sharing in Canada. Car sharing is booming in Canada, just as it is in the U.S. and the rest of the world. In fact, the city of Tel Aviv also recently jumped on board with the car sharing concept.



I-GO is already partners with 2 car sharing organizations in Canada- AutoShare, in Toronto and Co-operative Auto, in Vancouver. This means that as an I-GO Car Sharing member, you can also drive AutoShare and Co-operative Auto's cars when you're in their respective cities- cool, huh?

Bike Sharing in Barcelona

This morning I stumbled upon an interesting, detailed article on Bicing- the thriving bike sharing program in Barcelona. Earlier this month, I talked about the accretion of bike sharing across the globe. The more I learn about these successful bike sharing programs, the more I want this in Chicago! I mean, Mayor Daley did pledge to transform Chicago into the greenest city in the U.S.... What do you think? Would you utilize a bike sharing system if it came to Chicago?

Bicing Station in Barcelona

The Center for Neighborhood Technology Celebrates 30 Years!

The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)—the larger non-profit org that first conceived and rolled out I-GO Car Sharing in 2002—celebrated its 30^th anniversary in style last night at Chicago’s Garfield Park Conservatory. The evening featured a lineup of eco-conscious speakers, including Sadhu Johnston- Chicago’s resident green guru, as well as a festive soundtrack furnished by the post-bop Patrick Mulcahy jazz quartet and a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras marching band.

The verdant landmark venue, designed in 1908 by legendary landscape architect Jens Jensen, is celebrating its own significant birthday this year—100 years of cultivating plants, folks—so the setting couldn’t have been more apropos. Garfield was green long before green was cool.

CNT is a creative think-and-do tank that focuses on issues related to climate change, energy, natural resources, and transportation and community development. Founded in 1978, it has been a leader in promoting more livable and sustainable urban communities, both in Chicago and around the country. I-GO is proud to be affiliated with CNT, and we wish them many more decades of successful innovation.

I-GO at UIC's Sustainability Roadshow

I-GO had the honor of appearing at the University of Illinois' Sustainability Roadshow this past weekend. The Sustainability Roadshow is made up of a group of environmental activists and educators who are traveling around the U.S. highlighting issues related to sustainability, with an emphasis on going local and renewable. I-GO participated in the event, along with other Chicago-based green businesses; there were booths on green education, sustainable clothing, toxic-free cleaning products, natural health and environmental activism.

The event had an interactive and informal feel to it, with live music and games. According to Zach Carson, co-founder of the event, they wanted to "bring in the circus vibe, the music. It's education and entertainment". Click here to check out a recent article on the roadshow from the the Chicago Flame, UIC's school newspaper. Next up, the Sustainability Roadshow travels to Knoxville, New Orleans and Austin, TX.

Car Sharing to Bike Sharing

As I-GO members, you're already familiar with the idea of car sharing. But what about bike sharing? Bike sharing is rapidly spreading in major cities and is also a concept that I-GO has been considering.

Barcelona, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna and Washington DC are the cities currently leading the pack in bike sharing. Paris has the largest bike sharing program of them all, with more than 20,000 bikes in service. Washington DC has the smallest operation, kicking off just last month with 10 stations and 120 bikes. An annual subscription to the SmartBike DC program costs only $40 and this fee includes rental of the bike; as long as the bike is returned within 24 hours of the start of the rental, there are no additional charges for use of the bikes.

Would you utilize a bike sharing service if it was offered in Chicago? Share your thoughts!

I-GO Car Sharing's September Events Around Chicago

Can you believe Labor Day weekend is already upon us? While I'm sad to see summer start to fade, we've got a bunch of great events going on in Chicago this September that I-GO is going to be a part of. So come on by and join us or- better yet- lend a hand and be an I-GO volunteer at one of the events and earn free driving credits! If you're interested in volunteering, please email Sheena, our Outreach Coordinator, at sheena@igocars.org

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

Whole Foods Market Eco-Fair
September 6; 1-4pm
1111 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL
Join I-GO along with other sustainable organizations like Greener Cleaners, Twist Sponges and more to show Chicago how to green up!

Magellan Rewards "At Your Service" Festival
September 6; 11am-2pm
The Park at Lakeshore East
Magellan Development will showcase partner organizations

Boulevard Lakefront Tour
September 7; 1am-5pm
59th & Woodlawn
Choose from 15, 35, or 62 mile routes through the City's parks, boulevards and neighborhoods. After the ride, cool down with live entertainment and a picnic lunch by Goose Island- with Goose Island beer and soda as well!

Sustainable Living Roadshow
September 12; 10am-6pm
UIC Campus
I-GO fits right in this eco-carnival, with experimental learning villages, workshops, speakers and entertainment

Edgewater GRalley Festival
September 13; 12-6pm
Corner of Glenwood & Granville
Event will feature 18 bands and a Battle of BBQs staffed by Chicago's top culinary schools and restaurants competing in dueling pig roasts

Q101 Block Party
September 13-14; noon-6pm
3320 N Campbell
Lots and lots of bands!

DePaul University Involvement Fair
September 14; 1-5pm
2250 N Sheffield

University of Chicago Graduate School of Business Fair
September 15; 4:30-6pm
5807 S Woodlawn

Estrojam
September 23-27
I-GO Car Sharing is co-sponsoring Estrojam this year! Events will be held all over the city and proceeds will help fight human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assult