Listed below are upcoming ECO events for Elmhurst residents and consumers:
Cool Cars Under the Stars
The Wednesday, July 17 “Cool Cars Under the Stars” night features a special lot for ECO Cars or fuel-efficient cars. Local car dealers -- including Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Chevrolet -- and individual owners will showcase their hybrid, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles.
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Highway vehicles release about 1.6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere each year, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). Each gallon of gasoline burned creates 20 pounds of CO2, or roughly 5 to 9 tons of CO2 each year for a typical vehicle.
The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $903 per year (based on fuel costs of $3.61 per gallon and 15,000 miles of driving annually). That's $4,515 extra in fuel costs over five years!
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ECO Cars will be featured in the east side Addison St. lot from 6-9 p.m. If you have a fuel-efficient car you’d like to showcase, contact Barbara Lonergan at ecoolcities@gmail.com.
GreenBuilt Home Tour
The inaugural Chicagoland GreenBuilt Home Tour, July 20-21, features 16 award-winning and nationally-recognized Chicago area homes which highlight sustainable building practices that are attractive, practical and affordable. The Elmhurst Green House at 135 Oak is featured in the tour.
These energy-efficient homes encourage health and well-being, while contributing to a healthier community. Homes will be open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. both days. Because the homes are built better, they deliver measurable savings, comfort, and health to their owners.
The tour features numerous homes that need very little energy to keep them comfortable year round and homes that produce more energy than they use.
All homes on the tour have undergone third-party verification and testing to ensure the homes are built to national standards, earning certification through programs such as: ENERGY STAR for Homes, LEED for Homes, the National Green Building Standard, and Passive House.
The Elmhurst Green House, 135 Oak, is a 2,555 square foot home designed by SWA Architects. This home was carefully constructed to be as minimally invasive to the environment both during and after construction, taking into account the indoor air quality which was of great importance to the homeowners. From the heating and cooling system, lumber, and finish materials, every selection was made with a conscience effort to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
To register for the GreenBuilt Home Tour, visit http://greenbuilthometour.org/?page_id=10.
Elmhurst GreenFest
The Elmhurst Park District presents GreenFest 2013 on Saturday, August 3, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., in Wilder Park. GreenFest promotes environmentally safe practices, products and companies, as well as showcases guest speakers, green vendors, ECO cars and a recycling drop off event. Join us for great family and kid activities run by the park district’s knowledgeable and enthusiastic environmental education staff.
For more information, visit elmhurstgreenfest.org.
