Cool Cities meeting

Come to the Cool Cities meeting at Bells and Whistles Snackery, 405 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn.

This Wednesday July 20 at 7:30.

Learn what we have done and what we might be doing next. Your input is most welcomed.

Stanford study: Heat waves could be common in U.S. by 2039

Stanford study: Heat waves could be common in U.S. by 2039

This week, June 12-18, is Bike to Work Week. Biking is healthy for people, the community and the planet. For details see http://www.activetrans.org/biketoworkweek

Summer Reading

The Glen Ellyn Public Library and the Glen Ellyn Cool Cities Coalition have produced a short list of recommended environmental reading. Stop by the library to sign up for the Summer Reading Program for 2010. Free prize drawings are offered weekly! The GEPL suggests reading in 5 categories. You pick the books you want to read (General Fiction, Mystery, Biography or Memoir, anything you've read, and New Fiction). Receive the environmental reading list as a bonus.

See http://www.gepl.org for details.

Ten Thousand Villages Saves Energy

In keeping with its socially conscious values and a desire to reduce its environmental impact, Ten Thousand Villages in Glen Ellyn makes extensive use of compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs) in its store. The retail space is brightly and cheerfully lit, with a warm ambiance. This shows that CFL lighting in a retail setting need not look cold. It is essential to select bulbs with the best "color temperature" for the application. These CFL spots, which look much the same as incandescent bulbs, save the business money over time due to lower wattage requirements. CFLs are particularly well-suited in retail applications where lights are left on for long hours. The longer life of the bulbs also means less time climbing ladders to perform maintenance chores. The use of CFLs not only reduces operating costs, but reduces energy consumption for both air conditioning and lighting in the warmer months, leading to a dramatic reduction in the store's carbon footprint.