Since 2021, Chicago Muslims Green Team (CMGT) has been an active member of the Community Tree Equity Working Group in supporting Our Roots Chicago, the City of Chicago’s tree equity program.
Our common goal is to expand the tree canopy coverage through an equitable approach. In simpler words, we want this Chicago map to go all green.
Tree Canopy Coverage Percentage By Census Tract. Source: chicago.gov
We want every neighborhood in the City to reap the benefits of trees. Trees provide shade for our home from the sun and blocking winter winds. Trees improve air quality, absorb water, thus help to prevent flood. Trees promote physical activities, increase walking traffic, and bring communities together. Trees reduce stress and anxiety. Trees also help to repair urban biodiversity. In conclusion, trees help to lower our energy bills, increase our property values, and improve the quality of life in our neighborhood.
Source: chicago.gov
The City of Chicago has a goal to plant 75,000 new trees in neighborhoods with low tree canopy. The City also has developed CHI311 App for anyone who wants to get involved.
Tree Equity Working Group Year-End Report. Source: Raed Mansour
However, it is still not an easy task without the support from community members. It would be a waste of tax payers’ money if the trees end up dying due to lack of water, being ignored, or vandalized by people who reject trees around their properties or in their neighborhood.
From 2021-2022, CMGT has been educating ourselves, spreading awareness to our diverse communities, connecting to other organizations by attending and organizing trainings, hosting webinar, giving talks at events, and attending tree planting events. Here is the clip to see our activities.
2021-2022 Tree Planting Program activities
In 2023-2024, CMGT is grateful to be one of seven organizations who receives the Resilience Grant to expand our Tree Planting Program. Under the guidance of CRTI (Chicago Region Trees Initiative) Morton Arboretum we believe that together we could achieve our specific goals in greening our beloved city and spreading the benefits of trees to our diverse communities in Chicago this year. InshaAllah!
The Resilient Grant Kickoff event on December 13, 2022. Source: Caroline
Here are some ways to cut down on you home energy consumption in winter, thus energy saving. In colder months homeowners use more energy (electricity or gas), especially if you live in the north with harsh winters heating uses excessive energy, runs up heating bills. Also, in winter people tend to stay indoors, have long nights and holidays, it is easy to see energy consumption goes up more than at other times of year.
Reducing heating bills, also reduces your carbon footprint. Luckily there are several ways to conserve energy when the temperature drops, so here are some suggestions.
Source: Canva.com
Weatherstrip your doors and windows Sealing out drafts is a good place to start. Your doors and windows can leak out heat, so add weatherstripping. Please visit your local hardware store, they will assist you in advising the proper weatherstripping material, and how to install it. Seal the gaps under exterior doors also.
Switch to a smart thermostat This is programmable thermostat, saves energy, this thermostat can fine-tune to optimize the duration of furnace running only when you need it. You can program the thermostat to lower temperature when you are sleeping and turn it on just in time of your arrival home from work.
Close the damper when not using the fireplace Who doesn’t love the ambiance of a fireplace. But ambiance costs money. “The Old House” magazine say they can be a source of at least 8% energy leaking right up the chimney. You can help by choosing energy-efficient fireplace. While you can do your research on the efficient choices of fireplace suffice it to say installing a glass screen on the fireplace will make your fireplace more efficient. Building codes mandate the placement of a chimney to extract smoke to the exterior so you won’t suffocate on smoke, it also draws out heat into the atmosphere.
Give you heating system a yearly checkup. Schedule an annual heating system check-up early each winter to ensure that your system is clean and is running efficiently. A regularly checked furnace has a longer life expectancy, because a smooth-running furnace doesn’t have to work as hard.
Don’t block air vents Make sure all air vents are visible and are not blocked by furniture, carpets or drapes. If blocked it makes furnace work harder. When air vents in all rooms are not blocked by furniture, air circulates freely.
Check the insulation in your house Good insulation is inexpensive and reduces energy use. Adding insulation in your attic is a good start this will maintain heat in your living spaces. Also, walls can be a source of energy leaks so seal any penetrations in walls such as plumbing pipes, etc.
Adjust you water heater’s temperature Your water heater may be wasting more energy than you thought. Today’s newer energy saving water heaters can literally pay for themselves. Setting the temperature at 120 degrees (check municipality codes for temp requirements) provide sufficient hot water for domestic use.
Adjust you water heater’s temperature Your water heater may be wasting more energy than you thought. Today’s newer energy saving water heaters can literally pay for themselves. Setting the temperature at 120 degrees (check municipality codes for temp requirements) provide sufficient hot water for domestic use.
Only wash and dry full loads of laundry The most important rule for saving energy while washing clothes is to use full loads of washing and drying. The best way is run machines only when they are fully loaded. Partially loaded machines waste energy, put burden with added detergents into the sewer lines.
Insulate your pipes Hot water pipes used for your home to bring water to faucets, showers and appliances are sources which wastes lot of energy in the process. If the water pipes travel from basement to upper floors in a typical suburban home are long, you are losing a lot of energy. Adding insulation to hot water pipes the water is delivered at hotter temperature by 2° to 4°F. Which also means you don’t wait as long for hot water for shower.
Unplug unused electronics Many electronics and appliances draw energy even when they’re on “off” mode, they are drawing power when not expected, as they live in standby mode. The common energy burners also include printers, desktop computers, displays, televisions, video games, microwave ovens, when not in use unplug them when not in use to save energy.
Source: Canva.com
Use LED light bulbs, replace CFL and incandescent You will save electricity in winter by switching to light emitting diodes (LED) light bulbs. These are most the current most energy-efficient light sources available, they use 75% less energy and last 25 time longer. You can make a big impact instantaneously, save energy and save on bills.
Take out those warm sweaters, bundle up – as simple as that This is a great way to save energy and its costs – turn down the thermostat. Those who know recommend lowering your thermostat a few degrees lower in the day, and further lower during nighttime. You can save upwards of 10% off your heating bill if you lowered the temperature 7° top 10° F for as few as 8 hours a day. Wear warm clothing rather than cranking up the thermostat.
Another simple solution – place rugs on hard floors Add rugs on hard floors, they not only cheer up the place but act as a layer of insulation which will protect your feet from cold hard floors. Rugs can be used on floors and on walls to add color and decoration and they provide insulation value as well.
Let the sun in when it is shining but close drapes when not Remember south facing windows bring in the most sunlight, as the sun travels east to west, its trajectory is biased to the south, winter sun will warm up your room. Opening and closing yourt drapes strategically can help saving on energy bills, thus using less energy.
Green fuels are types of energy sources that are considered environmentally friendly because they produce fewer greenhouse gasses when they are used compared to traditional fossil fuels. These fuels are also referred to as clean, renewable, or sustainable energy sources. Some examples of green fuels include:
Solar energy: This is energy that is produced by the sun and can be harnessed using solar panels. Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source because it does not produce any emissions when it is used.
Wind energy: This is energy that is produced by the wind and can be harnessed using wind turbines. Like solar energy, wind energy is also a clean and renewable energy source.
Hydroelectric energy: This is energy that is produced by the movement of water and can be harnessed using hydroelectric dams. Hydroelectric energy is a clean and renewable energy source, but it does require a large amount of water to produce.
Biofuels: These are fuels that are produced from organic matter, such as plant material or animal waste. Biofuels can be used to power vehicles and other types of machinery, and they produce fewer greenhouse gasses compared to traditional fossil fuels like gasoline or diesel.
Source: Mohammed Faheem
In a recent interview on ‘The Turning Point Podcast’ (www.theturningpointpodcast.com) hosted by Mohammed Faheem, Terry Marker, senior scientist at GTL Technologies spoke about the ongoing research and development in the field of green fuels, as scientists and engineers seek to find more efficient and sustainable ways to generate energy. Some of the latest research in green fuels includes:
Advanced biofuels: Researchers are working on developing advanced biofuels that can be produced from a wider range of feedstocks, including non-food crops and waste materials. These fuels have the potential to be more efficient and cost-effective than traditional biofuels.
Carbon capture and storage: Scientists are developing technologies that can capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and other industrial sources and store them underground, rather than releasing them into the atmosphere. This could help to reduce the carbon footprint of traditional fossil fuels.
Solar energy technologies: There is ongoing research into ways to make solar panels more efficient, as well as developing new types of solar energy technologies, such as solar paint and solar windows.
Wind energy: Researchers are working on ways to improve the efficiency of wind turbines and to make them more cost-effective. They are also exploring new designs for wind turbines, such as vertical axis turbines and turbines that can be deployed offshore.
Hydroelectric power: Scientists are studying ways to improve the efficiency of hydroelectric power plants and to make them more environmentally friendly. They are also exploring the use of small-scale hydroelectric systems, such as micro hydro systems, which can be used to generate electricity in remote areas.
Atomic Fusion: Nuclear fusion is described as the “holy grail” of energy production. It is the process that powers the Sun and other stars. It works by taking pairs of light atoms and forcing them together – this “fusion” releases a lot of energy. Nuclear fusion produces far more energy, and only small amounts of short-lived radioactive waste. And importantly, the process produces no greenhouse gas emissions and therefore does not contribute to climate change. This is in the experimental stages now.
Source: Energy.gov
GTL: Gas to liquid technologies: These processes are already in place in many countries. In Saudi Arabia, ‘Green Hydrogen’ is produced from sea water by separating hydrogen from oxygen and ‘Blue Hydrogen’ is produced by reducing Ammonia. Blue Hydrogen is currently exported to Japan from Saudi Arabia and is used to power several types of vehicles.
Overall, the goal of these and other research efforts is to find more sustainable and efficient ways to generate energy that will help to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Last summer, I visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky with Fred, my husband. It was our first experience of hiking in a cave. My previous spelunking was inside a vertical cave in Indonesia. It was no hiking, but rappelling or descending deep underground. Fred has never been into a cave before. Both of us did not know what to expect, but we were excited to experience our new adventure.
In front of Mammoth Cave Visitor Center. Source: Caroline
The Size
Mammoth Cave was named for its “mammoth” or immense size of the cave’s chambers and avenues. Part of the cave, called Mammoth Dome is 192 feet high and the other one called Bottomless Pit is 105 feet deep.
The size of one to the Cave’s chambers compared to a person in white shirt, see bottom left. Source: Caroline
One of the chambers called Rotunda is about a quarter acre in size where two Great War Monuments are located. During the War of 1812, the cave was being mined on an industrial scale for potassium nitrate (saltpeter) for use in gunpowder.
The cave is also known as the world’s longest cave. In September 2021, the cave set a new record of its length to a whopping 420 miles (676 km), according to the National Park Service.
The History
Mammoth Cave was established as a national park on July 1, 1941, but public tours began some 200 years ago. Inside the cave, we can see graffiti written by visitors from the year of 1883.
One of the first explorer of the cave was an enslaved African Americans, Stephen Bishop who worked from 1838 to 1856. He was also known as a self-taught geologist who had a prodigious memory. Bishop was capable to drew a map from memory of the cave’s explored passageways.
Stephen Bishop. Source: nps.gov
The Tours
The Park offers many interesting tours guided by passionate, knowledgeable, and sometimes funny rangers who love to share jokes related to the cave.
My husband and I took five of ten tours they offered. The length of the tours varies from two to four hours. My favorite tours are the Violet City Lantern and Star Chamber tours. Both tours need lanterns as the only source of light inside the cave.
Rangers with lanterns for visitors inside the cave. Source: Caroline
During the tours, we can see many amazing rock and geology formations. We can also see artifacts and other signs left by Native Americans who first discovered the entrances to the cave. Another interesting thing to see is the old tuberculosis huts built in 1842-43 deep inside the cave to accommodate patients with tuberculosis.
Stalagmite and Stalactite formation. Source: Caroline
One of many interesting rock formations. Source: Caroline
The difficulty levels of the tours are varies. Some tours are sightseeing tours. Other ones require hiking, climbing, and descending very steep hills. There are also fun sections called Fat Man’s Misery followed by Tall Man’s Agony. The first one is a very narrow passageway that takes about 15 minutes to pass through. The last one requires tall people to bend constantly to navigate the passageway.
One Frequently Asked Question from visitors is about bats. We saw only one bat during our five tours. Turns out, there is a disease called White-Nose Syndrome which has killed millions of bats since its discovery in New York in 2006. To prevent spreading the disease, visitors are required to walk across a decontamination mat to clean our shoes when exiting the cave.
Decontamination mat to clean our shoes to prevent us from spreading the White-Nose Syndrome disease. Source: Caroline
Hiking inside the Mammoth Cave turns out to be a fun-filled experience. Fred loves the the temperature inside the cave. It is around 54°F year-round. I was grateful to realize how our eyes amazingly adapt to the darkness of the cave. The only downside of it, for me personally, is how hard it is to take good pictures inside the cave. Overall, I highly recommend anyone to visit the Mammoth Cave, one of great natural wonders in the U.S.
A plastic recycle vending machine has been installed at Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, located in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia (click here for the virtual tour of the mosque).
A plastic recycle vending machine in Istiqlal Mosque
As reported by VOI, the collected plastic bottle waste can be exchanged into Plasticpay Points through an app which can later be converted into electronic money that widely used in the city, such as DANA, OVO, Gopay, LinkAja, and INACASH.
According to Antara News, the Istiqlal Mosque recently became the first mosque in the world to receive an Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) certificate, as a green place of worship, from the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
The certificate has been awarded to the mosque since the worship place has been renovated based on an environmentally friendly concept. It has increased the efficiency of water and energy usage of the building by applying energy-efficient roofs, outer walls, and lighting; installing smart energy meters; as well as using solar panels, which support more than 13 percent of the building’s electricity consumption.
Waste Bank
Another green news comes from Tanjung Burung Waste Bank – or “bank sampah” as they are called in Indonesian.
At the Waste Bank, customers deposit their household waste and receive money in their bank account based on the rates and weight of the waste. Customers separated the waste into two, inorganic and organic. Inorganic waste is recycled and turned into bricks. Organic one is processed into compost.
Composter to turn organic waste to compostThe flowchart of the process to turn organic waste into compost, it includes storage (gudang) and marketing (pemasaran)Bricks made from plastics wasteAnother alternative to recycle plastic waste to build a wallRecycle plastic bottles used to build a decoration fence
Reported by Jimmy Kalempouw CMGT Ambassador from Indonesia
