by admin | May 4, 2026 | Activism, Chicago, Climate, Economics, Energy Conservation, Environment, Government, Infrastructure, Personal history, Public policy, Renewable Energy, Urban Planning
The ceremony began with the ritual burning of some coal in a small firepit outside the front door of Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park, in Chicago. The coal fire was soon extinguished, but the flame was used to light candles as people processed, singing “This...
by admin | Apr 22, 2026 | Activism, Agriculture, architecture, Business, Chicago, Climate, Environment, Government, Housing, Philanthropy, Public policy, Renewable Energy, Resilience, Technology, Transportation, Urban Planning, Volunteerism
Once I was in downtown Chicago on April 16, at the corner of Adams and LaSalle, my first task was to enter what once was a bank building and pick up a name tag that had a number on the back. The second task was to take an elevator to the 40th floor and start meeting...
by admin | Jul 7, 2024 | Business, Chicago, Climate, Cooking, Economics, Energy Conservation, Environment, Government, Public health, Public policy, Technology
Just a month ago, I encountered a problem my wife had previously experienced in April while I had been out of town. At that time, puzzled by why our gas oven seemed not to work, she had to wait until I returned from a conference in Minneapolis and teaching a FEMA...
by admin | Mar 8, 2024 | Chicago, Christianity, Climate, Energy Conservation, Environment, Government, Infrastructure, Public policy, Renewable Energy, Resilience
Almost all content on this blog is written by me. On rare occasions, I have hosted a guest writer when I decided it was appropriate. In this case, I am sharing an announcement from my own church, which is entering an agreement with the City of Chicago for a grant to...
by admin | Aug 11, 2023 | Books, Chicago, Environment, Movies, Nature, Urban forest, Volunteerism
It was a simple ask. Our Chicago First Ward Alderman, Daniel La Spata, included a notice in his e-newsletter about a Saturday morning outing, organizing at his ward office on Milwaukee Avenue, for volunteers to join Openlands Chicago tree keepers to help place mulch...
by admin | Jul 4, 2023 | Activism, Chicago, Climate, Environment, Hazard Mitigation, Natural Hazards, Social Equity, Water, Weather, Wildfire
Like most people, I am not worried about the wrath of ancient pagan gods, but I had to wonder. It was just a week ago, amid the horrible air quality in the Midwest, including Chicago, that I told my wife that a good rainstorm might serve to clear the air of many of...
