Any well-seasoned traveler knows he or she can find a Bible in most hotel rooms. But few expect to see a recycling bin. Recycling bins and compact fluorescent light bulbs might become more of a familiar sight, however, given Chicago's recent "green" hotels initiative. The city's Department of Environment is spearheading the initiative by subsidizing the cost of Green Seal-certification for a group of 30 hotels. "The goal is to have more Green Seal-certified hotels in Chicago than in any other city in the country," said David O'Donnell, project manager of the group. Green Seal, a nonprofit organization committed to safeguarding the environment, has developed standards and a certification process for environmentally responsible lodging properties. It is working with the city of Chicago to certify several of its major downtown hotels, according to Linda Chipperfield, vice president of marketing and outreach for Green Seal. "At this point we have some [Chicago hotels] that are close to being done, and some still have a long way to go," Chipperfield said. "We think hotels are a really important face to visitors in the city and [are] trying to show the world and the rest of the country that Chicago is really taking a leadership position on environmental issues," O'Donnell said. Large hotel chains and small boutique hotels are implementing environmentally friendly practices on a property-by-property basis. The size of the hotel does not seem to affect a property's decision to go green. "They're all across the board," Chipperfield said. Green Seal, she said, is working with one major chain to certify the whole franchise. "It is a voluntary program so they come to us," she said. The Hyatt Regency Chicago, which hosts approximately 1,200,000 overnight guests per year, is among those applying for the Green Seal certification. "The city is pushing the green initiative so much this year and was trying to get many hotels Green Seal-certified," said Gretchen Spear, promotions manager at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Spear said the Hyatt Regency Chicago, which is striving to become certified this year, already has several Green Seal-criteria in place, such as use of high efficiency compact fluorescent lighting and faucet aerators that maximize water pressure but minimize water consumption. One of the more unique efforts underway at the Hyatt Regency Hotel is its use of FDA-approved electrolyzed water to clean and sanitize the hotel. The water electrolyzer jolts a diluted salt water solution, separating the mixture into two 88-gallon tanks, according to Ryan Baldwin, executive housekeeper of the Hyatt Regency Chicago. One tank contains electrolyzed acid water that can be used as a powerful but environmentally safe all-purpose cleaner. The second tank contains alkaline water, which can be used as a cleaner and degreaser for carpets and floors. The hotel is testing the electrolyzed water solution as a cleaning product in half the hotel, Baldwin said. "In 45 days they'll do the entire hotel with it," he added. The electrolyzed acid water has eliminated the hotel's use of chemically loaded glass cleaners, bathroom cleaners and all-purpose cleaners, according to Baldwin. "Housekeepers love it because it takes away from the harmful chemical solutions," Spear said. Other hotels in Chicago that are participating in the Green Seal-certification initiative include the three Chicago Kimpton Hotels properties, the Hilton Chicago, the Fairmont and the Talbott Hotel, to name a few. Nabil Moubayed, general manager of the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago, said the hotel is about a month away from its final Green Seal-certification inspection. "[Green Seal is] a pretty strict standard of certification that we're going to be compliant with," he said. Other types of official and non-official environmental certification exist, such as the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Environment and Energy Design, or LEED, Green Building Rating System and the membership-based Green Hotels Association, which offers ideas to hotels on how to be green. Several states have green hotel programs too, including Vermont and Florida. Patty Griffin, president of the Green Hotels Association, encourages guests and travelers to persuade hotels to go green. "The public and business travelers have power with their money and we always suggest they participate in the green program or that they write a note to the sales manager complimenting or suggesting what they can do to be greener," Griffin said. "Hoteliers listen to their guests. They want you to come back. It's very important to let them know."...

Despite the cold weather, a small crowd gathered Saturday morning on Chicago's Far South Side for the city's first dedication of a rapid-charging station for electric vehicles. The station is the first in what advocates hope will be a network throughout Chicago, according to Allan Lindrup, chair of Beverly Unitarian Church's Green Sanctuary Group. The group and the Electric Automobile Association collaborated to install the station in the church's parking lot at 10244 S. Longwood Dr. The church will allow electric vehicle owners to plug in their cars and recharge for free. "This is the first rapid-charging station dedicated in Illinois," said Ted Lowe, president of a local chapter of the Electric Automobile Association. "There's actually another one installed at a train station in Aurora, but we haven't dedicated it yet." Todd Martin, vice-president of the association's local chapter, said three of Illinois' six charging stations are in the Chicago area. "These aren't the first-time-ever stations," Lowe admitted. "California has lots of these. [But] it's certainly a first for Illinois. We're kind of behind the curve, but we're catching up." The rapid recharge allows owners to charge their electric cars twice as fast as the minimum of six hours required at a regular charging station, according to Lowe. Illinois Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn appeared at the dedication to laud the Beverly church for opening a free recharging station. It's electric Electric cars offer a number of environmental benefits, Lindrup said. Their fuel costs are lower, they generate fewer greenhouse gases and will help to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. Lowe's association has been installing rapid-charging stations for about 18 months, he said. They also get requests for converting standard cars to electric models. Lowe estimates there are probably a few hundred electric cars in Illinois and thousands worldwide. "There's more interest than ever with being green and doing the right thing," he said. Converting on the Ritz The association recently finished converting a Porsche 944 for Chicago attorney Eric Schoonveld. Schoonveld, who lives in the West Loop, bought a used Porsche and additional parts necessary to convert it to electric power for $12,000 about a year ago. "Almost all the conversions out there are very utilitarian," he said. "Electric cars don't have to be blah. You can take a Porsche and make it electric in a very exciting way." Schoonveld expects to receive a $4,000 rebate from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to help cover the costs for converting his car. The Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program, run by the Illinois EPA, grants three types of rebates: for the purchase of alternate-fuel vehicles, to convert a vehicle or to purchase alternate fuels from an Illinois company or vendor. Since his association is a non-profit organization, Lowe did not charge Schoonveld for labor costs. The labor required to convert a vehicle typically costs $5,000, according to Lowe. Schoonveld's Porsche is ready to use, but he is reluctant to drive it during the winter because of potential rust damage from road salt. Rust, according to Lowe, is especially harmful to electric cars. Both Lowe and Schoonveld use solar energy to heat their homes as well as power their vehicles. On a sunny day, Lowe said, his electric-powered Chevrolet S10 truck is about 50 percent solar-charged. Getting the average driver interested in electric cars is a challenge, Lowe conceded. Even though the cars get the equivalent of 25 miles to a gallon of gas, the average clectric vehicle has a fuel capacity of only two gallons. "[But] humans are all adaptive," Lowe said. "We can learn stuff very quickly. This is a car with two gallons worth of gas, and you can't buy more gas when you're out. There are trips you just wouldn't take it on. But [for] a lot of your day-to-day stuff, 70 percent of the trips Americans take, this is your car." In 10 years, Lowe predicts, consumers will be able to buy only hybrid vehicles. "The bottom line is, there's nothing that replaces our oil," he said. Electric power is currently abundant, and its cost doesn't change as often as gas prices do. "How much are your electric rates going to go up next week?" Lowe asked. "How about next month? Well, they're not. They might go up every few years, but they're not fluctuating all around."...

On December 31, 2007, Chicagoans inhaled their last lungful of smoke-filled air in the city's bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and clubs. Since the statewide smoking ban began this January, many bar and restaurant owners concede their businesses have not suffered. In fact, they, too, are happy to be breathing easier, as are their patrons. "This has been our best month ever," said Mark Iverson, proprietor of the Diversey River Bowl. "We find it to be a very positive environment. We find it's a very good thing for the businesses." Effective January 1, 2008, the Smoke Free Illinois Act prohibits smoking in most public places and places of employment, and requires "No Smoking" signs to be placed at all entrances. Smokers can light up outside at least 15 feet from all entrances, windows and ventilation units. "It's going exceptionally well," said Tim Hadac, spokesman for the Department of Public Health. "I think there's a lot more public sentiment out there for smoke-free spaces in general." Hadac said there have been about 150 reports of alleged violations since the statewide smoking ban took effect in January. First-time violaters are fined $250. If caught violating the ban again within one year after the first violation, offenders are fined no less than $500. Additional violations committed within one year after the first can be fined no less than $2,500. While many in the restaurant and bar industries agree the ban has been a boon to their business, Louay Bayazid, manager of Adobo Grill, a restaurant and bar in Old Town, speculated that hookah bars have been particularly hard hit. "What they're doing is they've started to go BYOB, which still allows them to have cigarette smoking and everything," he said. Alhambra Palace, a restaurant in the West Loop, opted to get rid of its hookah lounge rather than surrender its food and/or liquor licenses. If hookah bars allow their patrons to smoke, Illinois law calls for the bars to give up their food and/or liquor licenses, thereby qualifying hookah bars for the same exemption given to retail tabacco stores. Tabacco stores allow smoking only if 80 percent of their gross incomes derives from the sale of tabacco and tabacco accessories. Bassam "Sam" Khalil, director of operations of Alhambra Palace, said the ban has not affected his business. "The hookah lounge was less than five percent of our business." So is anyone complaining about the ban? Steve Soble, owner of Southport Lanes, a four-lane bowling alley/ tavern, said his business has been "off" for a variety of reasons. "I believe the smoking ban has hurt the least because it's a uniform law across the state." "Litter has been a problem," he added. "I've never understood the flicking of cigarette butts on the ground and leaving them. It's a total issue." Naresch Nair, director of operations for Martini Bar, believes increased litter outside the establishments is going to become an issue in warmer months. "It's a never-ending battle with the cigarette butts," he said. "We're on it but it's a little bit of a hassle." The Department of Streets and Sanitation, however, has not seen any significant increase in cigarette debris from the ban, according to the department's spokesman, Matt Smith. Ultimately, Khalil is happy about the smoking ban. "Don't misunderstand me, I'm a smoker," he said. "But it's healthier, the air is cleaner. Quitting is my next step." "We're moving toward the day when our grandchildren will marvel that we actually smoked in bars and restaurants," Hadac said....

MEDILL NEWS SERVICE Wetlands in the Great Lakes region will receive a helping hand from a government and private-sector collaboration established to restore and protect the freshwater ecosystem. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, vice chair of the Great Lakes Commission, and other Chicago officials introduced theGreat Lakes Watershed Restoration Programat the Shedd Aquarium Wednesday morning. The program, designed to protect and restore the habitat and ecosystem of the Great Lakes, will be funded by a combined $5.1 million grant from a new partnership between the ArcelorMittal USA Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as other federal agency partners. "One of our core areas is the environment," said Heather Lobener, manager of corporate social responsibility for the Americas and USA Foundation with ArcelorMittal. "We have facilities all around the Great Lakes. Water is integral to our business. Sustainability is an important issue to our business." ArcelorMittal, a worldwide steel company, donated $2.1 million to the program. This sum will be matched by $3 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Environment Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Forest Service. Grant donations will be matched to enable a total of $9 million in funding over three years. The grant collaborators have established a series of funding priorities, but the partnership is focused primarily on the ground restoration of the wetlands of the Great Lakes, according to Moira McDonald, senior advisor for the central partnership office of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. "This public-private partnership marks an important step toward restoration of the Great Lakes' vital wetlands," Quinn said in a press statement. The program aims to address the habitat and ecosystem restoration goals developed by theGreat Lakes Regional Collaboration, which was created in 2004 by President Bush. "Because of the urban nature of the watershed, we have to do a lot of education and integration," McDonald said. "We want to create and incite collaboration at the local level."...