More than 100 greenies from all over Chicagoland gathered at the IIDA headquarters (LEED Gold) in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart on Thurs., August 27, to kick off planning for Greenbuild 2010, which returns to Chicago next year after a memorable engagement in 2007.
Moderators Lois Vitt Sale, AIA, LEED AP, sustainability director with NELSON, and Kim Lombardozzi, IIDA, LEED AP, territory manager for Mohawk Carpet, urged the attendees to follow the mantra from USGBC headquarters in Washington to “think big” for 2010.
The big news: Greenbuild 2010 will have all of McCormick Place to itself, a huge improvement from the cramped conditions of 2007. And, lest you are concerned, USGBC has ironed out the horrendous registration problems that caused hours-long lines in 2007.
There’s also a rumor going around that a certain Chicago-based politician now residing in the District of Columbia may be enticed back home to give the keynote at Greenbuild 2010—and no, we’re not talking about Roland Burris.
New feature: In addition to support from the City of Chicago (Sadhu Johnston, Mayor Daley’s right-hand man for the environment, will be back in a starring role), Greenbuild 2010 will also include a State of Illinois component (headed by Eric Heineman, Governor Pat Quinn’s sustainability guru), as well as an energy-related leg, courtesy of Commonwealth Edison (Val Jensen, VP of marketing and environmental programs).
Lombardozzi said volunteers are being sought for 7 committees: Sponsorship Solicitation, Bioregional Partners & Outreach, Student Volunteers, Eco-tours, Legacy Project, Offsite Education, and Video.
Dan Bulley, a LEED AP and senior vice president with the Mechanical Contractors Association, said his experience as chair of the Student Volunteers committee in ’07 was one of the best things he had done in his professional career—even though 100 of the 400 students he recruited failed to show up. There must have been something in his soft drink, because he volunteered to do it all again in 2010.
Other news: Vitt Sale said the Host Committee is looking for suggestions for the Legacy Project for 2010. In Greenbuild 2007—which, you will remember, was put together in 6 months by the Chicago and national USGBC, after Los Angeles finked out on hosting Greenbuild in favor of (ha ha, real smart) an auto show!—the Legacy Project was a new education facility at the Chicago Center for Green Technology, designed and built in 3 months (and a nice job, by the way).
Vitt Sale said the 2010 Legacy Project need not be a building project, but could be thought of as an ongoing gift to the community, especially community groups who have not been traditionally involved with USGBC and green building.
National USGBC has not yet set a theme for Greenbuild 2010, although the phrase “IMPACT GREEN” has been discussed (among others). Why do I keep thinking it sounds a bit like the title of a bad Charlton Heston movie? C’mon, National, let’s work on something a little more catchy for 2010.
ClimateGrouch’s take: With the next UN round of talks on Climate Change coming up in December, and a cap-and-trade bill sure to be introduced in 2010, ClimateGrouch suggests something in the Climate Change arena is the way to “think big.” And maybe it would provide a big enough platform for that unidentified Chicago politician to give the keynote.
