Report on Green Jobs in the 26th Ward

Working Locally at the Green Exchange will take place  Wednesday, July 20, from noon to 2 p.m. at Ames Middle School at 1920 N. Hamlin Ave.

The LEED Council and the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA) are connecting area residents with a variety of new jobs anticipated over the next 18 months at the Green Exchange, a green business center in the former Frederick Cooper lamp factory at 2545 W. Diversey in Logan Square.

You can  sign up here. Read about green efforts in Logan Square and the surrounding area in CorreoDelAvila.

Ald. Roberto Maldanado is sponsoring the event. He has office hours on Monday evenings between 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. The alderman is a self-described “tree-hugger” who claims:

“My conversion to Tree Hugger began when I served as a Cook County Commissioner for the 8th District in Chicago.  I was successful in passing the first-ever Coal- Fired Power Plant Pollution Tax in the nation.  This tax was aimed at two dirty and outdated coal-fired power plants in the City of Chicago that pump thousands of tons of soot and millions of tons of global warming gases into our air. ”

“This pollution tax would have reduced global warming pollution and significantly cut Chicago’s carbon footprint, keeping Chicago in the running for the “Greenest City in America.”   Much to my dismay,  lobbyists for the coal industry persuaded the Cook County President to later veto this tax, so the residents of this area, who are primarily Latino, continue to suffer from the harmful effects of this particular matter pollution.”

“In my new role as an alderman of the Chicago City Council, I am now Co-Sponsoring the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance, which will require these same coal-fired power plants to reduce their emissions of soot and global warming pollution.”

I look forward to passing this Clean Power Ordinance,  creating good, green jobs and ensuring that the Blue Cart Recycling Program can expand through-out the 26th Ward.   After all, that’s what Tree Huggers do.  ”