Green thinking

Chicago entertainment venues strive toward green practices - chicagotribune.com: "The Art Institute of Chicago, for example, was one of the first major institutions to embrace energy conservation via solar panels. Twenty years back, the (at that time) century-old building boasted what was then the largest solar array in the Midwest. Incidentally, when plans for the Modern Wing began taking shape a dozen years ago, sustainability was paramount: $19 million (of the total project cost of $294 million) was invested in energy-efficient and renewable features, such as the building's climate-controlled facade, intuitive natural-light filtration system and green housekeeping practices.
For older construction, some green practices are virtually impossible. The 18-month-old Lincoln Hall, for example, is housed in a hundred-year-old building, which co-owner Chris Schuba lamented wouldn't support a green roof.

"We even looked into LEED certification," Schuba said by phone last week, adding that the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design green-building certification system is a "ghastly process" that was beyond his budget for the music venue. Instead, Schuba and co-owner/brother Mike invested in as many ecologically responsible details as they could afford: an energy-efficient HVAC system, electric hand dryers to avoid unnecessary paper waste, and the installation of an extensive tap system for draft beers to account for 80 percent of beer served, drastically reducing bottle waste.

"At Schubas, we used to fill three to four Dumpsters with glass bottles every week," Schuba said of his flagship venue, explaining that sorting green glass from brown or clear would be a full-time job.

Though we'll continue to shake our heads that commingled glass recycling isn't universal, there's a smidgeon of solace knowing that next time we order a beer, going with draft means one less bottle that may or may not find its way into recycling.

These are small gestures. But they add up, which is why we've put together a handful of arts, culture and entertainment itineraries you can feel good about — on Earth Day, or any other day or night."