Oak Park Newspaper

Wm. B. Sullivan Realty & Co.
Estate Planning and General Law

CAGIS Archaeological
Consulting Services

Wm. B. Sullivan Realty & Co.
Estate Planning and General Law

CAGIS Archaeological
Consulting Services

Wm. B. Sullivan Realty & Co.
Estate Planning and General Law

CAGIS Archaeological
Consulting Services

Wm. B. Sullivan Realty & Co.
Estate Planning and General Law

CAGIS Archaeological
Consulting Services

June 25, 2010

CLIMATE CHANGE
June 25 – November 28, 2010

Laurel Ross is introduced by John McCarter, the museum CEO
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Field Museum exhibition host Laurel Ross spoke to the gathered about the importance of each doing what we can to reduce our impact on climate change. We spoke later about the new science concerns in England and if that had any impact on the show. Ms. Ross told us that no changes had been made to the show. There had been some criticism of the theory since its first being brought up relating to the percentage of human impact on the changes in climate. That concern only heightened when it was found that some fraud in science had been committed with data in England. It is mostly agreed that whatever percent of the impact humans are doing, they can reduce it and it will only make the planet better. Reducing the poor air quality in large cities and pollutants in the water from farming and industry still need a lot of work. A local note, Laurel Ross has a brother in Oak Park and loves our town.

A polar bear is shown in this diorama searching a human waste site for food, since the polar ice caps are melting.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Information showing the increased population, the growth of industry, and the increase in carbon dioxide.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Good ways to help save energy and your energy bill.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photos

John McCarter thanks volunteers from Project Exploration in Chicago, for their work on the Climate Show.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Ray Johnson, Program Coordinator for HSBC, a sponsor of the Climate Change exhibit, and Oak Park Village Board Trustee, is thanked by Field Museum CEO John McCarter.

Ray Johnson and Laura Perna from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Mr. Johnson's company HSBC and the State of Illinois are each doing what they can help improve the environment. HSBC is reported to have been the first large banking company to go green in its business endeavors.

Bob Moseley, Director of Conservation for the Illinois Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and Leslee Spraggins, President of the Illinois Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, attend the show and discuss local issues of their work to help with the Climate Change.

Mission Statement from the IDNR
"To manage, conserve and protect Illinois' natural, recreational and cultural resources, further the public's understanding and appreciation of those resources, and promote the education, science and public safety of Illinois' natural resources for present and future generations."

Illinois Dept of Natural Resources

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

In the not too distant past there have been political moves to close some of the State Parks in an effort to save money for the State of Illinois. The current Govenor, Patrick Quinn, is keeping the parks open, though with only half the staff that was once doing the job.

Varied informative displays throughout the exhibit makes it ideal for the youngsters and adults to each gain some knowledge of the Climate issues.

Different colors or coatings on snow react very differently to light of the sun and its heat.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Burning coal to produce energy and storing the CO2 instead of releasing it to the atmosphere is being tried.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

Normal cycles of warming and cooling also occur and have since earth began, though not fully understood--are still shown.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

These young volunteers, all in Chicago public high schools are helping visitors understand the evolution of the Earth and the development of life on our planet. We found these young adults very well informed. We asked them if they knew which of the animals on their table display was the closest link to the mammals and the evolutionary branch which led to humans. They knew the answer and that was quite impressive--the Dimetrodon ("two measures of teeth") and was a predatory synapsid. Paul Sereno would be very proud. Sereno's Project Exploration

The animated sea level rising and causing trouble for New York is scary unless you think of the Netherlands and the use of dikes.

Instead of showing how Manhattan could get wet they should have thought of Florida and how no one could go to Disney World and that would get the kids to pay attention, no It's a Small World After All.............just water and gators.

It should be called a cleaner bus or put the electric buses back in
business, with no pollution. The show has lots to see and do and you will have plenty to talk about and look up when you are curious enough. There are some good links in this story that will start you on your way.

Visitors have left some good ideas and others not well thought out, but have a read and leave your own comments...
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo

http://www.chicagoclimateaction.org/

The Field Museum’s special summer exhibition, Climate Change, explores the impact of climate change and its effects on our oceans, atmosphere, land, and societies. Discover how even small, individual changes add up quickly to help reduce global warming and learn about alternative energy sources that can eliminate our dependency on fossil fuels. Examine the inside of a pebble-bed nuclear reactor, see how the sun’s energy can be used through new types of solar panels, and learn how carbon dioxide may someday be captured and buried underground. Learn how a combination of efforts—individual, societal, and governmental—can make an impact in reducing climate change.

Exhibition Sponsor:
Sponsored by Exelon Corporation, Motorola Foundation, HSBC - North America, Jones Lang LaSalle, and Whole Foods Market.

CLIMATE CHANGE
June 25 – November 28, 2010

In the comprehensive exhibition Climate Change, The Field Museum addresses one of the most urgent scientific and social issues of the 21st Century: global climate change. The exhibition explains the science behind this issue and explores the implications of climate change going unchecked for future generations. Climate Change makes it clear there is no single solution to the problem. Instead, it allows visitors to see how individual, collective, communal, and governmental actions can make a meaningful impact in reducing global climate change.

Climate Change opens at The Field Museum on June 25 and will remain on view through Thanksgiving Day weekend, November 28, 2010.

“We are proud to present an exhibition that illustrates the causes and effects of climate change while also providing ideas for practical, long-range solutions,” said John McCarter, President of The Field Museum. “Climate change is one of the most critical issues of our time.”

Climate Change at The Field Museum is sponsored by Exelon Corporation, Motorola Foundation, HSBC - North America, Jones Lang LaSalle, and Whole Foods Market. Exelon Corporation is contributing $1 for every visitor to the Climate Change exhibition, up to $200,000.

Through interactive stations and videos, as well as dioramas conveying the latest research, Climate Change presents evidence that human activity over the past 300 years has dramatically altered the natural world. Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide (CO2), have increased rapidly in the atmosphere and have changed the Earth’s climate. The exhibition explains how the resulting changes will severely stress human societies and damage ecosystems, cause sea levels to rise, increase the incidences of drought and intense storms, drastically raise temperatures over areas of land and ocean surfaces, and bring additional changes to the world around us.

The exhibition focuses on solutions and illustrates what is needed to move away from dependence on fossil fuels toward new energy technologies. Future energy choices are displayed including solar power, wind power, nuclear power, and the use of carbon capture and storage, also known as carbon sequestration. The exhibition identifies how we can contribute to a global solution through simple changes in individual behavior.

Climate Change is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with The Field Museum, Chicago; the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage, United Arab Emirates; The Cleveland Museum of Natural History; Instituto Sangari, São Paulo, Brazil; Junta de Castilla y León, Spain; Korea Green Foundation, Seoul; Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen; Papalote Museo del Niño, Mexico City; and Saint Louis Science Center.

Admission
Entrance into Climate Change are included in both Discovery and All-Access passes to The Field Museum, and are priced at $23-29 for adults, $19-24 for seniors and students with ID, and $16-20 for children 3-11.

Discounts are available for Chicago residents. Visit fieldmuseum.org or call 866.FIELD.03.

Special rates are available for tour operators and groups of 15 or more. Call our Group Sales office toll-free at 888.FIELD.85 (888.343.5385).

Hours
The Field Museum is open daily from 9am – 5 pm. The Field is closed Christmas Day.

Location and Travel Information
The Field Museum is located at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, on CTA bus lines #6 and #146, and close to the Metra electric and South Shore train lines.

An indoor parking garage is located just steps from the main entrance. For more travel information, call the Illinois Department of Transportation, 312.368.4636, or the RTA Travel Center Hotline, 312.836.7000.

CLIMATE CHANGE
Education Programs at The Field Museum

Science Café at Whole Foods in Lincoln Park
Join Kirk Ann Taylor from The Field Museum’s department of Environment, Culture and Conservation (ECCo) for a lively discussion on the Chicago Wilderness initiative: Leave No Child Inside, a regional effort to reconnect children with nature. This presentation focuses on Richard Louv's book: Last Child in the Woods, and includes information about the importance of nature to children’s physical, intellectual and emotional well-being. Hear about The Field Museum's educational programs that connect young people with nature in their own community.

Thursday, September 23, 2010 – 7 pm
Whole Foods
1550 N. Kingsbury Street Chicago, IL 60642
Free

Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region
Donald Scavia, Director of the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute and Professor of Natural Resources and Environment and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan presents information on climate change in the Midwest.

While the effects of climate change vary across different ecosystems and sectors, the Great Lakes region is expected to experience largest change during the 21st century. Hear about the impacts these changes will have on the Great Lakes ecosystems, and surrounding cities, and discuss what people of the region can do to adapt.

Thursday, October 7, 2010 – 6 pm
The Field Museum
Free with pre-registration

Climate Change and Food Production in Illinois
Join local and regional leaders as they discuss government policy and education initiatives that can contribute to sustainable food systems in Illinois and its impact on climate change in the region. Moderating the event is Laurel Ross, Urban Conservation Director for The Field Museum’s Environment, Culture and Conservation (ECCo) Department. Panelists include: LaDonna Redmond, Institute for Community Resource Development (ICRD) and Lindsay Record, Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Thursday, October 21, 2010 – 6 pm
The Field Museum
Free with pre-registration

Climate Change Show Info

The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605-2496
(312) 922-9410.