Chicago, once known for its filthy steel mills and meatpacking plants, has earned a reputation for cleanliness and environmentalism since Mayor Richard M. Daley vowed several years ago to turn it into the greenest city in the nation. Over the last two years alone, Daley’s won a string of environmental awards and accolades, and while the city hasn’t hit the top spot (awarded in most studies to Eugene or Portland, Oregon), he’s often called America’s greenest mayor.
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GOOD: Large swaths of the city, especially downtown and the north lakefront, have never been greener–literally–thanks to Daley’s aggressive campaign of planting thousands of trees and flower beds.
NOT SO GOOD: The city is wasting the equivalent of millions of trees a year by not offering better recycling to residents and businesses.
GOOD: Recycled materials are used in all kinds of city business, from copy paper in city offices to plastic railroad ties on the CTA’s el and subway lines.
NOT SO GOOD: The deals won’t take full effect until 2012, and the Chicago City Council has failed to compel the two plants in the city to clean up their acts; according to a Harvard study, the pollution from these two plants alone cause 2,800 asthma attacks, 550 emergency room visits, and 41 deaths each year. In the meantime, Chicago remains in violation of federal standards for smog and soot.
