Cool Ride-Clean Choice

“It’s not easy being green”-something once touted by the beloved Kermit the Frog-is fast becoming the mantra of this nation and rightfully so. But “being green” is actually easier than we think if we simply take the time to learn how.

America is the single biggest polluter of any industrialized nation in the world. No question about it. Al Gore told us this in his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize, and we’ve all read the statistics. And, although we devote much of our time to recycling paper in our schools and homes, and saving ink cartridges and aluminum cans (all noble efforts), it should come as no surprise that the primary source of pollution comes from driving our cars.

According to Naperville resident Kate Schrank, founder of the not-for-profit Partners for Clean Choice, “I became particularly interested in this cause working as an environmental lawyer for industry, where I noticed that industrial air emissions were decreasing while transportation emissions were increasing-mostly related to the fact that we have to drive our cars to get around our cities and suburbs. Our infrastructures across the country support a driving lifestyle.”

Bottom line: there are many health and environmental issues caused by air pollution. But one of the most concerning issues involves particulate matter (pm)-which is made of tiny, microscopic particles that invade our air, passing through our nasal passages, often lodging deep in our lungs. Pm often exacerbates or causes asthma and other lung diseases-and is conclusively tied to increases in heart attacks, cancers, strokes, and premature death. Most alarming, according to a study done by the American Lung Association, Naperville is the 13th WORST city in the nation for particulate matter. So, drive our cars we must-but there’s got to be more we can do.

Schrank, a bit of a ‘hybrid’ herself, was formerly an environmental lawyer for 15 years, and is now a graduate student at the Catholic Theological Union. As part of her course work towards a Master’s in Pastoral Studies, Kate has made it her cause, stemming from a moral platform, to help people better understand the relationship between driving a car and health and air pollution problems. Ultimately, she hopes that by educating people on the wide choice of clean, fuel-efficient vehicles that exist on the market, hopefully the next time someone needs to buy a car, they’ll make a clean choice. But connecting the environment with religion? As Kate sees it, “We are all stewards of this Earth-no matter what our faith. Various faiths may not agree on how we worship God, but we can all agree that we need to take care of the Earth.”

With Kate at the wheel (pardon the pun), local faith leaders are forming an interfaith panel with representatives from the Muslim, Jewish, Lutheran, Catholic, and Unitarian organizations in Naperville. They recently held a public discussion about their perspectives on environmental stewardship. At this first-of-its-kind interfaith gathering, faith leaders collectively discussed their faiths’ traditions and personal roles in helping the environment.

Mayor A. George Pradel and the City of Naperville’s EnviroLink committee are also on board supporting Partners for Clean Choice by underwriting the cost to print static cling stickers specifically designed for owners of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. The stickers show a logo designed by Katie Khau of Naperville North High School and has the words “Cool Ride-Clean Choice” and “City of Naperville.” Current owners of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles may obtain a sticker at the Naperville Municipal Center.

The momentum is clearly building, as was evidenced at the huge turnout at the first annual Cool Ride-Clean Choice Vehicle Show, held in late April at Naper Settlement. On display at this free event were 15-20 hybrid vehicles with representatives from various auto dealerships including Saturn, Toyota, Chevy and Lexus. Attendees were able to better understand the pricing, service, gas savings, and tax savings of buying a hybrid. Were you aware that if you buy one of several hybrid vehicles, you can be entitled to a federal and state tax credit of anywhere from $600-$3000? The perks just keep adding up. For more information, check out these websites:

www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=157632,00.html
www.treasurer.il.gov/programs/cultivate-illinois/green-rewards.aspx

Before you go buy the next gas guzzling conventional SUV that we so love in Naperville, consider making the clean choice, instead. For more information, visit www.cleanchoice-naperville.com or www.whybuyhybrid.com. We’ll all breathe easier if you do.