ECC expo highlights green living
The weather outside may have been gray and damp Saturday, but inside Elgin Community College's Fox Valley University and Business Center, the climate was ideal for the Elgin Climate Change Organization and Elgin Area Leadership Academy's inaugural Green Expo.
About 110 vendors participated in the interactive expo that gave visitors a smorgasbord of environmentally friendly products for their home, cars and gardens. From electric vehicles to biodegradable sandwich wraps, the expo exemplified the array of green services and goods available locally.
"The purpose is to create a great sense of community, a great sense of oneness with the Earth and an appreciation for the Earth," said Kathleen Haerr, the expo's chairwoman. "There's an urgency to protect us against climate change and help us live a healthier life. We want people to realize they can live a simple life, live a local life."
About 40 speakers, including Elgin Mayor Ed Schock, city councilman Dave Kaptain and U.S. Rep. Bill Foster discussed efforts to make cities better, more sustainable places to live.
The theme for the first ever event, "Live green. Save green. Earn green," suited John Jeide and Rich Carroll, who showcased their electric vehicles.
Jeide, who converted his 1994 Ford Ranger, said on average an electric vehicle costs about one-third than a gasoline powered car.
"It's fun and less expensive," Jeide said. "That includes the purchase price."
Incorporating local products into her Elgin business has become a priority for Lauren Paluch, owner of Simple Root Therapeutic Massage.
"I wanted ideas to make my company more green," Paluch said. "If I can do one thing that is green, I should be able to do a number of things; not just because I know it is the right thing to do, but I want to be healthier and live in a healthier world."
Paluch said she was looking for green laundry options, sustainable clothing products for uniforms, as well as organic oil and lotions from local companies.
Dale Haerr, president of Distinctive Interiors, said the expo's success is due in part to a better understanding of what it means to go green.
"People used to ask 'what's in it for me'," Haerr said. "Now people are more educated and thinking beyond the box. Now, people are thinking about the Earth."