Open letter to Chicago Public Schools

"Do you hear that??"

 

A colleague of mine recently mentioned that some UK parking lots that have problems with loitering teens broadcast a high-pitched tone that is irksome to teens but inaudible to older folks. I heard one CPS principal say that he wished it would rain everyday after school so that kids would go home instead of staying around and making trouble of one kind or another. This seems like the perfect answer. I realize some may argue that it is somehow inhumane. I find certain high pitched noises annoying and even uncomfortable, but in the spirit of saving lives, I feel even one life saved would be worth some discomfort. It's certainly a low-cost option worth a try.

 

While you're at it, try a greenroof, like our City Hall: (originally published April 2008)

 

Here’s Chicago’s City Hall, the Green Roof on which, I understand, is not open to the public. I also heard on an NPR's Science Friday Podcast (April 4, 2008) that the city saved $10,000/year in heating and cooling costs by helping to regulate "heat island" roof temperatures which, unchecked, soar to 160F. Naturally, I like to think about scale. Where is the potential benefit greatest? Where is this most likely to be adopted? Vegas, baby, Vegas...

I've begun to do some thinking in the green roof space. Combined with some simple maps, inserted here, I encourage dialog. Basically, Chicago's City Hall green roof project saves $10,000 in heating/cooling costs per year. IF we do an area comparison, we can project that a 5 acre green roof project (also 1/2 of the area of the total roof space in this example of the Sands Convention and Expo Center (arbitrary), might save $50,000 per year in heating / cooling costs. Water to supply the green roof can be recaptured by in-room toilet tank displacement savings, per my experience with Patagonia, applied to the resorts in the area. The Venetian alone, for example, with 4,000 suites, could provide well over 1,000 gallons/day for native plants which consume little water. For each resort, custom green roofs can be designed and implemented to reduce energy consumption and facilitate bottom-line savings for all property owners. Please send any feedback including RFPs through the About Us feedback form.