Abbott Sponsors "CoolGlobes" Exhibits in Chicago
Similar to Chicago's famous 1999 fiberglass "Cows on Parade"
exhibit, "CoolGlobes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet" is a public art
exhibit that will feature 122 five-foot-tall globes created by local and
international artists. The globes, which will depict different solutions to
global warming, will be on display along Chicago's lakefront between June 1 and
Octobr 2. The project is carbon neutral, meaning CoolGlobes used a variety of
strategies to offset the carbon emitted from the energy needed to maintain the
exhibit and related events.
Abbott is sponsoring three CoolGlobes: "Make All Vehicles Green
Vehicles" by Chicago painter Joyce Polance, "LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) Buildings Worldwide – Ecological Creditors" by
the Chicago-based firm Farr Associates, and “Change Your Perspective” by the
well known Brazilian artist Romero Britto (see images below). The globes will
be located at Chicago's Navy Pier, the Field Museum, and at the Kohl Children’s
Museum in Glenview, Illinois.
Abbott is also a key sponsor of the project's end-of-summer auction, during which the globes will be auctioned off to raise money for education. The proceeds from the auction will benefit environmental education programs, including the expansion of Chicago Conservation Clubs in Chicago Public Schools.
CoolGlobes is the brainchild of environmental activist Wendy Abrams, who started the project to encourage people to start thinking about solutions to global warming.
"The public is no longer debating whether this needs to be addressed," Abrams says. "The next question is, so what do we do about it? The message is very positive - we can solve this, but we really do need everyone to participate in order to do that. We choose an art project because we want to say, 'Hey, we’ve got the technology, we’ve got the leadership. It's not threatening. It's doable.'"
To learn more about Abbott’s environmental and global citizenship efforts, visit the Global Citizenship section of Abbott.com or read this year’s Global Citizenship Report.
To learn more about the CoolGlobes project, visit http://www.coolglobes.org.
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"Make All Vehicles Green Vehicles" Artist: Joyce Polance Plaque: Clean, green driving is here! Trucks, tractors, ATVs and other diesel-powered vehicles can run cleanly on biodiesel. Made from animal fat or vegetable oil, biodiesel produces up to 75 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuels. Also available are gasoline-electric hybrid cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and trains. The Chicago Transit Authority has acquired 20 new hybrid buses, each with as little as 10 percent of the emissions of standard buses. Even more exciting advancements are on the horizon. Hydrogen-powered engines in development will emit only water vapor. And new hybrids are coming that will get 100 miles to the gallon – or more! These plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, plug into your wall socket and have the potential for zero globe-warming emissions. That is great news for the planet. Whatever you drive, the way forward is green! |
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"LEED Buildings Worldwide – Ecological Creditors" Artist: Farr Associates Plaque: Imagine charging your electric car at work and riding an elevator powered by canola oil to your sunlit office, or showering in your company's bike commuter changing room and taking coffee breaks in a rooftop garden. These are features of some of Chicago's green buildings certified under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The LEED rating system, set by the U.S. Green Building Council, is used to measure the environmental quality of buildings based on site development, material selection, water savings, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality. Chicago is currently home to more LEED-registered buildings than any other
city in the world. Many are built or renovated with non-toxic, recycled, and
renewable materials. Most have alternative heating and cooling, stormwater
collection, native landscaping, low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy-efficient
lighting, and increased insulation. LEED buildings have lower energy bills and
are healthy places to work. |
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"Change Your Perspective" Artist: Romero Britto Plaque: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country," is more than an inspiring quote by John F. Kennedy. It is a motto to live by. We are fortunate for the opportunities, resources, and bounties provided by our earth and our country, and we are obligated to give back and leave the world at least as healthy as we found it. Unfortunately, our concern for an easy life has caused us to gather more possessions than we can use with the result that our land, water, and air now suffer. Starting today, you can change the world by changing your attitudes. Why should we throw away if we can restore or recycle? No magic places exist to freely send our excesses when we tire of them. The throwaway mentality damages our planet. Dispose of the disposable product era, and usher in a new generation of the retainable and reusable. How we protect the world, not what we demand of it, defines our legacy. |
