February Meeting Recap: Going Electric with Zoe Huspen

written by Yvonne Malone

Greener Grove welcomed guest speaker and former Downers Grove resident Zoe Huspen to our monthly meeting on February 25th when she spoke on the topic of “Going Electric”. 

Zoe, the Carbon Free Buildings Coordinator with Citizen’s Utility Board (CUB), shared how decarbonizing the places where we live by replacing gas appliances like stoves, furnaces and water heaters with their electric counterparts provides a number of benefits centered around:

• Affordability - A study conducted by Energy Futures Group for the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) “found that Chicago homeowners who switch from natural gas sources to fully electrify their homes would enjoy savings ranging from $11,000 to $24,000 over a 20-year period.”

• Climate - Fossil fuel production is a big contributor to methane gas emissions. Switching to electricity for home appliances, heating and hot water also means that energy can come from renewable sources like solar or wind.

• Health - Indoor air quality decreases in homes with gas appliances and heating. For example, children raised in homes with gas stoves are at a higher risk for developing asthma. 

Where to Begin - Focus on Energy Efficiency First

Energy efficiency is the first step in decarbonizing your home. This includes: 

• Look for efficiencies in how you use energy currently - for example, turn off the lights in rooms that you are not using)

• Weatherize around windows and doors to seal gaps that let cold air in

• Consider having a home energy audit done - find more information here and here.

• Check out peak time savings programs from local utilities. Learn more about ComEd’s program on the CUB website. 

Learn More Tax Credits and Rebates Available

The CUB website has many resources aimed at helping Illinois residents learn more about incentives available as they decarbonize their homes. This includes explaining the Inflation Reduction Act and incentives available from ComEd and Ameren. ComEd details their electrification rebates and discounts here. 

What Steps are You Taking to Decarbonize Your Home?

Whether you are just starting to take steps to decarbonize your home or have switched out appliances already, share your experience and ideas on Greener Grove’s Facebook page! 

Greener Grove to Host Recycling Extravaganza on Oct 4, 2025

by Yvonne Malone

Greener Grove will host its first Recycling Extravaganza on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 9am to 12pm! Our Communications Team recently sat down with member and event organizer Sarah Karrow to learn more. 

Sarah has been leading green initiatives for many years at the elementary school she teaches at, including organizing their annual recycling event. So, when we floated the idea of hosting one ourselves, she quickly stepped in and began to organize. 

Recycling Extravaganza Partners

A key partner for this event is SCARCE. Based in Addison, SCARCE has assisted other communities and organizations in hosting recycling extravaganzas by connecting them with potential vendors. Thus far, the following vendors have committed to participating in GG’s recycling event: 

• Accurate Document Destruction - paper shredding (they will have a shredding truck on site)

• Capital Metals - electronics & scrap metal

• DuPage Sheriff’s Office - medicine, epipen, syringes and lancets (more information to come regarding how 

• Earthpaint - Latex, oil-based and aerosol paint. Please reference recycling fees on their website. 

• Project Cure - medical equipment, wheelchairs, walkers and crutches

• SCARCE - books, bread tags, keys, Christmas lights, and more

• Sharing Connections - furniture (more information to come) 

• Working Bikes - bicycles, tricycles, helmets, tools, parts and bike pumps

The West Suburban Community Food Pantry will also be collecting non-perishable food items (e.g., canned goods, pasta, cereal) at the event.

What You Can Do Now

October will be here before we know it! Here are some steps you can do to get organized - and to help us spread the word:

1. Share the date with your friends and neighbors in the area by forwarding a link to this article. 

2. Connect with us on social media and sign up for our newsletter if you haven’t already done so to keep up to date on event details, including additional vendors. 

3. Organize your stuff so that it is easy to add to in the months ahead - and grab and load into the car on the day of the event.  

4. If you have something that you need to get rid of sooner, check out SCARCE’s website to see the items they collect at their facility in Addison and their Events Calendar to learn about other area recycling events.

Walker Elementary School in Clarendon Hills will be hosting a recycling event on May 10th from 9am to 12pm. Learn more here: https://www.scarce.org/recycling-events/

Engaging Youth in Sustainability

by Michelle Weed

There’s a famous quote, attributed to Chief Seattle, who said, “We don’t inherit the Earth. We borrow it from our children.” This quote recognizes that our actions today have the most impact on future generations. It is with that spirit that Greener Grove set a goal for 2025 and beyond to get kids involved in sustainability. We want to not only educate kids in an engaging, fun, and hands-on way, but we also want to provide a platform where kids can express what matters to them, and we can help amplify their voices in settings where they wouldn’t normally be heard, such as in meetings of the School Board or Village Council.

The first step in kicking off our Youth Engagement goal was having a brainstorm with kids and teens ranging in age from elementary school to high school. The purpose of the brainstorm was to learn what types of topics and activities were of interest to the group. They came up with some great ideas that will inform our activities moving forward. They also came up with a fun name for our youth meet-up group: the Microgreens.

Youth Engagement Brainstorm January 20, 2025

Microgreens Meet-Ups will be scheduled monthly, and are for kids and their families. Our first official meet-up will be Saturday, March 8 from 3 - 5 PM at the Downers Grove Public Library, where we invite you to be an eco-influencer for the day! Kids will have the chance to pick out a book on a topic of their choice, take a video of themselves talking about the book, the topic, and why it’s important to them, then share the video with friends and family to spread the word.

Please RSVP to info@greenergrove.org so we can get an idea of how many people to expect. If you can’t make this meet-up, stay tuned for more dates and activities. We are excited to build a community of kids who want to be champions of the environment and enjoy the amazing things nature has to offer!