In a garage-turned-workshop south of Divernon sits what could be the future of personal transportation. Surrounded by spare parts and power tools is a made-from-scratch car that looks like something a science fiction writer in the 1930s would have dreamed about. The outside of this deceptively-classic “teardrop” car looks like a cross between a Volkswagen […]
Environment
Posted inNews
Getting bigger, going green
As St. John’s Hospital is preparing to renovate its downtown campus, the 135-year-old Springfield institution is paying special attention to minimizing the project’s environmental footprint and maximizing local economic benefits. On March 31, hospital officials announced a $162 million proposal to demolish certain old structures on the hospital’s campus and replace them with more modern […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Conservation Consumerism: Green Bags
I don’t make a lot of New Year’s resolutions, but I did stick to one this year: stop wasting food. As a busy undergrad sharing a refrigerator with four other people, I often bought produce and lunch meat and forgot about them, leaving my hard-earned money (OK not that hard-earned, I did data entry for […]
Posted inNews
Capitol coal plant exceeds pollution limits
The state Capitol’s steam plant exceeded limits on some pollutants in 2007 from its coal-burning boilers, and it may still be polluting too much. Located on Klein Street north of the Capitol, the Capitol Complex Power Plant burns coal, oil and natural gas to heat and cool the Capitol complex. Despite its name, it does […]
Posted inOpinion
Town meeting aims for green consensus
Since the Green Movement began to kick into high gear about three years ago, we are becoming aware of the importance of protecting the earth’s fragile ecosystem. Mayor Tim Davlin has pointed with pride to Springfield being rated fourth in the country among medium cities in the National Resources Defense Council’s Smarter Cities project. Cited […]
Posted inNews
Hyundai asks car crew to increase fuel efficiency fast
Kevin Smith and the crew from Illuminati Motorworks took a detour in their quest for the Progressive Automotive X Prize (AXP), but, as Smith says, “It was an offer we couldn’t refuse.” With Smith at the helm, the local team of engineers, automotive technicians and car enthusiasts began working in August 2007 to design a […]
