For Immediate Release Media contact: The Field Museum Greg Borzo 312/665-7106 gborzo@fieldmuseum.org Other “green” initiatives at The Field Museum include: Take One Step, a program that encourages Field Museum visitors to purchase shares of carbon credits to offset the greenhouse gases created by their trip to the Museum; Extensive solar panels on its roof; A Renewable Energy Vehicle that runs on filtered waste vegetable oil and travels to schools, street fairs, and other public events teaching people about renewable energy; Widespread use of energy-efficient fluorescent lighting; Extensive recycling of paper and cardboard; printer cartridges; cell phones; eye glasses; analog and digital media devices; batteries; etc.; A new heating system that makes ice at night when electricity rates are lower and then uses the ice to cool the building during the day. The Museum’s “A Greener Field” committee promotes diverse conservation initiatives and offers a wide array of educational and informative programs about conservation. The Shared Bike Program serves The Field Museum’s Mission to protect the world’s flora and fauna as well as the natural habitats upon which they all depend. The City of Chicago is reportedly considering a citywide program that would make bicycles available for use by the public at stations scattered around town. The program is modeled on similar programs around the world, including successful ones in Paris and Lyons, France. Another development that will make bicyclists feel more welcome in Chicago, particularly on the Museum Campus, is a new underpass for the Lakefront Bicycle Path where it intersects Solidarity Drive just east of The Field Museum. Construction has begun and is expected to be completed this summer. “We are very optimistic about our Field Museum Shared Bike Program because we have gotten a lot of interest in the idea from museum employees,” said Carter O’Brien, head of the Museum’s A Greener Field committee. “Many employers encourage automobile driving by subsidizing the cost of parking; providing free parking for volunteers and students; reimbursing drivers for their mileage; making a fleet of cars available to employees; and/or accommodating the flow of taxis and buses. It’s time for employers to consider doing more for bicycling.” DIGITAL IMAGES AVAILABLE 1. Bicyclists (three images of these two Field Museum bicyclists) Robert Weiglein, Exhibitions Designer at The Field Museum, and Johanna Thompson, Student Programs Administrator at The Field Museum, try out the bicycles that are part of the Museum’s new Shared Bike Program. “Calorie for calorie, the average human body on a bike gets something like 250 more miles per gallon than a car,” Thompson said. “When I think about it that way, it makes me want to use a bike for as many trips as possible, especially the short jaunts.” Weiglein initiated the Shared Bike Program. “One day last summer, I was in a taxi rushing to an appointment in the North Loop when it occurred to me that I would rather be on a bike. I also thought it would help The Field Museum be more ‘green’.” © The Field Museum, photos by Karen Bean. << Return to the Press Room