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Oak Park's Unity Temple: Preservation Meets Green Innovation

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Oak Park's Unity Temple: Preservation Meets Green Innovation

Since Unity Temple’s latest renovation in 2017, led by Harboe Architects, a plethora of modern features, many cleverly hidden from view in columns or ductwork, have coexisted with historic elements. Moreover, a lot of the newfangled improvements—a geothermal heating/cooling system, energy-saving LED lights, upgraded skylights, motion sensors—might even qualify the Temple as a certifiable green structure. Thanks to the geothermal apparatus' connection with the moderate temperatures of the earth, the building is air-conditioned for the first time in its history.

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As One Earth Film Fest 2024 Concludes, Environmental Justice Persists as Key Theme

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As One Earth Film Fest 2024 Concludes, Environmental Justice Persists as Key Theme

For more than a decade, One Earth Film Festival has featured films about a range of topics from climate change to plastic waste to water justice to conservation. Thankfully, with the increase in available media, arts, and storytelling, another topic has taken center stage: environmental and climate justice at home and abroad. Not only are there more shareable stories on which One Earth can shine a light, but we are grateful to be in conversation with and learning from environmental justice leaders across the Chicago region and beyond.

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Meet Sue Crothers of One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest

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Meet Sue Crothers of One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest

Q: How many countries participated in the 2023 One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest, and were there any surprises?

A: We received entries from 45 countries. This shows how much our contest resonates with young filmmakers around the world. I think the biggest surprise was that two of the winners flew into Chicago from Brazil and Mexico for our Awards weekend. It was very exciting. And the nicest surprise was the esteemed Dr. Jane Goodall’s participation: she opened our awards event on screen!

Fashion for Good in Amsterdam

Fashion for Good in Amsterdam

This past March, my husband and I had the good fortune to visit the Fashion for Good Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands—an interactive museum that tells “the stories behind the clothes you wear and how your choices can have a positive impact on people and our planet.”

The health of the planet is top of mind for people in Amsterdam—something we learned almost as soon as we arrived, as the cab driver who took us from the airport to our hotel, driving a fully electric vehicle, mentioned the concern: Amsterdam is below sea level, likely to feel heavy impacts of climate change, and thus, a place that is working toward solutions and adaptations.

Filmmaker Q&A with Katja Esson of 'Razing Liberty Square'

Filmmaker Q&A with Katja Esson of 'Razing Liberty Square'

Q: Why did you decide to tell this story? 

A: Liberty Square is located only a few blocks from where I live. When I arrived in Miami in the late 1980s to study film, this exciting place blew my German mind. My first job in the film industry was as a production assistant on “2Live Crew” Hip Hop music videos, all filmed in Liberty City. Following my dream of making documentaries I moved to New York City—but Miami never left me.

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Filmmakers Brittany Zampella and Maggie Hartmans Humanize Sacrifice Zones in 'A Good Neighbor'

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Filmmakers Brittany Zampella and Maggie Hartmans Humanize Sacrifice Zones in 'A Good Neighbor'

A Good Neighbor is a feature-length documentary about Lucy Molina, a Latina single mother fighting against environmental racism and climate change as she campaigns for city council in one of the nation's most polluted zip codes.