Dovetailing off of Alex's earlier post, there's still more to mention from the mainstream media's fervent attention towards all things green. Time magazine took a long look at Chicago in Friday's issue, focused largely on the aggressive environmental agenda of Mayor Richard Daley. The ubiquitous image of Chicago City Hall's green roof has come to stand as a symbol of the city's mission, though it represents just a fraction of the planned 2 million square feet of green roof (more than all other U.S. cities combined). Solar and wind energy, LEED platinum municipal buildings, and half a million new trees since the mayor took office all demonstrate a trend towards greener city operations.

If it works — and Daley is betting a hefty sum it will, with promises to buy millions in solar panels, for example — the green movement here is expected to yield the city perhaps billions in saved energy costs and new business."This is way beyond tree hugging in Chicago," said [Sadhu] Johnston [the mayor's environmental commissioner]..."This is about quality of life. What we're talking about is creating a city that exists in harmony with the world, a place that can be a model. Cities have long been hurtful to the environment. Raw materials came in and waste went out. We' re trying to redefine that relationship, and cities can be models."