What sweltering heat?! Mobbers came from all over, some on special Carrotmob trips from out of town, to help Fox & Obel and Chicago go more green.

Volunteers handed out discount Carrot Cards and took the Colossal Carrot up and down the streets to drum up business. Tourists took pictures.

Live radio call-ins to the Mike Nowak Show helped creat buzz. Conscious Living TV came out to film — and buy!

It was a great community-building, green-inspired day!

And now — drum roll, please — the results. Carrotmob Chicago, August 9, 2009, brought in $4,300. And that means $2,150 will go toward energy efficiency improvements in Fox & Obel. With the energy audit as a guide, the store will know which improvements will give the biggest bang for the buck.

Thanks to all the Carrotmobbers and volunteers for making this a fabulous Carrotmob Chicago!

Posted by Christine

Get your carrot on and join us at 401 E. Illinois, noon to 6 pm. Look for the volunteers accompanying the Colossal Carrot, who’ll be handing out Carrot Cards with 10% coupons for today’s Fox & Obel purchases!

Donate a couple items to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, while you’re at it.

And enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping to make Chicago a greener place and creating a healthier environment for all of us as we support F&O’s efforts to become more energy efficient.

See you there!

Posted by Christine

And to get you in a carrot kind of mood, check out this new video about the making of the Colossal Carrot.

May the mob be with you!

Posted by Christine

Here are some of the upgrades possible if Carrotmob Chicago earns:

$600 – Replace the store’s exit signs with LED ones
$1,600 – Replace the exit signs and weather strip the windows

$3,100 – All of the above + add anti-sweat heater controllers to the refrigerator doors
$4,700 – All of the above + install lighting occupancy sensors
$6,700 – All of the above + replace the incandescent lights
$9,700 – All of the above + change the T12 fluorescent lighting to Super T8

The list goes on. But this gives you a taste of what’s possible through the power of the mob. The store saves energy, money and precious natural resources, while cutting emissions and helping to create a healthier environment for us all.

Posted by Christine

Look for us on the Sundance Channel’s SUNfiltered, A Fresh Squeeze, Chicagoist, Gapers Block, The Beachwood Reporter, Chicagotalks, The Mike Nowak Show and more.

We’ll look for YOU this Sunday, August 9th, at Fox & Obel Market, 401 E. Illinois (a short walk from Navy Pier and the lakefront), noon to 6 pm. Keep an eye out for the Colossal Carrot, with a Carrot Corps entourage handing out Carrot Cards with a 10% discount at Fox & Obel for that day.

Let’s shake loose a little change to make a big change. And don’t forget the Greater Chicago Food Depository will be there accepting food donations, too.

Posted by Christine

The Colossal Carrot was a big hit on its tour through downtown Chicago and Fox & Obel Market. And if you ever need to get an el car full of people laughing and smiling, just board with a giant carrot.

See more Colossal Carrot photos on Flickr and Facebook.

Posted by Christine

Posted by Christine

Posted by Christine

Posted by Christine

But between her rock painting and her art career, Jenny studied environmental stewardship at Columbia University, in New York City. As part of the program, she studied at the famed Biosphere 2, near Tucson, AZ, where she researched algae. Upon receiving her certificate, she went on to do water quality testing and later flood mapping research. (Could this interest in water have anything to do with the Blue Period she seems to be having in her painting?)

Her artwork reflects her environmental sensibilities; she likes to use recycled and re-purposed materials.

Jenny is a perfect fit for Carrotmob Chicago. Something else we like about her? She thinks big. Watch for the unveiling of her big Carrotmob mascot.

Posted by Christine