Announcement: New Exhibit 'Reusable City'

[Career/Pro <cpro@igc.apc.org>]

New Exhibit 'Reusable City' Puts Environmental Science in Your
Own Backyard at the Museum of Science and Industry; Opens June 24

CHICAGO -- Visitors can find out the real dirt on brownfields and devise 
a neighborhood clean-up plan in the Museum of Science and Industry's 
newest permanent exhibit, `Reusable City.' 

"The great thing about 'Reusable City' is that visitors learn about very 
important issues through hands-on activities," said Kathleen Burke, 
project manager for the new exhibit. 
"Where else can they drill down and bring up a core of earth in a 
brownfield to reveal things about the land's past and future?"

The exhibit presents the inside story on the environment in a city such 
as Chicago. It examines the real scientific facts about the air we 
breathe, the water we drink, the land we live on and the garbage we toss 
out.
"'Reusable City' gives visitors a first-hand view of the technology used 
to preserve our resources," Burke said.

Spanning over 4,000 square feet of space on the Museum's balcony level, 
``Reusable City'' features an ozone monitoring station where visitors can 
take live readings of ozone levels and compare it to the past. Visitors 
can press the accelerator of a car to test its emissions and find out 
how catalytic converters help keep the air clean. 

A water treatment station traces water from the lake to the tap -- 
providing a behind-the-scenes story on drinking water. Visitors can take 
a `taste test' at a water bar and decide if they prefer plain water or 
water with additives. 

At a trash sorting station, visitors can zap trash and determine its 
final resting place. They can learn about biodegradability by peering 
through a periscope inside a landfill to see  a 25-year-old hot dog. 

In September, a `Reusable City' learning lab will open at the Museum 
for school groups. Using detailed dossiers with background checks and 
special laboratory equipment and on-line access to the Internet, 
participants will uncover the truth about water, soil and air in their 
neighborhood. The lab will reinforce that what is observed with the 
naked eye may not tell the entire story. 

`Reusable City' was supported by contributions from Waste Management, 
Novartis, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Mayer and Morris 
Kaplan Foundation, Col. Stanley R. McNeil Foundation, Illinois 
Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, and Sargent and Lundy. 

The Museum of Science and Industry is one of the country's pre-eminent 
centers for informal science and technology education. Located at 57th 
Street and Lake Shore Drive, just minutes from downtown, the Museum is 
open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Between Memorial Day and 
Labor Day, hours are 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. daily. Hours will be 
extended to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18, as part of 
a celebration of the completion of a new underground parking garage and 
entrance. Between Labor Day and Memorial Day, the hours are 9:30 a.m. 
until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on 
weekends and holidays. For more information, call 773-684-1414. Outside 
of the Chicago area, call 800-GO-TO-MSI (800-468-6674). Visit the 
Museum's web site at www.msichicago.org. 

The Museum is supported in part through the generosity of the people of 
Chicago through the Chicago Park District. 

SOURCE: Museum of Science of Industry