Environmentally conscious citizens of Evanston gathered at the Evanston Fire House Grill June 10 for the first North Shore version of Green Drinks.

Green Drinks is a concept started in London in 1989 as a way for environmentally friendly people to meet and network. Green Drinks made its way to Chicago in 2003.

The host of the event, Foresight Design Initiative, is a Chicago-based group that seeks to improve the quality of life in urban areas by implementing intelligent and environmentally friendly design strategies. Foresight hosts numerous events throughout Chicagoland, all with the goal of educating and involving the community.

“Our whole program is about community education,” said Andrew DeCorilis, senior associate at Foresight. “People are drawn in by the subject matter. They are looking to network, create connections for jobs or even seek out potential dates with those who share similar ideals. We’ve really seen the community evolve and expand.”

Suzanne Meyering was a first-time guest at Green Drinks. As a realtor and career coach, Meyering found the movement fit in well with her personal and professional agenda.

“I want to step forward as an environmentalist in my community, and this seems like a great way to get involved," Meyering said. “I think there are a lot of ways for me to use skills I already have to help the environment.”

After an hour or so of open networking, invited panelists spoke to the audience about their specific area of expertise.

“Everyone sitting here has an innate sense of what’s right,” said panelist Kord Staley from The Organic Gardener.

Staley shared with the audience ways to make sure their gardens were earth friendly and family safe. Staley advised listeners to check a garden’s soil for lead, as lead poisoning in dirt is common in the yards of older homes in Evanston.

When independent building inspector Kurt Mitenbuler received the microphone, he skipped the fluff and got right to the point.

“Energy efficiency is not as complicated as many believe it to be,” he said. “It might be unsexy, but well-engineered techniques are centered around the idea that the building you live in is an envelope, and the goal is to maximize heat. It’s about understanding how vapor and moisture move throughout a structure.”

Mary Turvill, owner of Evanston’s Healthy Green Goods, described her philosophy as a holistic approach, and advised consumers to beware of the many green bandwagon companies.

“Not all companies baring a ‘green’ label are environmentally friendly or organic,” Turvill said. “Mainstream America needs to become aware of this curtain of deception that has been lowered over our country.”

Turvill’s most important advice to the group?

“Get rid of artificial fragrances,” she said. “These chemicals are in almost all of our everyday items, such as soap, deodorant, shampoo and detergent to name a few.”

For more information about Green Drinks or Foresight Design Initiative, go to www.foresightdesign.org.

By Bridget Doyle

Triblocal.com reporter