I was reading about "green malls" in the May 21st issue of Newsweek. It appears to be another effort on the part of Chicago to claim the green city title. If they could only work on recycling more and promoting that concept, I might actually buy this concept. In any event, it is interesting that the mall notion is being tweaked in Chicago to be more environmentally friendly. The mall will have numerous bike racks, preferred parking for hybrid vehicles, use vegetables from a rooftop garden in its restaurant, escalators that slow when not in use to conserve energy and chargers for electric vehicles. Only "green" tenants will be welcome. Time will tell whether such malls will be the way of the future or whether they will be more hype. Hopefully, the mall will find a way to incorporate recycled materials and to avoid the unnecessary use of lights when the mall is closed or in open areas where the sun provides sufficient light. In other words, I hope that this mall is not simply a way for people to feel better about themselves but rather, a true example of a new way of life where energy is conserved, where clean energy is utilized and where expendable resources are reused and recycled.