Kickstart: A dome to save Soldier Field

Could Chicago's Soldier Field be saved by wrapping it in a "transparent" dome?

Fans of the stadium, which opened in 1924, are hoping a big upgrade at the facility will keep the NFL's Chicago Bears at the downtown site. The Bears are on the verge of buying the closed Arlington International Racecourse in suburban Arlington Heights, Ill., where it would build a new stadium and entertainment district, writes Justin Laurence of our sister paper Crain's Chicago Business.

Instead, developer Bob Dunn and his Landmark Development want to add an entertainment district adjacent to Soldier Field and encase the facility with a transparent roof and walls that would allow the stadium to be used year-round. Developers would also add more general seating and private suites.

A 6-minute video doesn't get specific about what would go into the surrounding, but it's a pretty good bet that acrylic or polycarbonate would play a part in it.

Three European environmental groups are suing food giant Danone SA over its plastics packaging, saying the French company — the owner of the Evian, Volvic and Activia brands — is going against "a key French law that demands companies acknowledge and address the impacts of their operations on the environment, health and human rights."

ClientEarth, Surfrider Foundation Europe and Zero Waste France said in a Jan. 9 news release that Danone uses 750,000 metric tons of plastics annually for bottles and packaging for yogurt and other food products.

The French Duty of Vigilance laws require large companies to identify environmental and social risks stemming from their activities.

The groups are calling for Danone to map the impact of its plastics, provide a complete assessment of its plastic footprint and "put together a 'deplastification' plan" with specific objectives.

"Danone is trudging ahead without a serious plan to deal with plastics," Rosa Pritchard of ClientEarth said in the release. "It continues to rely on single-use plastic packaging in hopes that recycling will miraculously deal with the flood of plastics it puts on the market."

A Danone spokeswoman told The New York Times the company "strongly" denies the accusation, "adding that it was taking action to 'reduce the use of plastic, development reuse, reinforce collection and recycling channels and develop alternative materials.'"

The Society of Plastics Engineers' mold technologies division is adding a new award in 2023 and will add a Mold Repair Person of the Year to its annual Mold Maker and Mold Designer of the Year awards.

The repair person recognizes an "oft times overlooked" person in the tooling industry, the division noted in opening the nomination process.

Nominations for all three awards are due by Feb. 28 and should include a short (one-page) biography and contact information.

Nominees must be active — or have been active — in mold making, design or repair; have a "reputation of fair and honest business dealings"; and made a contribution to the industry or society at large.

Send nominations to Richard Evans, division chair elect and awards chair, at [email protected].