BEING GREEN by mabel65

It isn't being green according to Kermit the Frog, but every year since 1962 The Chicago River does just that in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. The actual event does not necessarily occur on St. Patrick's Day and is scheduled for the Saturday of the closest weekend and this is what happened at 9:15 AM on March 14th. The dye takes days to dissipate. The tradition of dyeing the river green arose by accident when plumbers used fluorescein dye to trace sources of illegal pollution discharges. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlawed the use of fluorescein for this purpose, since it was shown to be harmful to the river. The parade committee has since switched to a mix involving forty pounds of powdered vegetable dye. Though the committee closely guards the exact formula, they insist that it has been tested and verified safe for the environment. Furthermore, since the environmental organization Friends of the Chicago River believes the dye is probably not harmful, they do not oppose the practice. The dyeing of the river is still sponsored by the local plumbers union and kicks off a week-end of celebration, including parades, crazy green apparel and lots of beer! It's Chicago's official way of welcoming Spring. via 500px http://j.mp/1G9tZJc