Ahead of Earth Day, environmentalists rallied at the state Capitol to push lawmakers to act on bills they say will make Illinois more green. The crowd of a few hundred met outside the Lincoln statue before heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s capitol office to deliver a letter requesting his signature on the legislation if it
Environmentalists advocate slate of bills: What to know Read More »
More than 20 million pounds of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes every year, half of which winds up in Lake Michigan. To cut off at least a portion of that flow at its source, legislators in Illinois are moving toward a ban on plastic foam cups, containers and utensils. On Tuesday, the Illinois House of Representatives
Ban on Plastic Foam To-Go Containers and Utensils Passes Illinois House Read More »
That manatees still swim along Florida’s coast, grizzly bears still roam the west and bald eagles still fly in North American skies is due, in large part, to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 — once described by the Supreme Court as “the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation.”
Illinois is beautiful. Anyone who argues otherwise hasn’t experienced Shawnee’s Garden of the Gods at sunset, the rolling hills near the Apple River, the Mississippi River viewed from the top of the bluffs, waterfalls from Waterfall Glen in the suburbs to Ferne Clyffe in Shawnee, or Lake Michigan at sunrise. In his next term, Gov.
Inspired by her parents’ work ethic and commitment to community and family, Cook County Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Commissioner (MWRD) Kim Du Buclet is on a mission to protect the county’s fresh water systems, save monarch butterflies and fight the effects of climate change. Though she has no direct role in the delivery
Water Commissioner Du Buclet says water is the ‘new gold’ Read More »
California plans to require all new cars, trucks and SUVs to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035 under a policy approved Thursday by regulators that seeks a dramatic cut in carbon emissions and an eventual end to gasoline-powered vehicles. The decision by the California Air Resources Board came two years after Gov. Gavin Newsom
California Poised to Phase Out Sale of New Gas-Powered Cars by 2035 Read More »
With the recent signing of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act passed last year in Illinois, residents have access to more incentives to upgrade their homes to make them more energy efficient. Reset speaks with policy experts to understand how these incentives will be implemented and who will have access to
How the Inflation Reduction Act can help electrify your home Read More »
Gov. J.B. Pritzker quietly signed a bill last week banning single-use plastic in hundreds of state parks and natural areas. Most single-use plastic is neither biodegradable nor recyclable. When offered in state parks, it often creates piles of trash in places that are supposed to be protected. Starting in 2023, the state has to offer either compostable or
Single-use plastic banned from Illinois state parks Read More »
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Today, the House Transportation Committee passed a resolution urging Gov. JB Pritzker to sign Illinois onto a multi-state memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by 15 states and Washington DC to support truck electrification and eliminate toxic air pollution from medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses by 2050. Sponsored by Representative Edgar Gonzalez,
The Illinois Environmental Council is the state affiliate of the League of Conservation Voters. Each year, LCV releases their National Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard is the primary yardstick for evaluating the environmental records of every member of Congress. View the scorecard below, en Español, or at scorecard.lcv.org.
2020 LCV National Environmental Scorecard Read More »
For the first time in 47 years, IEC has released a Lifetime Environmental Scorecard, debuting each sitting legislator’s lifetime average environmental score. Lifetime scores are based on legislators’ votes on bills affecting the environment over the course of their entire legislative career. That means, for the first time, you can see whether your representatives have used
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AMA with IEC Executive Director Jen Walling Read More »
Request for Proposal:Racial Equity Assessment The Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) educational organization, and the Illinois Environmental Council, a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, collectively referred to as IEC, are seeking proposals from qualified consultants to work with IEC staff, board of directors, affiliate members, and the environmental community to assess racial equity in its
Request for Proposal: Racial Equity Assessment Read More »
Today, the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. This milestone provides us all an opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made and the work we still have to do. The Illinois Environmental Council formed shortly after the first Earth Day in 1975, as leaders in the state looked to convert the excitement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S774fmdYa3I In the 24th installment of IEC’s Lunch and Learn Series, IEC is joined by Marcella Bondie Keenan of the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Olga Bautista of Alliance for the Great Lakes to discuss urban stormwater. Find links and resources from the session below: Center for Neighborhood Technology Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mh25USsCVE In the 23rd installment of the IEC Lunch and Learn Series, IEC is joined by Jacky Grimshaw from the Center for Neighborhood Technology and Julia Gerasiminko from the Active Transportation Alliance to discuss transit in the time of COVID-19, with a focus on how Illinois’s transit agencies are responding. Find links and resources from
Transit in the time of COVID-19 Read More »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn4-P7u8-OI In the 22nd installment of the IEC Lunch and Learn Series, IEC is joined by Ian Adams from the Clean Energy Trust to discuss investing in clean energy technologies and business. Find links and resources from the session below: Clean Energy Trust
Investing in New Clean Energy Technologies Read More »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I58fnQPlI_g In the 21st installment of the IEC Lunch and Learn Series, IEC is joined by Alaina Harkness, Svetlana Taylor and George Brigandi from Current to discuss water quality and monitoring in Chicago. Find links and resources from the session below: Current website
H2NOW Chicago: Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Read More »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udbAZ5f7BjA In the 20th edition of the IEC Lunch and Learn Series, IEC is joined by Angella Moorehouse of Illinois Department of Natural Resources to discuss pollinator documentation using photography. Find links and resources from this session below: Illinois Department of Natural Resources website
Documenting Pollinators with Photography Read More »
In the 19th edition of the IEC Lunch & Learn Series, Andrew Szwak from Openlands joins IEC to share where we can get outside during COVID-19 and the steps we need to take when doing so to stay safe. Find links and resources from the session below: Openlands website
Where & How to Get Outside During COVID-19 Read More »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTdD7i95GQw In the 18th edition of the IEC Lunch & Learn Series, IEC is joined by Meleah Geertsma from the Natural Resources Defense Council to discuss toxics in the environment, environmental justice and public health. Find links and resources from the session below: Natural Resources Defense Council website
Toxics in the Environment Read More »
