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Max Touchette

How can Chicago help curb Lake Michigan microplastic pollution?

Every year, 11.6 million pounds of plastic trash makes its way into Lake Michigan, Chicago’s largest source of drinking water. Even as the city tries to tackle this issue, it means that microplastics — the tiniest pieces — pass through the cities’ filtration systems and into our faucets. Researchers have found that ingesting plastics can have detrimental […]

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‘Bring Your Own New Clean Energy’: a proposed fix for Illinois’ power grid shortcomings draws criticism from manufacturers

Illinois has a growing energy problem. There are a few reasons for why that is — coal and natural gas plants are closing, and regional grid operators are acting too slowly in connecting new wind and solar projects to the larger grid, but above all else, the state is using more energy than it ever

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Activists rally for climate legislation in Springfield during annual Climate Action Lobby Day

Hannah Flath, the senior climate communications manager for the Illinois Environmental Council, said the day gave advocates a unique opportunity to speak directly to elected representatives.  “Our lawmakers work for us,” Flath said. “And so lobby day gives constituents across the state the opportunity to voice their opinions with their lawmakers and urge them to

Activists rally for climate legislation in Springfield during annual Climate Action Lobby Day Read More »

Summer electric price spike fuels policy tensions in Springfield

Price hike due to lack of energy supply comes alongside rocky transition to renewable power. Customers around Illinois will see significantly higher prices on their electric bills next month. “We’re trying to keep prices low while combating climate change,” Jen Walling, head of the Illinois Environmental Council, told Capitol News Illinois. The IEC has been

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Opinion: An urgent, united call to save — and strengthen — public transit

Public transit is the backbone of our economy, connecting millions of commuters, tourists and visitors to work, our world-class museums and arts institutions, school, health care and more every single day. Yet, across the country, cities are facing multimillion-dollar transit budget shortfalls — or a “transit fiscal cliff.” Chicago is no different. We’re at a

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In Illinois, an invisible boundary determines how dirty and costly your electricity is

The town of Ottawa lies in central Illinois 12 miles from a nuclear power plant and a wind turbine farm that stretches past the horizon. However, these facilities sit on the other side of an invisible boundary between two regional power grids.  By mutual agreement among utilities that own the grids and power plants, that

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Clock counting down to secure state funding before drastic service cuts to CTA, Metra, Pace

A warning has been issued to anyone who takes public transportation in Chicago — with drastic service cuts looming, Illinois legislators only have until the end of the month to decide what to do and how to address it. Transit advocates are taking to the streets every week to warn riders. They say the cuts are as

Clock counting down to secure state funding before drastic service cuts to CTA, Metra, Pace Read More »

The plastic we drink: How can Chicago help curb Lake Michigan microplastic pollution?

“This is a huge problem that we need to address at a systemic level,” said Gabby Plotkin, senior policy manager at Illinois Environmental Council.  Right now, she added, municipal filters can’t remove microplastics. “The only way to do that would be on an individual level like buying a filter that particularly addresses microplastics,” Plotkin said.

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After years of negotiations, state lawmakers consider measures to phase out plastic bags, foam food containers

After more than a decade of negotiations and failed efforts to reduce the use of plastics, Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation that would prohibit large retailers from offering single-use plastic bags and ban the use of most polystyrene containers in the state over the next four to five years. Advocates, citing the threat of rising

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Illinois lawmakers consider banning plastic bags for large retailers

Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, has been working for more than 12 years on the bill to reduce the use of plastic bags. She believes this is the year it will make it across the finish line. “(Plastic bags) are a huge percentage of litter,” Walling said. “They clog infrastructure, they’re

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Plastic is in your brain. Researchers and advocates still aren’t sure how that impacts health

Whether you’re a hot cup of tea and meditate kind of person or a toss the leftover pizza in the microwave kind of person, you probably ate plastic this morning. Tiny plastic particles called microplastics easily find their way into the things we eat and drink — and there’s little you can do to avoid

Plastic is in your brain. Researchers and advocates still aren’t sure how that impacts health Read More »

On Earth Day, EPA union workers decry cuts to clean air and water regulations

Fifty-five years after the first Earth Day, Environmental Protection Agency employees and advocates call for help as the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations and lays off hundreds of workers. Earth Day was marked not with celebration but with a sense of urgency and despair for Environmental Protection Agency union members in Chicago as the

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Concerns about CAFOs, local farmer Chad Wallace explains challenges of the agriculture industry

Chad Wallace is the director of rural affairs for the Illinois Environmental Council and a lifelong farmer. He spoke to Community Voices about the impact of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) or factory farms. He explained what CAFOs are, their prevalence in Illinois and the concerns communities have about their environmental impact. Additionally, Chad shared

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After groundbreaking bills on jobs and solar, Illinois tackles the grid

State lawmakers are pushing for more grid-enhancing tech, gigawatts of new energy storage, and the creation of a virtual power plant program.Since 2017, sweeping legislation in Illinois has sparked a solar power boom and launched ambitious energy equity and green jobs programs. Now, for the third time in under a decade, state lawmakers, advocates, and industry groups have their sights set

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IL CAFOs on rise as industry remains underregulated

Illinois is known for having some of the weakest environmental laws for concentrated animal feeding operations, with a lack of oversight and public transparency for the entire process. A coalition of rural landowners is working to change it. In Illinois, it is estimated there are more than 21,000 concentrated animal feeding operations. Chad Wallace, director of rural affairs

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City Club of Chicago: Navigating Change: The Local Impact of President Trump’s Early Days in Office

Join us for a panel discussion that will explore the impact of President Trump’s executive orders on key areas including LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, and environmental issues. Experts will analyze how these actions are affecting local residents, communities, and businesses, offering insights into the evolving legal, economic, and social implications. This panel will address the immediate

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What’s next for electric vehicles as Pritzker, Trump move in opposite directions on EV policy?

Illinois is offering buyers an incentive of $4,000 per vehicle. But at the federal level, the Trump administration is not a fan of EVs. GUESTS: Karen Weigert, Reset sustainability contributor, director of Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility, and Dany Robles, legislative relations director, Illinois Environmental Council “We need a lot more

What’s next for electric vehicles as Pritzker, Trump move in opposite directions on EV policy? Read More »