Though Chicago has recently made historic climate and environmental justice budget investments, the city still has much to do in the way of ensuring equitable public health and environmental protections in our EJ communities.
Get a peek behind the scenes during some of our farm and conservation tour stops with Illinois legislators and decision makers.
Don’t wait on leadership to act on climate– here are some simple ways to start decarbonizing your own home!
Congress must pass once-in-a-generation investments in clean energy and infrastructure necessary to tackle the climate crisis.
These tongue-twister chemicals pose a danger to us, wildlife and our water resources.
Reaching 30 x 30 in Illinois is a mighty, but worthy challenge.
Start learning up on what’s happening in Environmental Justice communities across the city– and we’ve just released a great blog to get you started!
The Illinois Environmental Council is thrilled to welcome five new board members to our organization. Their expertise and experiences are as broad as they are impressive. We look forward to their contributions as we build power for people and for the environment. Reverend Darnell Johnson, IEC Darnell Johnson is the CEO and President of Urban Efficiency Group (UEG), Illinois’ first native, minority-owned utility implementation and sustainability design firm. Darnell is a spiritual and social architect, with over two decades of entrepreneurial and social science experience. His commitment to engineering solutions that humanizes the socio-economic existence of under-resourced communities and advancing energy equity in pursuit of achieving is fundamental to all of his work. Angela Foster-Rice, IECEF Angela is Senior Vice President of Strategic Business Development at Everland where she leverages her 20+ years of experience in sustainability, environmental policy and as an environmental attorney to help companies elevate their environmental
It’s probably no surprise to you that here at IEC, we believe government is meant to play a primary role in improving the quality of life for all– our communities, plants, animals and ecosystems. As imperfect as it is at the federal, state and municipal levels, and although governments cannot solve all of our problems, it is where we know we can make the most impactful change. We simply cannot carry out our mission of advancing public policies that create healthy environments in Illinois without fully functional and accessible government. That’s why we fight to make government more accessible, more transparent and to work better for our people and our environment. From environmentally focused town halls, to our popular civics workshops, to our annual scorecard, bridging the divide between Illinoisans and our systems of government is central to our work and our success. Civic participation is an organizational value at
By: Jen Walling, Executive Director People often ask for advice on ways that the everyday person can actually make a difference for our environment. Voting always makes my top five list. Here’s why: Elections deeply impact environmental policy. So I hope that you have already voted or plan to cast your vote before the polls close tomorrow. With Election Day right around the corner, I want to take the time to remind you that your vote matters. I understand that some people have grown skeptical of this premise, but let me offer a bit of proof for why I know this to be true. In 2014–just six years ago–a resolution denying climate change, supporting coal, and opposing the federal Clean Power Plan passed the Illinois House with a vote of 66-32. Environmentalists fought hard to defeat this resolution, but ultimately, the majority of the General Assembly voted in favor of
By Crystal Kern, Finance Director This year hasn’t been quite what I had in mind when I was saying goodbye to 2019. I’m sure a lot of folks feel the same. It has only been a year since the last blog about my farm, Reclaimed Heritage. We had well organized plans of planting various crops and trees this year but COVID had other plans. Regardless, I’m welcoming each day with a new perspective and open mind. Okra Eggplant Pumpkin Cucumber Oxheart Tomato Previous Next Now more than ever, food security is on people’s mind as we see issues such as the right to garden and cottage food laws becoming significant topics of discussion. Our family is fortunate enough to have the space to grow a big vegetable garden. As I write this, I’m reminded of the food I have available right now just a short walk from my door. I’m
Many people overlook our natural areas as a major highlight of things Illinois has to offer, but that’s a mistake: Illinois is beautiful.
Our work expanding access to open spaces and public lands isn’t done until everyone can safely access these spaces free from discrimination and harassment.
The LWCF has had an outstanding, though often unrecognized, impact on some of Illinois’ most significant places, from historically meaningful sites to a myriad of recreational spaces including national refuges and urban open spaces.
We haven’t done right by the communities most impacted—Black, brown and low income communities—until we’ve guaranteed this vital resource regardless of zipcode, race or ability to pay.
We need to accept that we were wrong. We must take a holistic approach to our food system if we want to survive another crisis.
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 of the time into a vehicle for lasting change. We reached out to a few long-standing members of IEC to get their perspectives to share with you. Virginia Scott joined IEC in 1977 and later assumed the role of executive director. Virginia remains involved with IEC today, and is one of my personal heroes. She recalls that,“IEC rode in on the first wave of environmental enthusiasm that we experienced in the 1970’s. Grassroots environmentalists saw a lack of presence for their cause at the State Capitol and asked ‘Can we work together? Do we want
By Jen Walling | IEC Executive Director When so many of us are spending more time than usual at home due to the novel corona virus, Team IEC is sharing some of our favorite home sustainability tips and resources to help give a boost to our planet and your pocketbook. If you’ve had a chance to check out our blog post about the most important thing you can do to help save our planet, you already know that one of our top tips is to build relationships with your neighbors. You’ll have to read our post to find out why, but in the meantime, now is a great time to check in on your neighbors, especially those living alone– from a safe distance, of course. So far, members of our team at IEC have been able to offer a much-needed toilet paper rescue to one neighbor and received surplus bananas
Looking back on this decade of questions, one of the most commonly asked is, “What is the single most impactful thing an individual can do to help save the planet?”
Nutrient pollution from excess fertilizer carried downstream by water and erosion is poisoning our drinking water, feeding toxic algal blooms and contributing to a massive deadzone in the Gulf of Mexico.
