Meeting the Moment on Federal Climate Action
Congress must pass once-in-a-generation investments in clean energy and infrastructure necessary to tackle the climate crisis.
August 2, 2021
IEC Blog
PFAS: A Toxic Legacy Building in Illinois
These tongue-twister chemicals pose a danger to us, wildlife and our water resources.
May 6, 2021
30 x 30: An Opportunity for Illinois
Reaching 30 x 30 in Illinois is a mighty, but worthy challenge.
April 24, 2021
From Toxic Fluff in Lincoln Park, to the Smoke that Blanketed Little Village: A Snapshot of Environmental Justice Issues in Chicago
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!
February 8, 2021
Welcome Incoming Board Members
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
February 1, 2021
A Threat to our Democracy is a Threat to our Environment
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
November 19, 2020
The Environmental Case for Voting in the 2020 Election
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
November 2, 2020
Reclaimed Heritage Farm: A year later and a flock larger
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
October 12, 2020
Jen Walling’s List of Must-see Treasures in Southern Illinois
Many people overlook our natural areas as a major highlight of things Illinois has to offer, but that’s a mistake: Illinois is beautiful.
July 2, 2020
Green Profiling: When Open Spaces Aren’t Open for All
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.
June 30, 2020
10 Great Illinois Spots and the Land and Water Conservation Fund
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.
June 29, 2020
Life Without Running Water During COVID-19
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.
May 4, 2020
The Truth About Illinois, the Great Feeder of the World
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.
May 1, 2020
Earth Day 50
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
April 22, 2020
Our Top Stay-at-Home Sustainability Tips
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
April 13, 2020
IEC’s Top Tip to Save the Planet: Civics and Advocacy
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?”
March 9, 2020
Cover Crops and the 200 Year Nutrient Pollution Gap
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.
December 13, 2019
Lead Poisoning Awareness Week
By Iyana Simba | IEC Clean Water Advocate When it came to light in 2014 that residents of Flint, Michigan were exposed to elevated lead levels in their drinking water, the issue dominated headlines. Since then, cities like Newark, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and Chicago have also found elevated lead levels in schools, childcare facilities, parks and residences. The CDC has found there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, and learning and behavior problems, which can cause lower IQ, decreased ability to pay attention and under-performance in school. Nationwide, lead finds its way into our drinking water through the 6.1 million lead service lines (LSLs) connecting businesses, schools and homes to the water main1. Roughly 12% of those lead service lines are found in Illinois
October 25, 2019
Reclaimed Heritage: How Simple Appreciation is Better for Us and the Planet
By Crystal Kern | IEC Finance Director I grew up on a self-sufficient farm in central Kentucky. We had a diverse garden with more plant varieties than I can recall along with several animals. Everything produced on the farm solely supported our family. If we had an abundance of produce, we would invite neighbors over to help themselves to what they needed. We spent most of our spare time canning and preserving our food rather than running to the grocery store. I didn’t think of these things as sustainability practices at the time. They were just how we did things. But, that’s exactly what they were. We tended to the land and picked everything by hand, making due with just a tractor and a horse. We loaded our harvests into the corn crib ourselves and spent our days loading hay bales. Our grains were processed on-site with an old hammer mill.
September 5, 2019
Introducing IEC Staff Picks
Get to know IEC while picking up a few tips and tricks for protecting the environment Historically, our blog has been a place for IEC staff to share our environmental policy expertise and educational updates on the latest issues facing Illinois. However, we’ve been looking for new ways to connect with other environmentalists like you more regularly, because after all, we are all in this fight together. In an effort to do that, we’re adding a new regular series to our blog with the goal of sharing with you more about who we are, what moves us to do this work and what we’re excited about most. For our first “picks”, a few members of our team have shared some of their personal favorite sustainability tips and ways in which our work ties back into our favorites. When in doubt, throw it out by IEC Executive Director Jen Walling This
August 6, 2019