By: Jen Walling, Executive Director
I’m with you. The current political landscape is distracting, confusing, and depressing. While big oil and gas lobbyists now call the shots at the U.S. EPA and our growing green economy faces setbacks, many people are feeling helpless this Earth Month in Illinois and across the U.S. I hear it often from concerned friends and neighbors as I travel the state:
“Is there anything we can do here in Illinois?”
Act Now. Act Locally.
Believe me when I tell you that Illinois has better than a fighting chance. There is a lot we can do—and are already doing. As you read this, I’m with our members and coalition partners in Springfield, tracking crucial environmental legislation, talking to decision-makers, and representing every Illinoisan counting on clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. IEC is actively educating key players at the Capitol regarding proposals that:
- Keep harmful plastics and microfibers from leaching into our drinking water supply
- Protect the precious and few remaining wetland habitats for future generations
- Enhance our electric grid connecting homes and businesses across the state to clean, reliable, and affordable energy
- Help small Illinois farmers make ends meet in the face of industrial forces that shut them out and pollute our shared air, land, and water resources
These policies were all designed, in part, to protect against the potential looming federal calamity. The alarming, short-sighted federal actions coming down at a breakneck pace are anything but efficient or strategic for our long-term environmental success. It is more apparent than ever that we must take steps here at home to bring about the healthy and prosperous future we all deserve.
Drawing on Power from the Past
While we have much to do to secure that future, a brief look at our past illustrates the progress we can make when we put in the work. Think back to the 1970s when pollution from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) began to mount, eventually tearing a hole in our planet’s ozone layer, and dirty industrial facilities routinely dumped waste in the Great Lakes. Or perhaps you remember the widespread impacts of DDT in industrial insecticides?
The issues of the day were so dire, Senator Gaylord Nelson capitalized on the growing calls for change and initiated the very first Earth Day. People like us joined him, successfully pressuring the federal government to establish the U.S. EPA and federal regulations prohibiting DDT, CFCs, and the dumping of waste into the Great Lakes.
Decades of Legislative Leadership
In those early days of the modern environmental movement, Earth Day inspired a group of concerned Illinoisans to form the Illinois Environmental Council to tackle issues close to home. Fifty years later, IEC has built a powerful coalition to address problems and create solutions here in the Prairie State. We can look back on significant public awareness campaigns and legislative wins, including:
- Penalizing polluters for the hazardous practice of “midnight dumping”, and establishing toxic waste cleanup funding in Illinois
- Protecting wildlife through the establishment of the Wildlife Conservation Fund
- Reducing carbon emissions by advocating for auto emissions testing
- Passing the first Groundwater Protection Act that prevented drinking water contamination from pesticides
We accomplished all this by building a strong environmental movement, despite federal headwinds over those years. As we’ve seen in recent months, we cannot depend on Washington to do right for Illinois. We need to bring our focus home and act locally—and we need your help to educate decision-makers, empower people, and fight for our planet.
I’m Hopeful. Optimistic Even!
A recent study from the University of Maryland found that non-governmental groups, cities, and states can still achieve a 48–60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions we need by 2035! As Executive Director at IEC, I’ve witnessed firsthand the power created when our 130 affiliate member organizations and 600 individual members unite for people and the environment in Illinois.
The fight against federal rollbacks and fossil fuel interests won’t be easy. It will take all of us doing whatever we can. Since 1970, this celebration of the planet has represented a call to action—and that time for action is now.
About the Author
Jen Walling has served as the Executive Director for the Illinois Environmental Council since January 2011, where she oversees the strategic direction and management of the organization and lobbies decision-makers on environmental issues. Jen is dedicated to building the power of Illinois’ environmental community to secure policy outcomes that protect the environment.