Join ISEC and environmental groups from across the state on our annual Lobby Day to learn about the legislative process.  We’ll tour the capitol building, watch a session in progress, and meet one-on-one with state legislators.  This is a great opportunity to share your voice on the most important environmental issues in our state. 

 March 29th 

8:30 am to 4:00 pm

Optional dinner reception and training on

March 28th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

For more information and registration instructions, click HERE. 

After years of hard work by numerous community groups and environmental organizations, the residents of Chicago will finally be able to breathe cleaner air.  Later this afternoon, Midwest Generation will announce the shut-down of the Fisk plant by the end of this year and the Crawford plant by the end of 2014.  This announcement comes as a result of a deal reached by the company, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and the Clean Power Coalition.  The agreement also creates an advisory council that will address the issues of site clean-up and future use. 

Today marks a huge success for the environmental community and demonstrates what can be accomplished when we work together.  Thanks to everyone who attended rallies, canvassed neighborhoods, and demonstrated their support throughout this campaign.  Your hard work has paid off!

Please celebrate with us at a press conference tomorrow.

Thursday, March 1 at 11:00am

Dvorak Park, Pilsen (corner of Cermak and May)

Congratulations to Green Campus Initiative (GCI) from the University of Chicago for winning ISEC’s Post Card Drive to end Illinois’ Coal Curriculum program.  They collected a total of 203 post cards from students on their campus.  The competition was close though, with SEED from Northwestern coming in a VERY close second with 210 post cards (winner is determined by comparing the number of cards collected as a percentage of total student population on that campus).  GCI will receive a free I-Go membership with driving credits and SEED will receive a $20 gift card to Starbucks for their hard work.  Thanks to everyone who participated in this drive and made it such a success! 

Check out the online tally to see how each school fared.

Marie Donahue, ISEC Steering Committee alum and recent University of Chicago graduate, wrote an article that highlighted the hard work students in Illinois have undertaken to demonstrate their support for clean air.  Below is an excerpt from her article.

Youth involvement from local colleges and universities, the Illinois Student Environmental Coalition, the Sierra Club, and other environmental groups have helped shape the renewed effort to pass the Clean Power Ordinance. Students have lobbied aldermen to become co-sponsors, increased media attention around the issue (watch these videos: ABC News7: Clean Power & YouTube: Chicago Clean Power Hearing), provided testimony at Ordinance hearings, attended regular planning meetings, and organized phone-banking sessions to spread awareness and garner support for the Ordinance.  Caroline Wooten, a student at the University of Chicago and founder of the UChicago Climate Action Network, explains that youth-lobbying efforts were instrumental in convincing Ald. Newsome and Ald. Cochran to sign on as co-sponsors of the Ordinance this spring and summer.

With the Ordinance currently in the City Council’s Rules Committee, Laura Knezevic This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Director of the Illinois Student Environmental Coalition, cautions that “there are never any guarantees when it comes to the City Council,” but she thinks that the Ordinance is “moving forward with renewed strength and more support than we had in the last session.”

Continue reading her article HERE on the website of the Will Steger Foundation.

The petition protesting Illinois’ Coal Curriculum program can now be signed online! While signing post cards is still the best way to go, the online form is handy for those schools who may be winding down for the semester and going on break. Check out the link below to sign the online post card:

SIGN ME!!!

Let’s take this viral!

Remember, schools have until December 15th to drive in as many post cards and online signatures as possible. We’ve already received several hundred, so let’s keep up the good work.  We’re going to win this campaign!

Also, if you need more post cards, we’ve got em.  Just email Laura Knezevic at LKnezevic@GreenStudents.org

This past Monday, the Tenaska bill, which would okay the construction of a coal gasification plant in Taylorville, was passed though the Illinois senate. The fact that Tenaska is a coal plant is reason enough to oppose it, but within the bill is also provisions that force the gas it produces to be purchased by several utilities. This will cause rate increases to occur in many parts of the state. While this battle is far from over, it does strike a blow to efforts on the part of many residents and students who invested a great deal of time and effort calling and meeting with their senators.

To see how your State Senator voted, click Here

Luckily though, there are still many ways in which Tenaska can be blocked. The bill has yet to pass the house where it will likely flounder and the permitting process after bill passage can also bog the process down. Stay posted for more info about the state of the bill and the next steps to fighting it.

Follow these five steps to a greener Thanksgiving!

1. Stay close to home, or take the train.
Traveling by airplane is one of the biggest ways to release CO2 into our atmosphere.  Trains are much more environmentally friendly than planes, buses, or cars.  Better yet, host Thanksgiving at your house and cut out travel completely!
2. Buy local and organic.
Organic foods keep dangerous chemicals off of our food and out of our waterways.  Buying local cuts out transportation and many tons of CO2.
3. Go vegetarian!
Much more energy is used to produce a pound of beef than a pound of veggies.  Load up on the green beans and mashed potatoes!  If you are feeling daring, swap the turkey for a healthy piece of Tofurky.
4. Decorate with natural materials.
Instead of buying plastic turkeys and pumpkins, go out and pick up some colorful fall leaves.  Make your own turkeys with pinecones and pick your own pumpkins.  Keep the house bright by lighting natural beeswax.
5. Compost your scraps.
Instead of throwing out the extra food scraps, compost them!  Composting is a great way to keep things out of our landfills and give them a second use as nutrient-rich soil.