Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Environmental Law and Policy Center is currently working to organize grassroots support in the Chicagoland area for national global warming legislation. The American Clean Energy and Security Act will take nationwide action to solve global warming by expanding renewable energy, promoting energy efficiency, and curbing carbon emissions.
We need your help to raise public awareness and support for this historic bill. After successfully passing the bill in the House of Representatives it is now up to the Senate and President Obama to ensure that the Unites States takes action to solve climate change and adopt a coherent clean energy policy.
If you would like to learn about future volunteer opportunities to help raise support for this historic environmental legislation please contact Katy Hintzen today by calling 773-812-3567 or e-mailing khintzen@elpc.org.
Friday, June 12, 2009
On June 12, television broadcasts in the U.S. switched from analog to digital. After the switch, older televisions require a digital converter to receive broadcasts.
This conversion could prompt millions of Americans to dispose of older television sets. Each television contains large amounts of toxins such as lead and mercury that can end up in our soil and groundwater if televisions aren’t recycled.
ELPC helped to spread the word about the importance of recycling televisions and other e-waste through an interview on Chicago Public Radio and a segment on NBC 5.
ELPC worked with the state of Illinois to enact one of the toughest e-waste recycling and reuse laws in the nation. When Illinois’ e-waste recycling law takes effect January 1, 2010, manufacturers will begin creating more options for consumers to recycle electronics at no cost.
Here are some important facts about the digital tv conversion:
1. If you use cable or satellite TV, you don’t need to change anything.
2. You don’t need to dispose of older analog TV’s, but you’ll need a digital tv converter box to recieve broadcasts. Find out how to get a converter box at www.dtv.gov
3. If you decide to replace your television, please take it to a responsible recycler. You can locate a recycler near you at this website. A list of TV recycling options in the City of Chicago is available here.
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
President Obama has announced new nationwide pollution reduction and fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. The new standards will largely track the clean car standards being advocated by the Environmental Law & Policy Center and considered by the Illinois General Assembly in HB422 and SB1941.
“President Obama is driving automakers to develop cleaner cars and innovative pollution reduction technologies that the public wants,” said Howard A. Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “Illinois drivers will save more than $500 million per year by using 280 million gallons less of gasoline when these standards take hold.”
The new clean car standards will cut global warming pollution from passenger vehicles by 30 percent by 2016. The transportation sector is the second largest source of global warming pollution nationwide. Pollution from cars and trucks is also a leading cause of asthma and other public health problems.
Read ELPC’s press release.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The City of Farmersville, Illinois welcomed Governor Pat Quinn, ELPC’s Co-Legislative Director Al Grosboll and others from across the state to celebrate the ribbon cutting for its new wind turbine on April 19, 2009. The wind turbine, located on a 60-foot high coal mine waste pile, is expected to produce 2.5 million kilowatt-hours annually. Read more in the Galesburg Register-Mail.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Speaking to a standing-room-only crowd at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, ELPC President Howard Learner said that in tough economic times, it makes sense to invest in a greener future.
Mr. Learner predicted that the Midwest will continue to benefit from investment in wind power and high-speed rail in the coming months. He said that in recent years, concerns about energy, environment, economy and national security have converged and made investing the green economy an obvious choice.
Read a summary of the speech here
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Lake County residents in Illinois will soon consider an advisory referendum for the proposed expansion of the Route 53 tollroad into Lake County. This massive 25-mile tollroad expansion faces the same fundamental problems that have stopped it for years: billions of dollars in construction costs, the limited effectiveness of a massive new north-south tollroad for alleviating west-east traffic congestion, and the harmful environmental impacts of paving over wetlands and more air pollution. There are better, cheaper and environmentally safer alternatives.
First of all, the projected blockbuster construction cost of about $1.5 billion or more for this tollroad expansion is largely unaffordable in today’s economy without raising tolls on the Tri-State Tollway in Lake County and other tollroads. Moreover, that construction cost estimate was made years ago by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, and it is likely to go up if and when this tollroad expansion is actually built at some future date. There are good reasons why the Toll Highway Authority itself has eliminated the Route 53 Tollroad expansion from its 10-Year plan.
Second, the success of the new Metra North Central rail line in gaining passengers and other related experiences have shown that better and cheaper transportation management alternatives can work well. Improved passenger rail service, arterial and local road improvements, and transit-oriented development strategies can effectively reduce congestion and promote mobility. Let’s be smart about how to relieve traffic congestion with the best solutions to address the real problems.
Third, the environmental harms of the proposed Route 53 tollroad expansion are substantial. This new tollroad would slash through ecologically rich wetlands and threaten key species habitat in Lake County. The additional tollroad traffic would also produce more harmful air pollution, which threatens our children’s health. The proposed tollroad and related development would also risk making the current Lake County flooding problems worse by paving over wetlands, which absorb rainfall.
The outdated Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Route 53 tollroad expansion would have to be largely re-done. That key environmental information should precede and inform public debate and engage discussion. The Environmental Law & Policy Center will review any future actions to actually go forward with the proposed Route 53 tollroad expansion in order to assure compliance with environmental and other laws.
Fourth, the asserted need for the Route 53 tollroad expansion was based on housing development and population growth forecasts that assumed a much more robust economy than today’s very challenging economic climate. As we painfully know, there is no housing development boom today. We hope and believe that the economy will greatly improve in the reasonably near future. However, the lessons learned from the housing bubble of the past decade are likely to lead to smarter housing development approaches in the future—we hope.
Let’s be smarter going forward about spending transportation funds wisely in ways that provide real solutions to congestion relief problems and do so in ways that protect our environment and communities’ quality of life. Building the massive Route 53 tollroad expansion is an old approach. It’s time for change with better, cheaper and cleaner transportation alternatives and strategies for Lake County and our region.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
In its bid to host the Olympic Games, Chicago has pledged to make 2016 the most environmentally friendly Olympics ever. ELPC President Howard Learner said in a USA Today article that improving the city’s public transit system is a critical part of that plegde.
Improving public transportation can increase mobility while decreasing pollution and traffic congestion. ELPC is one of the environmental groups working with The City of Chicago to make its bid for the 2016 Olympics as ‘green’ as possible.
Read the full article here
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The New York Times reports that a good chunk of the $8 billion for high-speed rail included in the economic stimulus package may benefit the Midwest.
ELPC’s President Howard Learner is quoted stating that the Midwest high-speed rail network is the US rail system that is most ready to go. The Midwest high-speed rail network would connect Chicago with 11 metropolitan areas within a 400 mile radius. For 15 years, ELPC has built support for high-speed rail in the Midwest, meeting with high-speed rail’s most influential backers, including President Obama, Senator Richard Durbin and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
Read the full article here.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The final version of the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act now before Congress includes an unprecedented $8 billion investment in high-speed rail. In addition, Amtrak will receive $1.3 billion to rebuild trains and improve its capacity.
“We commend President Obama and Congress for helping to get America moving again with modern trains,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “Investing in high-speed rail projects will put people to work quickly, create new economic opportunities, increase mobility and reduce traffic congestion and pollution.”
The $8 billion made available through the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be awarded competitively to states to improve passenger rail service, primarily on those corridors where 110 mph service is proposed. Funds can also be used on conventional rail projects that relieve congestion. The Midwest is very well positioned, with federally designated high-speed rail corridors radiating out in a hub-and-spoke network from Chicago to St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Madison and the Twin Cities.
“The Environmental Law & Policy Center has long called for the development of a Midwest high-speed rail network. Governors and state Departments of Transportation have embraced high-speed rail as modern, fast, comfortable and convenient. We have done the homework and prep work. These projects are now ready to build,” said Learner. “We look forward to working with the states to meet Congress’s challenge to rebuild America with cleaner transportation.”
“Congress has moved on the right track toward economic recovery,” said Learner. “Investing in modern, high-speed rail is an important down payment on America’s transportation future.”
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Environmental Law & Policy Center commends President Barack Obama’s directive to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider the prior administration’s decision denying the waiver for 14 states that have enacted legislation to reduce the global warming pollution from cars.
“President Obama’s action will spur automakers to develop the cleaner cars and innovative pollution reduction technologies that that public wants,” said Howard A. Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “We appreciate President Obama’s actions to remove the prior administration’s roadblock to states moving forward. Illinois now has a green light to enact the clean car legislation that is currently being considered.”
The state’s proposed legislation would cut global warming pollution from passenger vehicles by 30 percent by 2016. The transportation sector is the second largest source of global warming pollution nationwide. Pollution from cars and trucks is also a leading cause of asthma and other public health problems.
