About Environment Illinois
Environment Illinois is your state environmental group, protecting the places we love and advancing the environmental values we share, winning real results for our environment.
Who we are
Environment Illinois is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. We believe there’s something special about Illinois — something worth protecting and preserving for future generations. Whether it’s the light shimmering off Lake Michigan, the wild beauty of the Illinois and other rivers, or Galena’s rolling hills, Illinois’s natural wonders enrich our lives in countless ways.
Yet the places we love and the environmental values we share are too often threatened by powerful industries, shortsighted politicians and more. Defending our environment requires independent research, tough-minded advocacy and spirited grassroots action. That’s the idea behind Environment Illinois. Together with thousands of supporters from all walks of life, we take the kind of action that wins tangible results for our environment.
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OUR STAFF
What we do
Funded by supporters like you, we research the challenges confronting Illinois’s environment and educate the public about what’s at stake. Through our research reports, news conferences, interviews with reporters, op-ed pieces, letters to the editor, and more, we raise awareness of environmental issues and promote sensible solutions. Our canvassers meet people where they are — in public places or door to door — raising awareness, recruiting new supporters and activists, and raising funds to support our work.
When decisions are being made about Illinois’s environment, our elected officials hear plenty from oil companies, developers and other powerful interests. We make the case for our environment and help people like you make your voice heard — using methods like petitions, emails, letters and phone calls, all delivered to the right people just when it matters most.
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Environment Illinois Research & Policy Center
Results
- Stopping BP’s Great Lakes dumping scheme. In July 2007, BP announced plans to increase its dumping of toxic chemicals into Lake Michigan by hundreds of pounds a day. We gathered 80,000 petition signatures, and BP backed down under what the Chicago Tribune called a “firestorm” of criticism.
- Moving towards a green energy economy. Chicago now has the world’s largest urban solar plant, and dozens of wind farms are springing up across the state, thanks to a series of landmark clean energy bills we helped pass over the last few years. These laws will ensure Illinois gets 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025 — and create thousands of new green jobs in the process.
- Standing up for our state parks. The future of our state parks hasn’t always been clear, but they are open today thanks in part to our work defending them. When former Gov. Blagojevich tried to close 11 state parks in 2008, we fought back and saved four of them — and fought successfully for the re-opening of the other seven in 2009.