Progress Illinois

Over the past year, we’ve documented how creative thinking in Illinois—from local school districts kicking their dependence on electricity to the proposed development of turbines over the Great Lakes—has established the Prairie State as a leader in developing wind resources. But according to an AP article yesterday, cash for new wind projects is drying up due to the meltdown in the financial industries:

Firms like AIG, Lehman and Wachovia helped finance many projects by taking short-term ownership in exchange for the credits to help offset their own income.

Those three were among the biggest investors in the [wind] industry. Now, AIG is trying to survive the financial meltdown, Wachovia is being bought by Citigroup and Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy this year before being sold [...]

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As part of their Growing Forward series last week, WTTW's Chicago Tonight aired an interesting segment on the spread of "green collar" jobs in Illinois.  While this is a term that you (thankfully) hear more and more these days, the report was useful in that it actually showed what some of these jobs look like.  For instance, you see Siemens laborers building the extremely cool-looking gear boxes that drive wind turbines and another worker spraying and cutting foam insulation. 

Below is an excerpt from the report (I'd link to the full segment, but WTTW is yet to post it):

For almost 25 years, Windy City cyclists have relied on the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to promote bike safety and advocate for bike-friendly public policy. Now those that use mass transit or their own two feet to traverse the region can call the 6,100-member organization an ally as well.

Earlier this month, the Federation officially changed its name to the Active Transportation Alliance (ATA), a move that emphasizes the organization’s widening scope. “The board had seen this connection between bicycle advocacy … and how it directly affects pedestrians and transit users,” said Margo O’Hara, ATA’s director of communications, “and how taking a broader approach will help bicyclists even more.”

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A three-year round of tug-o-war between Illinois environmentalists and the coal industry ended last week in what appears to be a tie of sorts.

On Thursday, the legislature unanimously passed a bill that paves the way for a new “clean coal” power plant in downstate Taylorville, which seeks to capture 50 percent of its own carbon emissions.  Specifically, the General Assembly signed off on a feasibility study, which lawmakers will ultimately examine before deciding whether to begin construction on the plant.

But tucked inside SB1987 is an additional provision that, over the next 15 years, will dramatically alter Illinois’ power grid for the better.

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While there have been -- and continue to be -- numerous obstacles to greening the Chicago Public Schools system, Suzanne Carlson, the woman hired by the district to oversee its new Environmental Action Plan, tells us not to rule her out.

Carlson recently unveiled a framework for changes that include composting food waste, bolstering recycling efforts, better managing stormwater, and changing everyday behavior to cut back on energy consumption by millions of dollars each year.

Her biggest outside ally is the Healthy Schools Campaign, which knows a thing or two about working for change within a bureaucracy.

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Today saw no action in Springfield on the governor’s not-so-popular Emergency Budget Act. Two more days remain in the veto session, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Nonetheless, there were a few legislative developments worth noting:

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With grim economic news piling up, it's not surprising that Gov. Rod Blagojevich chose to skip town for the West Coast. But Blago's trip to Southern California isn't just an escape -- it might actually be constructive.

Frustrated with the Bush administration's disregard for the dangers of climate change, Blagojevich and four other governors -- Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), Charlie Crist (R-FL), Jim Doyle (D-WI) and Kathleen Sebelius (R-KS) -- are hosting the Governor's Global Climate Summit, a two-day conference in Beverly Hills where participants hope to find common ground with developing nations on global warming policy. Officials from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the European Union are expected to attend.

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As wind power continues to sweep across the state, planners have watched closely to see how municipalities are reworking blueprints and amending building codes to make way for the hulking turbines. The latest case study can be found in the northern suburbs.

Ken Aldridge, CEO of Aldridge Electric Inc., is currently working on wind farm projects as far away as Utah. But in an effort to show his company’s commitment to alternative energy, he has submitted a proposal to erect a wind turbine to power his company’s building in Libertyville.

As a result, the town is grappling with the height, noise, and spacial requirements necessary to plant a free-standing turbine smack dab in the middle of a suburban community.

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A decade-long effort to prevent the world's largest supply of fresh water from being diverted from the region won a hard-fought victory when the Great Lakes Basin Compact was signed into law in early October. But some environmentalists are concerned that the protective measures don't go far enough and they're launching a new campaign to see the Compact strengthened.

Led by Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (and the group's outspoken attorney Jim Olson), a coalition of environmental groups wants Congress to amend the legislation so that Great Lakes water is classified as a public resource, rather than a private commodity. Doing so would send a clear message to the bottled water industry: Don't even think about it.

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Last month, the Tribune reported that pollution in Northeastern Illinois was among the worst in the nation. New research released this week again shows why people living in the region ought to hold their breath.

The new report found that residents of two heavily-populated regions of California are more likely to die from a pollution-induced respiratory illness than a car wreck. The study -- conducted by California State University -- further detailed how this spike in health problems has impacted on the local economies. According to the research, reducing particulate levels 50 percent to meet high federal standards would prevent:

- 2,760 hospital admissions
- 2,800 trips to the ER
- 18,060 cases of bronchitis
- 141,370 asthma attacks
- 3,860 pre-mature deaths

The savings to local governments in the two regions: $28 billion per year.

There's reason to believe that Chicagoland residents are at greater risk than their California counterparts and similar efforts to cut down on pollutants would have an even larger impact here. 

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