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Environment
PI Original
by Josh Kalven
12:20pm
Fri Nov 21, 2008
6 comments

Chicago Public Schools Seeing Green

Education

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 ...

PI Original
by Josh Kalven
7:35pm
Thu Nov 20, 2008

Statehouse Round-Up

Health Care

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:

Answering ...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
12:20pm
Wed Nov 19, 2008

Blagojevich's Climate Change Summit

Rod Blagojevich

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 ...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
11:43am
Tue Nov 18, 2008

Wind Power On The Local Level

Environment

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 ...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
1:58pm
Mon Nov 17, 2008

Environmentalists Set Out To Strengthen Great Lakes Compact

Environment

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
...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
2:11pm
Sat Nov 15, 2008
1 comment

The Rising Cost Of Air Pollution

Cook Co.

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-...

PI Original
by Adam Doster
2:10pm
Fri Nov 14, 2008
7 comments

Coal Plants Put On Hold

State Legislature

The coal industry was fired up, so to speak, by Barack Obama's election on November 4. Hailing from a coal-producing state and on record as a supporter of developing "clean coal" technology, insiders think he could revive the industry by pushing for two coal-...

PI Original
by Josh Kalven
2:36pm
Wed Nov 12, 2008

Illinois' Biofuels Future

Environment

On WTTW's Chicago Tonight yesterday, Rich Samuels filed an excellent report on the efforts in Illinois to develop "cellulosic" sources for biofuel, which are more efficient and environmentally-friendly than corn.  Here's an excerpt in which Samuels talks to the ...

PI Original
by Angela Caputo
3:57pm
Tue Nov 11, 2008

Growing Green Collar Jobs

Environment

It's taken a devastated economy and years
worth of job losses to get here, but politicians, business owners, and everyday Americans seem to finally be joining the conversation about how creating "green-collar" jobs is
key to repairing the nation's economy...