Environment Illinois

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Environment Illinois

Environment Illinois, a project of Environment America, is a policy and action group with one mission: to build a greener, healthier world.

05/30/2026

Less than a week into Chicago's 2026 summer beach season, one beach already had a swim advisory due to water quality issues. If you're headed to the beach this weekend, you can equip yourself with information to keep you and your family safe by checking online and heeding posted flag advisories and warnings.

Even as Illinoisans are once again enjoying the splash of waves at the beach, pollution is still plaguing too many of the places where we swim.

05/28/2026

The Illinois General Assembly just took a first step in addressing pollution from plastic pellets!

From Lake Michigan to the mighty Mississippi, Illinois’ waters support healthy wildlife and communities, but plastic pollution is impairing our waters and harming wildlife. Given the small size and large number of plastic pellets, spilling is inevitable. And when someone dumps these nurdles, cleanups are exceedingly difficult.

We applaud the action of the General Assembly to address this often unseen, but always concerning, source of pollution and look forward to the Governor signing the bill into law.

Once signed into law, Illinois will be the first Great Lakes state to pass a bill to directly address this source of plastic waste.

05/21/2026

BREAKING: New report testing over 30 waterways in Illinois for microplastic. From Lake Michigan to the mighty Mississippi we looked for a nearly invisible, but pervasive pollutant.

With microplastic becoming a growing area of concern, especially to our health and our environment, we tested water samples from over 30 sites along Illinois waterways to better understand the problem here at home.

05/15/2026

May is American Wetlands Month, and with only around 10% of Illinois' historic wetlands remaining, now is the time to establish statewide protections for these important places.

Wetlands play a vital role in a healthy environment, but due to sprawl and other human activity only around 10% of Illinois’ historic wetlands remain. We’re supporting a state wetland protection program to safeguard what we have left.

05/13/2026

In 2025, Illinois produced the equivalent of 25% of the electricity it consumes from solar, wind and geothermal power, compared with just 8% in 2016, part of a larger transition toward clean energy technologies, according to our updated online dashboard: The State of Renewable Energy.

“Illinois has made real progress in growing renewable energy over the past decade, but to usher in a greener, healthier future, we need to pick up the pace,” said Emily Kowalski, associate director of Environment Illinois Research & Education Center.

Renewables are on the rise across America. America produces more than three times as much power from solar, wind and geothermal sources as we did 10 years ago – enough to power more than 80 million homes. Key technologies such as electric vehicles and battery storage are also growing.

04/22/2026

This Earth Day, your gift can have twice the impact for wild forests like the Shawnee National Forest. Donate before midnight to get your gift matched, up to $50,000 nationwide.

Make an Earth Day donation before midnight on April 22 and your gift will be matched, up to $50,000 nationwide.

04/17/2026

Tell the Forest Service to keep our national forests wild. Adding your name will help save our wild forests like the Shawnee National Forest.

You can help save towering trees. Be a guardian for our national forests: Add your name now.

04/13/2026

We are shining a spotlight on this problem by co-hosting the second annual International Plastic Pellet Count on Saturday, May 2nd, and we’re looking for volunteers across Illinois & beyond. Join us by doing a pellet count in your own community with your friends and family. Sign up today.

A global day of action against plastic pollution in our waterways.

03/31/2026

With spring blooms emerging you may be wondering where have the bumblebees been all winter?

The story of bumblebee hibernation and how you can help them

03/26/2026

Our new scorecard gives every grade to each state on how much and how well they've cut red tape for rooftop solar and battery storage. Every state has lots of progress to make and only four states got a grade higher than a "D". What grade do you think Illinois got?

A majority of states have done little to adopt common-sense practices that reduce the costs and delays that permitting and inspection requirements impose on families wishing to install solar panels and batteries.

Address

318 W Adams Street #1609
Chicago, IL
60606

Telephone

+13125444430

Website

https://environmentillinois.org/

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