Blog Archive

This blog is now an archive of posts prior to September 2020. New posts will be published at https://www.sierraclub.org/illinois/blog Thanks!

From Earth Day to May Day: Show Solidarity with Workers, Immigrants, Tenants, Prisoners by Joining a May Day Action

This post written by Caroline Wooten, Organizing Director of the Illinois Sierra Club. May 1st is a time when we usually gather to celebrate the transformative and dramatic changes that organized workers have won throughout the decades: from ending child labor, to winning a 40 hour work week, to winning safety protections through the Occupational…

Showing solidarity

What will we remember when we look back on the COVID-19 crisis? Will it be the moment we first learned we could no longer leave our homes for an indefinite period? Will we remember not being able to gather for family celebrations or even for funerals? Will our first recollection be of not being able…

15 Years of Cuts Leave Illinois EPA Struggling to Protect Air & Water, Act on Climate Change

A new report issued today finds that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has been cut in half since 2003, resulting in significant reductions in public health protection efforts.  Inspection of air pollution sources, monitoring of water quality, enforcement against environmental violators, and the ability to assure environmental justice by engaging communities in decision making have…

Linda Sullivan: Pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act in Illinois

Linda Sullivan, Sierra Club River Prairie Group volunteer, had her letter to the editor published in the Chicago Tribune. Her piece is reprinted below.   When Greta Thunberg begs legislators to stop telling her she is amazing but instead do something actually effective to avert climate disaster, she is talking about bills like the Clean…

Sierra Club Statement on Introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs Act

Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition introduces new legislation to put Illinois on track to achieve 100% clean energy, expand workforce development, and responsibly transition away from fossil fuels In response, Jack Darin, Director of Sierra Club Illinois Chapter, released the following statement: “The introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs Act SB2132 (CASTRO) / HB3624 (WILLIAMS) today marks…

Governor Pritzker Issues Executive Order Signing Illinois onto the U.S. Climate Alliance

Springfield, January 23, 2019 – This morning Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order making Illinois the 18th state to join the U.S. Climate Alliance. In response, Jack Darin, Director of Sierra Club Illinois Chapter, released the following statement: “By joining the US Climate Alliance as one of his first acts in office, Governor Pritzker…

Chicago Earns Title As Greenest City

For the second year in a row, Chicago has earned the title of Greenest City by the National Green Building Adoption Index. With nearly 70% of all office buildings certified as green buildings, Chicago continues to lead the country in sustainability practices. This year’s title as Greenest City is another achievement for our city- one…

“Illinois Must Step Up” In the Wake of Trump’s Unlawful Dirty Power Plan

As Trump and Wheeler Gut Clean Air Safeguards to Appease Coal, Will Rauner Respond? WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, former coal lobbyist and acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler released an unlawfully weak carbon pollution policy that would gut the Clean Power Plan’s life-saving standards and do next to nothing to fight the climate…

Sierra Club, Friends Seek to Join Attorney General in Trump Tower Lawsuit

August 20, 2018  On Monday, August 20, 2018, Friends of the Chicago River and the Sierra Club filed a motion in Cook County Circuit Court to intervene in a lawsuit against the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago. The lawsuit stems from permit violations by the Trump Tower which uses 19.7 million gallons of…