Illinois Environmental Council: Environmental Town Hall Series

Zoom

Join the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) for its 2024 Environmental Town Hall Series, where they’ll take a deep dive into the environmental issues facing Illinois. You’ll hear from local leaders and technical experts alike, who will walk through some of the topline environmental issues they expect to see our elected officials take up in Springfield next year. After hearing from the speakers, they’ll want to hear your thoughts, experiences, and concerns. Your insights are invaluable in shaping the IEC’s priorities and ensuring that the voices of all Illinoisans are heard in their environmental agenda. Dates, topics and registration are on the IEC website.

Starting Native Plants from Seed

Zoom

Wednesday, November 13

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm:

Starting native plants from seed can be challenging until you know the tricks to sparking germination. Discover what it means to stratify and scarify seeds and which species need which treatment. Zoom information, handouts and slides will be provided via email the day of the presentation by 2pm. Programs will NOT be recorded. Register here.

Are You Ready When Disaster Strikes?

Hurricanes Helene and Milton have caused unprecedented damage, as well as trauma, loss and misery. We’ve been watching folks in the Southeast, especially in Asheville, North Carolina, and wondering what it must feel like to lose everything, including loved ones.

From Highland Park, the hurricane’s deadly path seems far away. And so many of us feel safe here, near the world’s largest source of freshwater, and away from hurricanes and earthquakes. Some have argued that the Great Lakes region is a climate haven.

But here’s the thing: Asheville touted itself as a climate haven, too. Up in the mountains, away from the coast…surely a safe place to live, insulated from sea level rise and hurricanes. That may be one reason why Hurricane Helene took that region by surprise.

The bad news is that no place is a climate haven. Warming oceans and rising sea levels can create storms that sit, and sit, and sit over a region, dumping record levels of rainfall, causing flooding, as we saw last year in Chicago. Drought can spark wildfires. Many rivers are at record low levels. Insurance companies may no longer want to pay for continual damage – or they may charge impossibly high premiums.

Enough gloom and doom. The good news is that there is still time to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The Inflation Reduction Act contains the most impactful climate language and incentives America has seen in decades; and yet, it is still not enough. We have an election coming up; be sure to vote for the candidates who have plans to move us forward quickly on taxing carbon emissions, streamlining energy permitting, reforesting devastated and urban areas, and incentivizing renewable energies. If you don’t see detailed environmental policies on candidates’ websites, call and ask about them. Keep writing to your members of Congress about moving forward rapidly on the climate crisis. Join or support climate and environmental groups.

Meanwhile, on the local level: Highland Park has information about stormwater management and environmental sustainability on its website.

Highland Park has also taken part in the Priority Climate Action Plan Report, published by the Metropolitan Mayors’ Caucus. You can view that detailed and comprehensive document here.

How about you and your loved ones? Are you ready for an extreme weather event? The wonderful Red Cross offers great tips for disaster preparedness on their website; read them now so you’re ready if and when the time comes!

To prepare for a fire (which can be caused by lightning, downed wires and other weather events), read these tips from the National Fire Protection Association.

For most weather events, you are preparing for one of two possibilities: 1) having to quickly evacuate or 2) having to stay in place with no power. These require different strategies. Many people are somewhat prepared for sheltering in place, and have candles, flashlights, supplies of food and water, etc. ready to go. It’s an emergency evacuation that most of us are not ready for. Here are a few additional tips to prepare for possible evacuation.

1. If flooding is possible, move perishables and toxic items such as paint thinner or propane tanks to higher shelves or even higher floors of your dwelling.
2. Don’t forget to prepare for pets to be evacuated with you. You will need their food and supplies as well as rabies documents (or tags), and medications.
3. Keep a lidded bin or a “go-bag” that is already packed with food, water, blankets, pet/baby food if applicable, chargers, portable power packs, flashlight, first-aid kit, medications, change of clothes, copies of essential documents, and a multi-use tool that includes a can opener. Here’s more on creating a go-bag: 
4. Keep your vehicle’s gas tank or battery full.
5. Store family photos and keepsakes in waterproof containers, on a high floor if possible.
6. Scan important documents and photos now and store them in the cloud, and/or make copies and keep originals in a waterproof, fireproof safe, or in a safe deposit box at the bank.
7. Work out an agreement with friends and relatives who are a day’s drive away that if needed, you can evacuate to each other’s homes.

A few more tips on sheltering in place:

1. If dangerous weather is approaching, keep cell phones charged, as well as portable cell phone chargers charged, and do not mute; you may need to hear weather alerts during the night.
2. Know where your flashlights/lanterns are!
3. A hand-cranked solar-powered weather radio can be useful; some have built-in charging capabilities for cell phones, etc.
4. Filling your bathtub with water will ensure you will have water to flush toilets and wash hands and even to drink if necessary. Use a clean bucket to remove water from the tub to use elsewhere.
5. If authorities are urging you to leave, leave! Even if you’re survived large storms in the past, remember that record warm oceans are fueling monster storms that we have not encountered before.
   

Ready.gov has a website devoted to preparing for many different kinds of disasters. Check it out here.

We are at the point where disaster cleanup is costing us more than prevention. Again, please contact your legislators to impress upon them the urgency of mitigating climate change.

This article was written on behalf of Go Green Highland Park by Francesca Kelly. Find more of Francesca’s articles here.

Sustainable D112-How Highland Park’s K-8 schools are Going Green

The most recent Facilities Committee Meeting included updates on District 112’s Long-range Plan, which will modernize our oldest schools. We are pleased to learn that the district is reviewing proposals for solar panels at Oak Terrace and Edgewood schools and geothermal energy for Sherwood, Wayne Thomas and Ravinia schools. “The financial benefits for the district could be substantial, especially with the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction Act. This legislation offers significant tax credits for renewable energy projects, including geothermal systems . . . the district could potentially receive up to 30%-40% in tax credits, with additional bonuses for meeting specific criteria.” Read more here.

Another way D112 has been has been increasing sustainability is through Seven Generations Ahead’s (SGA), Zero Waste Schools Program. It has been running successfully in the Red Oak, Oak Terrace and Braeside school lunchrooms since 2019, with hopes to expand to another school this year. Thanks to various funding sources, including SWALCO, the only cost to the district are the hauling fees for the compost toters.The program begins with a Lunchroom Waste Audit to show schools how many pounds of trash they are sending to the landfill each day. Next, sorting stations are added to the lunchrooms on “Launch Day.” 

With the help of educational videos, signage and volunteers, students and staff learn how to sort waste into 5 categories: rescued food, liquids, recycling, landfill and compost. At the end of the Launch Day a second waste audit shows how many pounds of edible food, liquids, recyclables and food scraps were diverted from the landfill. The results are astonishing!

SGA creates a one-page summary of the data with estimated annual diversion rates for the school to share with students and families. The goal is to help everyone rethink their lunches with a focus on reducing waste across all categories, not just landfill waste. In a time when Climate Anxiety is affecting even our youngest citizens, this program gives kids tools and agency to participate in helping the planet.

We applaud the innovative things they are doing in D112, but there’s more work to be done. Leadership needs to hear from residents, parents and students who support the District’s broader commitment to sustainability. It only takes a few voices to generate a conversation. Share your thanks for their current work and your thoughts on the future of renewables, food service and climate curriculum in our schools. Email the North Shore District 112 Board of Education members by clicking here.