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Jen Walling is Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council. She has held this position since 2006. The IEC began in 1975 when it became a coalition of smaller conservation groups around the state. Since that time it has served as the eyes, ears and voice of the environmental community in Springfield. It has grown from 40 members to 100 with a staff of 12. They are a 501(c)(3) and a 501(c)(4) organization. The 501(c)(3) is the education arm and the other is the lobbying arm. Their focus is to educate and influence decision makers to ensure we have clean air, clean water, clean energy and healthy communities. Today the IEC represents more than 90 environmental communities and nearly 300 individual members throughout Illinois. As an individual, Jen suggests the most important thing we can do is know our representatives and contact them. The more personal we can make that contact, the better. Our personal story regarding these issues along with meeting them in person at their office or a town hall meeting helps them understand and put a face to an issue. The process of getting environmental laws in place itself is lengthy. A proposed bill (drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau) is introduced in the first chamber. It goes into committee and from there brought to the floor for a vote. Once it makes that hurdle, it is introduced into the 2nd chamber, the second committee, and floor vote. Once both houses concur, it is placed on the governor's desk to be signed into law. Due to the pandemic, a proposed clean energy bill is stalled until the legislature reconvenes. Jen is expecting that many of the issues before the legislature will be on next year's agenda. With so many people at home all day during this pandemic, the IEC shifted to consumer awareness with electricity and water shut offs on hold, water testing and lead pipe issues. For local farmers and food producers they are getting PPE to them. Meat packing and other food processing plants are tight enclosed quarters and a hotbed for spreading the virus. Many of the local farmers with cattle do not have access to meat processors until March or April of 2021 due to backlog and precautions implemented by the plants. Respiratory issues during this pandemic are also an area of concern for them. In the Little Village neighborhood, the coke plant is being dismantled but the demolition of the smoke stack raised dust and chemicals into the air causing greater problems for those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. The Clean Energy Jobs Act has four policy pillars: 1) Quality jobs and investments in communities across the state; 2) 100% renewable energy by 2050; 3) Carbon-free electric sector by 2030, and 4) Increase electric vehicles. Currently this bill has 31 Senate and 53 House co-sponsors. If you are seeking more information on all the IEC does, you can check out their website: ILEnviro.org or if you have questions, please email Jen at jwalling@ilenviro.org |
