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Illinois ( IL-in-OY) is a state in the Midwestern United States. The Great Lakes are to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Ohio River to its south. Its largest metropolitan areas are Chicago and the Metro East region of Greater St. Louis. Other metropolitan areas include Peoria and Rockford, as well as Springfield, its capital, and Champaign-Urbana, home to the main campus of the state's flagship university. Of the fifty U.S. states, Illinois has the fifth-largest gross domestic product (GDP), the sixth-largest population, and the 25th-largest land area.

Climate change[edit | edit source]

Climate change in Illinois encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Illinois.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that the climate of Illinois is changing. According to a 2016 report, Illinois is already experiencing the effects of climate change, including warming of approximately one degree Fahrenheit (about 0.6 degrees Celsius), more frequent flooding and later ice formation on the Great Lakes, and earlier melting. This same article notes that in the future, Illinois is likely to experience greater hazards from human-caused climate change, including heaving precipitation and higher flooding, large algae blooms on Lake Michigan, a longer growing season, but higher temperatures, which will offset the benefits of the longer season, higher levels of ground-level ozone, and more days with high temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).

On January 23, 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker committed Illinois to joining the United States Climate Alliance. In 2021, the Illinois Legislature passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which was signed into law by Pritzker on September 15, 2021.

Open spaces[edit | edit source]

Illinois has a variety of protected areas, including over 123 state-protected areas, dozens of federally protected areas, hundreds of county-level and municipal park areas. Illinois also contains sites designated as internationally important protected areas. These multiple levels of protection contribute to a statewide network of numerous recreation opportunities and conservation schemes, sometimes in a small area. For example, DeKalb County contains a 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) forest preserve system and a 1,500-acre (6.1 km2) state park (Shabbona Lake State Park); within DeKalb County, the DeKalb Park District in the City of DeKalb has a 700-acre (2.8 km2) park system.

Community energy[edit | edit source]

Illinois Solar Energy Association

Cycling activism[edit | edit source]

Food activism[edit | edit source]

Midwest Permaculture

Sustainable transport activism[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Networks and sustainability initiatives[edit | edit source]

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Events[edit | edit source]

2015

March 8 Going Green Matters, Go Green Wilmette

Citizens data initiative[edit | edit source]

Illinois State Energy Profile – DOE, Energy Information Administration

News and comment[edit | edit source]

2017

Illinois's Cook County Helps Solar Energy Cooperatives Rise and Shine, Jul 19[1]

2016

Bison mania hits 95 miles west of Chicago as herd continues to grow, Dec 30[2]

2014

Illinois - 1.7 million people choose 100% green electricity, March 9[3]

Campaigns[edit | edit source]

SAFE, Southern Illinoisans Against Fracturing our Environment

Near you[edit | edit source]

Chicago

External links[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Discussion[View | Edit]

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