EJC Blog Posts
Eco-Justice Collaborative's posts explore current issues around climate, sustainability, and justice. Each respects our mission and work in each of these areas, including local, regional or statewide campaigns.
Immigration, Climate, Foreclosures
Working with the Heartland Coalfield Alliance, EJC sends delegations of local activists to learn about the impact of coal mining in central and southern Illinois, which includes destruction of farmland, natural areas, and entire communities, and groundwater pollution from coal slurry and unlined pools of coal ash and sludge. Like tar sands oil, much of Illinois’s high-sulfur coal is being exported to developing countries – which Richart argues should put to rest the argument that “all-of-the-above” development is needed for “energy independence.” ... READ MORE
Award Goes to Clean Power Coalition
On September 20, 2012, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) gave its Leadership Award to the Chicago Clean Power Coalition for its work to close Chicago’s two coal-fired power plants. These plants were two of the dirtiest in the country, and called out by the NAACP in their report "Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People" as two of the worst environmental justice offenders of all 431 coal plants surveyed in the country. Pam Richart, Eco-Justice Collaborative (EJC), and Christine Nannicelli, Sierra Club, accepted the award on behalf of the Coalition. EJC initiated the work that led to the creation of the ... READ MORE
Tribunal on Women and Climate Justice
This past June, Eco-Justice Collaborative partnered with UN representatives to bring the second climate justice tribunal in the United States to Chicago ... READ MORE
Coal Education with Tax $$ Doesn’t Add Up
This week, June 19-22, Illinois grade school teachers will gather at the Rend Lake Resort near Mount Vernon for the 15th annual Coal Education Conference sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Each year, IDCEO spends up to $70,000 for this all-expense-paid teachers’ retreat. While our children’s teachers deserve to be recognized for their dedication and hard work, this particular retreat is nothing more than a corporate ploy to advance the coal industry’s “clean coal” message through grade school lesson plans at taxpayer expense ... READ MORE
Stand with women affected by coal in the Chicago area
| Stand beside women in Chicago affected by coal plant pollution for the second of two tribunals held in the US on Women and Climate Justice. Help render a verdict on the impacts of coal pollution in Chicago on women, their families and their communities! Will you join us? When: Sunday, June 10, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm Where: Sacred Heart Church, 329 S Ottawa St, Joliet, IL This tribunal - a mock trial - will highlight impacts on women and their communities realized from living with air pollution generated by MW Generation's coal plants in Joliet ... READ MORE |
Women & Climate Justice Tribunal
EJC is partnering with UN affiliates and Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment to bring a women's climate justice tribunal to Chicago. This tribunal - a mock trial - will highlight impacts on women and their communities realized from living with air pollution generated by MW Generation's coal plants in Joliet and Romeoville and the dumping of toxic coal ash by MW Generation in a nearby unlined quarry. The tribunal also will highlight the importance of cleaning up heavily polluted sites after power plants are closed, using MW Generation's Fisk and Crawford as examples ... READ MORE
Illinois taxpayers foot the bill for pro-coal curriculum in schools
A statewide coalition of community and environmental organizations, held a Chicago rally calling for the end of the state-subsidized, kids' coal curriculum ... READ MORE
Tell IDCEO – Coal Curriculum Fails to Make the Grade
