Environmental Resources

How You Can Learn About and Help Preserve Our Environment

National and Global Resources

 

Environmental Resources Trust (ERT) - is a Washington, DC-based, non-profit organization that pioneers the use of market forces to protect and improve the global environment. Founded in 1996, ERT is harnessing the power of markets to address the challenges of tempering climate change, securing clean and reliable power, and encouraging environmentally beneficial land use. ERT has developed three focused programs to accomplish its mission. ERT’s GHG Registry records validated greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions profiles with the aim of creating a market that will enable efficient emissions reductions. The EcoPower Program catalyzes the market for clean energy by substantiating and marketing blocks of power that include new renewable sources of energy and have significantly reduced environmental impacts.  ERT’s EcoLands Program facilitates deals that enable and encourage landowners to make environmentally beneficial land use decisions.
 http://www.ert.net/

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people. EPA employs 18,000 people across the country, including the headquarters offices in Washington, DC, 10 regional offices, and more than a dozen labs. The staff is highly educated and technically trained; more than half are engineers, scientists, and policy analysts. In addition, a large number of employees are legal, public affairs, financial, information management and computer specialists. EPA is led by the Administrator, who is appointed by the President of the United States.
http://www.epa.gov/

Illinois, Regional and Chicago Area Resources

 

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) – The Illinois General Assembly was the first state legislature in the nation to adopt a comprehensive Environmental Protection Act in 1970. As a part of that act, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency was created. The mission of the Illinois EPA is to safeguard environmental quality, consistent with the social and economic needs of the State, so as to protect health, welfare, property and the quality of life. Today, the Illinois EPA is composed of roughly 1,200 employees, working in the headquarters in Springfield and in nine field offices and three laboratories throughout the state. They have compiled an outstanding collection of links to environmental resources – Illinois, Midwest, Federal, and industry specific.

http://www.epa.state.il.us/quick-answer-directory/web-sites.html

 

Air Pollution Action Day Alerts from the Illinois IEPA - Sign-up to receive Air Pollution Action Day notices, and be automatically notified by e-mail when an Air Pollution Action Day has been called. To subscribe, simply send an e-mail to epa2548@epa.state.il.us with Air Pollution Action Day Notification in the subject line, no other message is necessary. They will e-mail you back to confirm your enrollment, and that's it! Air pollution forecasts are also available on this website

http://www.epa.state.il.us/air/aqi/index.html


 Partners for Clean Air – a Coalition Committed to Improving Air Quality Through Voluntary Actions. Learn about ozone, ozone action days and the causes of air pollution in Illinois. Find statistics on air pollution in Illinois. Check out air pollution on the Midwest Haze Cam. The IEPA is a member.

http://www.cleantheair.org/

 

The Great Lakes an Environmental Atlas and Resource Book – from the U.S. EPA - The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater system on the Earth.  They contain about 84 percent of North America's surface fresh water and about 21 percent of the world's supply. Only the polar ice caps contain more fresh water. In spite of their large size, the Great Lakes are sensitive to the effects of a wide range of pollutants. Major stresses on the lakes include toxic and nutrient pollution, invasive species and habitat degradation. Sources of pollution include the runoff of soils and farm chemicals from agricultural lands, waste from cities, discharges from industrial areas and leachate from disposal sites. Addressing these problems is complicated by the fact that the Great Lakes Basin encompasses large parts of two nations, the United States and Canada. Within the US, EPA and nine other federal agencies together administer more than 140 different federal programs helping fund and implement environmental restoration and management activities in the Great Lakes basin. In addition, governance of the Great Lakes system is shared with eight U.S. states, nearly 40 Tribal Nations, more than half a dozen major metropolitan areas, and numerous county and local governments. In May 2004, President Bush signed an Executive Order creating the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, under the lead of EPA. The Task Force brings together all ten Agency and Cabinet officers to provide strategic direction on federal Great Lakes policy, priorities and programs

http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/index.html

 

City of Chicago Department of Environment - its mission is protecting human health and the environment, improving the urban quality of life, and promoting economic development in Chicago.  Click on "City Departments" at top of page and then on "Environment".
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/home.do

 

Volunteer Opportunities

 Help the Chicagoland Environment

 

Chicago Environmental Network – Volunteers.   This network is a group of more than 200 environmental and natural resource organizations. Who uses CEN? People just like you. CEN is a resource for anyone interested in nature or conservation-related activities in northeastern Illinois and surrounding areas. CEN organizations are involved in important work, including habitat restoration; wetland, prairie, and watershed projects; urban gardening; energy conservation; composting, wildlife conservation; and recycling.
http://www.chicagoenvironment.org/volunteer/index.cfm

 

Forest Preserve District of Cook County Volunteers - The staff and volunteers of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County have a challenging and wonderful mission – restoring health and facilitating compatible use of 68,000 precious natural acres. It’s easy to find your role and get involved. Search this site for volunteer opportunities near you.

http://www.fpdccvolunteers.org/

 

Hoffman Estates Park District Volunteers - Volunteers interested in helping beautify one of the district's more than 63 parks can help by planting and maintaining flower beds, laying sod, cleaning up debris or by offering a host of other park-related assistance throughout the year.

http://www.heparks.org/index.php?loc=hepdvolunteer

 

Nature Conservancy - Illinois Volunteer Opportunities. The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. Its mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.
 http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/illinois/volunteer

Sierra Club – Illinois and Chicago Volunteer Site - The Sierra Club's members are more than 750,000 of your friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, they work together to protect our communities and the planet. The Club is America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. The Chicago chapter is working to protect the environment in the Chicagoland area.
http://illinois.sierraclub.org/chicago/volunteer/index.html

Spring Valley Nature Center Volunteers - Schaumburg Park District - Spring Valley's volunteer program encourages community involvement and assistance in the ongoing restoration of the sanctuary and with the presentation of public programs and special events.Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age with a strong interest in providing a community service. A variety of short term, seasonal and ongoing projects are available.
 http://www.parkfun.com/dir/spv/volunteer.html

The Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) - was established in 1981 by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The VLMP serves as an educational program for citizens to learn about lake ecosystems, as well as a cost-effective method of gathering fundamental information on Illinois inland lakes. The VLMP utilizes funds provided by the federal Clean Water Act and the state-funded Conservation 2000 Program.
 http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/conservation-2000/volunteer-lake-monitoring/index.html