Jack Darin

Summer is here again, and many of us are looking forward to spending some time in the great outdoors in the months ahead. Will our beautiful state parks be open and in good shape when we're ready to get outside?

Everyone is aware of the state of Illinois' budget --...

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has taken two more big steps toward a clean energy future for Chicago. While many leaders talk about the urgency of transitioning to clean energy, Emanuel is acting, and making major changes that will deliver cleaner air and new jobs for Chicago in the near future.

The Dec. 22 historic announcement from the Obama Administration -- that it will require new pollution controls to limit the toxic chemicals coming out of coal plants across America -- is a huge victory for public health. More than 20 years after Congress required these controls, the President and...

It's a monster, and it will not die -- until Springfield comes to their senses.

You may not have heard of Tenaska, but they know about you. Tenaska is an out-of-state corporation that wants to put you on the hook for a very dirty, risky proposition. Tenaska has a deal...

Local residents, Sierra Club, and our allies working to protect a headwater stream in the beautiful Apple River watershed from being converted to a manure storage lagoon have won a major victory with Illinois EPA's denial of an essential permit for the project.

A California company had proposed destroying...

Conventional wisdom may hold that climate action and sustainability are on the back burner in the current political and economic climate, but that's not Normal.

Led by Mayor Chris Koos, Normal, Ill. is moving quickly toward a better future by utilizing smart...

Crazy weather we're having, right? It's been a stormy summer, and one full of reminders about the need to invest in our electric grid. It's also a sign of things to come, according to climate scientists, who for years have been predicting stronger storms and more intense rainfall events for...

Today's vote by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board of Commissioners to reverse its longstanding opposition to disinfecting the effluent it discharges into the Chicago River system marks the end of an era. Today's vote means that soon Chicagoans can fully enjoy the Chicago River without worrying...

You've probably seen or heard the ads from Commonwealth Edison supporting the "smart grid," and their proposal for how to pay for it. In an attempt to pass legislation authorizing automatic increases in our electric bills to pay for the work, ComEd is pulling out all the stops.

We do...

We applaud Governor Quinn's veto of ratepayer bailouts for two risky, dirty coal plants. Governor Quinn has long been a champion for clean energy and for consumers, and the special interest legislation for Leucadia and Power Holdings were bad for both.

Regarding the Power Holdings legislation (SB 1927), Quinn said:

We count on union workers to protect our air and water every day. The men and women who protect our drinking water supplies, enforce the law against illegal polluters, and protect our natural heritage are union workers.

Sierra Club members were proud to join workers' rights rallies in Chicago and...

Chicago's next mayor faces some major decisions that will affect how healthy, livable, and prosperous this city will be for generations to come. Many of these issues have been lingering for too long - such as cleaning up Chicago's two dirty coal plants, or delivering real recycling service to all...

To hear the coal lobbyists in Springfield tell it, creating energy jobs in Illinois has to mean higher electric and gas bills, more pollution, and sweetheart deals for specific companies.

Meanwhile, in the real world, there's more good news about how our renewable energy goals are bringing good...

With the race to be Chicago's next mayor heating up, one major issue that has been a hallmark of Mayor Richard Daley's time in office has received...

As the clock winds down on the lame duck Illinois General Assembly, two out-of-state coal companies are asking to put Illinois ratepayers and businesses on the hook for a bailout of their risky, incredibly expensive projects. The two companies, Tenaska and Leucadia, each have custom-drafted bills they are pressuring the...