Environmental leaders discuss measures for greener transportation
Transportation, environmental and government leaders gathered at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill. Thursday, Jan. 13 for DuPage County’s sixth annual environmental summit. The event titled “Greening Our Transportation and Roads” focused on a variety of issues including climate change and it’s impact on the Chicago region, specifically car exhaust and runoff polluting waterways. Jesse Elam, of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, said a quarter of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. He added that cutting back on harmful greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels is one way to address climate change. The Chicago area is expected to gain two million residents by 2040 and, if trends continue, experts predict a decline in the water level of Lake Michigan and more extreme storms and flooding.
Elam’s agency is developing a plan called “Go to 2040,” which aims to improve public transportation in an effort to reduce congestion and create housing near job centers. Another aspect of the plan is to create and preserve open space in an “emerald necklace,” connecting parks, forest preserves and trails around the region.
Roger Bannerman of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources discussed the effects of storm-water runoff on streams, rivers and lakes. “Non-pollutant tolerant fish are being taken out by pollutant-tolerant fish,” Bannerman said. He recommended measures such as using alternatives to salt to remove ice from roads in addition to building roads that are more permeable for water.
The summit was sponsored by DuPage County, The Conservation Foundation, University of Illinois Extension, SCARCE and Benedictine University.
Information about this conference appeared in DailyHerald.com and SuburbanChicagoNews.com (Naperville Sun) on Jan. 9, 2009. Video of the conference appeared on MySuburbanLife.com on Jan. 13, 2009. See and read more about the conference on the websites linked above.