The largest-impact governmental decisions to be made about our environmental emergency must come from the federal level, but we also have to act at the state, local, and individual level to save our planet.

In Illinois, we have an underused housing and industrial stock in many of our small towns; state policy should act to stem the abandonment of downstate for an ever-more-congested Chicagoland, and to encourage young people in particular to stay in or return to these communities. Policies that subsidize sprawl need to end.

We need to stop mad overbuilding that, in a mature metropolitan area, is rationalized by a false choice between outward sprawl and vertical sprawl. Instead, we need to re-localize economies, and consider the overall energy and resource-consumption impact of governmental policies and decisions, as well as "development."

Small farms aren't as profitable for large corporations, but they produce twice the food per acre as large farms, and employ more people; our state policy should aggressively protect and even restore the concept of family farm.

We must be vigilant that the concepts driving the passage of HB 1300, the Illinois Food, Farm, and Jobs Act, do not get bogged down like so much else in Springfield. Nor need we wait for the findings of a task force in late 2008 to begin action. Schools, governmental agencies, and large food purchasers can be directed, encouraged, or even subsidized to procure more local food.

There are now over 1500 community-supported agriculture communities in America; there aren't enough in Illinois. Illinois tax policy should encourage the creation of CSAs, as well as land trusts and nature conservancies.

We need to give further support to farmer's markets, including in Chicago, and should support urban farming on everywhere from vacant lots to rooftops, for ecological, economic, health, and cultural reasons.

Clean Water and Beaches

Illinois needs to be a vigilant steward of its special resources; that includes jealously guarding the water of the Great Lakes against diversion, and recognizing the enormous value of our deep topsoil. Our rivers and creeks need more protection against siltation, runoff, flow interruption, and invasive species of flora and fauna.

Sewer overflows and agricultural runoff pollute the Great Lakes and their tributaries. As bacteria and viruses multiply, the health of our families and our region’s beaches is jeopardized. The primary source of beach contamination in our area is sewage overflow. This is because our system is, in some areas, more than a hundred years old and burdened by populations never envisioned when the system was first built. In rural areas, aging septic systems can leak, causing waste to overflow into our lakes, rivers and streams. We must minimize the impact of new development and incorporate smarter means for managing waste.

--Without proper planning, new buildings are connected to a system that is already struggling to treat levels of waste. We can significantly reduce overflows by ensuring that new developments plan appropriately for sewage and treatment needs.

--Require developers to pay for proper sewer pipes, holding tanks and other treatment devices. New development must be contingent upon first building enough capacity in the sewer system.

--Incorporate native grasses and other soft landscapes that hold water during heavy rains. Concrete, asphalt, and other surfaces force storm water into sewers. This increases the risk of overloading a sewer system.

--Collect rainwater in barrels to use on lawns and gardens. Besides reducing consumption of city water, reusing runoff in this way acts to filter and return the water to the ground without added strains the sewers.

Building and Living Green

--State policies must encourage smarter building practices. Couple new technology with a better material and recovery functions to construct high-quality buildings that help conserve resources and use energy efficiently.

--State policies must encourage smarter personal practices. Utilities in Illinois are obliged to develop a renewal energy portfolio. We can augment these improvements by incorporating simple changes in our own homes to reduce energy consumption.

--Use TIF funds to drive green development. Seed neighborhood cooperatives for renewable energy, recycling, and community-supported gardening.

--Reduce taxes and city sticker fees for hybrid and other high MPG automobiles.