John Lippert

1 month ago | chicagotribune.com | John Lippert

The Minooka data center would take up to 340 acres, or slightly more than Chicago’s Grant Park. It would need 3 million gallons of water a day. That’s a third of all the drinkable water Minooka will be allowed to draw from a $1.54 billion pipeline it’s building with five other towns to access Lake Michigan water through Chicago. It would need a 700-megawatt supply of electricity, enough for half of Chicago’s households.

2 months ago | chicagotribune.com | John Lippert

Chicago is building what climate scientists say could be the country’s best system for monitoring tailpipe pollution from diesel trucks.But even though the air monitors have arrived, the city doesn’t expect to finish installing them for another year. Meanwhile, community members who are supposed to help operate the network and disseminate the findings are being asked to work for free when funding runs out.

2 months ago | chicagotribune.com | John Lippert

In 2023, O’Hare International Airport and its screaming jet engines were Chicago’s biggest single source of carbon dioxide, accounting for one-tenth of the city’s total. Half of Chicago’s CO2 came from a transportation system choked with cross-country freight and the worst traffic congestion in the United States. Only an eighth of the city’s CO2 came from industry, and almost none from generating electricity. These are highlights from a first-of-its-kind computer model from Crosswalk Labs.

Dec 9, 2024 | chicagotribune.com | John Lippert

Jennifer Walling runs an organization that speaks for over 100 environmental groups in Springfield. Marc Poulos is a political quarterback for organized labor. Both say they could do more to protect Illinois’ environment if they took fewer potshots at each other. Last weekend, they flew to Germany as part of a civic delegation looking for clues on fixing Chicago’s battered mass transit system. They’re also seeking common ground on crumbling highways, leaky natural gas pipelines and smoky tailpipes.

Oct 23, 2024 | chicagotribune.com | John Lippert

When environmental groups asked the Illinois Pollution Control Board to impose a California-style mandate for electric cars and trucks, the primary legal pushback didn’t come from traditional foes such as ExxonMobil. It came from within the inner sanctum of the Illinois Democratic Party. In a counterstrike, Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers filed a motion in August to dismiss the electric vehicle petition.