Baumhart in the News
See where Baumhart Center faculty and staff, as well as Baumhart Scholars and their mentors, have been featured in the media.
January 15, 2025
First federal Environmental Justice Officer reflects on Biden administration and what’s next
The Biden administration is credited with the most sweeping climate legislation in history, but environmental justice was also at the fore.
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December 18, 2024
Monarch butterflies could be added to the Endangered Species list. What does that mean for us in Illinois?
Monarch butterflies are the most iconic butterfly, with their bright orange and black markings, but their populations are threatened by climate change and habitat loss.
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December 4, 2024
Thinking of going from gas to electric? We find out what it would take to make the switch
Switching from gas to electric can lower bills in the long term. But the process can be confusing – and expensive.
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November 20, 2024
Trump’s cabinet picks vow to push for ‘energy dominance’ over climate goals
The Interior Department will create a new body, the National Energy Council, to pursue these goals.
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October 29, 2024
What a Trump or Harris presidency could mean for climate, the environment and energy in the Chicago area
Presidents help shape how the nation — and the Chicago area — take on climate change, environmental regulation and energy policy.
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September 25, 2024
Sensors in Chicago’s rivers could tell you whether it’s safe to kayak, swim
Through concerted advocacy, legislation, and monitoring, the health of the rivers have improved dramatically since the days of “Bubbly Creek.”
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September 11, 2024
Chicago to host inaugural Urban Birding Festival
Chicago sits on an important migratory path for birds and about 400 people are registered for the festival.
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August 28, 2024
How Trump, Harris climate policies could affect Chicago
With the two political conventions behind us, we take a look at the candidates' records on climate issues. And how they could play locally.
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August 14, 2024
Can turning trash into jet fuel make air travel more sustainable?
Flights cause 2-3% of the world’s carbon emissions. Airlines say they aim to slash this and reach net zero by 2050.
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July 31, 2024
How cloud computing causes environmental harm
So much of our digital lives relies on data centers that could use up to 9% of electricity in the U.S. by 2030.
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July 17, 2024
‘Plastic Free July’ aims to reduce waste and tackle pollution
The movement is as much about lobbying corporations and governments as it is about individual responsibility.
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June 4, 2024
Chicago to Mars: Zooniverse invites you to discover your inner scientist
From identifying urban wildlife to monitoring the stars, the Zooniverse program at Adler Planetarium offers dozens of options.
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May 21, 2024
Who wins during Cicada Eruption 2024? It turns out it’s the caterpillars
The Midwest is seeing the biggest cicada event in over a century.
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May 8, 2024
Climate change is a threat to freshwater. Chicagoans are working on solutions.
Multiple players are coming together to do this under the banner of the blue economy in Chicago.
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April 24, 2024
Openlands to plant its 10,000th tree on public land on Arbor Day
Openlands promotes community forestry with the TreeKeepers program which serves as a gateway for learning about the environment.”
April 10, 2024
Evanston high school is the third in the nation to pass a ‘Green New Deal’
The policy champions renewable energy practices and climate education.
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March 27, 2024
Can AI and drones help save the rainforests?
Artificial intelligence tech can help track the changing populations of plants, insects, birds and frogs species in tropical rainforests.
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March 13, 2024
Chicago’s Builders Vision invests in climate solutions for energy, agriculture and our oceans
Local heir to the Walmart fortune, Lukas Walton, founded Builders Vision to address environmental challenges.
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February 1, 2024
Can Chicago’s power grid handle a move from natural gas to electric in homes?
An ordinance introduced in City Council in January would ban gas hookups in most new buildings in Chicago.
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January 18, 2024
How your investments can benefit the environment
Whether you’re investing in a retirement plan, mutual funds or other financial instruments, there are ways to keep the environment in mind.
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January 4, 2024
Jalonne White-Newsome is the White House’s first environmental justice officer
This position is part of the Biden administration’s work to prioritize environmental justice in addition to meeting climate goals.
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December 7, 2023
Illinois scientists are fighting invasive fish with AI and unmanned kayaks
Invasive species like bighead carp are damaging wetlands and fisheries in Illinois, but a high-tech innovation could solve the problem.
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November 9, 2023
Chicago’s efforts to remove lead service lines get a boost
The EPA granted Chicago a $336 million loan to remove lead service lines.
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October 26, 2023
Moving from eco-distress to resilience
Therapists are pushing the mental health field to become more climate aware.
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September 28, 2023
More people blaming climate change for extreme weather events, new poll shows
Planet Earth experienced the hottest summer on record in 2023. Featuring Baumhart Center director, Karen Weigert.
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September 12, 2023
Prime Minister of the Bahamas on efforts to slow climate change
The UN warns that countries have an ever-narrowing window of time to lower emissions. Featuring Baumhart Center director Karen Weigert.
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September 11, 2023
Prime Minister Davis says 'thank you' to Chicago
Bahamas Prime Minister Philip E. Davis spent two days visiting Chicago, which included a spirited roundtable at Loyola University advocating for more action on climate change.
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September 1, 2023
Baumhart Director Karen Weigert appointed to the Board of the Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund
The nonprofit fund prioritizes the provision of capital, such as low-interest and zero-interest loans, for renewable energy projects to Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and businesses serving low-income, environmental justice, and Black and Brown communities.
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August 31, 2023
How clean workforce hubs could train new workers, meet climate goals
Governor Pritzker has allocated $34 million to start 13 clean workforce hubs throughout Illinois. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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August 17, 2023
Youth climate activists scored a major win in Montana. Could Illinois be next?
A Montana judge ruled in favor of young people’s constitutional right to a ‘healthful environment.’ Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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August 3, 2023
Meet the citizen scientists mapping Chicago’s heat inequities
Hundreds of Chicagoans registered to volunteer their time to measure temperatures and humidity. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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July 20, 2023
What needs to happen to protect the air we breathe?
Experts share tips for what can be done to reduce air pollution and the health issues that it can cause. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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June 7, 2023
Chicago’s cottonwood problem: What’s up with the fluffy stuff?
Cottonwood trees are going through a “mast seeding” event. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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May 25, 2023
The EPA’s proposed regulations could clean up the nation’s power grid
The agency says the new proposed standards could curb carbon dioxide emissions by more than 600 million metric tons through 2042. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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May 11, 2023
How will the Johnson administration tackle environmental justice and climate issues?
Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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April 27, 2023
How laundry is polluting in the world’s oceans and lakes
Clothes and bedding are responsible for an estimated 35% of the microplastic pollution in oceans across the globe. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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April 13, 2023
Our love of new clothes is harming the planet. Here’s how we can change that.
People are buying more clothes than ever before but are wearing them for half the time. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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March 30, 2023
Bison and prescribed burns are critical to health of tall grass prairie
Bison are the largest land mammal in North America, and their grazing patterns help insects, birds and small mammals thrive. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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March 16, 2023
Chicago leads in global conservation efforts
Two institutions in the Chicago area have been named Centers for Species Survival by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
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March 2, 2023
How a carbon-eating microbe can fight climate change
Sustainably made products are often more expensive than their commodity counterparts. But LanzaTech is hoping to make those products more accessible with their special microbe technology. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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February 16, 2023
What would happen if Chicago leaders brought back the Department of Environment?
The department was disbanded under the Emanuel administration in 2012. Most mayoral candidates are in favor of reviving it. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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January 19, 2023
Why are people fighting over stoves?
About 38% of homes in the U.S. have gas stoves. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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January 5, 2023
Climate stories to watch in 2023
A look at what are likely to be the biggest stories of the year related to sustainability and the environment. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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December 15, 2022
Tips and info about heat pumps and their green benefits
They can help consumers save money as well as reduce our reliance on natural gas, which has environmental benefits. Featuring director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MORENovember 17, 2022
Meet the people behind Bronzeville’s Omni Ecosystems
Dig deeper into efforts to cultivate living landscapes in manmade environments like the roofs of buildings across the city, and why reconnecting with nature is so important. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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December 5, 2022
She's taking on the Procter & Gambles of the world
Crain's Chicago Business featured Baumhart Scholar faculty member Kate Jakubas and her planet-friendly chemical solutions she's been manufacturing in her small plant on the Near West Side since 2015.
READ MORENovember 17, 2022
How one of the nation’s first microgrids powers IIT in Bronzeville
The Illinois Institute of Technology is practicing what it preaches with a state-of-the-art microgrid that powers and protects the campus. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MORENovember 17, 2022
Seeking environmental justice on Chicago’s South Side
Some neighborhoods on the South Side have long had pollution from heavy industries operating nearby. Reset takes stock of the problem. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MORENovember 10, 2022
Will rich countries help poor countries? Takeaways from COP27 climate conference
As greenhouse emissions rise, world leaders are holding their annual meeting to create a plan to slow global warming and climate change. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MOREOctober 27, 2022
What if every Chicagoan could get their produce from a local urban farm?
Advocates say more urban farms and community gardens would help Chicago become less reliant on produce from faraway places. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MOREOctober 13, 2022
How Illinois farmers are fighting climate change
Farmers in Illinois are adopting strategies like no-till, crop cover, and installing constructed wetlands to reduce carbon emissions and water pollution. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MORESeptember 29, 2022
Chicago makes it easier for some homes to ditch gas, switch to electric
Homes and small businesses are responsible for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Featuring Baumhart director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MORESeptember 15, 2022
Do you know what’s in your drinking water?
Recent studies find that PFAS, a type of forever chemicals, are everywhere, but how do you reduce your exposure? Featuring Baumhart director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MORESeptember 2, 2022
Flooding in Chicago basements is a common and systemic problem
Some residents say they experience flooding throughout the spring and summer.
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September 15, 2022
Chicago Plan Commission approves renovation of old warehouse into solar-powered apartments
Director Karen Weigert speaks to the Chicago Tribune about a plan to renovate a vacant warehouse building in the Armour Square neighborhood on the South Side into dozens of solar-powered apartments.
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August 29, 2022
Looking for your dream job? You might already be building it.
Director Karen Weigert talks to GreenBiz about finding a career in the field of sustainability.
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August 15, 2022
Crain's Chicago: People on the Move
Crain's Chicago Business featured director Karen Weigert in their section, People on the Move.
READ MOREAugust 4, 2022
There’s a historic climate deal in the Senate. But is it enough?
After backing out of several previous climate bills, Sen. Joe Manchin from West Virginia agreed to a compromise. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MOREJuly 21, 2022
What’s behind record-setting temperatures across the globe?
A devastating heat wave is rolling through Europe, leading to fires and deaths linked to extreme temperatures. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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July 21, 2022
Merging profit and purpose for climate change
Director Karen Weigert talks to Reuters' Sustainable Switch newsletter about the extraordinary heat waves in the U.S. and Europe.
READ MOREJuly 7, 2022
What to know before buying an electric vehicle in Illinois
As of July 1, Illinois residents are now eligible to apply for a rebate for purchasing a new or used electric vehicle or motorcycle. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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July 6, 2022
Clarity, Climate and Principles: Aligning Social and Economic Value Through Finance
Professor Swasti Gupta-Mukherjee, who won the 2021 Aspen Institute Ideas Worth Teaching Award, was recently featured in the institute’s newsletter. Her course, “Finance for A Sustainable World,” was developed for the Baumhart Scholars MBA Program.
READ MOREJune 23, 2022
The Supreme Court could change the EPA’s ability to regulate power plant emissions
The Supreme Court will soon rule on a case that could create roadblocks in the fight against climate change. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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June 22, 2022
Could Growing Green Businesses Mean Growing Environmental Solutions?
"Growing the Funding for Nature," a virtual power chat in our 2022 Leading for Good conference, was profiled by Better.
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June 13, 2022
Sustainability is a business opportunity
Karen Weigert, director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility, discusses how to reframe sustainability as a business opportunity.
LEARN MOREJune 9, 2022
Taking on carbon emissions in the workplace
From building retrofitting to certifying products as carbon neutral, advocates are working on many strategies to eliminate carbon emissions. Featuring Baumhart Director Karen Weigert.
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June 8, 2022
Cook County Desirable Destination Amid Climate Change Study Says
Karen Weigert, director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility, discussed what Chicago must consider related to climate change.
WATCHMay 26, 2022
Bronzeville company is bringing green roofs, ‘living walls’ to Chicago
Omni Ecosystems is using cost-effective ways to create more sustainable green spaces in the city. Featuring Baumhart Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MOREMay 17, 2022
Chicago entrepreneurs help kick off Leading for Good conference at Loyola
This year’s conference features a number of virtual power chats and in-person events for executives and rising leaders.
LEARN MOREMay 12, 2022
Thirty years of river stewardship has changed public perception of Chicago’s waterway
The Chicago River was once so polluted with waste from the city’s meatpacking industry that parts of the river earned the name “Bubbly Creek.” Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
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May 23, 2022
Roundtable on Business and Sustainability
Leaders are increasingly facing expectations to deliver financial value with societal and environmental impact for all their stakeholders. To make that happen, they’ll need to strengthen their sustainability DNA.
READ MOREApril 28, 2022
Trees, wetlands play key role in mitigating climate change
Experts say agriculture and the development of homes, shops and roads has led to the decline of wetlands and large-diameter trees. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MOREApril 14, 2022
How you can address the global biodiversity crisis from here in Chicago
As natural areas decline across the world, small patches of nature in highly developed areas play an outsized role in climate adaptation. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
LEARN MOREMarch 17, 2022
Sanctions on Russian oil and gas are an opportunity to switch to renewable energy
Will world leaders take the opportunity? Karen Weigert, director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility, talks with Reset about the sustainability implications of sanctions on Russia.
LEARN MOREMarch 3, 2022
One Earth Film Festival hopes environmental films will move you to action
Karen Weigert, director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility, is the sustainability contributor for WBEZ's Reset show. Listen to her first appearance on the show as the Baumhart Center director.
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February 15, 2024
Women-led Chicago firm is pouring millions into climate-tech startups
Buoyant Ventures is investing $76 million in what it calls “digital solutions to climate change.” Reset checks in with its co-founder.
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February 29, 2024
Where you bank can (indirectly) lead to climate change
Banks can use the money in your accounts to lend to carbon-intensive industries. But there are ways to say “no.”
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