Hello Fellow DG Residents,

There is a troubling void in environmental leadership in Downers Grove.

Neighboring towns have active environmental commissions that report to their town councils (La Grange and Westmont being great examples). These commissions are helping their towns' develop programs such as recycling events, "No Mow May," habitat preservation, composting, clean energy, Earth Day celebrations, and more. By contrast, The Village of Downers Grove used to have an active environmental commission. However, it was made inoperative as of January 2020. Additionally, our neighboring towns have joined the "Greenest Region Compact," (it's something like the Paris Climate Accords but on a local level). Mayor Bob Barnett said no to membership. We have a void where there should be environmental leadership in Downers Grove. Let's petition the Mayor and the Village Council to reinstate our town's Environmental Commission. Will you join us in this effort? See petition - with footnotes - below. 

Petition developed by DG Residents: Louise Kelly, Carol Richart, Julia Coen, Sue Rhodes, Lisa Pocius MD, Jessica Nastal PhD, and Hanna Auza.

Petition for Environmental Action by Downers Grove Village Council

Whereas:

• Climate change is accelerating (1) due largely to human activities which result in greenhouse gas emissions,
• Humankind has the intelligence and ability to mitigate the warming,
• The efforts of a whole community working together can make a larger impact than just a few (2),
• Neighboring communities are leading the way in these efforts (3),
• Downers Grove has motivated and informed citizens prepared to encourage the community to act,

We, the concerned residents of Downers Grove,

Request the Downers Grove Village Council to: 

• Re-commission the current EEC (Environmental Concerns Commission), which now only serves when the Council has a particular need (4), to a commission which advises the Council of actions this community can take to mitigate climate change.
• Reclassify this commission as one that meets every month and creates new business.
• Re-name the commission to better reflect its new purpose: The Environmental Improvement Commission. 

FOOTNOTES

1. Climate change is accelerating and has a significant impact on temperature, precipitation, and air quality; resulting in increased human illness, harm to wildlife, infrastructure decline, agricultural and environmental distress, and economic turmoil.

2. By the same token, more communities working together multiply the impact. One local example is the Greenest Region Compact, established by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, which promotes the collaboration of communities on sustainability. 

3. Westmont, Naperville, La Grange, and Aurora, among many other neighboring communities, have environmental commissions that actively work with their town councils and communities to promote sustainability; for example, promoting native plantings in both public and private landscapes, promoting composting among citizens and businesses, reducing or discontinuing the use of plastic bags, spotlighting businesses that aim for zero waste, promoting energy efficiency, and moving toward renewable energy sources.  

4. According to the Village Website, the ECC meets once a month; However, the same page indicates their last meeting was January of 2020. The Village should consult this commission  on key decisions such as membership to the Greenest Region Compact, to which the following neighboring communities and associations belong:

   Westmont
   Lisle
   Oak Brook
   Bolingbrook
   Darien
   Willowbrook
   La Grange
   Naperville
   Aurora
   As well as the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference