Baumhart in the News

January 2025

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

December 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

November 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

October 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

September 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.”

August 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

July 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  ‘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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

June 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

May 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

April 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  Evanston high school is the third in the nation to pass a ‘Green New Deal’
  The policy champions renewable energy practices and climate education.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.”

March 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

February 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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."
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

January 2024

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

December 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

November 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  Chicago’s efforts to remove lead service lines get a boost
  The EPA granted Chicago a $336 million loan to remove lead service lines.

October 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  Moving from eco-distress to resilience
  Therapists are pushing the mental health field to become more climate aware.

September 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• Bahamas Chronicle
  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.

August 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

July 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

June 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  Chicago’s cottonwood problem: What’s up with the fluffy stuff?Cottonwood trees are going through a “mast seeding” event. Featuring director Karen Weigert.

May 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  How will the Johnson administration tackle environmental justice and climate issues?
  Featuring director Karen Weigert.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

April 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

March 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

February 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

January 2023

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  Why are people fighting over stoves?
  About 38% of homes in the U.S. have gas stoves. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

December 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

November 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

October 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

September 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  Flooding in Chicago basements is a common and systemic problem
  Some residents say they experience flooding throughout the spring and summer.
• Chicago Tribune
  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.

August 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• Crain's Chicago
  Crain's Chicago: People on the Move
  Crain's Chicago Business featured director Karen Weigert in their section, People on the Move.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

July 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• Reuters
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• Aspen Institute
  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.

June 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  The Supreme Court could change the EPA’s ability to regulate power plant emissionsThe Supreme Court will soon rule on a case that could create roadblocks in the fight against climate change. Featuring Director Karen Weigert.
• Better Magazine
  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.
• Entrepreneur
  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.
• Chicago Tonight
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

May 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• Crain's Chicago Business
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

April 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.

March 2022

• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.
• WBEZ/Chicago Public Media
  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.