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The landscape industry is rife with environmental problems, but several big organizations are stepping up to change that. Prime among them is the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), a leading voice since 1959.

Download a free PDF version of this report to share with your colleagues and friends!

It’s no secret that the landscaping industry is one of the most problematic for the ecosphere, though it is sadly less talked-about than it should be. Even green roofing, ostensibly a purely environmental effort, adds to the issue.

Among the leading troubles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are higher pesticide concentrations in urban and suburban areas than agricultural ones. (If you’re gobsmacked by this, you’re not alone.)

Pesticide exposure – affecting non-target plants and humans alike – is also a major concern. As the EPA says, “more than 31,000 pesticide exposure incidents related to the use of pesticides on lawns were reported from 1995 to 2002.” And because people don’t know enough about these issues, they don’t know what to do instead.

For decades, the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association has striven to be a voice of change, fighting for the rights of the environment. Today, that message is more important than ever.

Recently, we were lucky enough to catch up with several members of the ILCA Sustainability and Ecological Landscape Committee to talk more about it.

That water pollution exists is hardly a state secret. What form it takes and what we should do about it, however, are facts a little less well-known. Here’s the skinny.

The Blue Planet got that name for a reason (and it’s not because it’s full of Democrats.)

Earth earned its moniker for the simple reason that it is largely composed of water – 71 percent, according to our good friends at NASA. It’s spread out across the oceans, lakes and rivers of the world, and trickles through soil, aquifers and Other Underground Spaces.

Sadly, that water is not as pure as it used to be. Not by a long shot.

Today, water pollution is one of the biggest issues we face, and solving it is crucial for the wellbeing of people, wildlife and the planet as a whole. As with most things, knowledge is the first step in becoming good stewards. Let’s take a look at where water pollution is found and what forms it takes today.

As our coastlines face increasing threats from climate change, threatening to submerge natural areas and displace people, a new bill proposes putting nature to work for change.

You already know we’re huge fans of nature. Walking in it. Barbecuing in it. Bathing in it, even. You get the picture.

Now it’s time to put nature to work protecting our shorelines, oceans, coastal inhabitants and wildlife.

How? Well, that’s just what the Living Shorelines Act proposes to answer. Before we look at that, though, let’s take a gander at why shoreline restoration is so important and the role nature plays in stormwater management.

Being a good Earthling sometimes feels impossible, but there are some surprisingly easy steps you can take to improve your environmental stewardship today. That’s why we’re giving you this Citizen Action Sheet for free!

Download our free checklist to share with family and friends today.

Okay, let’s just take a second and acknowledge: Do-gooders can be annoying.

Yes, even to those of us in the green roofing industry. When they ask about where our coffee came from, how our shoes were made, what kind of mileage our car gets, we become a little fussy. The temptation to reply snottily slowly rises – and sometimes, not so slowly.

Okay, but like, you want to say, what are YOU wearing right now? Is it a handmade coat of finest carbon-offset wool woven on a sustainably sourced bamboo loom using natural dyes that only exist as a byproduct of friendship and goodwill?

No? It’s not??

THEN SHUT UP.

... Ahem. Just us?

We thought not. The good news is, by integrating the following quick tips into your lifestyle, you can shut the invasive do-gooders up quick. (Though probably not for good. It’s best to live in reality.)

On a more serious note, we all have to live here. At the moment, this is the only planet we have. And while we’re not into climate alarmism, neither are we willing to stand by while our world warms due to human activities (that’s just science, people). Instead, we advocate rational steps in the direction of meaningful change that can aggregate over time.

CRAZY, WE KNOW.

If you want to be a good steward, you can start here. Ready to download your free Citizen Action Sheet today? All you have to do is click that link!

If you’ve ever strolled down the Lake Michigan shoreline, you know how impressive the Great Lakes can be. Cognitively, you understand it’s just a lake – a landlocked body of usually fresh, not salt, water – but the breadth and majesty of it might as well belong to an ocean.

This intuitive awe of the Great Lakes is even better deserved than you might think. These huge bodies of water comprise a whopping percentage of the Earth’s fresh water. Plus, they are a “strategic opportunity” to better Chicago’s economic standing – and the Midwest’s in general.

That’s not to say we should simply capitalize on a neighborhood resource. Rather, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our environment by doing right by the Great Lakes.

Let’s take a look in today’s spotlight.

If we have to rethink national parks to get more of them, should we? Some say yes.

If you thought the American National Park system was working just fine, thank you very much, think again.

And if you automatically want to curl your lip at the mention of Big Money, well, think again ... again.

Why? Because people with deep pockets are reassessing America’s lost wilderness areas and making some unusual plans to bring them back. In the coming centuries, global stewardship might require we think a little differently about The Wild With A Capital W, and the American Prairie Reserve is throwing that idea in sharp relief.

The American bison was one of North America’s proudest species, providing food and ecological services to the peoples that lived here. Today ... not so much, but that’s changing.

The American prairie once teemed with bison, but in the last several centuries, their numbers have plummeted to functionally extinct levels.

“About 150 years ago, nearly 30 million bison roamed the Great Plains until a mass slaughter began in the early 1800s,” explains Defenders of Wildlife (DOW). “By the late 1880s, fewer than 1,000 bison remained.”

We know, we know. It’s awful. Get a handkerchief and a donut, because you’re going to need some help getting through this.

But the story’s not all bad. Today, let’s put our spotlight on the American bison (Bison bison) and the role it’s playing in the movement toward a greener, more ecologically sound world.

Salt is a necessity for keeping roads clear in the wintertime ... or is it? And what is its use doing to our environment?

No one needs to tell you that salt is a wintertime go-to. Much like warm blankets and hot toddies, it just goes with the territory. (Wait, what is a hot toddy? Does anyone actually know?)

Anyway, salt. It’s everywhere this time of year. And while we’re definitely in favor of Not Sliding Off The Road To Your Death, we’re not so in favor of the environmental side effects of this annual chemical overload.

So what’s the deal with salt? And what can we do to be better Earthling stewards, even in winter? Let’s take a look.

If we want to understand climate change and all its facets, we must also understand the concept of lag.

Climate change is inescapable.

Yes, in that it’s real, and it’s coming for us. *cue grim music*

But more importantly, it’s “coming for us” in the sense that it is impossible to turn on a laptop or a phone without being bombarded by the calamitous prophecies of doom stemming from experts and fearmongers alike.

It’s time we cut through the BS and take a realistic look at climate change, from all angles.

First up, we’d just like to say that no, we’re not all going to die in a decade because of global warming. That’s absolute tripe and we’re tired of it. However, we do need to take into account the results of our actions in future – and how those results will carry forward even after we change our fossil-fuel-guzzling ways.

One of the most important facets being missed by many people is the concept of climate change lag. It is critical we understand this if we’re to have truly meaningful discussions about our planet’s climate and steward it properly in future.