Environmental
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Why your power bill is spiking faster than a nearby data center’s
Jan 15, 2026 2:38 pm - Over the past few years, millions of Americans have seen their electricity bills skyrocket. Since February 2020, electricity prices have increased by an average of 40% across the country. In some areas, the rate is even faster — in Washington, D.C., electricity costs increased 93% from July 2020 to July 2025.
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Don’t trash that battery: Rechargeables and others being accepted for recycling under new state lawJan 11, 2026 8:45 pm - With the groundwork for a new state law done and mechanisms in place, consumers now have places to take batteries rather than have them rolling around in kitchen drawers or gathering dust in the garage.
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Satellite images reveal Venezuela’s massive methane problem
Jan 09, 2026 7:24 pm - Oil executives weighing a potential investment in Venezuela’s fields may want to check out the view from space. Satellites have detected enormous amounts of methane billowing from the country’s abandoned oil rigs, rusty pipelines and other dilapidated energy infrastructure.
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Environmental groups celebrate signing of energy reform
Jan 09, 2026 12:49 pm - Amid warnings of impending energy shortages, Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed a wide-ranging energy reform package into law aimed at bolstering the state’s power grids after years of negotiations.
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How home gardeners can lessen impacts of climate changeJan 08, 2026 9:56 am - How home gardeners can use nature-based solutions to lessen the impacts of a changing climate is the topic of Green Drinks Libertyville meeting Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Pizzeria de Ville, 404 N. Milwaukee Ave.
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Live music, tours and more highlight WinterFest at Volo Bog State Natural AreaJan 08, 2026 9:55 am - Live music and more will be featured at WinterFest from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11 at Volo Bog State Natural Area, 28478 W. Brandenburg Road, Ingleside.
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Why your holiday gift returns might go to a landfill and what you can do about it
Dec 30, 2025 3:16 pm - The busiest time of the year for product returns is just beginning. The National Retail Federation estimates 17% of holiday purchases will be sent back this year. These returns come with an environmental cost, but there's a lot consumers and companies are doing to minimize it.
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Nvidia gains, hospitals hurt: Congress winners and losers
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‘A small but real benefit’: Grayslake action cements the dissolution of a layer of governmentDec 19, 2025 10:18 pm - Eliminating a layer of government some taxpayers in the Grayslake area may not even have been aware of is more a philosophical victory but also has advantages, village leaders say.
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Illinois running low on power as AI data centers spike electricity demand
Dec 17, 2025 11:15 am - Illinois is running out of power. That’s the word from state analysts trying to figure out whether there are enough sources of electricity to keep the lights on in the coming years.