Letter: Invest in our planet

The COVID-19 pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine, the toll of inflation - the last few years have been filled with crises that have left many Americans feeling vulnerable.

As we continue to face this uncertainty, the theme of this year's Earth Day - Invest In Our Planet - could not be more important or timely. Investment in renewable energy makes us more secure: it reduces our reliance on global oil, it creates new green jobs and it ensures a cleaner environment. A report released by the University of California Berkeley argues that by 2035, 90 percent of the United States could be powered by renewable energy.

At the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, we are doing our part by managing stormwater, cleaning wastewater and recovering valuable resources for more than 12 million people each day. We support the economy via initiatives and infrastructure like the Lockport Powerhouse, which provides over $1 million in energy to our communities every year.

But it's not just the MWRD doing this work: the public has a role to play as well. That's why I have sought to make participating in our work easier for community members by introducing an online app that makes it more convenient for the public to report water pollution and protect the environment. There are several additional ways to celebrate Earth Day 2022 with the MWRD:

• Check out our rain barrel program that helps prevent sewer overflow and flooding

• Later this spring you can get free compost from our EQ Compost Program

• Plant a Tree through our Restore the Canopy program

• Protect our water by disposing of unwanted medicine through our Medication Disposal System

• Report incidents of pollution through our online app.

This Earth Day we all have an opportunity to invest in our planet and to invest in our future.

Mariyana Spyropoulos, Commissioner

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago