Daily Herald editorial: Please support our efforts to support a healthier environment
Tuesday marks the half-year mark in the Daily Herald's foray into regular climate reporting.
Reporter Jenny Whidden began her Daily Herald career June 6. She was hired through Report For America, an organization that looks to eradicate news deserts in the U.S. and to provide reporting on topics the organization feels don't get enough attention.
The state of the climate should be of concern to all of us, whether we'll be the ones living through the changes or it'll be our kids or grandkids who do. What we do now could have a profound effect on what kind of world we bequeath them.
Daily Herald editors pitched the idea of a climate reporter to RFA a year ago. We were lucky enough that RFA liked the idea and that Whidden, who grew up in Rolling Meadows, was happy to jump in.
What we set out to do is not doomsay but to educate readers about little known facts and promote environmentally friendly behaviors that might some of the greatest dangers posed to the habitability of our planet.
Right off the top, yes, we do buy into the science.
We've encouraged Whidden to find as many ways we as individuals and communities can do our part in combating climate change — the more tangible the better — with the hope that one of those stories might provide an epiphany to each reader.
Our intention is to write about how climate change might affect the suburbs — water, ecosystems, air quality, soil and agriculture — but also show examples of people, organizations and companies that are doing things right.
She has written dozens of stories about recycling, the green technology kids are learning about in school, winterizing your home, environmentally safe holiday decorating, electric vehicles, forever chemicals, among many more topics.
The stories that really struck a chord with members of the editorial board have been about: how every plastic bottle we add to landfills adds up — that stuff never biodegrades; how many of the types of plastic we throw in the recycling bin never get recycled; and about how microparticles of plastic end up in the water we drink. And that's just one topic.
One more thing about RFA: Report For America pays half the salary of a reporter's first year of employment and expects the news organization to fundraise for at least half the remainder. In the second year, RFA provides a third and the news organization must fundraise at least half the remainder.
That's why with every Jenny Whidden byline, we ask you to consider donating to the cause. That's why we ask you to help sponsor this valuable reporting today.
You can make a difference in how you interact with the environment but also in helping to educate everyone else how to do it.
• Jenny Whidden is a Report For America corps member covering climate change and the environment for the Daily Herald. To help support her work, click here to make a tax-deductible donation.