Volume 1997    Issue 4

Illinois Life: An Environmental Testament

Eric T. Freyfogle^*

This essay was prepared at the request of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), an organization that serves as the central voice in the Illinois state capital for state-based environmental groups. Now a quarter-century old, the IEC advocates for informed and forward-looking decision making by government. It calls for public policies that give due weight to the land community, as well as for greater involvement by citizens in matters affecting their natural environment. One of the educational aims of the IEC is to help Illinois citizens better understand what environmentalism is all about. This essay, a part of that educational effort, surveys for diverse audiences more or less the whole field of environmental thought in the United States, with a particular focus on issues facing Midwestern farm states like Illinois. The assignment was an ambitious one, overly so really, given the breadth, diversity, and dynamism that characterizes the environmental movement. Inevitably, the synthesis reflects the personal interpretations of the author, Professor Eric T. Freyfogle.

* Max L. Rowe Professor of Law, University of Illinois, and Chair of the Policy and Legislation Committee of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC)

Although prepared on behalf of and for use by IEC, this essay represents the personal synthesis of the author; it is not an official IEC policy statement. Members of the IEC Board contributed valuable ideas and comments that improved this essay. Comments were also offered by Donna Becker, Clark Bullard, John Gilpin, Bruce Hannon, and Greg McIsaac. Without their help this essay would have been less accurate and otherwise weaker, and I thank them for their help. None of them is responsible for what is written here, and--indicative of the variation in environmental thought--probably none would agree with everything said.