Stories by alex ruppenthal

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza, 10th Ward, speaks during a press conference Wednesday at Urban Growers Collective's farm in South Chicago. (Alex Ruppenthal / Chicago Tonight)

Urban Farming Program Marks 10,000 Customers Served

An urban farming program that started barely two years ago with 7 acres of land near a former steel mill celebrated a milestone Wednesday.

(jokevanderleij8 / Pixabay)

New Law Aims to Increase Use of Compost in Illinois

A bill signed into law this week seeks to incorporate composted soil into state-funded landscaping projects. 

(Linda from Chicago / Creative Commons)

Rauner Vetoes Bill to Create Urban Agriculture Zones in Illinois

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday vetoed a bill that advocates say would have boosted urban agriculture efforts in Chicago and other cities across the state.

(Flickr / TexasGOPVote.com)

Emanuel, AG Madigan Rip EPA Proposal to ‘Censor’ Scientific Research

Former EPA chief Scott Pruitt said his proposal would increase transparency, but opponents say it will keep certain scientific studies out of the hands of EPA decision-makers and addresses “a ‘problem’ that does not exist.”

Field Museum ichthyologist Susan Mochel talks with visitors at the museum's ID Day in 2017. (Courtesy Field Museum)

Field Museum Expands Popular ‘ID Day’ for Mystery Objects

More scientists will be on hand next month to examine specimens and artifacts brought in by visitors, including staff specializing in zoology, paleontology, geology, ichthyology (also known as fish science) and more.

(Courtesy Shedd Aquarium)

The Aquatic Life of Shedd Photographer Brenna Hernandez

She is Shedd’s only full-time photographer, capturing images of the aquarium’s 32,000 animals from both in and out of the water. A conversation with Brenna Hernandez.

Ivory seized Feb. 2, 2018 from poachers convicted of killing 11 elephants in and around Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo. (Z. Labuschagne / Wildlife Conservation Society)

New Illinois Law Bans Sale of Ivory, Rhinoceros Horn

As part of a growing movement to undermine the bloody practice of elephant and rhino poaching, Illinois has become the ninth state to ban the sale of ivory and rhino horn.

(Free-Photos / Pixabay)

Revised Law Frees Police in Illinois to Rescue Suffering Cats and Dogs

A recently passed revision to Illinois’ Humane Care for Animals Act clarifies the right of police to take custody of dogs or cats suffering from extreme heat, cold or other life-threatening conditions. 

(Courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo)

Lincoln Park Zoo Takes Urban Wildlife Program Global

A groundbreaking program to study urban wildlife using a network of motion-triggered cameras is expanding to Canada and South Africa. 

(Frank McNamara / Flickr)

Scientists Discover 2 New Non-Native Species in Great Lakes

Researchers from Cornell University and the EPA are raising concerns about the potential impact of recently discovered non-invasive species on the overall health of the Great Lakes.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin holds a press conference Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018 in front of S.H. Bell’s industrial facility along the Calumet River on the city’s Southeast Side. (Chicago Tonight)

Durbin Urges EPA to Expand Manganese Monitoring on Southeast Side

After touring Chicago’s industry-dominated Southeast Side on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin pressed the Environmental Protection Agency to increase monitoring of brain-damaging manganese dust. 

(Anne Brooke / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Assessing the Health of Chicago-Area Bats – Using Their Poop

As part of a relatively new Lincoln Park Zoo project, guano from bats across the Chicago area is collected and tested for levels of cortisol, an indicator of stress. 

(Jim Schulz / Chicago Zoological Society)

Baby Porcupine is First of its Kind Born at Brookfield Zoo

A porcupette, or baby porcupine, was born last month at Brookfield Zoo and is being hand-reared by the zoo’s animal care and veterinary staff. 

(Pxhere.com)

Chicago Proposes 3 New Dog Parks on South Side

Chicago purports to be a dog-friendly city, but when it comes to dog parks, there is a huge discrepancy between the city’s North and South sides. What one dog-lover is doing to change that.

(Courtesy Friends of the Chicago River)

New ‘Bat Condo’ is 6th to Be Installed in Cook County

The structures, which look like doghouses without doors or windows, rest atop 12-foot stilts and can accommodate as many as 2,000 bats. Is this the year the bats will move in?

A staff member stocks the shelves of the food pantry at the Airman Family Readiness Center at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. (U.S. Air Force photo By Airman 1st Class Carlin Leslie)

Bill to Help Illinois Agencies Donate Leftover Food Signed Into Law

A new law aims to make it easier for state agencies in Illinois to donate leftover food, which advocates say will help reduce waste and feed hungry residents.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (Chicago Tonight file photo)

Illinois to Sue Trump EPA Over Rollback of Clean Car Rules

In a joint statement released Thursday, attorneys general from nearly 20 states, including Illinois, said weakening the so-called clean car rules would cause Americans to breathe dirtier air and pay higher gas prices.

Four-week-old kittens are fed at Chicago Animal Care and Control (Alex Ruppenthal / Chicago Tonight)

You Found a Baby Animal on Your Chicago Block. Now What?

Residents who come across young animals in the city often think they’ve been abandoned. But that’s rarely the case. Learn how to respond when you spot kittens or other baby animals on your block. 

Promontory Point (John Picken / Flickr)

10 Outdoor Spots to Unwind and De-Stress in Chicago

Despite its moniker as “The City that Works,” Chicago features plenty of places to get away from the city’s hustle and bustle. Here are 10 spots to zen out in the city this summer.

Southeast Side residents hold a press conference Monday, July 30, 2018 in front of General Iron’s scrap metal yard in Lincoln Park. (Alex Ruppenthal / Chicago Tonight)

‘We Don’t Want Your Trash’: Residents Protest General Iron’s Move to Southeast Side

General Iron announced plans earlier this month to move its scrap metal yard from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side, where residents are concerned about the company’s environmental track record.

A synthetically fossilized lizard foot created by Field Museum scientists who recently developed a way to simulate key parts of the fossilization process. (Courtesy Field Museum)

Field Museum Scientist Develops ‘Easy-Bake Fossil’

Fossils typically take tens of millions of years to develop, but a Chicago scientist recently helped discover a new way to simulate the fossilization process in a lab – in just 24 hours.

(Courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science)

Illinois Gets ‘D’ Grade in New Report Evaluating Renewable Energy Standards

A new report from an environmental advocacy group criticizes Illinois and more than two dozen other states for adopting renewable energy plans that allow for dirty energy sources. 

The SamurAI sorting robot, manufactured by Canada’s Machinex Technologies. (Courtesy Lakeshore Recycling Systems)

Chicago Company Installs ‘Self-Aware’ Robot That Sorts Recycling

Chicago-based Lakeshore Recycling System is the first company in the U.S. to install a new “self-aware” machine that sorts through recycled materials. 

A glider truck (Jeremy Rempel / Flickr)

Illinois Sues EPA Over Pruitt’s Loophole for ‘Super Polluting’ Trucks

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has joined her counterparts in 14 states in suing the EPA over its suspension of a rule that limits the number of highly polluting trucks on the nation's roads. 

Opening day on April 25, 2018, of the McDonald’s restaurant inside the company’s new West Loop headquarters.

Chicago Advocates Call Out McDonald’s for Treatment of Chickens

Animal welfare advocates will gather next week at McDonald's new West Loop headquarters to present a petition with more than 200,000 signatures calling on the company to improve conditions for chickens in its supply chain. 

The Northwestern-built Micro-X rocket will carry a high-powered X-ray device to capture unprecedented images of astronomical objects. (Northwestern University / Instagram)

Northwestern Rocket Launches Sunday to Explore ‘Star Stuff’

Scientists are preparing to launch a rocket in New Mexico that’s equipped with a new high-powered device that will capture unprecedented images of astronomical objects.