Blog & Updates
Where do Oak Park President and Trustee Candidates stand on climate action?
On Monday, March 10th, Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN), Bike Walk Oak Park, It’s Our Future, Interfaith Green Network, and Seven Generation Ahead held the final candidate forum for Oak Park President and Trustee candidates. It was the first-ever candidate forum focusing on climate action and active transportation policy in Oak Park. Over 100 people attended, and candidates shared their stances and records on the most pressing issues facing our Village and planet.
Where do the D200 and D97 School Board Candidates stand on climate action?
Oak Park is having a local election on April 1st, 2025. In addition to Township, Library, Parks, Village Board and the Village President seats, School District 200 (high school) and 97 (Elementary) candidates will be up for election.
Action on climate change must happen at all levels of government. That is why, this election cycle, OPCAN held a Village Trustee and President candidate forum on climate action and active transportation.
To help inform Oak Park voters, we have also sent a candidate questionnaire on climate action to all D200 and D97 candidates.
How to Save the Planet and Save Money, Too
Taking climate change into account in your everyday life is a lofty task, but very possible, and often this incorporation also improves your health, wealth, and quality of life. It can be a struggle to know where to begin because of how deeply fossil fuels are integrated into what we buy, where we live, and how we get around. But OPCAN members are here to provide guidance.
March 10: Candidates Forum on Climate, Sustainability and Active Transportation
OPCAN, Bike Walk Oak Park (BWOP), Seven Generations Ahead (SGA), and It’s Our Future invite you and your neighbors to join us at a Candidates Forum for Oak Park Board President and Trustees on March 10th at 7pm at the Community Recreation Center’s (CRC) Community Room. Please join us and ensure our climate values are given voice during this local election!
Clean Energy Open Houses - March 9 & April 6
See what your Oak Park neighbors are doing to power their homes cleaner, safer, cheaper, and greener!
Check out heat pump HVAC and hot water systems, induction stoves, solar arrays, and more in 6 Oak Park homes.
Green Up Your Finances
There are a lot of things you can do around the house to lower your carbon emissions: getting your energy from renewable sources, making your home more energy-efficient, and replacing fossil fuel appliances with clean electric options. But one thing you might not be considering is your daily financial choices.
Oak Park Expands Energy Efficiency Grants Program by $500k
With a surplus in 2024’s budget, the Oak Park Trustees voted on Dec. 3, 2024, to increase the sustainability budget in the new year. The additional $500,000 will be allocated to the Energy Efficiency Grants Program, enabling Oak Park residents to cut utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Considering the previous grant budget of ~$250,000 has consistently been used to the fullest extent for several years, this very welcome increase allows not only for more home retrofits but also for more technical assistance for residents along the way.
How we started and run our neighbor-to-neighbor Climate Coach program
In March of 2024, OPCAN launched our all volunteer Climate Coach program in partnership with the Village of Oak Park. Since then, we have connected over 80 Oak Park residents to neighbors who have installed solar panels, upgraded to heat pumps, switched to an induction stove, planted a native garden, or otherwise green-ified their homes.
The impact and success of this program, which was documented in a recent 6-month report, has led to a lot of interest by climate groups outside of Oak Park to start their own programs. This blog post is for them!
Recap: Bringing Clean Energy Home to Oak Park
On Monday, Dec 9th, OPCAN hosted a packed event at the Oak Park Community Recreation Center called “Bringing Clean Energy Home to Oak Park”. The overall theme of the event: switching from natural gas (otherwise known as methane gas) to electricity is safer, lowers your utility bills, and fights climate change. The clean energy transition is already underway, and Oak Park and Illinois are leaders in helping to accelerate it!
Save the date: Dec 9 - Bringing Clean Energy Home to Oak Park
We invite you to join us on December 9th at 7pm at the CRC in Oak Park to discuss the future of local climate action! Join local and statewide climate leaders to learn how recent policies are accelerating the transition to clean energy in our State and Village and learn how your household can take positive steps toward fighting climate change.
OPCAN presentation on Climate Coaches to the Oak Park Village Board
On Oct 8th 2024, members of Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN) gave a presentation on our Climate Coach program to the Oak Park Village Board. In the presentation, we shared how the program works, the kinds of requests we’ve received, and the impact of the program over the 6 months since it was launched.
6 Months of Climate Coaches
The Climate Coach program is 6 months old! A group of OPCAN Members met with the Village of Oak Park on Sept 12 to discuss continuing our partnership and advocating that they ramp up marketing efforts for the Climate Coach program through all Village communications.
As a follow-up to that meeting, we drafted a 6 Month Report on the Climate Coaches Program, which I've attached here. The report covers background and objectives, program structure, results after 6 months, and recommendations for next steps.
Sharing the (leaf) harvest
By Laurie Casey
I’m writing in support of the new leaf program. The point of it isn’t to bag leaves, it’s about changing how we treat these precious resources. Leaves are not trash to be hauled away, but something that has value.
Leaving the leaves in our yards also supports the goals of our Climate Ready Oak Park sustainability plan.
Patty Iverson - Native Landscaped Gardens
Patty Iverson from The Climate Reality Project Chicago Metro Chapter joined OPCAN for our April 2024 monthly meeting to discuss regenerative agriculture, its impact on the climate, and how to do your part by starting your own native garden.
Electrifying misconceptions
By Wendy Greenhouse
Let’s correct the record on the cost of electrifying buildings and what Oak Park’s new ordinance really means [Electrifying buildings and its costs, Viewpoints, March 27]:
First, the village now requires only that new construction be all-electric. But when it does require renovations to include switching from gas to electric heating/cooling and appliances, we could renovate our way to homes that are safer (cleaner indoor air and reduced fire risk), more comfortable (more even heating/cooling), and cheaper to operate.
Energy-efficient heat pumps
By Nick Bridge
In his “One View” of March 27 [Electrifying buildings and its costs, Viewpoints], Jim Polaski raises alarms about the cost of electrifying buildings in Oak Park. I think he is confusing two different types of electric heating. The old form of electric heating, referred to as Electric Resistance Heating is, indeed, one of the most expensive ways to heat a building. The more recent technology, which involves heat pumps, on the other hand, is one of the least expensive and in recent years has seen such significant improvements that Maine, one of our coldest states, is leading the nation in conversion of homes to heat pumps.
Solar power is for everyone
By Wendy Greenhouse
The concept of powering our lives from the sun’s free, endless energy is irresistible. But it’s not just for those who can install solar panels on their rooftops. With “community solar,” anyone with an electric utility account — renters and condo owners included — can participate in generating solar energy.
Fighting climate change: where to start?
By Oak Park Climate Action Network
Fighting climate change is daunting. But like each single vote, individual actions add up to something powerful. Where to start? Oak Park Climate Action Network’s newly launched website, OPCAN.ORG, is your guide to vetted resources for homeowners, renters, landlords, businesses and institutions.
The Green Transportation Rally was electric
By Wendy Greenhouse
Despite cool fall temps and overcast skies, many EV-curious folks turned out on Sunday, Oct. 8, for the inaugural Green Transportation Rally, organized by Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN).
Apply the Climate Ready plan to village hall plans
By Oak Park Climate Action
In August 2022, Oak Park trustees approved the Climate Ready Oak Park (CROP) Plan, which makes a commitment for our community to get to net-zero emissions by 2050 and cut our greenhouse gases by 60% by 2030. The village staff and board should be lauded for establishing equity-focused programs and key policies that address climate pollution in Oak Park, such as becoming the first municipality in the Midwest to require that new buildings be all-electric. These steps demonstrate our potential to rise to the challenge we face in climate disruption, and to do so in a way that makes our community more resilient.