interview

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Why Illinois Environmental Advocacy Matters More Than Ever: A Conversation with IEC’s Hannah Flath

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Why Illinois Environmental Advocacy Matters More Than Ever: A Conversation with IEC’s Hannah Flath

As environmental protections face growing challenges at the federal level, state and local advocacy has become more important than ever. For the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), that means bringing communities together, meeting directly with lawmakers, and pushing for policies that protect Illinois residents and the environment.

On Monday, 10/26/2026, I interviewed Hannah Flath about IEC’s upcoming Lobby Day, what her vision of environmental advocacy looks like, and more. Hannah Flath, who has been involved with IEC since 20240, is preparing for her sixth year of helping advocates make their voices heard in the Illinois State Capitol. From regulating the growing impact of data centers to protecting the state’s remaining wetlands, IEC works to keep environmental concerns a priority for legislators.

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Nowhere and Everywhere: Reimagining and Transforming

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Nowhere and Everywhere: Reimagining and Transforming

The Nowhere Collective is a circular economy marketplace for handmade goods. The vision is upcycling—or, in the words of founder Katy Osborn, “reimagining materials that already exist in our communities for a new joyful purpose.” One example: inviting people to bring in their end-of-life textiles and clothing, cut them into strips, and weave the “rubbish ribbons” into tapestries and rugs on a large four-sided loom.

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“Cafeteria Man”: Turning a Lunchroom into a Battleground for Justice Filmmaker Interview with Richard Chisolm

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“Cafeteria Man”: Turning a Lunchroom into a Battleground for Justice Filmmaker Interview with Richard Chisolm

When filmmaker Richard Chisolm got a phone call from longtime friend and producer Sheila Kinkade, he didn’t expect it to lead to one of his most formative projects. Sheila had read one news about Tony Geraci, a bold new hire arriving in Baltimore to overhaul their city’s deeply flawed school lunch system. Her words: “This sounds like a really good film.”

And it was.

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“When We Cycle” Filmmaker Interview with Arne Gielen and Gertjan Hulster

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“When We Cycle” Filmmaker Interview with Arne Gielen and Gertjan Hulster

In When We Cycle, Arne Gielen and Gertjan Hulster take us into the great unknown—a future where bicycles reframe society’s relationship to speed, space, and community. The film is far more than a documentary. It’s an exploration of possibilities: What if our cities were redesigned with the cyclist at heart? Do fast, efficient rides win all the privileges, or is there room for a more inclusive, reflective scenario? With insights from various experts and everyday cyclists, the film challenges us to imagine urban futures that are sustainable, connective, and alive with possibility.

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Inside an Eco-community in Bangalore, India

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Inside an Eco-community in Bangalore, India

By a set of lucky circumstances, I have gotten to know a person named Marcy Newman who lives in Bangalore--the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka, in south India. Marcy lives with her husband in what she referred to as an eco-community, and I wanted to know more, so despite the time zone difference (when it’s 8:30 am in Chicago, it’s 8:00 pm in Bangalore), we arranged a time to talk.

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Chicago Artist Z Saj Wins Austin Eats’ Verses & Vittles Lyrical Slam with Poem on Food Inequity

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Chicago Artist Z Saj Wins Austin Eats’ Verses & Vittles Lyrical Slam with Poem on Food Inequity

In collaboration with One Earth Collective, the Austin Eats’ Verses & Vittles Lyrical Slam aimed to promote healthy eating and advance food justice in Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods. This year’s event featured a screening of They’re Trying to Kill Us, a documentary about the intentional inaccessibility to healthy food options in predominantly black and brown neighborhoods. The poetry slam was a chance for attendees to share their responses to themes in the film, as well as personal observations of food injustice and associated health crises in Chicago.