Federal crop insurance providers steer coverage toward more profitable commodities like corn and soybeans, reinforcing Illinois’ two-crop system.
Crop insurance costs taxpayers billions. But it only benefits big farms and companies.
Category: Environment
Bottlenose dolphin born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, takes its first breath on video
A bottlenose dolphin safely delivered a calf early Saturday morning at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, a “momentous occasion” that marks the first dolphin birth in more than a decade at the west suburban zoo.
Smoky air from Canadian wildfires envelops Chicago for 3rd day. What does this mean for summer?
Hazy skies from fires are reminiscent of 2023 when Chicago was the second-most-polluted major city in the country.
Canadian wildfire smoke causes ‘very unhealthy’ conditions in American Midwest and reaches Europe
Smoke from Canadian wildfires carried another day of poor air quality south of the border to the Midwest, where conditions in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan were rated “very unhealthy” Tuesday.
Wildfires are raging in the Canadian prairies. Here’s what to know.
Thousands of people have evacuated their homes across parts of the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where officials have declared a state of emergency and crews are working to contain dozens of out-of-control wildfires.
Northern lights may be visible in Illinois Sunday night during severe geomagnetic solar storm
Chances are favorable for geomagnetic storms that lead to widespread sightings of the northern lights in the near future.
Cash crops, hidden costs
The Tribune is launching a series of special reports to examine how corn and soybeans made Illinois an agricultural giant and the challenges a two-crop strategy presents amid a changing climate.
Who owns most of the farmland in Illinois? Not farmers.
Less than 25% of Illinois farmland is owned by the farmer who works the land, with the rest leased by individuals, family trusts and, increasingly, investors looking to turn a profit.
Neighbors ban together to preserve open space at Washington Square Park during maintenance
The threat of closure, even if only temporary, seemed to spark a sense of unity in the neighborhood, reminding dog owners, parkgoers and neighboring schools what the historic park means to them and the community.
Chesterton High School student converts trash into data for better environmental policy
Devin Throw insisted on taking home with him all the trash collected from a recent Earth Day cleanup along Waverly Road in Porter.