Broadview, IL – On Wednesday, February 16, business and municipal leaders came together in the Village of Broadview to commit to building out local renewable energy, advancing the village’s sustainability goals and creating a healthier and greener community. An official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing event for the formal Launch of the Broadview Renewable Energy […]
Illinois Farm to School Coalition Bridge...
Seven Generations Ahead and the Illinois Farm to School Network are pleased to announce the formation of a new working group, the Illinois Farm to School Coalition. The coalition will engage in critical work to advance farm to school programs throughout Illinois, bringing healthier meals to school children, strengthening local economies and food systems, and […]
This New Year Resolve to Reduce Food Was...
What is the connection between food and the climate crisis? When we hear concern about the rising surface temperature of the planet, what does this actually mean? What are some of the impacts we are experiencing in the United States? And what does the food in your refrigerator have to do with the climate crisis? […]
New Year, New Decade: Reflecting on 20 Y...
IOF students at COP26 2021 Micro Brew Review The SGA team celebrates Apple Crunch Gary Cuneen and Darnell Johnson at GreenTown Rockford As you may know, Seven Generations Ahead celebrated our 20th anniversary this year. Although the pandemic continued to disrupt daily life in 2021, SGA remained steadfast in its work to build sustainable communities. […]
Gourmet Gorilla Brings the Farm to the C...
Gourmet Gorilla is a Chicago-based food service provider that creates local, sustainable meals for early childhood centers, K-12 schools, and other institutions. The company focuses on making healthy, nutritious meals that kids will love, with ingredients sourced primarily from around the Midwest. They have a unique procurement process that prioritizes relationships with local farms for […]
Youth Activists Speak Out at COP26 – Liv
This year’s UN Climate Summit (COP26) in Glasgow arrived with much anticipation and urgency. In the wake of the latest IPCC report, which was described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a “code red” for humanity, many have argued that this is the most consequential global climate conference of our lifetimes. It is against this […]
Getting Back on Track with Zero Waste
Determined to overcome pandemic challenges and interruptions, schools in SGA’s Zero Waste Schools-Lake County Program have made it a priority to get their zero waste lunchrooms back up and running. The Zero Waste Schools team at SGA created a 15-minute education video to teach/re-teach students the How & Why of going for zero waste to […]
IOF Youth Dispatch – Fighting for the Fu
I began my day not with going to the Blue Zone for the UN climate change conference as I have done each day before, but instead by walking over to Kelvingrove Park to be a part of the highly anticipated climate strike organized by Fridays For Future. When I arrived, the protest was already ginormous. […]
Al Gore Brings More Inconvenient Truths ...
Al Gore Should Be Knighted Al Gore in front of a packed house in the heads of states plenary room at COP26 just gave the best talk I’ve heard on any subject – hands down. For 45 minutes non-stop with rapid fire graphics, videos and script-less details on extreme weather events across the world and […]
Words are One Thing. Actions are Another...
The 2021 Production Gap Report, by leading research institutes and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), finds that despite increased climate ambitions and net-zero commitments, governments still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than what would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The report measures the gap between […]