WBGZ Radio 5/12/2021 |
By Andrew Hensel - Illinois Radio Network
Bobcats get a bad rap, said Jennifer Kuroda, president of the Illinois Bobcat Foundation.
Taxidermists pose them to look menacing: teeth bared and poised to attack. In reality, bobcats are small creatures – the average adult weighs 19 pounds. Bobcats are very shy and extremely unlikely to attack humans, Kuroda said.
Forty years ago, the wild bobcat population in Illinois was nearly wiped out. To reestablish the species, the hunting and trapping of bobcats was banned. Over many years, the Illinois bobcat population has recovered. There are now thought to be 5,000 to 6,000 bobcats across the state most of them in southern Illinois, where the Shawnee National Forest is prime habitat for the small cats.
(The Center Square) – Bobcats get a bad rap, said Jennifer Kuroda, president of the Illinois Bobcat Foundation.
Taxidermists pose them to look menacing: Teeth bared and poised to attack. Bobcats are small creatures – the average adult weighs 19 pounds. Bobcats are very shy and extremely unlikely to attack humans, Kuroda said.
Forty years ago, the wild bobcat population in Illinois was nearly wiped out. To reestablish the species, the hunting and trapping of bobcats was banned. Over many years, the Illinois bobcat population has recovered. There are now thought to be 5,000 to 6,000 bobcats across the state–most of them in southern Illinois, where the Shawnee National Forest is prime habitat for the small cats.
AP file photo
Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he wants to put more electric cars on Illinois roads. He is missing an opportunity to jump-start that effort.
Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have joined California in setting higher standards for auto emissions than those required by federal law. Illinois should join them and also become part of a coalition of states that is pushing more stringent standards for big trucks. Illinois would be cementing its emerging status as a leader in producing electric vehicles.
Rivian Automotive, a startup in downstate Normal, is close to producing electric vehicles in a former Mitsubishi Motors plant, leading Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to declare on Thursday that Illinois is poised to be the electric vehicle Silicon Valley of the 21st century.
Protecting nuclear plants should be key provision of Illinois climate policy Madison Czerwinski
Posted5/2/2021 1:00 AM
Springfield is debating whether to save Illinois nuclear plants from premature closure. Our plants are being forced to compete against historically cheap natural gas in an electricity market that ignores the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
Now, a new working paper by economists from Carnegie Mellon shows the Zero Emissions Credits (ZECs) program implemented to prevent the closure of the Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants in Illinois in 2016 led to cleaner air and lower carbon emissions while simultaneously saving us money on our electricity bills.
Groups Say IL Clean Energy Jobs Act Complements Biden Climate Agenda / Public News Service publicnewsservice.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from publicnewsservice.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.