Great Rivers Environmental Law Center

Last month, we joined environmental attorneys from across the Midwest for the inaugural Midwest Public Interest Environmental Litigators Conference. We were grateful for the opportunity to collaborate, share experiences, and bring lessons learned back to our work serving communities throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois. Our gratitude goes out to the Environmental Law & Policy Center and the University of Chicago Law School for hosting. Cheers to collaboration! 🌿

Environmental Litigators Conference Brings Together Midwest Defenders ELPC and the University of Chicago Law School convened environmental attorneys from around the Midwest.

Last week, we attended Kansas City's Climate Council Resource Connections meeting, where we shared information about the resources and services available through Great Rivers Environmental Law Center.

While there, it was hard to miss the anticipation surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the region preparing to host matches and visitors from around the world.

This recent article caught our attention because it highlights an interesting intersection between climate and major public events. The article discusses how researchers and health experts are evaluating the potential impacts of higher temperatures on athletes, workers, and spectators during the 2026 World Cup. It also explores how event organizers are considering weather conditions as part of their planning efforts.

Climate-related considerations increasingly influence decisions across many sectors, including public health, infrastructure, agriculture, outdoor recreation, and major sporting events. The World Cup provides one example of how these discussions are taking place on a global stage.

Most dangerous World Cup ever? Climate change poses growing risks for players FIFA is well aware that extreme heat and humidity could affect the 2026 World Cup, and that's why this might be the final World Cup to be played in the summer.

Tis the season for planting natives!

Native plants do more than create beautiful landscapes. They support pollinators, protect biodiversity, conserve water, and help strengthen our ecosystems right here in Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Great Rivers Environmental Law Center has also worked to help protect the rights of residents to grow native plants and ensure they are recognized for the environmental benefits they provide.

Interested in planting natives of your own? Check out resources from Grow Native (grownative.org) or connect with wonderful local organizations like our friends at Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter.

Here’s to more native gardens taking root across our communities!

One of our favorite ways to commute to work.

From last year’s Bike to Work Day in our old office to this year’s ride in our new space with Bruce Morrison, the bikes are still rolling.

Happy National Bike to Work Day from Great Rivers Environmental Law Center! 🚲

As demand for data centers continues to grow, federal regulators are reportedly considering changes to air permitting processes intended to speed development.

These discussions have significant implications for communities, especially as many areas are already raising questions around air pollution and cumulative impacts, energy demand and utility costs, water use, and the role of public participation and local decision making in shaping these projects.

As these conversations continue, it will be important to carefully balance growth with meaningful environmental review, public input, and accountability.

EPA Seeks to Loosen Air Permit Rules to Speed Up AI Data Centers The EPA is trying to change a key regulatory definition to let companies more quickly build AI data centers under a proposed rule it plans to issue.

🌱Today is Give STL Day!🌱

The climate crisis is here, and communities across Missouri and Southern Illinois are already feeling the impacts through extreme weather, flooding, drought, and threats to clean air and water.

As federal climate protections face potential rollback, including efforts to weaken the EPA’s Endangerment Finding, Great Rivers Environmental Law Center is helping ensure Missouri communities still have a voice in the conversation.

We work to advance climate solutions by supporting clean energy, holding polluters accountable, protecting natural resources, and advocating for healthier, more resilient communities.

Your support helps sustain this work.

givestlday.org/organization/greatriversenvironmentallawcenter

Some places are too important to lose.

Public lands belong to all of us. They provide clean water, wildlife habitat, recreation, and a connection to the natural places we love.

Across Missouri and Southern Illinois, Great Rivers Environmental Law Center is helping protect places like Lusk Creek Wilderness and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways from land use decisions that threaten their very existence.

Your support helps sustain this work for future generations.

givestlday.org/organization/greatriversenvironmentallawcenter

Clean water and healthy communities are worth protecting.

CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) produce massive amounts of waste that can pollute our air and waterways.

Last fall, Great Rivers Environmental Law Center supported clients and community partners, including Protect Our Water, Environmental Resources (POWER), in opposing eight proposed chicken CAFOs planned in Newton and Barry Counties.

We work alongside communities across Missouri to help protect clean water, public health, and quality of life.

Give STL Day continues through May 7.

givestlday.org/organization/greatriversenvironmentallawcenter

Taking part in Give STL Day is a meaningful opportunity to support nonprofits making an impact in our communities.

While St. Louis may be our headquarters, Missouri is our home, and our work reaches communities across the state and into Southern Illinois.

Great Rivers Environmental Law Center safeguards natural resources, advocates for clean energy and environmental justice, and assists communities in protecting their health through expert legal support.

Your support helps make this work possible.

givestlday.org/organization/greatriversenvironmentallawcenter

On April 22, 1970, millions of people across the country came together for the first Earth Day. Watching that moment, you can feel the urgency and the energy. People knew something had to change.

More than 50 years later, that same call still stands.

At Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, we are part of that ongoing fight. Every day, we work alongside communities across Missouri and Southern Illinois, using the law as a tool to protect clean air, safe water, and public health.

Whether it is challenging harmful permits, holding decision-makers accountable, or making sure community voices are heard, this work continues because people continue to show up.

Earth Day is not just a moment to look back. It is a reminder that this movement is still very much alive and that we all have a role to play in where it goes next.

Take a moment to look back at where this began:

From the archives: 1970 Earth Day special report with Walter Cronkite From April 22, 1970, CBS News covers the first ever Earth Day with reports from across the United States. Note: This CBS News program aired in 1970 and inclu...