Laurel Prussing's Environmental Record
Laurel Prussing has the strongest record on the environment of any of the candidates for Mayor of Urbana. She began working on environmental issues in the 1970's and that effort led her into politics:
- 1970's Helped start recycling in Champaign County and at the University of Illinois, helped start two businesses, a recycle garbage route and a recycling business. The City has taken over collection of recyclables and Mac's on North Lincoln Avenue continues recycling operations begun by Dick Squire.
- 1994 Honored by Illinois Environmental Council for her record as a state legislator.
- 1999 Worked with University of Illinois Professor Donald Wuebbles to educate the public about global warming. (Professor Wuebbles later shared the Nobel Prize for his work on global climate change.)
- 2006 Signed the Climate Change Agreement of the U.S. Conference of Mayors initiated by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels
- 2007 Organized the first joint meeting of the Urbana City Council, the Champaign City Council and the Champaign County Board for a public forum on the Mahomet aquifer featuring scientists from the Illinois State Water Survey and the Illinois State Geological Survey
- 2008 Organized a sustainability forum co-sponsored by a broad coalition of government, civic and business organizations
- 2008 Created a Sustainability Advisory Commission for Urbana
- Member of Committee on Energy and Mayors' Water Council, U.S. Conference of Mayors
- 2008 Honored by Think Outside the Bottle for work on educating the public on the true cost of bottled water—including price, extra energy used and disposal cost—and the benefit of using tap water