Our Chicago: Town hall on impact of weather, climate change on our environment

CHICAGO (WLS) -- ABC 7, Chicago's No. 1 station for news, presented a virtual town hall examining the impact of climate change and significant weather events on our environment. ABC 7 CHICAGO meteorologists Cheryl Scott and Larry Mowry moderated "OUR CHICAGO: Voices of the Community," available on abc7chicago.com, Thursday, April 15, at 2:00 p.m.

This town hall precedes an ABC special, "Our America: Climate of Hope," which highlights some of the solutions everyday people are offering, including next-gen social media "eco stars" from around the country. The hourlong special airs Sunday, April 18, at 11 p.m. on ABC 7.

Billions of dollars in damages due to climate disasters are at historic highs. The worst wildfire season on record spawning deadly mudslides, extreme cold and ice which crippled Texas and made national headlines are just a few examples of how these weather events have wreaked havoc on the environment. Floods and fire, polluted air and plastic waste all impact the low-income population and communities of color the most, but thankfully, there is hope.

Cheryl Scott and Larry Mowry led a discussion with local environmental experts to hear their perspective on climate change, the state of local waterways and weather information's impact on agriculture. The panel will take a deep dive into possible solutions exploring how human management can make a difference.

Guest panelists for this week's town hall include the following:

-Andrew Pritchard, Nutrien Ag Solutions

-Dr. Christy Rollinson, The Morton Arboretum

-Dr. Trent Ford, University of Illinois' Prairie Research Institute

-Philip Willink, Illinois Natural History Survey

The virtual town hall was also exclusively streamed live on ABC 7's Facebook Live, YouTube, ABC 7's app and ABC 7's connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Roku.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abc7chicago

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abc7Chicago/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abc7Chicago/

PREVIOUS TOWN HALLS:

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About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago

ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, the station produces 41 hours of local news weekly and Chicago's only local weekday entertainment talk show, "Windy City LIVE," as well as its highest-rated New Year's Eve special. ABC7's award-winning programs such as "Heart and Soul," "The Ñ Beat" and "Asian Influences" showcase the city's diversity, while being the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago's rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago's electorate informed. ABC7's outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.