DECATUR - The 1988 drought that brought Lake Decatur to one of its lowest levels, the 1995 heat wave that killed hundreds of people in Chicago and the rains this spring that flooded parts of Iowa and Illinois may seem to be unusual events.

However, climate change expert Don Wuebbles says such weather is expected to become commonplace as temperatures continue to rise because of humanity's reliance on carbon-based fuel.

Indeed, without major changes, Wuebbles said Illinois weather in 2095 will be pretty much the way it is in east Texas today - warmer winters, wetter springs and dryer, hotter summers.


"This is really one of the most important issues facing humanity," he said. "The science community is nearly unanimous in concluding that human activities are causing the majority of the climate change that is occurring."

Wuebbles, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, made his remarks at a town hall meeting that attracted about 70 people to the Decatur Public Library on Tuesday evening to learn what they could do to help.

The meeting was the first of several planned around the state by the Illinois Environmental Council to drum up support for legislation that would require furnaces and vehicles to be more energy efficient and provide incentives for power and industrial facilities to reduce pollution.

It was co-sponsored by the Community Environmental Council, Agricultural Watershed Institute, Audubon Society and environmental affairs council of Millikin University.

State Reps. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion, and Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, also spoke at the forum, with Mitchell warning that passing the legislation will be an uphill battle because business and labor don't want to put Illinois at a disadvantage in attracting employers.

More than one member of the audience suggested, however, that the state should seek environmentally friendly employers.

Jonathan Goldman, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, said spending less money on fuel would create jobs by putting more money into people's pockets and that individual measures, such as recycling, using compact fluorescent bulbs and driving a fuel-efficient car are not enough.


"It is going to take government action to solve a problem this big," Goldman said. "We need to ensure that all the light bulbs and all the cars on the market are more efficient."