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Coming in
 July - August  2008:


ECO-JUSTICE
 

Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.
(William Ruckelshaus, native Hoosier and first administrator of the U.S. EPA)


There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.

(Mohandas K. Gandhi, spiritual leader)


One of the most important resources that a garden makes available for use is the gardener’s own body. A garden gives the body the dignity of working in its own support. It is a way of rejoining the human race.

(Wendell Berry, farmer and author)


Sustainability is another word for justice, for what is just is sustainable and what is unjust is not.

(Matthew Fox, author and theologian)

Deadline for the
July-August issue is June 10.

Articles and artwork:
editor@branches.com

Advertising: apple@branches.com

317/255-5594

 


EcoNews
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EcoNews logoEVENTS

Bloomington  

THURSDAYS – 11 to 11:30 a.m. “EcoReport.” Tune in to this locally produced radio show covering environmental news on WFHB Community Radio, 98.1 and 91.3 FM. Listen to archived reports at http://news.wfhb.org/ news/newstopics.php?tid=35 and submit story ideas to earth@wfhb.org

Indianapolis and Vicinity

“Living Lean & Green” programs will be offered throughout central Indiana in May and June by the Citizens Action Coalition Education Fund’s “Central Indiana Environmental Education Program.” The series of free programs and follow-up low carbon diet workshops teaches attendees the impact of global warming on our communities and offers a set of simple tools to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) “footprint.” Details: Paul Chase, pchase@cacefindiaana.org. For a complete schedule or to register online visit www.cacefindiana.org.

ONGOING – Global Peace Initiatives offers free Peace Hikes at various times and locations, rain or shine. Meditation hikes start at 5 p.m. Tuesdays from Garfield Park, 2505 Conservatory Dr.; 5 p.m. Wednesdays from Spades and Brookside parks, meeting at the Spade Park branch library, 1801 Nowland Ave.; and Thursdays from the Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Rd., Indpls. In months with a fifth Saturday (such as May 31), take an all-day hike within Indiana (reservations required). Details: www.globalpeaceinitiatives.net or 317/222-1556  

West Lafayette

“Food for Thought” is a lunchtime gathering every Tuesday at noon at Sunspot Market, 500 Sagamore Parkway W. Topics include health, sustainability and the importance of local food. For details and a complete schedule call Kathy: 765/464-1555.

NEWS 

350 is an international campaign to generate widespread efforts to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. Scientists are concerned that unless this number is reached, humans will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth. Spearheaded by author Bill McKibben, the movement seeks creative ideas, input and inspiration. Details: www.350.org 

The Sierra Club’s COOL CITIES program enlists activists around the country to get their hometown to “solve global warming one city at a time.” More than a dozen Hoosier communities are active in the plan, including Lowell and McCordsville. See if your town is on the list: www.coolcities.us 

The city of South Bend is partnering with Notre Dame University’s Center for Research Computing in a unique pilot project that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. High-performance computers  from the Notre Dame site run very hot, so the university has placed them in the city of South Bend’s 26,000 square-foot Desert Dome in Potawatomi Park, which features plant specimens from the southern United States. By using the Desert Dome as a heat sink, the city saves money by not having to heat the space as much. The dome’s natural draft in summer cools the computers, thereby reducing the university’s utility costs.  

Earth Charter Indiana and Indy Sustainable Food Alliance have issued the Summer 2008 Eat Local Challenge. The groups are challenging 100 households to derive more than 50 percent of their diet in June, July and August from local sources. Details: http://sustindy2016.wetpaint.com/?t=anon 

Indiana has 61 Tree Cities. Avon, Dyer, Geneva, Russiaville, Westfield and Vincennes joined the list in 2007. Tree City USA status means a community has a public tree-care ordinance, designates a municipal department and tree advisory committee, spends at least $2 per capita on its tree-care program and holds an Arbor Day observance. According to state forester John Seifert, the 61 communities planted more than 10,938 trees last year, staying ahead of the 6,269 that were removed. For more info on urban forestry and how your community can become a Tree City, contact the Community & Urban Forestry office: 317/915-9390; urbanforestry@dnr.IN.gov 

The Union of Concerned Scientists has just issued a report, “CAFOs Uncovered: The Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding Operations.” UCS examines the public policy initiatives that have encouraged the growth and expansion of factory farms and finds that these facilities impose enormous costs on society. The report also makes recommendations of sophisticated and efficient alternatives for producing affordable foods. Download the report from www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/sustainable_food/cafos-uncovered.html 

The Bloomington Local Growers Guild has published its annual Local Growers Guide. This resource lists all known growers in the south central Indiana region. It’s available for purchase at the Bloomington Farmer’s Market or free as a PDF download from the Guild’s Web site, www.localgrowers.org. In addition, the site has a listing of consumer supported agriculture (CSA) programs  around the state. More information at http://localgrowers.org/CSA.html 

Looking for resources to landscape with native plants? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can help you beautify and naturalize. Recommendations at www.epa.gov/greenacres/ 

Urban trees improve the environment, increase public safety, raise property values and create a sense of community. Download a fact sheet on the benefits of urban trees, compiled by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. www.kibi.org/pdfs/Urban_Tree_Facts.pdf 

Kroger has launched a national plastic recycling program called “Bag 2 Bag” that provides custom-designed barrels where customers can contribute plastic grocery bags, dry cleaning plastic, and other types of plastic bags for recycling. Look for barrels inside every central Indiana Kroger store. 

Earth Charter Indiana endeavors to catalyze sustainable living throughout Indiana. For a list of such initiatives and a calendar of events around the state, go to http://sustindy2016.wetpaint.com/?t=anon 

Improving Kids’ Environment reminds us that second-hand smoke is the most significant environmental threat to children’s health, especially children with asthma. Although a statewide smoke-free bill failed to pass this year’s General Assembly, 33 Indiana communities have adopted some kind of smoke-free ordinance. Is your community on the list? Find out at www.in.gov/itpc/files/Smokefreecommunities_May2007.pdf. 

Hoosier Riverwatch trains citizen volunteers to monitor water quality. Since the program’s introduction in 1996, more than 4,500 citizens statewide have become “Certified Volunteer Monitors.” By monitoring local waterways participants gain respect for the state’s water bodies and develop a sense of stewardship. Citizens submit data to the statewide volunteer stream monitoring database and also educate and involve others in water monitoring. View the complete Riverwatch training schedule and download the program’s training manual at http://www.in.gov/dnr/nrec/8519.htm.

RESOURCES

The Indiana Recycling Coalition (IRC) has launched www.DefendRecycling.org to keep the public informed about efforts by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that might change the definition of recycling to include incineration. The IRC is concerned that such a change would undermine existing community recycling programs and eliminate funding for legitimate recycling industries and businesses. 

Citizens from around the state who are opposed to Confined Animal Feeding Operations have compiled resources to help inform the public about the many problems associated with such facilities.  

www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/  

www.factoryfarm.org/guide/1.html  

www.grist.org/news/muck/2005/01/24/factory_farms/ 

http://www.msu.edu/~howardp/infographics.html

www.mythinglinks.org/FactoryFarms.html 

Bloomington’s Center for Sustainable Living is a storehouse of information about services, projects and networking opportunities for people interested in exploring ecologically sustainable ways of thinking, living and interacting. For more information, contact CSL President Lucille Bertuccio,  lbertucc@indiana.edu, call 812/332-8796, or visit www.simplycsl.org.   

Lake Michigan Watchdogs let you know who’s polluting Indiana’s waterfront in northwest Indiana. Get the details at http://www.lakemichiganwatchdogs.com/home.htm  

Evansville-based Valley Watch has created a valuable Web-based resource featuring an impressive selection of environmental and health links. A special section called PM Comments Tool Kit (in the “library”) gives readers everything they need to file formal comments on EPA’s proposed new standards on particulate matter. The site also tracks ongoing efforts to clear the air in Vanderburgh and surrounding counties. Visit:  www.valleywatch.net 

A “Citizens Guide to Protecting Your National Forests” has been posted online for free download. The document was created by members of Heartwood, the Bloomington-based grassroots coalition of forest protection advocates. www.heartwood.org/Guide.pdf   

Humanity’s ecological footprint exceeds the Earth’s biological capacity by nearly 40 percent, according to a new “Footprint of Nations” report by Redefining Progress, an Oakland, Calif.-based policy institute. The ecological footprint is a measure of the amount of natural resources it takes to sustain a given population over the course of a year. By comparing a population’s footprint with its biological capacity, ecological footprint analysis suggests whether that population is living within its ecological means. If a population’s footprint exceeds its biological capacity, that population is said to be engaging in unsustainable ecological overshoot. According to the report, humanity’s footprint is 57 acres per person, while the Earth’s biological capacity is just 41. Read the full report at www.ecologicalfootprint.org.   

Environmentalists are embracing the green cemeteries movement, an alternative to the hidden toxins and wasted resources of traditional cremations and burials. Long practiced by non-Christian cultures, natural burial is rapidly becoming popular among people looking for burial methods that won’t degrade local resources with formaldehyde, mercury and metals. Natural burial options can include no embalming; biodegradable boxes without liners or crypts; shrouds and no markers; caskets made of fiber or paper; or trees planted as monuments instead of costly headstones. While Britain has more than 200 green cemeteries, the United States has only half a dozen so far. www.AlternativeFuneralMonitor.com and www.FuneralResources.net.   

The Campaign for Sustainable Economics is dedicated to promoting ecological economics in academic thought and as common sense. www.sustainableeconomics.org, 317/917-1638.   

Earth Day Network (EDN) has partnered with Google for the launch of the new Google Maps Summer of Green, an environmentally focused video and map guide to eco-tourism spots. The resource features guided virtual video tours of environmentally friendly destinations, including organic spas, hotels, restaurants, eco car rentals, and green family-friendly activities, such as nature museums and horseback riding outposts. http://services.google.com/earth/green/  

An online air permits search engine lets citizens look at the status of projects in their community. The site was created by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and Access Indiana. The search engine sorts air permits by source name, county, permit number, time frame and other criteria. The status and information in the permit will be automatically updated when changes occur. Visit www.IN.gov/idem/air/permits/Air-Permits-Online/index.html 

The National Campaign Against Dirty Power has created the Clear the Air Web site, offering facts and figures about the health hazards associated with pollution from coal-burning power plants. View data by state and metropolitan area at www.cleartheair.org/dirtypower/.

The Worldwatch Institute offers free downloads of articles on sustainability and the environment. Visit www.worldwatch.org . 

A recently revised report, originally released in 2003, finds that Indiana and the entire Great Lakes region may suffer from the effects of a changing climate more than previously thought. A team of leading scientists from Midwest universities and solutions experts at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently found that extreme heat events are occurring more frequently; heavy precipitation events, both rain and snow, are becoming more common; air quality may deteriorate due to harmful gases released during more frequent forest fires; and the number of summer pollution days may be on the rise. These changes will bring challenges to residents in Great Lakes cities as well as in rural areas, highlighting the need for action to forestall many of the most severe impacts. The report, Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region, can be found at www.ucsusa.org/greatlakes.  

The Indiana Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program has designated13 Important Bird Areas in the state with plans to identify an additional 15 early this year. Part of a nationwide program spearheaded by the National Audubon Society, the Indiana IBA Program is an all-volunteer effort to identify habitat important to promote abundance and diversity of bird species. Details: www.indianaaudubon.org/IBA.htm 

The City of Indianapolis has expanded its Knozone program into a year-round effort to increase public awareness of the effects of poor air quality. The move was prompted in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declaring Marion and four other counties in central Indiana as being in non-attainment for the fine particle federal health-based standard. Fine particles are released as part of the combustion process when burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal, gasoline and diesel as well as wood. When air pollution levels are predicted to become unhealthy for sensitive groups such as senior citizens and children, the City will declare a Knozone Action Day. On such days, at-risk groups are urged to limit outdoor activities and monitor their health problems. The City also encourages carpooling, mass transit and other strategies to help reduce pollution. Details: www.knozone.comor 317/327-4AIR.  

Has a new power plant been proposed in your community? Evansville-based Valley Watch has prepared a document for citizen activists entitled, “So You Have a New Power Plant Proposed!” It lists a series of questions to ask to determine what kind of strategy can be used to fight the facility. (Additional resources include Web sites such as http://Scorecard.org and www.cleartheair.org/dirtypower/map.html.) For a free copy, contact John Blair at 812/464-5663 or Ecoserve1@aol.com, or write: Valley Watch, 800 Adams Ave., Evansville, IN 47713.    

To help encourage the reuse and recycling of electronics, the Indiana Recycling Coalition has posted its E-Scrap Toolkit online at www.indianarecycling.org/escrapmanagementtoolkit.html. The toolkit lists current state and federal regulations; makes recommendations on buying “green” and offers contact information to companies and organizations reusing and recycling electronics in Indiana.   

The Plant A Million project has the goal of planting a million or more native trees in central Indiana. Plant A Million is a combined effort of Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Boone, Brown, Hamilton, Hendricks, Hancock, Johnson, Marion, Monroe, Morgan and Shelby counties. You can become involved by planting a tree or trees in your yard, encouraging your neighbors to do the same or donating trees to be planted at schools, parks or other open spaces. Plant a Million Project Coordinator Bob Eddleman can also arrange an informational program for service and civic clubs and church and other community groups. Details: 317/271-4413.

Networking

The Indiana Forest Alliance meets at 6 p.m. the first and third and Wednesdays of each month at 116 1/2 S. College in Bloomington. Details: Joanna Gras 812/332-4878 or Joanna@heartwood.org

The Great Lakes Town Hall is an interactive online forum established to discuss the future of the magnificent bodies that hold 95 percent of all fresh water in North America.
Sponsored by the Madison, Wisconsin-based Biodiversity Project, the site features regular guest commentary as well as opportunities to discuss policy initiatives like the Great Lakes Task Force’s recent recommendation of a 15-year program to restore the lakes, which lacks any funding. www.greatlakestownhall.org 

The Great Lakes Information Network is a resource created by the Great Lakes Commission, a bi-national, nonpartisan alliance that takes an ecosystem approach to protecting and sustaining the health of the Great Lakes basin. www.great-lakes.net/ 

Interested in how an intentional community functions? Learn about the Raccoon Creek Community’s efforts to establish a center for permaculture and alternative energy on a 154-acre site in Owen County by visiting  

Check out the latest ongoing activities of Bloomington’s Center for Sustainable Living,including the Bloomington ECO Center and the Community Bike Project: www.simplycsl.org/cal.html  

Reminders

The average American uses 24 acres of land to support his or her current lifestyle. In comparison, the average Canadian lives on a footprint 30 percent smaller (17 acres), and the average Italian on a footprint 60 percent smaller (9 acres). Want to see how you compare? Take the survey at www.redefiningprogress.org. Then download the new Household Ecological Footprint Spreadsheet, to create a more detailed look at your household’s consumption of natural resources.  

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