EcoNews
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 EVENTS
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.
Support
Your Local Land Trust!
Corporate
Ownership of Organics
Pattern
Map for a Conservation Economy
Send submissions to
Branches, P.O. Box
30920, Indianapolis IN 46230 or e-mail
us. Please report dead links to the webmaster.
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