May/June 2009 - Indiana Living Green by Indiana Living Green

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S : BUILDING/REMODELING •

Chicago’s Indiana-built SmartHome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

ENVIRONMENT •

PUBLISHER Lynn Jenkins Lynn@IndianaLivingGreen.com (317) 769-3456

•

COPY EDITOR Joseph L. Bennett

GRAPHIC DESIGN Paul Wilson Design (317) 624-9900

Food Cooperatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

T R A N S P O R TAT I O N / T R A V E L • •

Ride On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Greening up Festivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

F E AT U R E S • • • • • • •

SALES Sales@IndianaLivingGreen.com (317) 769-3456

Grow Your Own and Eat Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Wet, Green and Beautiful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

LOCAL FOOD/BEVERAGES •

CONTRIBUTORS Katelyn Dunn Mary Ellen Gadski Dean Hill tom mcCain Marianne Peters Julie L. Rhodes Maria Smietana Julie Williams

Green on a Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

G A R D E N / N AT U R E •

EDITOR Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp Editor@IndianaLivingGreen.com

Indiana Coal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

F A M I LY / E D U C AT I O N / H E A LT H

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Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Green, Greener, Greenest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Green Finds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Green Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Footprints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Publisher’s Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Last Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

D R AW N C O N C L U S I O N S

WEB DESIGN Margaret Hsu Stout greenway@margaretdesign.com PRINTING The Papers Milford, Indiana SUBSCRIPTIONS $18, six issues Indiana Living Green 1730 S. 950 E. Zionsville, IN 46077 CIRCULATION 20,000

INDIANA LIVING GREEN is published bimonthly and is printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks.

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

T H E VISIT

GREEN C A L E N D A R

www.IndianaLivingGreen.com FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE CALENDAR!

MAY 2009

Indiana Living Green offers ways for to make a difference.

you

GREEN 1. Add a birdbath to your yard and freshen it daily. 2. Walk or bike regularly for your own health and for the environment. Do so in a natural area to lift your spirit and please the senses. 3. Support farmers markets whose vendors are the farmers or producers and not just distributors of produce trucked from other areas.

GREENER 1. Add a small natural water feature for birds, frogs and toads. 2. Make a trip to one of Indiana’s many trails to enjoy a variety of Hoosier natural heritage, history and culture. 3. Join a Community Supported Agriculture program to keep the local food economy strong while offering you a variety of local fare.

2-3

Hilltop’s Annual Spring Plant Sale (also May 9-10), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m Sunday, 2367 E. 10th St., Bloomington. • Info: (812) 855-2799, hilltop@indiana.edu

Friends of T.C. Steele Perennial and Herb Plant Sale, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 4220 TC Steele Road., Nashville. • Info: (812) 677-2003, catkinson@dnr.in.gov, www.tcsteele.org

INPAWS Native Plant Sale and Auction, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., St Richard’s School Gym, 3243 N. Meridian, Indianapolis. • Info: www.inpaws.org

Plant Exchange 1 to 3 p.m., St Richard’s Courtyard, 3243 N. Meridian, Indianapolis. Mapleton Fall Creek Unity group, bring non-invasive plants, seedlings or seeds to share. • Info: indytilth@gmail.com, (317) 797-3392, or www.indytilth.org/plantexchange.html

Eat Weeds! 10 a.m. to noon, Cope Environmental Center, 4910 Shoemaker Road, Centerville. Fee: $3 per person. • Info: (765) 855-3188, www.copeenvironmental.org

9 -10 Hilltop’s Annual Spring Plant Sale. See May 2-3. 15

15-16 NatureFest, Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, Wolf Lake. Overnight camping available. Fee: $5/event; $25 for weekend, including camping. • Info: (260) 799-5869, jenniferhs@ goshen.edu, or www.goshen.edu/merrylea/ 18

Urban Farming for the Apartment Dweller, 7 to 9 p.m., Bloomington City Hall. Instructor: Jami Scholl Reed, certified permaculture designer. Offered by Bloomington People’s University, co-sponsored by Bloomingfoods. Fee: $10 to $13. • Info: (812) 349-3700, PUB@bloomington.in.gov

Hoosier Herpetological Society, 7:30 p.m., Gallahue Hall Room 105, Butler University. Speaker: John Roe from IUPU-Ft. Wayne, “Research of the Copper Bellied Water Snake.” • Info: www.hoosierherpsociety.org

FrogWatch USA Training Workshop, 6 to 9 p.m., Winterhaven Wildflower and Native Plant Preserve, Westpoint. Free, but registration required. • Info: wzetterberg@gmail.com

JUNE 2009 4-7

Suburban-Urban Permaculture Intensive. Purdue University, West Lafayette. A foundational course in permaculture design with a practical bent. Hosted by Center for the Environment and Ecological Sciences & Engineering Interdisciplinary Graduate Program of Purdue. Fee: $300 to $575. • Info: www.purdue.edu/DP/environment/permaculture.php

The Lost River Tour, Town Square in Orleans. Sycamore Land Trust and the Lost River Conservation Association for a daylong field trip of Lost River in Orange County. No RSVP necessary, begins at 7:50 a.m. • Info: (317) 253-6951, (812) 336-5382, info@sycamorelandtrust.org

GREENEST 1. Include a natural pond in your landscape. Keep it chemical-free, so it’s safe for all wildlife. 2. Join any of Indiana’s conservation organizations that encourage the protection of wild places. Support the Indiana Heritage Trust with the purchase of an environmental license plate. 3. Join and support with volunteer time your local food co-op for a high degree of local food security.

Water Quality and Human Health, second Indiana Environmental Health Summit, IUPUI Campus Center, Indianapolis. Free, but limited registrations. • Info: www.ikecoalition.org/ Environmental_Summit_2009/index.htm

18, 25 Turf Love: Getting Your Lawn Off Drugs, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Hinkle-Garton Farmstead Historic Site, 2920 E. 10th St., Bloomington. Instructor: H. Michael Simmons, Advanced Master Gardener. Offered by Bloomington People’s University, Fee: $18 to $20. • Info: (812) 349-3700, PUB@bloomington.in.gov 19

All Fish All Day: Project WILD Aquatic and Go Fish IN Workshop, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Fort Harrison State Park, Indianapolis. Free, register by June 11. • Info: (317) 562-1338 or nrec@dnr.in.gov

WILD for Home School Educators and Scout Leaders, Salamonie Reservoir, Andrews. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fee: $2 per person. Registration by June 11. • Info: Upper Wabash Interpretive Services, (260) 4682127, uwnatdnr@dnr.in.gov

SUBMISSIONS

Please submit calendar items by visiting our Web site:

www.IndianaLivingGreen.com or e-mail calendar@IndianaLivingGreen.com

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GREENGreetings!

Lynn Jenkins, Publisher

SIX TIPS TO

STAY GREEN ON A

Green communities BUDGET sprout in Indiana AND SAVE MONEY:

Whew! March and April were busy months with many green events for Earth Day and Arbor Day. Awareness grows steadily in Indiana! Our state government is slow to act — which is why Indiana is graded so poorly in many national rankings, including air and water quality and overall greenness. However, local communities fair somewhat better, actually getting it when it comes to the need for change to a more sustainable lifestyle. Cases in point: Bloomington, Greencastle, Carmel, Lafayette and South Bend, all designated Green Communities in 2008 by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. The agency has created its Green Communities Initiative to encourage awareness and implementation of green options in communities and awards those striving to meet such criteria. “With consideration to the impacts of global population growth, conservation of nonrenewable natural resources, climate change and other changing environmental factors worldwide, municipalities in Indiana have a vested interest and a responsibility to do their part in appropriate environmental stewardship,” the association said when establishing the program. “Vested interest” and “responsibility” are not often associated mutually with government and environment. We encourage our state government as well

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

• Unplug cell phone and other chargers for electronics gear when not in use. Even when turned off, these devices use power.

• Install a programmable thermostat. These usually pay for themselves within a month or two. You might even qualify for an Indiana tax credit. Indiana provides a state income tax credit when certain EnergyStarrated equipment is purchased by a homeowner or small business owner. The credit, worth as much as $100, can be used when purchasing a furnace, a water heater, central air conditioning, room air conditioner or a programmable thermostat. • Adjust blinds, curtains or other window coverings according to the season. In winter, open the coverings on sunny days and keep them closed when overcast or windy. In summer, close the window coverings to block out the heat of the sun. These simple steps reduce energy consumption.

as other communities to follow the lead of Bloomington, Greencastle, Carmel, Lafayette and South Bend so that we Hoosiers can work our way up from the bottom of so many rankings into a cleaner, healthier, greener and more sustainable quality of life. www.citiesandtowns.org/topic/subtopic.php

LY N N J E N K I N S

Please send your Rants&Raves to: Letters@IndianaLivingGreen.com Fax: (317) 251-8545 Indiana Living Green 1730 S. 950 E., Zionsville, IN. 46077

• Take reusable shopping bags with you to the grocery. Some give cents off your bill or register you for a drawing. • Identify your landscape or garden problem before applying a product to correct it. • Wean yourself from paper towels by switching to cloth rags. Same for paper napkins.

F O OT P R I N T S BY K AT E LY N D U N N

Pedal Power

Chad Roeder delivers goods to Bloomington businesses and collects recyclables.

Chad Roeder is used to the stares that come when he’s hauling 300 pounds of recycled goods on a trailer hitched to the back of a bicycle. He’s accustomed to the jabs, “Hey man, what’s the going rate for a pile of cardboard?” and the mistaken label of “trash collector.” Sideways stares and jokes aside, you can’t deny the impact of 80 tons of recycled material diverted from landfills in less than one year. Not to mention the carbon emissions avoided when the power from a prospering delivery service comes from strong-willed, 33-year-old man and his bicycle. Roeder, a Danville native and former Indiana University student, is the owner and operator of Bloomington Pedal Power, a bicycle courier service based in the Monroe County seat. The company collects recyclables from local businesses and delivers everything from groceries for the elderly and disabled to balloons on Valentine’s Day. Bloomingfoods, a local cooperative organic market and deli, was Roeder’s

SUBMISSIONS

first client when he started in 2007. He makes two daily deliveries for the co-op, and has expanded his client base to more than 20 businesses and restaurants throughout the downtown area. Bloomingfoods’ Marketing Director Ellen Michel, praised Roeder’s environmentally friendly efforts. “Chad shared his initial vision with us and has been consistently reliable. Day after day, rain or shine, he does his job with a fantastic attitude. It’s a simple idea that truly inspires our staff at Bloomingfoods,” she said. The concept of a man-powered bicycle service is straightforward, but the implications for the environment and Bloomington community run deep. “I experienced wastefulness and un-sound environmental policies in my previous jobs,” Roeder said. “And I wanted to do something that would impact my community in the simplest way possible.” He has big plans for the future of his growing business. “We’re moving toward a focus on re-use and re-sale of all of our collected material,” Roeder said. “I believe in using natural resources efficiently, and that we can prosper using local supplies.” He sees hope in small steps, or as his Web site (www.bloomingtonpedalpower.com) puts it, making strides toward a healthier environment “one pedal at a time.” Katelyn Dunn is a senior at Indiana University studying journalism and nonprofit management. She has worked in the communications departments of the I.U. Foundation and the Riverview Hospital Memorial Foundation.

Footprints provides snapshots of Hoosiers who embrace, promote and foster a sustainable lifestyle. If you have someone to recommend, please e-mail: info@IndianaLivingGreen.com www.IndianaLivingGreen.com

GREEN N E W S B R I E F S ENVIRONMENT

RECYCLING

Award-winning ecology lessons target kindergartners Indianapolis — Amanda Riley will be honored by Girl Scouts June 6 as a Girl of Distinction for her ecology-based curriculum for kindergartners. A senior at Franklin Township High School, Riley developed eight lesson plans that complied with state standards. The curriculum has been used at Southeastern Church of Christ PreSchool and Nativity Catholic School, both on the southeast side of Indianapolis. In June, the curriculum will be available for teachers and others who work with this age group. Send an e-mail to college4amy@yahoo.com, with Gold Award Curriculum Request in the subject line.

BUILDING DistinctAV wins 2009 Best Home Theatre McCordsville, Ind. — Systems integrator, DistinctAV of McCordsville, has been awarded the 2009 Best Home Theater in the $25,000 to $50,000 category, by Electronic House Magazine. The theater was the first part of a whole-house upgrade that will turn the residence into a Smart Home. The theater component was recognized by the magazine as one part of the overall design of the home’s complete automation system. By designing all the electronics upgrades using a holistic approach, which makes energy use more visible, the home can be operated more efficiently. More info: www.distinctav.com or www.electronichouse.com

SUBMISSIONS

Twisted Limb earns national business grant Bloomington — Sheryl Woodhouse-Keese, founder of Twisted Limb Paperworks, a sustainable paper making company in Bloomington, is one of five recipients of Eileen Fisher’s fifth Annual Business Grant Program for Woman Entrepreneurs. Launched in 1998, Twisted Limb creates handmade, 100 percent recycled paper, which is stitched and assembled into invitations, thank-you notes, business promotional items, holiday greeting cards and stationery. Woodhouse-Keese will use the $10,000 grant to develop a new line of handmade recycled memorial cards, programs and notes for families interested in more earth-friendly funerals. The products will be represented by The Natural Burial Company in Portland, Ore., and available through funeral directors nationwide. She received her award at a ceremony in March in New York. The Eileen Fisher program recognizes women-owned businesses that combine the principles of social consciousness and sustainability to create new businesses or to invigorate existing ones that have a solid business plan and strategy for long-term growth.

For the latest news about green living, visit: www.IndianaLivingGreen.com Submit your news items with high-resolution images to: editor@IndianaLiving-Green.com

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

A CALM LOOK AT TROUBLED WATERS:

PondOrFountain GreenUpYourYard?

COULD A

BY DEAN HILL

There’s something about water that’s good for the soul. A bubbling fountain, a cascading waterfall or a tranquil pond just makes us feel good. Even before Nebuchadnezzar built his hanging gardens 2,600 years ago, landscapers understood the aesthetic and psychological benefits of building water features into their designs.

Natural stone fountains, from www.LEAFindy.com, feature low energy LED lights and a recirculating pump

But in an age when “water is the new gold,” its use in landscaping has become controversial. Homeowners, contractors and local governments will continue to face water use restrictions, including complete watering bans. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that outdoor water use averages about 117 gallons per home per day, or about 37 percent of all home water use. In hot, dry regions of the United States, it can be two to three times greater than indoor water use. Some estimates show peak landscape water use as high as 70 percent of total household use. What does this growing concern mean to the use of water features in landscape and garden design? The cascading waterfall and pond craze took off about 15 years ago and has increased steadily ever since. DIY Network pond kits and pre-formed liner ponds can be found at any big-box home improvement store, and pond supplies are staples of many garden centers.

But exactly how eco- and waterfriendly are these features? The debate heated up in 2008. As part of drafting guidelines for its WaterSense Label Program, the EPA proposed that no builder install or facilitate the installation of ornamental water features solely for beautification, including fountains, ponds, waterfalls, man-made streams and other related construction. This caused quite a stir, with public comment from landscape architects, pond contractors and others. The lines may be drawn, but the question remains: How green is your water feature? Obviously, water features can mean many different things. Large ponds with cascading falls, extensive landscaping and koi are much different from the self-contained fountains found in most garden centers. Regardless of size, water features have both physical and psychological benefits. It would be difficult to find someone who isn’t drawn to the sight, sound or cooling effects of a water

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feature. Wildlife, too, can benefit. So, let’s look at the environmental benefits of water features.

IN-GROUND Most large pond systems are sold as benefits to the ecosystem. This approach relies on a natural balance of circulation, filtration, plants, fish, rocks and gravel to ensure sustainability. A pond that contains these elements in proper balance needs only water and routine maintenance to provide years of enjoyment. In addition, these larger ponds include trees, shrubs, flowers and ground covers that help shade and cool the surrounding microclimate. Trees and leafy vegetation use evapo-transpiration to help cool ambient air temperature. With evapo-transpiration, plants absorb water through their roots and release it through their leaves. Water is also an excellent coolant because it evaporates easily in most climates. Six gallons of evaporating water have the same cooling effect as a

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

typical home central air conditioner. Aside from the initial filling of the pond, water usage or re-filling is minimal and is actually considerably less than if the area were dedicated to lawn, not to mention the gas, chemicals and fertilizers often used to maintain the lawn. The only additional cost after installation of a wellplanned water feature is the cost of electricity to run the pump. Calculating electrical running costs is based on many factors including the price of electricity where you live. The easiest thing to remember is that a pump that runs on lower amps per hour may cost more initially, but will save money on energy use over the long run. An energy-efficient pond pump should cost under about $4 a month to run, depending on electricity rates.

Photo courtesy of Campania

Campania’s Precipice Fountain

SELF-CONTAINED The latest trends in water features are self-contained and re-circulating. These come in thousands of different options and can include fountains, stone or basalt columns, urns and statuary. These water features can be installed above, below or at ground level, depending on type and model. Creativity is the key, and almost any shape, size or garden aesthetic can be accommodated. All that is required is electricity and possibly some eco-friendly products to reduce scale build-up, algae and foaming. Although these types of water – Continued on page 8 7

TROUBLED WATERS Continued from page 7

features may not have the same environmental benefits that larger ponds do, it is hard to argue against their flexibility. So, it would appear that it is possible for water features to be both eco- and water-friendly. The environmental benefits are equal to the physical and emotional benefits. The options available seem endless, and it would be difficult to find a place in the landscape where one could not be sustainably incorporated.

REFERENCES: WATER EFFICIENCY • Alliance for Water Efficiency, www.tinyurl.com/cdwvwe • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/watersense • Water: Use it Wisely, www.wateruseitwisely.com WATER FEATURE PRODUCTS • Aquascape, www.aquascapeinc.com • Al’s Garden Art, www.alsgardenart.com • Campania International, www.campaniainternational.com ENERGY EFFICIENCY • Energy Star, www.energystar.gov • The Water Gardening Pond Site, www.tinyurl.com/cbfp8v OTHER • Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants by Greg and Sue Speichert • The Water Garden www.watergarden.org

Dean Hill is an award winning landscape designer and host of GreenDeanTV.com. Dean is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and holds a Certified Green Professional designation from the National Association of Homebuilders. He can be contacted at terratecture@yahoo.com

www.IndianaLivingGreen.com

THE

RightThing

TO DO:

Greening Indiana’s Festivals BY MARIANNE PETERS

Every Labor Day weekend, Plymouth is ground zero for one of Indiana’s largest festivals. The annual Marshall County Blueberry Festival draws a half million people, and like other communities of similar size, the county depends on the explosion of revenue generated by the visitors. Non-profit organizations line up to hawk blueberry sundaes, blueberry doughnuts, blueberry milkshakes, and countless other blueberry concoctions; craft booths display their wares; the carnival rides keep teenagers shrieking well into the night; and local and national acts entertain on three stages.

Photo courtesy www.resourceful-1.com

In 2008, for the first time, the Blueberry Festival offered on-site recycling for the thousands of bottles and cans sold at the event. After a positive response by the public, the Blueberry Festival board has strengthened its commitment to shrinking the event’s environmental footprint for 2009. Festivals and fairs provide diversion and a necessary boost to the local economy, but they also create tons of waste, whether it is food, tableware or packaging materials. Extra traffic pumps carbon dioxide into the air. Energy use skyrockets as vendors, entertainment venues and midways plug into the local grid.

The Marshall County Blueberry Festival’s eco-friendly efforts are part of a growing trend to make festivals more sustainable. Across the country more patrons want to see events generate less waste and use less energy, according to the Icarus Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on sustaining a climate-friendly tourism industry. More than 80 percent of the people surveyed were aware of increased amounts of carbon dioxide generated by festivals and felt the noise, waste and traffic had a negative impact on the environment. Forty-eight percent said that they would even pay more to attend greener events.

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Courtesy Marshall County Blueberry Festival

Hot air balloons decorate the late-summer skies every year at the Marshall County Blueberry Festival.

THINK DIFFERENTLY Greening a festival means doing what it takes to minimize the event’s impact on the environment. That boils down to handling trash and reducing energy use, said green event planner Ken Withrow in Valparaiso. Offering recycling is a first step. Festival goers will sort their own trash if recycling and trash receptacles are sideby-side, conveniently located and numer-

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

“

Events will earn points by going above and beyond in reducing energy use. We will be recycling all glass, cans, plastic and cardboard, and we are also encouraging people to take alternative transportation to events. Diane Damico, West Lafayette

ous. Withrow suggests recruiting volunteers to help monitor the receptacles and pull out misplaced items as needed. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc., has been providing recycling bins for festivals throughout Marion County for several years. KIB loans the bins to festival coordinators and provides metal Dumpsters for really large events, said Tammy Stevens, KIB’s recycling manager for nearly three years.

”

Go Greener Commission

KIB has about 200 bins, which allow for recycling plastic and metal drink containers. It is up to the festival coordinators to take the bins for recycling operations to one of the city’s 28 dropoff points, she said. Getting festivals and other events to cooperate has not been difficult. So far, more than 20 events have reserved bins for 2009, the number served in – Continued on page 12

INDIANA FESTIVALS Continued from page 11 all of 2008. “People do it because it’s the right thing to do,” she said.

It takes electricity to light up a festival. Biodiesel and solar generators are good alternatives to the grid, says Withrow. Staging most festival entertainment during the day would take advantage of sunlight and reduce the need for extra lighting. Another problem is smog-producing CO2 emissions. If the festival grounds are accessible by walking or by bicycle, patrons can be encouraged to leave cars at home. Multiple and visible bicycle racks would also encourage alternate transportation. At the Blueberry Festival, tractors fueled by biodiesel pull trams that carry patrons to and from the distant parking lots.

Courtesy Marshall County Blueberry Festival

POWER DOWN

Nearly half a million visitors fill Plymouth’s Centennial Park every Labor Day weekend for the Marshall County Blueberry Festival.

Some festivals are looking beyond recycling and conserving energy toward becoming zero-waste events. Zero-waste means just that — everything used at the festival is either recyclable or compostable, from glass bottles and aluminum cans to plant-based plates, cups and cutlery made from biopolymers polylactic acid, or PLA, a non-foodgrade corn starch. Stacy Lambright, now based in Fort Wayne, formerly was Solid Waste Education Coordinator of Boulder County, Colo., where she helped the Boulder County Fair take the first steps to becoming a zero-waste event. A key component of that effort was education—for the vendors, the volunteers, the service providers (such as the sanitation crew), and the patrons. “You have to present the idea to everyone,” she says. “They have to be on board for it to be successful.” Zero waste is doable in Boulder County, Lambright says, because a strong recycling and composting infrastructure is in place. It takes cooperation among such entities as waste management companies, solid waste districts,

A DEEPER GREEN

Violinist and recording artist Cathy Morris performs at the Indy Jazz Fest, where Keep Indianapolis Beautiful helps the organizers recyle bottles and cans.

waste water treatment plants and community composting facilities. Indiana, she points out, has not yet developed the infrastructure to make zero-waste events viable in many parts of the state.

SUPPORTING GREEN FESTIVALS Communities can make their festivals greener, and festivals can, in turn, make for greener communities. In West Lafayette, a group of community volunteers started the West Lafayette Go Greener Commission. Chairwoman Diane Damico says strong community involvement makes all the

difference as they try to develop a new green-event policy in her city. “A subcommittee of citizens is working together to create a baseline for all events, similar to LEED standards,” she says. “Events will earn points by going above and beyond in reducing energy use. We will be recycling all glass, cans, plastic and cardboard, and we are also encouraging people to take alternative transportation to events. We will also require each event to give our organization booth space, both as an educational site and a base for volunteers.” Connie Holzwart, festival coordinator for the Marshall County Blueberry Festival, is expecting vendors, patrons and local participants to get behind the 2009 “Blue Goes Green” campaign. “The Marshall County Blueberry Festival belongs to our community, was created for the enjoyment of our community and is for the benefit of our community,” she says. “It is then, in essence, the responsibility of the community to do its part by using the recycling receptacles and to encourage others as well. Reducing the amount of waste sent to our local landfills benefits everyone.” Festivals can be prime opportunities to educate people about environmental stewardship and resources in their communities. Booths sponsored by the local Solid Waste Management District or Department of Natural Resources provide fun and interesting ways to demonstrate recycling, composting, vegetable gardening, home energy-efficiency or

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other aspects of green living. Signs that point to that festival’s efforts help visitors see sustainability in action. Vendors who sell reusable tote bags, stainless steel water bottles, rain barrels or other sustainable lifestyle items also educate the public, as well as provide ways to help patrons take sustainable habits home with them. Local community activists also can set up booths to encourage involvement in green initiatives in their community. The ultimate goal of greening a festival is to make sustainability business as usual. The Blueberry Festival is headed in that direction. Organizers plan to keep greening the festival year-by-year. “The 2008 festival was a learning experience,” says festival coordinator Holzwart. “Improvements this year include having as many recycling receptacles as we can. A local company is donating blue 55-gallon plastic barrels to be used for cans and plastic bottles. We have also appointed a recycling coordinator to oversee the operation this year, and this will help immensely.” “I think people will get involved,” she says. “It’s just the right thing to do.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO: • Bring your own refillable water bottle. • Bring your own shopping bags. • If there’s a place for visitor comments, write a note asking festival organizers to go green next year. Or talk to a local official while you’re there. • Patronize vendors who specialize in quality handmade crafts, not cheap, imported goods that represent a lot of packaging and shipping. Shop local vendors whenever possible. • Ride your bicycle or walk to the festival if you can; take public transportation, or carpool with friends. • Volunteer to help your local festival or fair go green.

Marianne Peters is a freelance writer and editor living in Plymouth. She has a Web site: www.wordsmithwritingservice.com and Weblog: hoosierwordsmith.typepad.com

REFERENCES: • The Icarus Foundation. A not-for-profit environmental, policy, research and education organization focused on sustaining a climate-friendly tourism industry. A comprehensive guide to greening festivals and events is on their website: www.theicarusfoundation.com • The West Lafayette Go Greener Commission. Contact them for more information, ideas, and resources for going green. www.city.west-lafayette.in.us • TuwA. Calling itself a “healthy and sustainable lifestyle company,” this northwest Indiana enterprise provides compostable tableware for events, as well as many other products for the home. It is working in cooperation with the West Lafayette Go Greener Commission. President Matthew Standish is available to assist other events reduce their environmental footprint through consultation, education, or products. www.tuwa.com

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

Students from Culver Military Academy present the flag at the Blueberry Festival in Marshall County.

PEDAL & PARK In Indianapolis, Pedal & Park provides free parking for bicycles and rollerblades to encourage non-motorized transportation alternatives, promote use of trails and greenways, dispense relevant recreational literature and raise funds for partner not-for-profit organizations. In the past 10 years, Pedal & Park has parked nearly 12,000 bicycles. Pedal & Park will be at these events in 2009: • Earth Day Indiana Festival, April 25 • Bike to Work Day, May 16 • Broad Ripple Art Fair, May 16 and 17 • Tour de Cure, June 13 • Talbot Street Art Fair, June 13 and 14 • Carmelfest, July 3 and 4 • Indiana State Fair, Aug. 7 and 23 • Mass Avenue Criterium, August • Feast of Lanterns at Spades Park, Aug. 29 • Penrod Arts Fair, Sept. 12 • Hoosier Outdoor Experience at Fort Harrison State Park, Sept. 25 and 27 • Carmel International Arts Festival, Sept. 26 and 27

GROW YOUR OWN

Feed Yourself, Others BY JO ELLEN MEYERS SHARP

Recent national surveys reveal we're hungry for locally grown produce, especially when it’s fresh-picked from our gardens.

Junior Master Gardener Glen Schroering was proud of the heirloom ‘Moon and Stars’ watermelon he grew in 2008 in the Children’s Garden at Garfield Park in Indianapolis.

And though you’d think it was the economy that was the driving factor in our hunger for local food, it's only one. The others: our more educated palate savors fresh food that tastes good and our concerns about food safety. Food gardening in the United States is on the rise. At least 43 percent of U.S. households plan to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and berries in 2009, up 19 percent from 36 million households in 2008, according to The Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America survey conducted this spring by the National Gardening Association. At least 21 percent of households said they plan to start a food garden this year.

The survey reveals why people want to grow their own: • 58 percent said for better-tasting food • 54 percent said to save money on food bills • 51 percent said for better quality food • 48 percent said to grow food they know is safe “As in previous recessions, we’ve seen increased participation in and spending on food gardening as people look for ways to economize,” said Bruce Butterfield, research director for the NGA. “That said, these results suggest the interest in food gardening may continue to increase, even after the economy improves.” And while planning your garden, Plant a Row for the Hungry, food or herbs that can be shared with a local soup kitchen, church pantry or other organizations that feed the hungry. Plant A Row is a national organization started by the Garden Writers Association as a way to encourage people to grow food to feed the hungry. Since its inception in 1995, at least 14 million pounds of food have been donated. This matters because our neighbors are hungry. Feeding America estimates at least 11 percent, or about 600,000 people in Indiana, are considered food insecure, meaning they do not always know when they will have their next meal or what it will be. In the 20 central

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Photo courtesy National Garden Bureau

• The best vegetable production comes with adequate water. Most plants need about one inch of rainfall or supplemental watering every week to 10 days. Indiana counties served by Gleaners’ Here are five easy-to-grow veggies: Food Bank, about 213,000 Hoosiers live • Lettuces in poverty. Nearly half are seniors and • Tomatoes children. • Peppers A great source for information is • Squash Purdue University’s cooperative extension • Beans office. It’s easier to start with transplants Meantime, here are some tips to get for tomatoes and peppers. Beans, letyou started: tuce and squash are easy to grow from • Gardens need eight or more hours of seed. All of these plants can be grown full sun a day. in containers. The larger, the better. • The best gardens grow in healthy soil, Harvest the plants when the so add organic matter, such as produce is ripe. Delaying the harvest compost or rotted manure to the bed. may cause plants to stop producing. • Start small and grow food that your If you lack the ground or full sun family will eat. If no one likes eggplant, to grow vegetables, contact your Exdon’t grow it. Read and follow the tension office to find out about cominstructions on the seed packets or munity gardens in your area. You can plant tags. rent space and grow your food there. • Keep weeds out of the garden by Lastly, if you don’t see a garden in mulching around the plants and your future, you can always buy fresh, between the rows in the bed. A cheap locally grown food at a farmers market and easy way to do this: Layer two or in your area. three sheets of newspaper throughout the bed and cover the paper with grass – Continued on page 16 clippings or other mulch. A garden of kale, purple leaf lettuce and celosia serves double duty with ornamental and edible plants in the same space.

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

GROW YOUR OWN Continued from page 15

REFERENCES:

Photo courtesy National Garden Bureau

‘Basket Boy Yellow’ tomato dangles from a hanging basket.

• Plant a Row for the Hungry • www.GardenWriters.org • Second Helpings Inc. • www.SecondHelpings.org 1121 Southeastern Ave., Indianapolis • (317) 632-2664 • Purdue University Extension Offices • www.tinyurl.com/dkoewn • Edible Landscaping Online • www.eat-it.com • Ohio State University Edible Landscaping • www.ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1255 • University of Florida Extension • www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP146 • The Urban Farmer • www.theurbanfarmer.ca/edible_landscaping.html • Montgomery County, Maryland • www.tinyurl.com/cr3arv • Virginia Tech Landscaping with Good Taste • www.tinyurl.com/dmes5s • National Gardening Association • www.garden.org/ediblelandscaping • Rosalind Creasy, Edible Landscaping • www.rosalindcreasy.com/about • The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping: Home Landscaping with Food-Bearing Plants and Resource-Saving Techniques by Rosalind Creasy, • Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch

By tom mcCain

National Road Heritage Trail

picnic tables and a gentle stream. Farther to the east, the trail borders Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on its south side, then Hawthorn Park and J.I. Case Wetlands Area to the north. After passing under U.S. 40, the trail Directions and up-to-date information: reaches its eastern Cardinal Greenway's Web site: trailhead, the Twigg www.delgreenways.org Rest area alongside the National Road. This smooth, easy-riding trail is a pure delight and a wonderful example of how trails can connect people where they live, work and As bike trails go, Indianapolis’ Monon is a gem — but there are play. For an extra treat, visit the Indiana Mile as you ride past the ISU football delightful trails elsewhere in the state, and they make good weekend stadium. Laid out in the shape and comgetaways, or can be part of close-to-home vacations. Here’s a look pass orientation of the Hoosier state, this path is one mile long and features more at three that are well worth the drive time. than 100 tree and shrub species native to Indiana. Expect a brief on-sidewalk ride on Locust Street near the Indiana Mile, and gates branded with curved arches. Cardinal Greenway before passing under a railroad bridge In Muncie, it connects with the White As on any typical late morning in and finding the trail again. River Greenway just north of the August, I value my self-made breeze as restored Wysor Depot, which serves as I pedal along, pushing the heat away. trail headquarters. On this Muncie-to-Losantville stretch, the Cardinal Greenway rolls endlessly National Road Heritage Trail from the crest of one hill to the next, Amenities With my jacket zipped against a chill through sprawling farmland and prairie To alleviate after-ride November drizzle, I pedal away from and the occasional cooling woodland. tummy issues, visit M. the Tippecanoe Street Trailhead of the I like it. Moggers Restaurant & Pub 7.5-mile National Road Heritage Trail One of Indiana’s longest trails, the (www.moggers-restaurant.com) for a in downtown Terre Haute. Following Cardinal Greenway will grow to about taste of Terre Haute history and a college the on-street bike lanes that hug the 60 miles when the final connection is atmosphere, or Ambrosini’s Restaurant Indiana State University campus, I ride made to Richmond, completing a trail at 14th and U.S. 40 (www.ambrosinis.com), east to the trailhead at 13th Street and that reaches north to Sweetzer. The a few blocks south of the trail. the beginning of the off-street, asphalt Cardinal is a rail trail, a linear park pathway, which defines nearly all the created from the corridor left by an Directions: From U.S. 40 and U.S. 41 in remaining miles of this greenway. Now, abandoned rail line, so grades are gentle downtown Terre Haute, east on U.S. 40 the ambiance is mostly residential until and curves long and sweeping. One one block to 4th Street, north on 4th to the trail turns sharply north past section of the northern trail — between "T" intersection with Tippecanoe Street, a small wetlands, then east again into a Gaston and Marion — is on country west 1/2 block to trailhead. From U.S. 40 rural, almost remote, setting. roads, but mostly the path is off-highand Ind. 46 east of Terre Haute, east on At Little Creek Park, there are way, wide and paved, its bridge railings U.S. 40 past Hunt Street to Twigg Rest Area Trailhead on south side of highway. Amenities For a classic Hoosier roadside diner, enjoy tenderloins, pancakes and hot rod heritage at the Blue Moon Restaurant, next to the trail in Losantville. Farther north, seek out the Mill Street Inn in Gaston. In addition to motels in Muncie, consider the River Gardens Bed and Breakfast (www.rivergardens-indiana.com) or Kamp Modoc (www.kampmodoc.com).

Amenities As this young trail ages, food places will pop up, but for now, carry what you'll want to eat and drink. For lodging, consider The Shirk Mansions Bed & Breakfast in Peru (www.shirkmansions.com). There are parking areas in each small town along the route.

Nickel Plate Trail A bright March sun paired with temperatures in the low 50s makes for an ideal ride as I roll out of Bunker Hill on the northern leg of the 12+ paved miles of the Nickel Plate Trail in north central Indiana. After crossing the long, high bridge above Pipe Creek, the grade begins a gentle climb through light forest before finally emerging into open fields and farmland. Like the Cardinal, the Nickel Plate is a rail trail, marked at one point by a poured column bearing the letter “W,” alerting past engineers to sound a whistle warning for the country road crossing ahead. Shortly after, the path dives into woods and a long gradual descent to the Wabash River, past occasional farmhouses until reaching quiet neighborhoods and a trestle bridge over dramatic Little Pipe Creek, with picnic tables beside the stream. This section ends just beyond the Wabash and the railroad bridge that will eventually carry trail riders into Peru, to connect with its Riverwalk. The southern section of the Nickel Plate rolls through farmland punctuated by woods and an occasional bridge, past the Bunker Hill Speedway, until reaching Cassville, where it becomes a soft-surface hiking trail.

For trail news and updates, visit the Nickel Plate Trail's Web site: www.nickelplatetrail.org

Elsewhere Indiana has even more great bike trails to offer and here are just a few more: • Prairie Duneland Trail, from Hobart to Chesterton, the 10.4-mile trail traverses some of the most beautiful natural areas in the state, www.indianatrails.org • Rivergreenway, a 19.5-mile picturesque, eclectic urban trail along the rivers of Fort Wayne, www.tinyurl.com/ca8dz9 • Whitewater Gorge Trail in Wayne County, an unforgettable trail through lush river bottomland, below a steep gorge wall. The 1.5-mile trail will eventually anchor the southern end of the Cardinal Greenway. www.waynet.org/recreation/parks

Learn more:

trians and respect neighboring private property, for example. Watch for the signs and be a good neighbor. Be adventurous and resourceful. Not all maps are perfect. You may occasionally find yourself negotiating some on-sidewalk trail (get familiar with the signage and road markings of any trail you're riding and watch for turns) or roaming a country road searching for a trailhead — look for long lines of trees in the distance that may define a trail corridor. After all, you might get lucky and find an out-of-the-way diner or craft shop worth lingering over. If you do, let me know.

• The Greenways Foundation, www.greenwaysfoundation.org • Indiana Trails, www.indianatrails.org, features a statewide locator map and numerous trail maps • Indiana Trails Inventory, www.in.gov/dnr/outdoor/4240.htm • American Discovery Trail, www.discoverytrail.org, will connect local trails to create a cross-country trek of more than 6,800 miles, from Delaware to California. In Indiana, the proposed route splits into southern and northern tiers. The northern route includes the Cardinal and the Nickel Plate, while the southern follows the Ohio River. • National Road Heritage Trail (www.indianatrails.org/NRHT) that crosses the belly of the Hoosier state between Richmond and Terre Haute, also pieces together smaller trails, roughly following U.S. 40.

Know the rules When making these trips, realize that most trails have rules — ride on the right; pass on the left; shout a warning as you pass from behind; yield to pedes-

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

An avid bicyclist, tom mcCain has visited bike trails in more than a dozen states. In the 1980s, he was a co-founder and the first president of the Hoosier Rails-to-Trails Council, a grassroots group formed to convince the City of Indianapolis to build the Monon Trail. He’s also an illustrator for Indiana Living Green.

FOOD CO-OPS

nourish COMMUNITY BY JULIE L. RHODES

Photo courtesy Bloomingfoods

When you think about a cooperative grocery store, a food cooperative or co-op, it might conjure up images of unfamiliar brands, exotic vegetable options and a dreadlocked cashier wearing a Grateful Dead T-shirt.

Teresa Birtles and family shop at Bloomingfoods.

But today’s food cooperatives are bringing a much different experience to shopping. Yet the principals of a co-op have remained the same for 165 years. Co-ops once were nestled on side streets or in small building that once were residences. Today many co-ops are larger with open-floor plans in retail areas. Co-ops have come a long way in other respects, too. Although volunteers continue to play an important role in most cooperatives, today’s co-op grocery relies on a professional general manager and other paid management and hourly staff to run day-to-day operations. River City Co-op opened in downtown Evansville in 2005 in two rooms of an historic house with all volunteer labor. Today the store has expanded space, increased hours and paid staff. Product lines have changed, too. As many of the grocery store chains have identified a growing customer base in natural foods, they are stocking some

of the same products found in natural foods stores. So if you can get many of these same products in a traditional grocery store, what sets co-ops apart? Co-ops are owned by their members (sometimes called member-owners). This not only gives members input on the products and policies, it actually gives them voting rights and an opportunity to serve on the decision-making board. Most grocery stores are national or international companies that send their profits out of state. Co-op dollars stay local and can be reinvested in the operation or — in some cases — even provided as rebates to members at the end of the year. Every co-op operates differently, but in general, lifetime co-op membership runs between $90 to $200, with some small administrative fees applying annually. Co-ops are also in a better position to meet the daily food choices of their customers and not just feed profit motives.

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Fresh, locally grown produce (left) is a signature product at Bloomingfoods and other co-ops throughout Indiana.

INDIANA NATURAL FOOD CO-OP STORES:

This provides more flexibility to introduce locally grown and produced products that might have difficulty breaking into national stores. The co-op model is not an idea that emerged recently. In fact, co-op principles used today are based on those established by a group of weavers in 1844 in Rochdale, England. The emergence of co-ops in the U.S. began during the industrial revolution. Today Co-ops are part of many industry sectors beyond foods, including housing, electrical utilities, purchasing and child care, to name a few. The first American co-op, The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire, was founded in 1752 by Benjamin Franklin and still exists today. A cooperative is a unique form of business known as user-owned, user-benefitted and user-controlled. Benefits from cooperatives are returned to members based on their use of the co-op during

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

Photo courtesy Lost River

Photo courtesy Bloomingfoods

Paoli's Lost River Market and Deli is designed to be a self-sustaining economic development venture. the year. Members — through a onemember-one-vote policy — democratically control a cooperative. Members own the cooperative through their financial investments in the business. Cooperatives can be for consumers or producers, workers or shared services. It’s difficult to know just how many co-ops exist in the state, but the Indiana Cooperative Development Center, a sup– Continued on page 22

• Bloomington, Bloomingfoods Market & Deli Co-op, www.bloomingfoods.coop • Paoli, Lost River Market & Deli, www.lostrivercoop.com • Fort Wayne, 3 Rivers Co-op & Deli, www.3riversfood.coop • Goshen, Maple City Market Goshen, www.maplecitymarket.com • Richmond (Earlham College campus), Clear Creek Food Cooperative, www.clearcreekcoop.org • Evansville, River City Food Co-op, www.rivercityfoodcoop.org Those working to start a natural food co-op store in Indiana • Indianapolis, Indy Food Co-op, www.IndyFoodCoop.org • Mooresville, Mooresville Food Co-op • South Bend, Purple Porch Coop, www.purpleporchcoop.com • Lafayette, City Foods, www.cityfoods.org • Terre Haute, Terre Foods, www.terrefoods.org RESOURCES • Indiana Cooperative Development Center, www.icdc.coop • Food Coop 500, www.icdc.coop • National Cooperative Grocers Association, www.icdc.coop

port organization, estimates more than 500 in all industry sectors, said Debbie Trocha, the executive director. A co-op provides a “triple bottom line, with concern for the community, environment and people,” she said. Co-ops are a means of “supporting your local community, by keeping money local, caring about your neighbor and caring about the business down the street.” Indiana’s oldest and largest is Bloomingfoods Market & Deli Co-op in Bloomington. Begun in 1976 in a small, downtown location, it today serves the entire Bloomington community from three stores. It also hosts farmers markets three times a week and provides extensive education on healthy eating. “Our efforts today include helping people reclaim their kitchens, learning more about cooking at home with health-

Photo courtesy River City Food Co-op

FOOD CO-OPS Continued from page 21

River City Food Co-op in Evansville features organic foods. ful, wholesome ingredients,” said Ellen Michel, who oversees marketing and outreach for Bloomingfoods. “We want customers to have the best information about how to make their own food, from baking bread to roasting a chicken or making yogurt.”

From its humble beginnings, Bloomingfoods’ founders had the insight to incorporate the business so that it could branch out to offer other cooperative services besides groceries. The co-op provides seed funding for the Local Growers Guild, an agricultural co-op of growers, retail partners and community members who work to improve the area’s food economy. Bloomingfoods has also initiated the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Bloomington, where people can get information about greener end-of-life services. Fort Wayne’s 3 Rivers Co-op & Deli began in the early 1970s as a natural foods buying club of 200 people, and expanded to an all-volunteer natural foods grocery in 1976. With two store locations, 3 Rivers tripled its store space in 2003 and now has 3,100 members.

FOOD CO-OPS Continued from page 21

SEVEN CO-OP PRINCIPALS: • • • • • • •

Voluntary and Open Membership Democratic Member Control Member Economic Participation Autonomy and Independence Education, Training and Information Cooperation among Cooperatives Concern for Community

Photo courtesy Bloomingfoods

Lost River Market & Deli in Paoli is the newest natural food cooperative, opening its doors in October 2007. Its mission focuses on supporting the local economy by providing a marketplace for local products and produce. “Over 60 cents of every dollar spent in the store goes back into the local economy,” says Brad Alstrom, the general manager. Alstrom believes the co-op’s greatest success lies in the ability to connect shoppers with the local farmers and producers for a wide variety of products, including produce, meats, sorghum, maple syrup, honey, soap, popcorn, spelt flour and prepared products like salsas and pasta sauces. Indiana has a long tradition of supporting and growing natural food cooperatives. With new co-ops on the drawing board in Indianapolis,

Many co-ops foster conversations and community.

Mooresville, Lafayette and Terre Haute, it looks like more Hoosiers are looking for ways to support the local economy,

eat healthier foods, and have a greater connection to the farms and people who produce their food.

Julie L. Rhodes of Indianapolis is an environmental stewardship specialist who can be reached at jrhodes4@indy.rr.com

C H I C AG O ’ S “ G R E E N E S T H O U S E ”

Smart Home Back BY POPULAR DEMAND B Y M A RY E L L E N G A D S K I

If you’d like to see one of the best demonstrations of the latest environmental advances in residential design, head for Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. The museum built a full-size, freestanding home in its courtyard, giving people the opportunity to see the total package of an energy-efficient, architect-designed, contemporary home. From its water-conserving green roofs to a garage equipped with its own fuel station for a natural gas-powered vehicle, this impressive house showcases new trends in sustainable living.

The horizontal wood cladding on the exterior adds warmth to the look of the Decatur-built factory home.

Last year’s more than 100,000 visitors made this exhibit so popular that it re-opened this spring with some fresh ideas. Although few people may contemplate building such a house, anyone can take away valuable ideas for an existing home. Originally intended to close at the end of 2008, the Smart Home has been extended till January 3, 2010. Architect Michelle Kaufmann based her design on five important tenets: smart design, eco materials, energy efficiency, water conservation and a healthy environment. The home’s size was deliberately held to 2,200 square feet in a two-story structure, which resulted in what she considers a “responsibly sized footprint.” In 2008, the average size of a new house in the U.S. swelled to the largest ever at 2,629 square feet. In developing an affordable prototype, the architect turned to the concept of a modular, manufactured dwelling.

The traditional method of constructing houses on site in all kinds of weather can be wasteful. In a factory, building several houses at once under climate-controlled conditions can result in considerable conservation of materials, and economies of scale bring about both cost savings and a more sustainable approach. The prime components of a house can be built in a factory in a few weeks and then assembled on site. Pre-fab building time can be half that of conventional building methods. This Smart Home — the first mkSolaire™ model built in the country — was manufactured right here in Indiana at the All American Homes plant in Decatur. Seven modules, five comprising the house and two for the garage, were transported to Chicago by flatbed truck and then set on a foundation by crane. “From roofing to rain shield barriers to uniquely engineered floor

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environment. Some of the unique interior materials include a shower tile made from recycled Chardon-nay bottles and kitchen countertops of recycled wood fiber from demolition sites. Renew-able materials are used through-out the house, including Forest Steward Council-certified woods for the cabinetry, flooring, and stair treads. On the main floor within a glass-enclosed display, visitors can see the mechanical systems © Photo courtesy J.B. Spector, Museum of Science and Industry of the house that normally would not be visible. An energy latest advances in solar technology. This The first floor’s open design has an expansive dashboard helps monitor energy usage. material absorbs the sun’s rays, transform- Water storage tanks of 300-to 400-gallon feel and allows for flexibility in use of space. ing them into enough electricity to provide capacity are located under the floor, providthe majority of power for the home. From ing substantial reserves of rainwater to joist systems, this project has provided 15- to 20 percent more efficient than solar irrigate the landscape and flush toilets. us with a better understanding of what panels, this film is even tolerant of shade. Low-maintenance native plants it really means to engineer and build an Kaufmann grew up in Iowa and is no surround the house and EarthBoxes and environmentally friendly home,” said stranger to the need for energy efficiency. vertical gardens provide an opportunity Dwight Martin, All American Homes’ Her rural roots can be seen in the living to grow vegetables on decks and terraces. quality assurance manager for the project. room’s sliding, barn-style wood door, Our impression of the house’s landscaping Prefabricated housing is not new to which can be closed easily to shut out is enhanced by the mature trees in the Indiana. Most people are familiar with the winter’s blasts or summer’s sunlight. museum’s courtyard, especially the oak that National Homes low-cost, prefabricated The folding NanaWall® to the deck spreads its graceful branches out to shelter houses that were built in Lafayette and abundantly lights the main living areas the deck on the south side of the house. the post-war all-steel Lustron Houses with and is one of the most efficient windowWith a balcony or outdoor seating area porcelain-coated exterior panels, most of wall systems on the market. “Day lightoutside every room, this home would be which were built in the Midwest. The ing” is certainly not a new concept, but a wonderful beach house. In our climate, Smart House is not immediately identifiarchitects are paying more attention to the outdoor areas would go unused much able as the product of a factory but rather ways of maximizing natural lighting to of the year. Bedrooms and closets are appears to be a high-end contemporary save on electric usage. The NanaWalls smaller than most homes of its price range. home. In fact its construction cost range also provide adjustable cross-ventilation, Since the architect has many model variaof $450,000 to $500,000 would be high a natural way to alter interior temperations of the Smart House, which can be end in Indiana, though it passes for tures. All of the house’s windows are customized in countless ways to express affordable in California, where the dual pane with argon gas. the owners’ individuality, there is great architect is based. On the interior, nighttime lighting is potential to create a unique home to suit No doubt the warmth of the horizonprimarily provided by recessed ceiling any lifestyle. tal wood cladding of the exterior goes a canisters with long-lasting LED lights. The museum’s exhibit presents the long way to erase the idea of a factory The first floor’s open design plan has an epitome of living with the principles of the product. It is made of Ipe, a Brazilian expansive feel and allows for great green movement and is well worth a visit. species that is one of the most durable flexibility in use of space. What could It should inspire some ideas that you can timbers. The wood siding contrasts well offer greater flexibility than a movable incorporate into your own home. with the sand-colored cement panels of fireplace on wheels? And it’s fueled the upper story, also considered a green by ethanol. Mary Ellen Gadski has been active in Finishes with no- or low VOCs, or and low-maintenance building material. local environmental issues for more than The flat roofs of the house are covered volatile organic compounds, were used 25 years and currently serves on the Indianapolis-Marion County Tree Board. inside the house, promoting a healthier with photovoltaic, or PV film, one of the

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

BY JULIE WILLIAMS

Everyone is talking about clean coal these days, but what does that really mean? Is it possible to clean something that seems to be the epitome of dirty? The answer depends on whom you talk to and what you mean by clean. Coal is sedimentary rock, which contains carbon, sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. A fossil fuel, coal has been used primarily in power plants. When burned, coal produces emissions which pollute the air, ground and water around the power plants. There also are nonburnable byproducts, such as coal ash. To be considered clean, coal must be clean in the air, in the ground and in the water.

In the United States, there are at least 616 coal-fired power plants, generating about half of the country’s electricity. Indiana has 24 coal-burning power plants, generating almost 95 percent of the state’s electricity production. This is why the coal issue is so important for Hoosiers. IN THE AIR When coal is burned, air emissions include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide. Carbon

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dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which is a major contributor to global warming and climate change. Can coal ever be cleaner? “Not the way it is used today,” said John Thompson, director of the Coal Transition Project of the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring clean air and healthy environments through scientific research, public education and legal advocacy. “But with stricter regulations and new technologies, it can be.” Integrated gasification combined cycle, or IGCC, is new technology that heats coal and turns it into synthetic gas to run turbines that generate electricity. The waste heat from the turbines creates steam, which is used to run turbines to generate more electricity. A new $2.2billion coal-burning power plant planned for Edwardsport in Knox County, will use this technology, making it “one of the cleanest, most efficient coal-fired plants in the world,” according to owner and operator Duke Energy’s publicity. The Edwardsport plant will produce 10 times the electricity of existing facilities, with greater efficiency. The plant will produce fewer toxic pollutants, but not less carbon dioxide. “Carbon dioxide emissions overall will be higher than our other plants, because this plant is bigger,” said Angeline Protogere, Duke Energy spokesperson for Indiana.

So the question remains: Is coal “clean” if it emits fewer toxins but still emits carbon dioxide? Carbon dioxide is one of the primary causes of climate change, which is increasing at rates faster than scientists thought a few years ago. So the answer is no.

COA L IN

INDIANA • About 35 million tons of coal is mined annually.(1) • There are about 57 billion tons of coal unmined. About 17 billion tons, which could last more than 500 years, can be mined with current technology.(1) • $489 million in direct economic impact in 1999, according to the most recent figure available.(2) • 2,500 people employed in the coal mining industry in 2001, with an average salary of $46,428.(2) • 82 percent of the coal mined is used in the production of electricity.(2) (1 Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Indiana Bureau (2) Source: Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation

IN THE GROUND Another method for cleaning coal, called carbon capture and storage, or sequestration, is in the development stages and it too is controversial. The concept involves keeping carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere by capturing it before it goes up the smokestack, turning it into a semi-liquid state, and pumping it underground so it is permanently sequestered.

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

Carbon capture technology is planned for the Edwardsport facility beginning in 2013 or 2014, if approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. Thompson, of the Clean Air Task Force, hopes the Edwardsport facility will be the first commercial carbon sequestration site in the United States. “No serious climate modeling shows that the world can meet carbon stabilization targets without sequestration. It's needed not just for coal, but natural gas and oil and maybe even for future technologies aimed at pulling carbon dioxide directly out of the air,” Thompson said. Duke Energy is receiving $17 million in rate payer money for a detailed engineering study, and is seeking federal money to pay for equipment. “There are genuine scientifically based concerns about the technical risks of carbon sequestration,“ said Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council. More study is needed before it can be proven that carbon dioxide can be permanently stored underground affordably and without the risk of escape through the air or groundwater, he said. “New coal-fired power alone is expensive, and by adding carbon capture and sequestration, it becomes extravagantly expensive compared to renewable alternatives,” said Grant Smith, executive director of the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana. “The only way to get carbon capture and sequestration technology off the ground is through taxpayers and rate payers.” IN THE WATER Although we are making strides at removing toxins from the air, unfortunately, there are still issues with contaminants in the ground surrounding coalburning power plants that affect the water. Coal ash was recently in the news when a man-made storage lagoon in Kingston, Tenn., broke and spilled 1.1 billion tons of toxic slurry into the nearby streams. – Continued on page 28

COME CLEAN WITH COAL Continued from page 27 In Indiana, the coal ash storage lagoon at Duke Energy’s Gibson plant, the nation's third-largest coal-fired power plant, contaminated the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and the drinking water of neighboring East Mount Carmel. “Be wary when politicians and business people say burning coal has no impact on the environment,” said Bowden Quinn, conservation program coordinator of Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter. “Wells are poisoned and streams are polluted, (and) there’s nothing clean about that.” Thompson said coal gasification technology reduces the amount of waste product, but Kharbanda argues it is not a complete resolution to the coal ash issue. Indiana Living Green made several unsuccessful attempts to reach representatives of Peabody Energy in St. Louis, the country’s largest producer of coal. Peabody recently announced it will open Bear Run Mine in Sullivan County later this year. It will be one of the largest such operations in the eastern United States, and ILG wanted to ask Peabody about its measures to ensure there is no contamination of water and ground from its operation. AN ALTERNATIVE FUTURE With our society’s insatiable appetite for electricity, the health of the planet depends on cleaning up the sources for generating power. Some of Indiana’s 24 coal plants can be retrofitted with new technology to clean up their emissions, and some can’t. Most of these coal-burning power plants will continue producing the same level of emissions, including carbon dioxide, as they do now. The answer lies in decreasing the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and increasing the amount of renewable sources for generating power. Cleaner coal? It’s possible. Clean coal? Not yet.

Julie Herrick Williams, co-owner of Green Jays Communications in Carmel, is actively involved in helping Hoosiers understand environmental issues.

www.IndianaLivingGreen.com

GREEN Gardening with SPROUTS: A How-To Guide to Understanding Organic Gardening and Design by Daniel A. Atlas, 2009, AuthorHouse, $29.95, paperback

BOOK REVIEWS A Conservationist Manifesto by Scott Russell Sanders, 2009, Indiana University Press, $19.95, paperback

You can tell when a book is written with a lot of affection for the subject matter, and this is one of them. Truly engaged in a labor of love, Daniel A. Atlas chronicles the experiences of Students Producing Organics Under the Sun, or SPROUTS, a group that turned the southeast corner of 8th Street and Fess Avenue on the Indiana University-Bloomington campus into an organic garden. The garden fed students and others, but the purpose was more than full stomachs. The students wanted to emphasize the value of and need for safe, locally grown food and the importance of sustainable practices, such as recycling food waste into compost for the garden. The book covers all the basics, in easy-to-read large type, perfect for children and adults, including garden prep, what to plant, how, when, harvesting and replenishing the soil. Atlas covers vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, root crops and medicinal plants. The book would be good to guide those considering a community garden, too. “I decided to write this book because I felt it was my way of handing over the garden now that I have graduated. I was the last cofounder in Bloomington and I wanted to leave a legacy behind, answering many of the questions I had while working with SPROUTS.” We all benefit from his experiences.

Hoosier author, Scott Russell Sanders, repeats his urgent message of conservation in his latest work, A Conservationist Manifesto. Without the panicked shouts of street corner crazies holding prophetic signs heralding the end of the world, Sanders manages to warn us of the necessity to act immediately to protect life as we know it. The gluttony and impatience of our consumer-focused society — the buy newer, buy better, buy now lifestyle — is destroying our home planet, he states. There is no panic in his voice, but there is urgency in his message. Sanders, born in Tennessee and well traveled, has found his “place” in Bloomington. His call for public practice of conservation is delivered with an urging for us to begin living lightly in our own “places” with their local economies; we must, he instructs, learn to know our places well. It is this sense of place that is important in order to outrun and outwit the bulldozers and chainsaws. Calling for a lifestyle of simplicity, harmony and community instead of greedy consumption, his manifesto appears near the end of the book. It is composed of 40 stated truths to live by, e.g. #22, “In order to live, we must use the earth — but we should not use it up.” The last chapter is an apologetic message of hope to future generations. Sanders’ style is full of the imagery and poetic prose of Aldo Leopold, the philosophic wanderings of Henry David Thoreau, and includes Wendell Berry’s vital sense of place. A Conservationist Manifesto is sure to find its way on those treasured lists of must reads.

BY JO ELLEN MEYERS SHARP

BY LYNN JENKINS

Indiana Living Green May/June 2009

Sara Snow’s Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home by Sara Snow, 2009, Bantam Trade, $16, paperback Indianapolis’ Sara Snow was born into the Redmond family of Ann Arbor, Mich., which practiced sustainable living long before anyone knew what that meant. Her family founded Eden Foods. All of the children were taught about conservation, recycling, the relationship between nature and health and many other principles that are more commonplace today. A 21-page introduction sets the stage for Snow’s philosophy and actions. In many chapters, we go back to her childhood as she reviews what her parents taught her and how those lessons still apply today. She covers the kitchen, bath, office, nursery, laundry and outdoors, including landscape and transportation. In each area, she reviews what chemicals or other contaminants may be in the products we use and suggests alternatives. She shares how she’s influenced people, including her husband, Ryan Snow. “But because he is a smart man who also loves me, my family, our ideals and his other mother (Mother Earth), he made the better choice all on his own,” such as the purchase of a new gas-electric hybrid car. A former Indianapolis TV reporter, Snow has several programs on the Discovery stations, including Living Fresh With Sara Snow and Get Fresh With Sara Snow. BY JO ELLEN MEYERS SHARP

www.IndianaLivingGreen.com

GREENFINDS Heritage Bench The Heritage bench has a beautiful design, which incorporates an arched front skirt board with English-pattern routing. The seat is curved to match our natural body shape for ultimate comfort. Made in the United States of 100 percent recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, which won’t fade, warp, split or shrink. The material has a unique property, which makes it graffiti-resistant since most spray paints and markers won’t stick to the surface. The use of an ultraviolet inhibitor is added during the manufacturing process to make these units virtually maintenance free. The HDPE is also resistant to marine borers, so it’s a great choice for lake properties and other waterfronts. Heritage comes in driftwood, white, black, brown, green cedar. Cost: 4-foot bench, $589; 6-foot, $799; and chair, $299, from TuwA, www.tuwa.com

SUBMISSIONS

Shaker Point Motion Sensor Lamp Motion sensor lamps are not utilitarian looking. This Mission-style, ENERGY STAR® Outdoor Light from the Shaker Point collection has a built-in motion and duskto-dawn sensor. A handy, attractive security feature around garages and patios, the motion sensor has a 150-degree, 30foot range. The design also comes with the Dual Brite two-level lighting feature, which brightens when motion is detected. Cost: $95 from Lamps Plus, www.lampsplus.com

Please send information about your green products to: Editor@IndianaLivingGreen.com, or mail to Indiana Living Green, 1730 S. 950 E., Zionsville, IN 46077.

Watering Globe Need to keep potted plants watered when you’re away or when you’re just too busy to check on your plants all the time? This super-sized globe holds 24 ounces of water, enough to keep a large pot hydrated for a week. Simply push the 7 1/2-inch “smart pottery” ceramic stake into the soil. The stake slowly releases water as plants need it. The attractive hand-blown, clearfluted globe has a decorative blue finial that allows you to remove the globe from the stake for easy refilling. Cost: $24.95 from Logee’s Tropical Plants, www.logees.com; (888) 330-8038.

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THE

LAST

ROW

BY MARIA SMIETANA

One Woman’s Trash When it came time to move my brother, his cat, and 50 years of family junk out of my late parents’ home, I can’t say I jumped for joy. Clearly my brother would be better off in a smaller place, and the same likely was true for the cat, though she didn’t get a vote. But sorting the belongings of people who never threw anything away would take several long weekends and, worse yet, required a two-hour-plus drive to a small town in northeast Indiana. It wasn’t until my inner recycler stepped forward -- reminding me of all the green points (not to mention green bills) I could earn from the redistribution of all that familial flotsam -- that my enthusiasm for the project spiked slightly. What forgotten treasures from the cob-webby basement would fit another household’s needs? What could I salvage from the cold garage that would find new uses on my own farm? I scheduled an indoor rummage sale and hoped for the best. It turns out I needn’t have worried. What I didn’t know was that my parents had chosen to spend their last years in a part of the world inhabited by folks so professionally frugal that even my keenest scavenger instincts were downright amateurish by contrast. On the first morning of the sale, the local second-hand dealer and his wife were my earliest guests. With seasoned eyes, they picked through the best of the offerings, driving off with a vanload of bargains that would probably keep their shop in business for months. Hard on their heels was an Amish couple who clearly were no strangers to frugal shopping. After a round of polite haggling, the earnest wife bought the good china, but not before checking whether her husband would agree to the price we had settled on. The china, she explained, 32

would remain packed away for her oldest daughter, who would receive it as a wedding gift. My admiration of her utter resourcefulness almost made me forget that she got the better end of the deal. If that wasn’t enough to convince me that my family’s goods would have worthy reincarnations in other homes, or at least earn a reprieve from cluttering up the Steuben County landfill, the doorway was filled by a figure so large and furry that I figured he’d gotten lost on his way to the hunting lodge. Moments later, he walked out as the smiling new owner of my mother’s 50-year-old Singer sewing machine. By the second day, I knew there was nothing too outrageous to offer for sale. Cans of furniture polish and barelytapped bottles of bathroom cleaner

joined the aged Tupperware on the 50-cent table. Unemployed townsfolk bought my father’s winter coats and flannel shirts, and then politely thanked me for my fair prices. Even the tattered blankets and threadbare towels didn’t go to waste. In exchange for carrying off armloads of rags I was too embarrassed to put a price tag on, folks happily dropped donations into my coffee can to benefit the local animal shelter. In fact, after four days of practicing whirlwind recycling, only one thing was amiss: My bother’s cat can't seem to get comfortable. I think she misses the furniture she slept on for years , but I don’t think the second-hand dealer is going to give anything back. He knows he got a great deal!

Maria Smietana, is a refugee from the corporate world who now writes and grows organic produce on her mini-farm in Boone County.