GREEN PAYS. AND THAT’S COOL.
Participate in CoolCentsÂŽ from Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL) from May through September and receive a $5 credit on your monthly electric bill (up to $20 total) for your participation. Join thousands of other participants who have participated for years and help keep energy costs low for everyone.
HOW IT WORKS All you have to do is enroll and IPL will install a radio switch on the outside of your home near your central air conditioner. Installation and equipment are free. Then, during periods of high demand in the months of May through September, we will cycle your air conditioner compressor off and on for short periods.
HOW TO SIGN UP Enroll online at IPLpower.com or call 1.800.305.0982
C O N T E N T S RE C Y C LI N G publisher Lynn Jenkins Lynn@IndianaLivingGreen.com (317) 769-3456 EDITOR Betsy Sheldon Editor@IndianaLivingGreen.com C O N T RIBU T O RS Wendell Fowler Judy Kenninger Shawndra Miller Maria Smietana Jerry Williams S A LES Sales@IndianaLivingGreen.com (317) 769-3456 graphic design Paul Wilson, Wilson Design, LLC Web Design Margaret Hsu Stout Greenway Consulting, LLC
ad v i s o r y b oa r d Hugh Baker John Hazlett Bill Brown Grant Jenkins Jeff Echols Jesse Kharbanda Liz Ellis Glenn Livers Deb Ellman Greg Martz Bert Gilbert Ellen Michel Carey Hamilton p r i nt i n g The Papers – Milford, Indiana s u b s c r i p t i on s $18, six issues Indiana Living Green 1730 S. 950 E. Zionsville, IN 46077 Sign up for our e-newsletter online www.IndianaLivingGreen.com
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• Free recycling and pay-for-trash pickup is catching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 • The plastic bag conundrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
E N ERGY • Winds of change in Indiana’s renewable energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
F ood / D r i n k • Say cheese! Indiana locavores have a lot to smile about . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
COMMUNITY • May Creek Farm’s 35 years of intentional living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 • Social networking, old-style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
f e at u r e s • • • • • • • • •
Business Service Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Eat Right Now with Wendell Fowler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Footprints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Green, Greener, Greenest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Green Greetings from the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Green Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Last Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Readers Write . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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PAGE 12: May Creek Farm has been home to Sara and Mike McQueen for 35 years.
Take your message to our 60,000 readers who want to know more about sustainable living. ILG RE A D ERS Gender: 30% Male and 70% Female Age: 80% over 35 Homes: 70% Own their homes Income: 68% ≥ Over $60,000 30% Over $100,000 Education: 90% College 47% Post Grad Contact your Account Executive or call 317.769.3456 Sales@IndianaLivingGreen.com ON THE COVER: Bringing experience from Vermont, Washington State, Ecuador, and Romania back home to Zionsville, Lindsay Klaunig creates the artisanal cheeses produced by Traders Point Creamery. Read about Traders Point and other Indiana cheese producers on page 8. Photo courtesy Traders Point Creamery
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FROM PUBLISHER
LY N N
J E N KI N S
More than words can say Double-dip? Faltering? New Normal? It’s hard to know how to describe the economic environment we’ve been living through for the past few years. What words adequately convey what unemployed workers, families without health insurance, and struggling small businesses are experiencing? We’ve all felt the pinch and the punch from what’s been named the Great Recession—there’s nothing great about it. And while “they” claim the recession is over, for many businesses that support Indiana Living Green with their advertising, recovery is still not here. Some of the companies have closed their doors; others have had to change the way they do business. It’s a tough time to ask for favors, but I do: Let our advertisers know you appreciate their support of Indiana Living Green. Use their coupons and take the time to patronize their businesses. They need your support. And we need it, too. Now well into our fourth year, Indiana Living Green has served as an important resource for Hoosiers seeking to build a more sustainable lifestyle. We’ve strived to offer insight, background, expertise, and action on compelling issues ranging from new energy developments in our coal-powered region to agri-business practices that pollute our waters. But what really sets us apart from other green news sources here and nationwide? We zero in on local. We spotlight the innovators and early adopters who’ve pioneered positive change here. We introduce neighborhoods, towns, and other groups effecting change. And we not only present advice from local authorities on topics from food canning to composting, we include practical instruction and lists of resources. Through columns such as Hoosier Environment, the Last Row, and Eat Right Now, we inform, entertain, and inspire. All this in a bimonthly publication available free at select locations. But Indiana Living Green is more than mere words on paper. Our website, www. IndianaLivingGreen.com, offers up-to-the-minute news about happenings and events in central Indiana, Bloomington, and other locations. And we actively support green organizations and causes in our community through sponsorships and partnerships. With these alliances and our readers, we are all working together for—and succeeding in—positive change. Just a few years back, rapid transit suggested fast cars, and the nearby drivethrough signified local food. Green building was the color of a house, and wind power was the output of juvenile toilet humor. But in record time, you are changing the core of Indiana to a greener, healthier, and more sustainable community. Please don’t stop now! We ask you not only to support our advertisers, but to purchase a subscription to Indiana Living Green. By buying a subscription, either online or by mail, you can express your support of Indiana Living Green and your community—and enjoy the benefit of conveniently receiving the latest issue at home. Marianne, a new subscriber, wrote a note with her order, “Thank you for doing this important work.” We thank you for supporting us and our advertisers so we are able to give you the information you need to live sustainably. We appreciate this more than words can say. n
July/August 2 0 1 1
September In Our Next Issue
octo b e r Little Green Houses
Trends in Indiana home building
Here Comes the Sun Updates in solar power The Return of the
Root Cellar 5
are overweight or obese. Says Ron Stiver, IU Health’s senior vice president for engagement and public affairs, “By bringing affordable, healthy foods directly to our neighbors, Garden on the Go will help address one of the leading causes of obesity.” “IU Health’s vision to take a proactive approach to healthcare through providing positive nutrition choices in underserved neighborhoods is a perfect fit for Green B.E.A.N Delivery,” says Matt Ewer, president and co-founder of Green B.E.A.N. Delivery. “We are thrilled to see a leader in the healthcare industry take such a progressive approach to community involvement, nutrition, and healthcare.”
NEWSBRIEFS Mayor Greg Ballard recently appointed John Hazlett director of the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, a position vacated by Kären Haley, who will become the executive director of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. Hazlett has served as project manager for the Office of Sustainability since Mayor Ballard created the department in October 2008. The mayor credited Hazlett for helping the city secure more than $18 million in grant funds. He received the Mayor’s Performance Award in 2011 for his leadership of the Sustainable Facilities Initiative, a program that saves energy and tax dollars. Hazlett, with a Master’s degree in urban and regional planning, lived in Portland, Oregon, where he worked on storm water management, recycling, and energy efficiency programs before returning to his home town in 2008. “Having been with the Office of Sustainability since its inception in fall 2008,” says Hazlett, “I look forward to advancing Mayor Ballard’s goal of making Indianapolis the most sustainable city in the Midwest.”
reduction, the H2H effort conserves the energy required to manufacture, transport, and dispose of manufactured goods—and raises funds for local charities and other organizations. H2H is a partnership between the city of Bloomington’s departments of economic & sustainable development and community & family resources; Habitat for Humanity; IU Athletics; the IU Offices of Sustainability and Residential Programs Photo courtesy I.U. Office of Sustainability & Services; and United Way. For more information, visit www.indiana. Rewards encourage more edu/~h2h. recycling in Carmel, Fishers
Photo courtesy Indiana University Health
John Hazlett named director of Indy Office of Sustainability
Bloomington H2H sale sends sustainability message
Garden on the Go: a new kind of truck farm
The second annual Hoosier to Hoosier (H2H) Community Sale will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 20, at the Gladstein Fieldhouse on the Indiana University campus in Bloomington. Students and community members are invited to participate in the sale by donating reusable items, volunteering, or attending the sale. Collections began with a May 5 drop-off day and continued at dormitories and participating apartments and rental housing throughout the summer. In its inaugural year in 2010, H2H raised nearly $10,000 for United Way and Habitat for Humanity, and approximately 900 people attended. The effort intercepted reusable items equivalent to roughly five full semi-trailers. Beyond just the immediate impact on waste
To eradicate the urban “food deserts” in Indianapolis, a mobile produce truck is making a dozen stops each week in Marion County neighborhoods where fresh and healthy food options are scarce. Garden on the Go is an initiative by Indiana University Health and Green B.E.A.N. Delivery. At each stop—which include senior and public housing facilities—customers are able to board the truck and shop for everything from apples to zucchini at affordable prices, and can pay with cash, credit, or SNAP/EBT. Studies show a lack of access to healthy food options can lead to obesity and other chronic illnesses. Statistics from the Indiana State Department of Health indicate that 29 percent of adolescents and 65 percent of adults in Indiana
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With the launch of Recyclebank® rewards in Carmel and Fishers, Republic Services of Indiana has reported a marked increase in recycling among its customers there. But why wouldn’t customers recycle more materials when they can earn points for simply rolling their recycling cart to the curb every week? The points can be redeemed at local and national retailers, restaurants, pharmacies, grocers, movie theaters, and more. Republic Services customers in Carmel and Fishers may register for the program at www. recyclebank.com. Once signed up, members visit the website or use Recyclebank’s mobile applications each time they recycle to report their activity. Points are then divided evenly among all participants who reported within a route. Points can be used for hundreds of rewards, many from providers such as the Indiana Pacers, Cinema Grill, and Whole Foods. The partnership is part of a larger, national effort to reach 1 million households across the United States. John Drier, Republic’s Indiana general manager, says that the company plans to grow the service to additional communities in the future.
www. Indiana L iving Green.com
eat right now
BY W e nde l l Fowl e r
Harvesting Garden and Soul With summer peaking, the solstice passed, our days get shortened while shiny plump crows caw over painted harvests and compost-crusted gardeners and family farmers dance, sing, and reap in joyful celebration. The third sphere from the sun freely yields what grows on its bountiful surface. The ultimate recompense of human bumblebees seeding, growing, and reaping food, herbs, and flowers from Earth’s gardens is to express; to create then harvest beauty and nourishment with inspiration drawn from the altruistic well of nature’s soul. The plant world lives not in isolation but in sacrosanct interdependences with our shared earthly milieu. Just as skin, bone, and brain form the whole of human There’s no carbon-based organisms, edible plants are upstanding, indispenform of sible compatriots; equal members connected by our common oneness. consumption There’s no form of food consumption more quixotic, satisfying, and soul-stirring than eating what’s been recently harvested more quixotic from a small garden plot or neighboring family farm. Not much and soulfossil fuel gets burned when plucking and reaping zucchini or stirring than sweet cherry tomatoes a few steps or blocks from the kitchen countertop. Green families feeding their clan from their sequeseating what’s tered vegetable plot save pennies doing so. Diligent gardeners been harvested are acquiring gigantic freezers together with an eagerness to resuscitate the ancient mysteries of canning. from a small Growing and raising food and supporting local farmers garden or are excellent ways to obtain the freshest, most nutritious, energy-packed produce, often at reasonable prices. neighboring Wisdom decrees learning to store and preserve perishable family farm. plant foods. The American family throws away $500 of food annually due to poor product management. Plant foods need a little help from their green friends. Like garlands of pearls, flower buds blossom, expressing joy by putting forth their delicate, aromatic petals. When a flower is respectfully picked for aesthetic delight, the Earth has a sense of well-being, for the Earth cheerfully shares its prosperity. For example, when the corn is reaped in the autumn or when animals graze on the plant growth, fostering Earth has a sensation of well-being such as that felt by the cow when its calf suckles milk. A home filled with nature’s abundance has extraordinary energy; a delicious vibration of love and respect. Food is sacred; our supper tables an altar of gratitude. n Prompted by a near-death experience, Chef Wendell Fowler lost 100 pounds, overcame alcohol, cigarettes, and fast food, and dedicated himself to teaching others about the health-food-environment connection through his TV appearances, speaking engagements, and holistic health columns. Visit his website at www.chefwendell.com.
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Say Cheese!
Getting our goat cheese
The pioneer of Indiana’s artisanal cheese movement is certainly Judith Schad, who began making goat cheese in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana more than two decades ago. A dedicated “foodie” herself, Schad’s knowledge of what cheese “should” taste like has led to dedicated fans that include top chefs, a mention in People magazine, and countless awards. “I wanted to be on the same level as something made in France or England,” Schad says. At first, she had to push people to try goat’s milk cheese as it wasn’t familiar to shoppers in the 1980s. “I did my first demo at Atlas Market in Indianapolis, and it was difficult to get people to try goat’s milk cheese,” Schad recalls. It definitely caught on as Capriole now sells more than 1,000 pounds a week. Among the well-known Capriole cheeses is O’Banon, named for Indiana’s former governor Frank O’Bannon, which is wrapped in chestnut leaves and soaked in bourbon. Schad’s favorites include Sofia, which has a wrinkly, white mold rind, and Mont St. Francis, which she describes as “a big stinky cheese that’s great with big, sweet wines or bourbon.”
By Judy Kenninger
With a slew of Hoosier-made goat and cow’s milk cheeses, Indiana locavores have a lot to smile about
Cheese masters
Photo courtesy Capriole Goat Cheese
When Alan Yegerlehner, wife, Mary, and their three children visited their ancestral village in Switzerland in 1996, the family was impressed with the pride of place when it came to food. “Every village had its own cheesery,” Yegerlehner recalls. “We felt moved to go in that direction.” The Yergerlehner’s Swiss Connection Cheese Company is one of several Indiana artisanal cheese makers now making high-quality, local cheeses available around the state. Although some use goat’s milk and others cow’s milk, they all base their products on time-honored methods to deliver a range of unique flavors that change with the seasons. Today, the Swiss Connection moves more than seven tons of cheese a year through its farm stand, farmer’s markets, direct mail, and specialty stores. The cheese comes from cows that graze in open pastures, which makes all the difference. “It’s definitely a more intense flavor,” Yergerlehner says. “Grazing animals get more flavor in their diet so the cheese packs a more powerful punch.” Product offerings include a bandagestyle cheddar (cheese is pressed in a cheesecloth bandage and then covered with wax that lets it breathe as it ages),
The secret to award-winning cheese? Capriole’s Judy Schad says she lets to goats “tell” her what they need.
Colby, Flora (gouda-style), Jegerlehner Swiss, Pazia (parmesan-style), Sand Crest Jack (also available aged and flavored), Yegerlehner Bleu, and vintage Mayberry and Käse (aged cheddars). Yergerlehner’s favorites include the Sand Crest Jack, named for the farm his family has tended for more than a century.
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Closer to Indianapolis is Traders Point Creamery, where Lindsay Klaunig was recently installed as cheese maker after a coast-to-coast cheese odyssey that eventually brought her back to Zionsville, her home town. Although Traders Point has been making cow’s milk cheese for five years, Klaunig plans to expand the operation from its current 400 pounds a week level to add more varieties, possibly even making different cheeses with the seasons. Traders Point has won awards for its Fleur de la Terre, a handcrafted, gently aged cheese with a creamy yet firm texture and a nutty taste. Other favorites are a raw-milk Gouda and a raw-milk cheddar. In Argos, Sunny Meadow Farms has been making cheeses for the past four years after owner Harry Weaver took a cheese-making course in Liberty, Kentucky. The milk comes from the farm’s 20 grass-fed Jersey cows. To keep www. Indiana L iving Green.com
Photo courtesy Capriole Goat Cheese
Photo courtesy Capriole Goat Cheese
Capriole’s Schad learned the craft of cheesemaking through years of trial and error, eating a lot of cheese produced by her goats along the way. Klaunig (left) apprenticed at several dairy operations before coming to Traders Point Creamery.
its cheeses “nutritious and delicious,” Weaver says, the farm steers clear of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and hormones. Products include cheddar-based blends with flavorings, Colby, and baby Swiss.
The big cheese
Another cheese maker in the Swiss tradition is Swissland Cheese Co., where owners Mary and Kirk Johnson, along with son Brady, make 32 varieties that include flavored cheddars, Colby and mozzarella in Berne, Indiana. A new favorite is flavored with shitake mushrooms and leeks. Because annual production exceeds 100 tons, the cheese makers rely on local farms for both goat and cow’s milk, but they do ensure that the animals are pasture-fed all year long. The newest addition to the roster is Caprini Creamery, opening this July in Spiceland, Indiana. Owner Kristy Kikly, whose other job is as a scientist at Eli Lilly, has been trying out samples of
her wares on fortunate co-workers for a while now and plans to start with a fresh goat’s milk chèvre before possibly adding more varieties. “We’ve had goat as pets for 10 years; now we have over
100,” she says. They plan to milk just 50 in hopes they will produce enough milk to supply the 17 gallons needed to run the operation’s pasteurizer. Kikly plans a seasonal operation as the goats don’t produce milk from January to March. Seasonal restrictions aren’t really a problem though. Just as we make the switch to squash and potatoes in the winter, we can use the “off”-season to try aged cheeses. Savoring a Gouda, you can almost taste the Indiana meadow where the cows grazed on sweet grass under blue skies. No mass-market cheese can compare. n Judy Kenninger is a Brownsburg-based freelance writer. Her favorite artisanal Indiana dairy product is Traders Point Creamery yogurt.
I n diana Artisanal C heese Ma kers For availability, we list a couple options but check the websites to find a store or farmers’ market in your area. Most farm stands vary hours seasonally, so call ahead. Caprini Creamery, Spiceland, 765.987.8784; www.redbudllamas.com/creamery Available starting this July; check website for details. Capriole Goat Cheese, Greenville, 812.923.9408; capriolegoatcheese.com Order online or get yours at the Bloomington or Broad Ripple farmers’ markets. Sunny Meadow Farms, Argos, phone 574.498.6076; www.sunnymeadow.honoredprairie.com Pick up at the farm store or order online. Swiss Connection Cheese, Clay City, 812.939.2813, www.swissconnectioncheese.com Visit the farm store or buy at Goose the Market in Indy or Bloomingfoods in Bloomington. Swissland Cheese Co., Berne, 260.589.2671, www.swisslandcheese.com Make a trek to the outlet store in Berne or Georgetown Market in Indy. Traders Point Creamery, Zionsville, 317.733.1700; www.tpforganics.com Available at many stores, but why not visit the farm on a Friday night for Green Market and stay for dinner?
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Madeline Hirschland
Keeping Faith
Photo courtesy Madeline Hirschland
footprints
Many paths lead to environmental activism. For Madeline Hirschland, it was her far-reaching work in countries such as Kenya, Malawi, and Bangladesh, implementing micro-financing programs with outreach to rural and poor populations. She directed efforts in 40 countries for Save the Children, and she’s consulted to CARE, the Ford Foundation, the Gates Foundation, Oxfam America, and others. The green dots began to connect for Hirschland several years ago when she witnessed firsthand the impact of climate change on the world’s poor and was stricken with a feeling she describes as deep distress. “Climate change can feel overwhelming—it’s hard to grasp.” But a few years ago, she found a way to bring it home: through the faith communities in her own state. Hirschland is one of eight founding members of Earth Care, a Bloomington-based interfaith group dedicated to combating climate change at a personal, congregational, and local level. Three-year-old Earth Care, which counts 20 congregations as members, joined several other interfaith groups and congregations to start a Hoosier chapter of the national Interfaith Power & Light. The Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light (HIPL) launched with a wellattended kickoff in March. For Hirschland, who serves on the HIPL board of directors, “The event was very moving to me—19 faith traditions were represented.” “All of our religions tell us that we must care for our neighbor, the vulnerable poor, and the Earth,” Hirschland observes, “so faith seemed the obvious place from which to respond to climate change.” Hirschland, her husband, and their two children are members of Bloomington’s Congregation Beth Shalom. “I did not grow up in a particularly religious household, but the family I am in now is quite observant,” she says. “We turn off the computer and TV on the Sabbath.” Her faith observance and commitment to sustainability often work symbiotically. “We’ve cut our own household electric by 50 percent and gas over 60 percent, and we’re looking to go solar as soon as possible. We turn the heat down in winter and the air-conditioning off in summer. We use the sun to dry our clothes.” These are the kind of steps that she helps inspire other communities to take on through HIPL programs such as the Seventh Day Initiative, to help congregations cut their energy use by one-seventh. HIPL provides educational tools and resources—already 70 congregations have requested the organization’s “Task of the Month” toolkit. Hirschland admits that the magnitude of climate change be discouraging. “It’s almost impossible to conceive that we are changing the temperature of Earth.” Yet her work with Earth Care and HIPL give her great hope. “Teens are weatherizing the homes of older members. Congregations have met with legislators. Faith communities are the veins of the state. They’re such fertile ground for change,” she says. “And HIPL is ready to serve.” n www.hoosieripl.org
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www. Indiana L iving Green.com
readers write
GREEN
F r om r e ad e r j i m s to u t
GREENER Greenest!
Old Man’s Tail
Indiana Living Green offers ways for you to make a difference.
A story about an electric lawn mower
1. Paper or plastic? Say no to both. Accept with pride the token rebate (usually 5 cents) for remembering to BYOB, or give back to a good cause in stores, such as Whole Foods Market, that offer a donation. 2. Put individually wrapped slices of cheese food on your list of taboo foods. Be wary of anything labeled as “cheese food” or “processed cheese food.” 3. Purchase Green Power or Renewable Energy Options from your local electric utility provider.
Photo courtesy Jim Stout
Three summers ago I decided I could cut my own grass and further decided that I would buy an electric lawnmower. After reading up on specifications and looking at a few models, I bought a Craftsman 19-inch corded electric. The mower comes in a box, which a friendly Sears employee easily put into the back seat of my Honda Civic. Now, this part won’t happen to you, but when I opened the box at home, it was full of clothes—so back to the store. I will never know if this was a standard procedure or if it was a way to hide a few items before they disappeared out the back door. In any case, the manager apologized and took 10 percent off of the price. Assembly is two bolts on the handle, plus two more bolts if one chooses to use the leaf bagger. In all, it is a 10-minute job if you are watching TV at the same time and work slowly. The manual states, “There is no engine maintenance.” There is no oil to drain or fill, and there is no driving to the gas station with a gas can in the trunk. I sharpen the blade twice a year. It comes off with a single 1/2-inch nut. The best part is that it starts every time. There is never any yanking or pulling. The cost to run is great. Some quick calculations: The motor is 120 volts (house current) and 14 amps, so 120 x 14 = 1,680 watts (or 1.68 kilowatts). Around here, a kilowatt-hour costs about 14 cents. It takes an hour to do the yard (recall, I work slowly), thus about 24 cents per cut. The mower is not whisper-quiet, but softer than my food processor, and makes a whole lot less noise than a gas mower. The mower does not have enormous cutting power, but plenty for normal grass. Those times when I let the grass get high, I just cut at the highest deck height first, then again at the normal height. Like everyone, I was concerned about dragging an electric cord around. I bought two 50-foot cords and a spool to wrap them around (it is not a good idea to use more than 100-feet of cord due to wire heat and circuit breakers). After a few times, I found it was easier to unwind the whole cord in the driveway than worry about the spool. The cord turns out to be a non-issue. It just follows me around. I have not cut it yet. So, one day I was in the front yard cutting away, and a neighbor walked by with her 5-year-old son. “Look mommy” he said, “that old man has a tail.” n
Gr e e n
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Gr e e n e r 1. Stop the plastic waste with produce as well as groceries. Take your own net bags or washed used plastic bags for fruits and veggies. 2. Learn the value of artisanal cheese, often made from milk from grazing (not cornfed) animals without hormones or routine antibiotics, and raised on grass/hay without pesticides and artificial fertilizers—for a healthier you and a cleaner environment. 3. Follow up with your utility company to encourage the purchase of more renewable energy power and to promote their use of renewable energy.
Gr e e n e st 1. Purchase well-made, reusable canvas or string bags, made in the USA of organic cotton or recycled materials—and then don’t forget to use them! 2. Make the extra effort to buy cheese and milk products from Indiana dairies, creameries and cheese-makers, keeping local dollars local. 3. Encourage your legislators to support laws that provide for a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) in Indiana, the only state in the Midwest that currently has not adopted any goals towards renewable energy.
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By Betsy Sheldon
StillMayCreek AfterAll These Years One of Indiana’s oldest intentional communities shares its secrets for a long life
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different than those of most communities in the state. In 1976, some 48 young people—many recent graduates from nearby Indiana University—jointly bought 300 acres of land just a few miles outside Bloomington. Their intent was to live together, driven by values of mutual respect for people and nature. The first residents lived off the grid; the typical home was a rustic wood shelter, a yurt, or a tent. The group’s photo archives reveal get-togethers that look more like Rainbow Gatherings than neighborhood barbecues. Photo courtesy May Creek Farm
In some ways, May Creek Farm is typical of neighborhoods throughout middle America. Residents gather for potlucks. They grapple with snow removal in winter and potholes in the spring. You’ll find walkers or joggers out for a little exercise on the community’s main drive. And a weekday morning finds neighbors off to their jobs as teachers, realtors, doctors, and nurses. The owners, who skew a little beyond empty nester, wonder how the neighborhood will change as they age. But May Creek’s origins are radically
Back to the land
May Creek Farm is one of nearly three dozen identified intentional communities in Indiana, which—as defined by the Fellowship for Intentional Comwww. Indiana L iving Green.com
Photo courtesy May Creek Farm
munity (FIC)—include eco-villages, coops, communes, co-housing, and religious groups. The settlement also appears to be the oldest existing nonreligious intentional community in Indiana, according to the FIC website. “The back to the land movement was a driving force of creation for May Creek Farm,” says David Parsons, who operates an organic compost business on the shared land. “It was a social experiment, and still is in how people can live together, find a way to exist in a setting that would support people and support nature around us.” Parsons recalls May Creek’s beginnings. Several friends who had lived together bought the undeveloped land—part hilly woodland, part open meadow. Because Parsons’ wife, Sharon, was pregnant at the time— “They were living in teepees on undeveloped property”—the couple waited several years before buying in and building a house. Sara Steffey McQueen, a May Creek Farm founding member, recalls the primitive days before electricity, before plumbing—before houses. “I knew just how much water I needed for each task,” a valuable skill when you have to carry your own. Back then, only rugged logging roads led into the woods, where the residents set up their shelters. The group built a small kitchen where they could cook and eat together, then a barn, then a community building. The members had planned to live together in the communal space. In the late 1970s, the building burned down.
We the people
The fire, says Parsons, was a seminal event, forcing the members to address the issue of housing. By the early 1980s, several had built individual houses on the property. That brought a change in the community. “We went from a group of likeminded friends—very loose, and amorphous—into a structured entity that took
into account county building laws.” May Creek became an F corporation. Nearly 100 acres were divided into 15 privately owned parcels. But the other 200-plus acres—and the barn, pond, garden, truck, gravel spreader, tiller, and snowplow— remain communally owned. How May Creek Farm governs itself has also evolved. McQueen explains that at first, all decisions were made by consensus. “We wanted everyone to be happy. No hierarchical control. Total buy-in.” But finding themselves in a cycle of perpetual discussion and little action made the members reconsider. “One of the Creekers said that our problem was that we avoided conflict too much,” she says.
socializing. But as we began to have families, we became more caught up with kids and grew into more nuclear family units. Importance of the group became less.” Sharon Parsons shares stories as she flips through her photo album: pictures of groups of kids, diving into the pond, playing in the garden, roughhousing at sleepovers. “They grew up together, they were always together.” The kids—now ranging from early 20s to early 30s— continue to return to May Creek for parties, concerts (May Creek has its own blues band), and special celebrations such as the wedding of the Parsons’ daughter Marabai. But no event is as grand as the May Day festival—complete with a maypole and king and queen, meditation, food, music, dancing, volleyball. The weekend celebration has become so popular that parking-lot traffic has become a logistics issue.
Unified headspace
The old-timers worry about the future of May Creek. Currently, none of the second generation lives there. Some of the barriers are financial. “My son can’t afford to join and build a house,” says McQueen. “It’s cheaper to Although they didn’t move to May Creek Farm until the 1980s, buy something in town. We David and Sharon Parsons (opposite page bottom) have been must offer a way to allow connected to the early residents since the group’s beginnings. young people to join at an May Creekers recall a more social time, before they began to have affordable cost.” families. Parties were frequent, some attracting local notables. The group is working on it. Among the ideas: Today, the group holds monthly meetings Create smaller home sites. Offer different led by a rotating council of five to seven types of memberships. Create a group people, and decisions are made on majorhousing option. A community building is ity vote. “We still make sure that everyin the works, with efficiency apartments one has a voice, a chance to be heard,” to provide a low-cost way for people to be at May Creek. says Parsons. In terms of their commitment to the land, “Environmentalism was part of Celebrating May Day the core fabric—it wasn’t called out as Private property and structured a separate value,” says McQueen. “But governments aside, May Creek Farm we got as comfortable as the rest of the has experienced other change. “When industrialized world, enjoying our creawe were 20-something, there was more time to do activities together,” remembers ture comforts and assuming they’ll always be there. We’ve actually spiraled back to Parsons. “People spent a lot more time
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original values: composting, gardening, an emphasis on local. We chuckle—the young kids think they’ve just discovered permaculture.” Despite the challenges, twists, and turns, May Creek continues to work well for its members. Why? Parsons speculates: “We don’t have an ideology that drives people away. And we have a willingness to grow and change.” McQueen adds that commitment is another bolstering factor: “We have more appreciation for what community really means. We share responsibility—we don’t all have to buy a tractor. We care for one another. “From the beginning, we really did have unified headspace—it was a ‘we.’ It took a lot of faith.” A faith, says McQueen, that has endured for 35 years. n For more about May Creek Farms and Indiana’s other intentional communities, visit www.ic.org.
About May Creek Farm Bloomington, Indiana
Mission statement: To create and nurture community based on respect for each other, nature, and responsible stewardship of the land.
Members: 22, mostly adults with a few nearly adult children; 2 nonmember residents Leadership: Rotating council president and community council Finances: Members have independent finances Labor contribution: Expected at various work days throughout out the year Fees: Cost of corporate share and monthly maintenance fee Land owned by: The community, except for shareholder-owned home sites
Sponsored in part by
Winds OF By Shawndra Miller
When it comes to renewable energy sources in Indiana, progress is in the air Wind turbines are cropping up in several Indiana counties and even a few metropolitan areas. The Time Factory, a calendar publisher on Indianapolis’s northwest side, has its own wind turbine, as does Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, as does Upland Brewery in Bloomington. Hoover Farms near Tipton boasts five small wind turbines. And contractor Johnson Melloh Solutions has built a test site for both wind and solar energy at its southwest Indianapolis location, causing much rubbernecking from motorists on I-465. Schools are also getting in on the act, as witnessed by eastside Indianapolis’s Paramount School of Excellence. Five eggbeater-style turbines scattered over the school’s 9-acre campus have cut projected yearly utility costs in half, according to director Tommy Reddicks, who considers the 40-foot-tall wind generators both learning tool and living testament to energy efficiency. Then there are the utility-scale wind farms in rural northwest Indiana, which 16
are multiplying by leaps and bounds. The Indiana Office of Energy Development (OED) states that Indiana’s total wind power as of November 2010 was nearly 1400 megawatts, produced by 800 turbines. One megawatt powers 400 to 700 homes, according to the OED’s Eric Burch, so the existing turbines represent enough power to light over a half-million homes. The state’s wind farms are poised to provide the electricity-generation equivalent of four new power plants in the next few years, with 2,257 new turbines projected to produce an additional 4,065 megawatts. These figures are based on wind development projects announced in 32 counties. However, even in the windiest regions, Burch notes, wind turbines can only generate power part of the time. “Since wind development occurs where wind is available at least 37 percent of the time, that means that 63 percent of the time the wind’s not blowing.” With no widespread utility-level storage of
wind power available, that electricity is used as soon as it is generated. This means that wind farms—power plants in their own right, with electrons going straight into the grid—can never offer what is known as baseload power generation. Baseload power refers to the minimum amount of power that a utility must make available to its customers, as opposed to peak power, when the need is greater than normal. “In the summertime when the air conditioning is on, and the need outstrips the supply from baseload plants, the utilities have to kick in peak power. Wind is used primarily for peak power and to add to whatever the baseload is providing,” Burch explains. “Once it hits the grid, an electron is an electron...Wind goes into the mix, and then that energy goes where it’s needed.”
Full-blown R&D at Purdue
A 60-turbine commercial wind energy park 10 miles north of Purdue Universiwww. Indiana L iving Green.com
ty’s West Lafayette campus could further the research into wind technology. The university is leasing land adjacent to its Animal Sciences Research and Education Center for that purpose, assuming all necessary approvals. The proposed wind farm is ideally situated to enable research on wind’s impact on agriculture, says Purdue’s Ken Sandel. Sandel notes that the animal sciences farm has collected years of base data that will enable students to measure the precise impact of a wind farm on agricultural land. “We are going to blend in an area of research that is one of the grand challenges of society today: how to get more sustainable energy,” he says. Graduate students in agriculture programs won’t be the only Boilermakers to test which way the wind blows. Hands-on engagement at the wind park will offer many undergrads a more well-rounded education as well. Even the younger set could benefit from the installation, as a welcome center is planned to attract students from kindergarten through 12th grade. “The students would be able to get on the ground and stand right next to a — Continued on page 18 July/August 2 0 1 1
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turbine,” says Sandel. “They will be able to see the meters that are reflecting what energy is coming off the turbine.” Though there are still a few hurdles— the developer needs to arrange for utility companies to buy the wind power, for example—plans should be finalized this summer, according to Sandel. “We are hopeful that the developer can start purchasing the turbines in the September/ October timeframe, to have everything operational by December 2012.”
Everyone knows it’s WIndiana
Though an annual statewide wind energy conference has been expanded for the first time to encompass other types of renewable energy, it’s kept its breezy name. WIndiana 2011 is taking place July 20 to 21 at the Indianapolis Convention Center, and is expected to attract as many as 1,000 people interested in wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and other renewables.
Says Burch, “It’s all about getting the information into the hands of the average Hoosier who wants to make renewable technology a part of their life, whether that’s at home or in a small business setting.” This year’s conference offers tours of a wind farm and solar installation and an appearance by actor/environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. Numerous workshops will offer guidance on implementing renewable energy at home, school, or work, for those who want to roll up their sleeves and get started. But even people with a more superficial interest in renewables may be able to take advantage of wind power. Indianapolis Power & Light’s Green Power option, which offers customers renewable energy at a slight premium, is currently 100-percent wind, according to IPL’s Glenn Livers. Because the least expensive wind energy is generated in Iowa and the Dakotas, those regions are the source of the utility company’s renewable energy certificates (RECs,
tradable credits for renewable energy). While the actual electrons generated by the wind farms are fed into the grid to be used as needed, the RECs represent that power to IPL’s customer base. “In the bigger picture,” says Livers, “because we purchased those RECs, we provided financial support for renewable energy generation.” In theory, wind RECs displace an equal amount of coalsourced electricity, though some experts contend it is not a one-to-one exchange due to wind’s variability. IPL purchases power from a wind farm in Benton County, operational since 2009, and will also source from a Minnesota wind farm coming online later this year. The electricity output of those facilities is part of IPL’s electricity generation portfolio. About 7 percent of IPL’s portfolio will come from wind once the Minnesota facility is operational.
Clean and green?
Though wind has been embraced by most environmentalists as one ticket out
Indiana’s Renewable Energy Conference July 20-21, 2011 Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis
Spe c by ial Ap Ed p Be eara gle nce y, J r.
Wind-Solar Biomass-Alt Fuel Vehicles $100 All Access Pass Includes 4 Conference Tracks National/Regional Speakers Lunch at JW Solar/Wind/Biomass Tours Expanded Exhibition Floor
$25 for workshops on: Solar PV Solar Hot Water Small Wind Geothermal and Exhibit Floor
Register Now at http://www.conf.purdue.edu/wind Exhibitor Opportunities: email eburch@oed.in.gov
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of coal dependence, others raise concerns about bats and migratory birds. Environmental policy expert Victoria Pebbles of the Great Lakes Commission says most researchers believe there are ways to make wind power relatively wildlifefriendly. Bats can be protected by only starting up turbines when the wind speed is greater than the bats’ preferred flight speed, for example. She also suggests bearing in mind the alternatives: Coal harms wildlife and the ecosystem in devastating ways. “We don’t have all the answers yet,” she admits. “Most people…realize that wind shows a lot of promise. But there’s no free lunch. Everything a human being does has an impact, so we just have to figure out a way to minimize that and be as sensitive as possible.” n More information on WIndiana: www.in.gov/oed/2629.htm Shawndra Miller is a freelance writer and active member of the Irvington Green Initiative in Indianapolis.
By Shawndra Miller
Replace, Reuse, Recycle
The Plastic Bag Conundrum We’ve all heard the scientific consensus: Plastic bags will take some 500 years to break down in the environment. Contemplating that, who hasn’t had visions of whole neighborhoods disappearing under a pile of bags? Adding to the dim picture are reports of a Texas-sized patch of plastic-based marine debris in the North Pacific. Plastic grocery bags seem to be everywhere, and one thing’s for certain: They are not going away. It may surprise Indiana residents concerned about plastic pollution, but right here in our home state, some strides are being made in the recycling arena. In North Vernon, Indiana, plastic shopping bags and stretch films are being recycled at a rate of 18 million pounds a year. The city is home to national packaging company Hilex Poly’s recycling facility, the largest closedloop plastic-bag recycling center in the world. If you’ve ever dropped a bag in a Kroger or Wal-Mart bin, the North Vernon site was its destination, and it was likely turned back into a new bag. It may have even made an encore appearance at the checkout counter at your local chain store. In the facility’s closed-loop system, plastic bags collected from store takeback programs go through an elaborate
transformative process in which they are shredded, washed, melted down, and extruded into resin pellets. Most of the pellets stay on-site and are added to virgin materials to make new plastic grocery bags. While the end product varies in raw materials used, some bags are up to 40 percent post-consumer recycled content.
Gray: the new Green Darker-colored bags are an indication that fewer virgin materials were used; white bags contain much lower levels of recycled content. In an effort to increase demand for recycled plastic shopping bags, Hilex Poly has begun a “Gray is the New Green” campaign to educate retailers about making the switch to tan or gray bags. It is possible to make a bag with 100percent post-consumer recycled content, according to Hilex Poly’s Phil Rozenski; the limiting factor is the amount of material available. Because many bags have a second life lining bathroom trashcans or collecting pet waste, grocery take-back programs are never going to receive every single bag in circulation. But the company is working to make up the shortfall by incorporating other items made of the same type of plastic, such as shopping carts, into the recycling process. Rozenski notes that across the board,
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Hilex Poly’s post-consumer recycled content stood at 20 to 25 percent last year. Their goal is 40 percent by 2015. The North Vernon plant, which is the second-largest employer in the city, puts an emphasis on efficiency. From on-site wastewater treatment to recycling all cardboard and pallets, the facility seeks to minimize its environmental impact, earning it a WasteWise Partner designation from the EPA. The recycling process itself is quite efficient. Rozenski estimates only a few percentage points of loss based on the weights of incoming plastic bales compared to the final product. Handle cutouts and all other scraps are returned to processing. Hilex Poly has produced a training video for its store partners targeted at reducing the number of bags used. “What we want is not only to recycle but also to reduce the number of bags out there,” Rozenski says. The video encourages checkout clerks to avoid double-bagging and to leave items with a handle bagless. Still, we clearly have a long way to go in terms of waste reduction. According to EPA estimates, only 9 percent of plastic-bag waste was recovered for recycling in 2009. While breakout statistics are not available to quantify plastic bags’ contribution to the waste stream, some 30 million tons of overall plastic waste were generated in 2009, representing more than 12 percent of municipal solid waste.
Plastic bags under fire Even as recycling efforts have begun to improve, plastic bags continue to come under fire for their impact on wildlife, waterways, and resource depletion. Stephanie Barger, executive director of the Earth Resource Foundation in California, challenges the industry to achieve 100-percent recycled-content plastic bags instead of aiming for 40 percent. She says the biggest issue with even partially recycled-content bags is the natural gas used in their manufacture. “Why are we wasting precious fuel making things that are just going to go away in 30 minutes?” she asks. She decries the environmental burden accompanying extraction and transportation of the bags’ raw materials, which www. Indiana L iving Green.com
Dos and Don’ts for Recycling Plastic Bags If it comes down to a plastic bag, here’s what you need to know to recycle effectively: • DON’T put plastic bags in your curbside recycling bin; material recovery facilities are generally not set up to handle this material. Instead, use the bins at Wal-Mart, Kroger, and several other grocery stores. • DO include grocery bags, newspaper bags, bread bags, paper towel and toilet paper wraps, dry cleaner bags, and produce bags. Any bags labeled #2 or #4 are accepted. • DO remove the zipper before depositing plastic food storage bags. • DON’T include plastic food-wrap or heavier plastics. • DON’T necessarily wash the bags, but make sure they are reasonably free of food particles, as they will be sitting in the store bin for a while.
are shipped as pellets. Not only do the plastic bags clog waterways and contribute to marine debris, but the pellets themselves can be found on beaches and in waterways, she says. “Before that bag even gets into the consumer’s hands, there’s tons of environmental destruction happening.” “Do we want a plastic soup of an ocean? Or can we take five seconds to
remember to bring our own bag?” A growing number of policymakers are joining environmentalists in discouraging use of plastic bags. Indiana State Representative Shelli VanDenburgh (Crown Point) recently proposed legislation that would have required retailers to charge customers a fee for each disposable bag handed over the counter, — Continued on page 22
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whether paper or plastic. “It takes tax dollars to make the repairs to our waterways and to pick up the litter [plastic bags] cause,” she commented by email. “If you don’t want to bring a [reusable] bag, then you should have to pay a fee for the [disposable] bag to compensate for the harm you are causing to Indiana’s environment.” Though the proposal was never scheduled for a hearing, VanDenburgh says she hopes that introducing the legislation raised awareness of the issues surrounding plastic bag use.
Reusable bags: the next disposable? The plastics industry points to a glut of cheap reusable bags as evidence that they are not necessarily being reused, making their environmental benefits questionable. Nearly 500 million reusable nylon shopping bags are being imported each year, according to US International Trade Commission data. Apparently, many so-called reusables are
languishing in a pile in the back of the broom closet. “At this rate, in a couple of years reusable bags will be the next disposable bags,” Rozenski notes. Perhaps this disconnect is partially linked to the nylon bags’ uneven quality. Many of these totes stand up to years of use, but some users complain that they rip too easily, and some are concerned about the materials used to make them. Indianapolis-based green-living expert Sara Snow admits, “There are definitely some reusable bags out there that are made from nasty synthetic materials with [toxic] paint finishes on them.” There are alternatives to cheaply constructed, noxious-smelling bags, says Snow. She favors stylish collapsible totes made by Envirosax or Blue Avocado, which fold up to the size of a fist and are extremely durable. “You can fit eight times as much weight in these bags as you could in a plastic bag,” she notes. She keeps a half-dozen of these bags tucked in the side panel of her car door, where she can’t miss them at errand time. Another option is to invest in cotton
canvas bags like those made by Indianapolis resident B.W. Shields. He started his business, Paper or Plastic, as both hobby and commentary on our “throwaway society.” He now sells his wares at local farmers markets, and customers like the bags’ sturdiness and the wide fabric handles. Of course, it’s not necessary to purchase something new. Backpacks and coolers are perfectly suited to carrying groceries home. And if a plastic bag is unavoidable, by all means recycle it, or find a use for it. No one wants to see our communities swallowed up by a mountain of plastic bags. n Shawndra Miller is a freelance writer and active member of the Irvington Green Initiative in Indianapolis.
Resources:
www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ plastics.htm www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/wastewise/index.htm dataweb.usitc.gov/marinedebris.noaa.gov/ info/patch.html
By Judy Kenninger
TalkingTrash What happens when garbage pickup costs but recycling is free? Cities in Indiana are beginning to find out. Consider a tale of two systems: In the first, curbside recycling is offered to all residential addresses and nearly 52 percent of all solid waste is diverted from landfills. In the second, residents must pay extra to recycle, and only 7 to 10 percent do so. How much solid waste is diverted from landfills? No one knows, because no one tracks it. Although Indiana’s recycling record is now light-years away from the worst practices of days gone by, most local governments have yet to embrace the best practices for increasing recycling rates. “When everyone in an area has recycling included in their base cost, it’s clear that recycling rates increase dramatically,” says John Drier, general manager for Republic Waste Services of Indiana. “Then we can offer the service at a lower cost because it’s more efficient to pick up at every residence instead of a small percentage.” To be sure, a roundup of recycling practices around the state shows that universal recycling cuts costs while boosting participation. Here’s a look at how some cities and towns are increasing recycling in the Hoosier state and how a new state law may help.
Valparaiso: a northern star
With a near-50-percent diversion rate in Valparaiso, city officials have a goal of redirecting 70 percent of solid waste from landfills through recycling efforts. According to Matt Evans, director of public works, the heart of the strategy is the fee
structure: Residents pay one fee, $9 per month, that includes unlimited recycling plus one 96-gallon container of trash per week. “Recycling is totally voluntary,” Evans says. “People can set out as much as they want to.” The city, however, makes it easy to be green. With single-stream recycling, residents put all their plastics, paper, glass, and aluminum and steel cans in either a city-supplied 18-gallon blue bin or a 96gallon rolling tote. For at-home pickup of electronics, batteries, and other items, they just call in a request. Ongoing education is an essential part of the program. “We’re using events, local media, and contests in our schools to keep people informed,” Evans says. “With the school programs, the idea is that students hold influence in the home and they’ll encourage their parents to participate.” Zionsville has adopted a similar system, and town manager Edward J. Mitro says its service provider, Ray’s Trash, estimates that 25 percent of the city’s total waste stream is now being recycled. A resolution to adopt this type of system has been proposed in the City of Carmel, and at press time it was still being considered. If the ordinance is adopted, all households will pay $9.07 per month for weekly trash pickups and biweekly recycling on a consolidated billing with water service. With all households having curbside recycling, it’s expected that many more will participate than the estimated 30 percent who subscribe to a curbside recycling service.
Bloomington: pay-as-you-throw
The city of Bloomington has been a long-time state leader in recycling, and according to Jacqui Bauer, the city’s sustainability director, it diverted about 34 percent of its solid waste to recycling in 2009 “That’s up from 2004, when it was 27.5 percent, so we’re on the right trajectory,” she says. Residents pay $2 per 35-gallon bag of trash. Recycling is free, but residents are asked to separate paper from other materials. With the sizable student population, Bloomington faces special challenges in educating residents. “It’s a very transient population,” Bauer says. Another challenge is that the recycling program is not currently offered at buildings with more than four units, leaving out a substantial portion of the population. “Some of the apartments don’t have recycling programs,” Bauer says. “We try to encourage residents to work together to take recycling to our drop-off locations.” A program introduced last year has reduced the amount of trash going into landfills and benefited local charities. During the May move-out season, the city offered to pick up usable furniture, electronics, and other items that students would have just thrown away. “There were a lot of things that looked brandnew,” Bauer says. The items were stored until August, when they were sold at a one-day event on the Indiana University campus, raising $10,000 for local nonprofits. This year’s H2H sale will be held August 20 at the I.U. Fieldhouse (read
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more about the event on page 6). But get there early as most of the furniture at last year’s event was gone by 9 a.m.
trian recycling bins it has installed in Broad Ripple and the Massachusetts Avenue arts district.
Indianapolis: the norm
e-Cycle update
In most Hoosier communities, including Indianapolis, however, residents must still pay extra to recycle. How many do? Although no one collects data, Drier of Republic, which has the contract for most of Marion County, estimates that just 7 to 10 percent pay to participate. Republic is rolling out with a new program in Fishers and Carmel, called RecycleBank, which is likely to boost participation. RecycleBank allows participants to earn reward points—which can be redeemed online for a host of items— for recycling. Already, the program appears to be increasing the amount of recycling material from existing participants. “We hope to roll out the program in Indianapolis soon,” Drier says. “Our goal is to spread it everywhere we offer recycling.” The city of Indianapolis is also hoping to boost recycling with pedes-
Judy Kenninger is a Brownsburg-based freelance writer.
Resources:
Bloomington, www.bloomington.in.gov
Under a new Indiana law that took effect January 1, households, public schools, and small businesses can no longer mix electronics such as computer equipment, televisions, printers, DVD players, or fax machines into their trash. So what do you do with that old VCR now that you’ve upgraded to a Blu-ray player? “There are plenty of recycling locations statewide,” says Carey Hamilton, executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition, which supported the law’s passage. “The beauty of this program is that local governments have really struggled with what to do with this type of material. Now, manufacturers are paying for the materials to be properly handled, and new jobs are being created in Indiana.” n
Carmel, www.carmelgreen.org Fort Wayne, www.acwastewatcher.org Indianapolis, www.kibi.org/recycle www.indy.gov/eGov/City/DPW/Residential/ Recycling Valparaiso, www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/pw/ Recycling/recycling.htm Zionsville, www.zionsville.in.gov Indiana www.in.gov/recycle/6411.htm www.indianarecycles.org www.Earth911.com www.call2recycle.org
How five Indiana cities approach recycling Cost for trash pickup
Cost for recycling
Items recycled curbside
Single-stream pickup
Other programs
Ongoing education
Bloomington
$2 per 35-gallon bin (up to 40 lbs)
Free pickup every 2 weeks
paper, plastics 1-7, plastic bags, metal food/beverage cans, glass containers.
Separation of paper and other materials required
County drop-off site; sale of student leave-behinds
through local media
Indianapolis
residents pay $32 annual user fee through tax assessments
varies, around $6 per month
paper, newspaper, junk mail, cardboard, magazines, plastics 1-7, metal food/beverage cans, glass containers
yes
e-scrap and toxdrop days, drop-off bins in some locations
community partners, event promotions, public meetings
Fort Wayne
$11.24 per month on water bill
no additional fee
paper, cardboard, plastics1-7, metal food/ beverage metal cans, glass containers,
yes
Trash to Treasure art contest; dropoff sites
Website lists drop-off sites and resources for disposal of other items
Valparaiso
$9 per month includes one 96gallon container per week
no additional fee; pickup every two weeks for unlimited amount
paper, cardboard, plastics 1-7, metal food/beverage cans, glass containers
yes
free scrap metal, appliances, and electronics pickup by appointment
event marketing, school programs, and through local media
Zionsville
$9.90 per month, payable on sewer bill
no additional fee; pickup every two weeks
paper, newspaper, junk mail, cardboard, plastics 1-7, metal food/beverage cans, glass containers
yes
City
By Betsy Sheldon
Social Networking, Old-Style It doesn’t take a scientist from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to confirm that more and more people are waking up to a reality that features an increasingly endangered planet. The number of souls who seek a more sustainable world has grown, no doubt. But making social connections with likeminded stewards can still be a challenge. Oh, sure, there’s Facebook and blogs aplenty—social media are a great way to link with others. But nothing takes the place of in-theflesh, face-to-face, hand-shaking, eyecontacting encounters of the real kind. Consider it the human version of slow food. We asked individuals well-entrenched in the Indiana world of green where they feed their social needs, find their fix of human contact, and nurture community connection. Here are some of their suggestions:
1. Green groups
So many causes, so little time! Becoming an active part of a group that promotes a purpose you believe in is an obvious step in connectivity. And there are many opportunities to serve. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) turns to volunteers for many of its efforts. Tammy Stevens, constantly on the lookout for help with the group’s event recycling efforts, confesses that her work offers “the luxury of seeing like-minded folks all the time.” Linda Broadfoot, vice president of development and public relations, also gets her social fix through work, and adds that the organization supports SOLAR, for young profession-
2. Social scene
Earth House, the hybrid coffee-house/cultural venue/ classroom/art gallery in Indy’s Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, hosts films and regular happenings such as the Pay What You Can Community Meal and the Really Really Free Market. Says Kloote, “I know I’d meet people with similar views—they How to find new friends? Connect with other tree-planting volunteers show movies about enviwith Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (above). Join in the cocktail conversa- ronmental issues and are tion at social hours such as Irvington Green Hour (opposite page, inset). a hub for folks interested Meet up with neighbors at the farmers market (opposite). in these things.” Then there’s Green Drinks. The international als who want to be active participants in group that encourages informal netthe green community. working for environmental advocates “I was once new to Indy and sought has several chapters in Indiana. The out an internship with KIB as my way Bloomington group meets every fourth to get connected with sustainability and Tuesday at the Upland Brewery. “Doors environmental issues locally,” reports open at 5:30,” says Bill Brown, president Beth Kloote, KIB development associate. of Indiana University’s Office of Sustain“Then later on, they hired me! But other ability. “A speaker talks from 6 to 6:30, local groups like HEC, the Indiana then a series of 30-second green event Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, announcements are timed with a gong. and the Sierra Club are also ways to get Always an interesting mix of people.” linked up with green activities here.” Attendees report that they’ve ended up Bob Proctor, a longtime member doing business with, employing, referof Earth Charter Indiana, says that the ring, dating, and otherwise building organization has provided his most conrelationships with the people they meet sistent social contacts. And Deb Ellman, there. who spearheaded an effort to develop Indy’s Green Drinks group meets on the Daubenspeck Community Nature the second Tuesdays, at varying locaPark, has found friendships there and tions. The website, www.greendrinks. from her activities with Earth Day Indiorg, lists local chapters and contact ana and the Indiana Recycling Coalition. information.
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Photo caption...
Some neighborhood groups have also run with the happy-hour idea. “Irvington Green Hour brings someone to the Legend Classic Irvington Cafe on the third Tuesday of the month to speak on a sustainability topic,” says Jeff Echols, member of the Irvington Green Initiative. “It’s a great time to network and learn about local sustainability efforts. We’ve had People for Urban Progress, Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, both Sun King and Upland Breweries, Mayor Ballard, and more.”
3. Faith groups
Deb Ellman, a member of the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, explains that “green” is an integral element of her congregation’s beliefs. “The kids and families celebrate Earth Day like a major holiday, and the congregations are often leaders in recycling, reducing energy use, organizing and participating in green events.” Madi Hirschland, member of Congregation Beth Shalom in Bloomington and board member of Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light, a statewide interfaith alliance to encourage personal response to climate change, says “All faith traditions share the injunction to care for our neighbor, the poor, and God’s creation. What Indiana congregations are doing is remarkable.” (See more about HIPL and Hirschland in Footprints, page 10.) She counts some 80 member congregations in Indiana with green programming.
4. Farmers markets
When she wants to see some familiar faces, IPL’s Glenn Livers goes shopping. Her favorite haunt? The Binford Farmers’ Market. “It attracts neighbors I might otherwise not see.” You’ve heard it before—getting to know your providers is one of the best ways to assure the quality of the food you buy, and farmers markets are one of the best ways to do so. But what the locavores may not tell you: The markets
are great for connecting to other consumers who are sustainably simpatico. Bloomington Community Farmers Market has to be the rock star of local commerce. The expanse of downtown space is the place to see and be seen on Saturday mornings. Crowded, indeed, but on the positive side, the line for sweet corn gives you time to chat up the person ahead of you or catch up with a neighbor while waiting. All while you savor a breakfast tamale and listen to the band playing near the City Hall fountain. The Bloomington-based website www.localgrowers.org has an exhaustive list of farmers markets throughout the state. Another good source is the Indiana Living Green Farmers Market Calendar at www.IndianaLivingGreen.com.
5. Community garden
Farm-fresh produce and opportunities to germinate new friendships may be even closer to home: Community gardens are popping up like clover on a Roundup-free lawn. Says Bill Scott, organic chemist with a flair for composting, “I love working in our garden at 46th and Illinois, and having inquisitive drop-ins from the neighborhood stop to chat.” Alex Segal, communications coordinator at the JCC in Indianapolis, agrees that gardening and getting together go hand-in-hand.
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“The JCC Community Garden has brought so many people from so many backgrounds together. Conversations and plain-old garden banter seem to happen everywhere and anywhere our gardeners meet, be it in a class, on the JCC’s Facebook, or out among the veggies.” The city of Bloomington leases garden space in locations throughout the town to interested residents. In Indy, find a list of more than 60 community gardens on www.indygrowsgardens. com (and if there’s not one near you, the site has tips on establishing one in your neighborhood). n
Resources:
• Daubenspeck Community Park www.daubpark.org • Earth Charter Indiana www.earthcharterindiana.org • Earth Day, Indiana www.earthdayindiana.org • Earth House, www.earthhousecollective.org • Green Drinks, www.greendrinks.org • Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light www.hoosieripl.org • Indiana Recycling Coalition www.indianarecycling.org • Indy Grows Gardens www.indygrowsgardens.org • Irvington Green Initiative www.irvingtondevelopment.org/programs/igi/ • Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, www.kibi.org • Local Growers Guild, www.localgrowers.org
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the last row
BY ma r ia sm i etana
There really is no such thing as a free lunch, and I knew that when I traded in my safe, geeky career in medical research for the life of a small farmer, I would eventually find a downside to my newly chosen work. Now, I’ve met a lot of farmers in recent years, and I must say that as a group, their one defining characteristic is that none of them are wimps. I certainly wasn’t going to be the first. Still, as someone who took up farming in mid-life, it was a bit of an eye-opener to come to terms with my physical limitations. It had always been much easier to focus on my strengths. Thanks to my late daddy’s good genes, I’m sturdy as a carnival pony and have about as much endurance. I can lift and carry half my own weight in hay bales and topsoil, and am generally unfazed by working in the whole spectrum of weather conditions. On the other hand, for someone who so loves to work outside, I’m in many ways poorly equipped to do so. I’m a mild asthmatic who’s also allergic to the stings of every member of the bee and wasp clan. I sunburn like a polar bear on an Aruba beach in June. Pollen and other plant allergens make my face look like the losing side of a bar fight. I’m cursed with a body chemistry that’s irresistible to every mosquito, deer fly, and chigger within a country kilometer. I was a kid with lousy coordination, and therefore spent my early years tripping over my long legs and big feet. Now, I trip over shovels, hoes, and
garden hoses instead. Worst of all, any part of me only needs to make a casual acquaintance with a poison ivy plant before I become a medical textbook model of ugly rashes and itchy blisters. Getting ready to go to work in the garden and field is, therefore, a daily exercise in combat preparation. I keep great supplies of sunscreen and bug repellants on hand. My pockets are always stuffed with tissues so that my runny nose and eyes never need to meet a dirty sleeve. Gloves go on before I even open the garden gate. When heat and humidity rule out boots and long pants, I resort to Ivy Block, which I think of as long pants in a bottle. The stuff smells like house paint that’s sat in the garage too
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© Illustration courtesy Jerry Williams
Vines of Hazard long, but it prevents the poisonous part of the ivy plant’s oils from binding to the skin. Every time I come back inside, I buy extra insurance by washing arms and legs with TecNu, a gooey detergent famous for removing and denaturing toxic plant oils. I nearly went into full-fledged panic when these two products started to disappear from drug store shelves, but I was saved by Amazon. com, which seems determined to sell everything on the planet. But even the best precautions sometimes fail, and once the tell-tale rash and blisters of ivy exposure appear, there’s nothing to do but resort to battlefield interventions. Twice-daily scrubbing with soap and a stiff-bristled brush might be painful, but it stops blistering in its tracks and cuts short the agonizing itching. Scrubs are followed by brisk disinfection with rubbing alcohol, and then liberal application of a calamine ointment spiked with a topical antihistamine. If it sounds sort of like decontamination after radiation exposure, it’s close. The good news is that the scars eventually go away. There’s a rumor on the Internet that someone has developed a poison ivy vaccine, but I’m skeptical. Still, if they ever need a guinea pig, I’m signing up. After years of pouring rubbing alcohol on open wounds, I figure I haven’t got much to lose. n Maria Smietana is a refugee from the corporate world who now writes and grows organic produce on her mini-farm in Boone County.
www.IndianaLivingGreen.com