May/June 2011 Indiana Living Green by Indiana Living Green

C O N T E N T S Community • Indiana’s bike-friendliest workplaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 publisher Lynn Jenkins Lynn@IndianaLivingGreen.com (317) 769-3456 EDITOR Betsy Sheldon Editor@IndianaLivingGreen.com

C O N T RIBU T O RS Megan Fernandez Shawndra Miller L. Mark Finch Ryan M. Puckett Wendell Fowler Maria Smietana Judy Kenninger Jerry Williams Jesse Kharbanda 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

F ood / D r i n k • Indiana microbreweries operate in the green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

W at e r • The real cost of bottled water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 • Water-saving home fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 • How to tame a thirsty lawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

f e at u r e s • Eat Right Now with Wendell Fowler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 • Footprints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 • Garden Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 • Green, Greener, Greenest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 • Green Greetings from the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 • Green Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 • Hoosier Environment with Jesse Kharbanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 • The Last Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 • Media Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 • News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Advertise With Us 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

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The Real Cost of

Bottled Water Page 16

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ON THE COVER: No bottled water for Mindi Epstein, director of marketing and membership for the JCC, and Ginny Roberts, director of educational initiatives with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. Filtered tap water in reusable containers is the choice of beverage at a community garden ground breaking event. Photo courtesy Linda Evans

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FROM PUBLISHER

LY N N

J E N KI N S

Water, Water Everywhere What natural resource is essential for life, increasingly depleted, and yet used and wasted as if there were an endless supply? The answer is water, which we too easily take for granted here in Indiana. In the well-known poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge laments of the abundance of water, “nor any drop to drink.” Are we headed to that same finish? World Water Day came and went in March with hardly a mention—far from the attention it deserves. As the sustenance of life, water seems to be everywhere on Earth, sometimes called the Water Planet. Yet as much as 97 percent is salt water. Only a tiny percentage of the planet’s fresh water is actually accessible and usable for drinking and agriculture. “Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans,” observed famed ocean researcher Jacques Cousteau. Clean, fresh, unpolluted water is increasingly scarce. In many parts of the world, inadequate rainfall has created major crises. In the United States, many areas have abundant rainfall and waterways, but much of that we have polluted ourselves. Indiana has 1,320 waterways listed as “impaired” by the Environmental Protection Agency, with mercury advisories on a significant number of lakes and streams; consumption of fish from these waters is discouraged. Editor Betsy Sheldon has focused several stories in this issue on water use and conservation. We hope they offer some new ideas for conserving this precious resource, including restricting lawn irrigation and eliminating plastic water bottles from daily use. Read this special water issue to find out more. Because we cannot live on water alone, we also did a story on craft beers. Not so much a taste test—as there are many others with more refined palates—but rather a focus on how Indiana breweries are creating a sustainable industry in the state. Many microbrewers have found traditional and not-so-standard ways of protecting the environment while they produce the “drink of the people.” Just by virtue of their location (fewer carbon emissions needed to get their brew to your favorite pub), our Indiana producers are a greener choice in beers. And being green makes me want to grab a growler and enjoy. Cheers! n

RantsandRaves Dear ILG, Just wanted to tell you that your most recent issue of Indiana Living Green ROCKED! So many informative articles. Thank you so much. I love that you guys reminded us when to plant seeds, and it was great to read about all the green initiatives in Carmel. Laura Mann Beatus, Indianapolis

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july In Our Next Issue august Wind Energy Taking the state by storm Say Cheese!

Made-in-Indiana dairy products

The truth about

Plastic Bags 5

NEWSBRIEFS Mayor presents Indianapolis sustainability awards A city bus system, an art museum, a health and dental center, a conservation agency, and a baseball team all were winners of Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s second annual Sustainability Awards, presented at a luncheon in March. Finalists were narrowed down to 15, three in each of five categories: Air, Land, Water, Energy, and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Winner are as follows: • Air. IndyGo. The bus service was recognized for its “IndyGo Green,” campaign, which added fuel-efficient vehicles and encour- aged residents to ride the bus, resulting in an increase in passengers in 2010. • Land. 100 Acres: Virginia B. Fairbanks Arts & Nature Park. Since June 2010, the new preserve behind the Indianapolis Museum of Art has already attracted more than 100,000 visitors to the woodlands, wetlands, lake, and meadows. • Water. Southwest Health and Dental Center, for incorporating innovative storm water management as part of its eco-friendly renovation. • Energy. The Efroymson Conservation Center, new headquarters for the Nature Conservancy, with efficiency systems estimated to reduce per-year energy costs by $10,000. • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The Indianapolis Indians’ “Perfect Pitch” recycling campaign, which recycled nearly 18 tons of plastic, aluminum, and glass in 2010. The awards, presented by the Office of Sustainability, McKinney Green Initiatives Fund and the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, are designed to inspire innovation, showcase impact, reward leadership and promote education around the principles of sustainability. Visit www.sustainindy.org for a list of the other finalists recognized for their efforts.

What do packing peanuts, Wal-Mart, picture frames, more jobs, and recycling have in common? Well, in Indianapolis, they come together in a new operation that converts polystyrene into usable material. Crossroads Industrial Services anticipates that it will divert as much as 240,000 pounds of plastic commonly known as Styrofoam from landfill. Curtiss Quirin, Crossroads COO, estimates that the process compresses 40 truckloads of polystyrene into a single truckload of byproduct for use in the manufacturing of other products. A company in Wisconsin, for example, is purchasing the material for use in its picture-frame production facility. As the effort launched in January, a Wal-Mart return center was the only supplier of packaging waste, but Quirin says he hopes that other local companies will donate their scrap polystyrene, too. Located on the city’s far-east side, the company is owned by Easter Seals Crossroads, which provides outsourcing services and job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The new enterprise has added jobs to the Crossroads workforce.

Food Bliss workshops return Raw-food chef Audrey Barron and Wendell Fowler, health-food-environment activist and food journalist, have announced the dates and topics for their second workshop series, which begins May 3. The six-weeks series is themed “Let Food Be Thy Medicine” and Audrey Barron and Wendell Fowler covers topics including food allergies, diet and “diabesity,” eating and stress, and more. For more information and to register for the sessions, visit foodblissworkshops.blogspot.com.

www. Indiana L iving Green.com

Photo courtesy Wendell Fowler

Photo courtesy the Mayor’s office.

Crossroads debuts polystyrene recycling operation in Indy

eat right now

BY W e nde l l Fowl e r

Miraculous Water Under a colander of stars, moonlit waters mirror heaven, revealing the intimacy between the firmament and Earth. Man is privileged to live on what planetary astrobiology considers one of the Cosmos’ rare, blue-water planets. Nevertheless, man knows and cares more about the moon than the sanctity of our planet’s waters, the lifeblood of Earth. Clearly man only sees what concerns him. Thoreau wrote instead of looking to the sky, look into the placid reflecting salubrious waters for signs and promises of the morrow, referring to water as Earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature. Clean water When the Great Spirit christened Earth, the first morning sun rose, nestled within a soft yellow and raspberry sky; the should not be a atmosphere, land, water, plants, and microbes were pure. If not luxury—but for H2O on Earth 4.5 billion years ago, life would simply not it could possibly exist. It seems anomalous calling our beautiful planet “Earth,” when it’s clearly an ocean star, as human’s and Earth’s surface become one. are made up of 85-percent water. Envisioning water as clean, people shower, wash clothing and cars, and over-soak manicured lawns and gardens with fresh water, yet most hydrate their most sacred possession—the human temple—with rivers of frou-frou coffees, artificial fruit drinks, and fizzy colas. Assuredly, Earthlings would neither shower in Diet Coke nor swim in a rippling stream of Mountain Dew. Of the thin veneer, life exists on just 0.003 percent of the total world water supply, yet we take it for granted; desecrating the source of life with industrial twaddle. Consequently, very little of Earth’s water is pristine and is increasingly unusable; befouled by manmade contaminants. Thoreau would be distressed at the willy-nilly use of poisoning herbicides to rid vanity lawns of highly nourishing dandelions, tiptoeing purslane, and constellations of flora and fauna. Slow progress in protecting water’s integrity is not acceptable, as more than 3 million people die every year from avoidable water-related disease, and more bodies of water such as the Gulf of Mexico are dying. If man rises to meet this challenge, he must altruistically foster respectful approaches that are people-centered and earth-friendly. Complex life is uncommon in our enigmatic universe. Our planet needs loving stewardship and prudent, conscious conservation for future generations to survive. Clean water should not be a luxury, but it could possibly become one. Water is constantly recycled, and we all live downstream from some power plant, manufacturing facility, or industrial agriculture complex. But healthy families, communities, environments, and economies rely on clean, safe water. To ensure our water resources for the future, we must protect them today. The tragedy in Fukushima illumes society’s agony of inconvenience when potable water is scarce or tainted. Remember we are merely guests here; caretakers. Dominion is subjective. 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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Down the By Ryan M. Puckett

Drain

Old fixtures and outdated plumbing may be increasing water—and wattage— waste in your home. Clean H20 = H20 + Energy

At a friend’s family summer home on Lake Maxinkuckee near Culver, a sign in the bathroom issued the most rudimentary of water conservation efforts: “If it’s yellow let it mellow and …” well, you know the rest. When you’re only a few steps away from the second-largest lake in Indiana, it can be difficult to grasp the need to conserve water. Plus, when the various pipes in our homes release a flow of H20 on demand, it’s easy to forget that water is a precious resource. It’s even easier to forget that it doesn’t flow without an energy source. Whether you’re washing strawberries, doing a load of whites, singing in the shower, or finishing up business at the “oval office,” water and energy go hand-in-hand.

Electricity plays a critical role in providing the clean water used in our homes every day. American Water, a water utility company that serves 1.2 million Hoosiers, reports that 4 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is used for collecting, treating, and moving water and wastewater. To treat and deliver water to homes and businesses, U.S. public water facilities consume about 50 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year — enough electricity to power more than 4.5 million homes for an entire year. While it takes vast amounts of energy to run our water infrastructure, it also takes vast amounts of water to cool power plants that generate our electricity. The

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates each kilowatt-hour generated at the power plant requires 0.2 to 0.3 gallons of water. Therefore, more efficient use of water conserves energy and decreases carbon emissions. For every 1,000 gallons of water produced, the EPA estimates that 2.9 pounds of CO2 are produced; every drop conserved directly reduces energy consumed.

Indiana’s water supply About two-thirds of Hoosiers depend on groundwater for drinking and household use, according to the EPA. The other third tap into surface water from Indiana’s more than 35,000 miles of rivers and streams, 100,000 acres of publicly owned lakes and reservoirs, and 50 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. Although Indiana is generally considered to have adequate resources to satisfy its water supply needs, the number of Hoosiers is projected to rise 12 percent, from 6.4 million in 2009 to 7.2 million by 2040, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With competing demands on limited water resources, more and more ground and surface water sources may be used beyond their ability to replenish themselves. Water utilities will have to pump water from more distant and deeper sources, which, in turn, will require even more energy.

Decreasing water and watts Reports from American Water find that the average American’s domestic water use is a staggering 135 gallons per day — three to four times that of the average German or British citizen. Other sources claim an even higher rate of daily use. If every American home installed water-efficient fixtures and appliances, however, the yearly savings for the United States could equal about 3 trillion gallons of water, $5 billion worth of energy, and more than 5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. “There are many things homeowners can do—but one of the most important things is to fix leaks in a timely manner,” says Joe Loughmiller, a spokesperson for American Water. “A one-eighth-inch continuous leak over a three-month www. Indiana L iving Green.com

period would waste nearly 300,000 gallons of water.” According to the EPA, if just 10 percent of Indiana household leaks were fixed, it would save nearly 9 million kWh of electricity — enough to power 840 Indiana households for a year.

Getting water wise Water usage really adds up in the bathroom, accounting for more than half of all indoor water used. Beyond taking practical steps such as limiting time in the shower and turning off the faucet while brushing teeth, the fixtures in the bathroom can be retrofitted or replaced to significantly decrease water and energy consumption. Much of our hard-earned dollars are flushed down the toilet—the EPA reports that toilets account for nearly 30 percent of an average home’s indoor water consumption. Basically, if your toilet is a pre-1994 commode, you’re wasting water. New standards establishing maximum water-flow rates went into effect in 1994 under the 1992 U.S. Energy Policy Act. Low-flow models reduce the gallons per flush (gpf) from 3.5 to 1.6. And a dual-flush toilet offers a choice—press one button for solid waste (1.6 gpf) and another for liquid, which requires a mere .9 gpf. You can also find dual-flush conversion kits at most home improvement stores in Indiana. In 2006, the EPA created the WaterSense program to help customers identify water-efficient fixtures, appliances, and products. The agency estimates that for each WaterSense toilet installed, the savings could equal roughly 11 gallons of water each day.

Go with low flow

The shower and bathroom sink are also a big drain on water in the home, together accounting for more than 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption, based on EPA studies. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm) but a WaterSense labeled showerhead uses no more than 2.0 gpm. WaterSense faucets and accessories can help reduce flow by 30 percent or more without sacrificing performance. — Continued on page 10 M ay/June 2 0 1 1

— Continued from page 9

When the various pipes in our homes release a flow of H20 on demand, it’s easy to forget that water is a precious resource. It’s even easier to forget that it doesn’t flow without an energy source. Delta Faucet Company, with corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations in Indiana, announced in 2010 that half of its new suite of showerheads and hand showers meet the WasterSense program’s specifications. The company is aiming to increase that offering to 80 percent in 2011. “We take our role as a WaterSense partner very seriously and are committed to working with the EPA to encourage efficient use of water resources, and to actively protect the future of our nation’s water supply,” says Paul Patton, senior product developer for Delta Faucet Company. If every U.S. household installed WaterSense labeled showers and bathroom sink faucets or aerators, savings could total in hundreds of millions in water bills and energy costs, and billions of gallons in water.

In hot water

Even by reducing water usage with efficient fixtures, roughly 25 percent of the typical household energy bill is dedicated to providing hot water. Conventional water heaters are constantly “on,” even when unneeded. Increasingly popular tankless options heat water on demand. The EPA estimates a household could save 300 kWh of electricity annually with a tankless water heater, enough to power your television for about one year. The payback period depends not only on the amount of water consumed but also the cost of the system and any necessary upgrades. Tankless heaters are made to last at least 20 years, double the life expectancy of a conventional water heater. Most electric and gas utilities— including Citizens Gas, Duke Energy, Vectren Energy, and Indianapolis Power and Light—provide customer rebates for tankless water heaters.

Though the technology has been around for a while, solar water heaters haven’t entered the mainstream in Indiana. Solar panels send heat to the water tank and provide an endless supply of “free” hot water. Despite rebates and tax incentives, the chief hurdle to solar water heating is the initial investment, usually $7,000 to $10,000. A back-up electric or gas heat source is also necessary due to Indiana’s winter temperatures. Solar water heating begins paying for itself immediately with a new home because the cost can be rolled into the mortgage. Geothermal heating and cooling systems (see January/February 2011 Indiana Living Green) also can be integrated into the home’s plumbing system to provide hot water. Although they certainly earn points for good intentions, the “mellow yellow” camp can be assured that there’ve been enough improvements in the fixtures that bring water into our homes, that they can now flush it all down and still be water wise. n

Resources • • • •

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) www.epa.gov/watersense American Water Works Association www.Awwa.org/waterwiser Department of Energy www.Energysavers.gov American Water www.amwater.com/learning-center

For information about tax credits

• •

Energy Star www.energystar.gov/taxcredits Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency www.dsireusa.org

Ryan Puckett is a freelance writer and principal of two21 LLC, a communication firm with a focus on sustainability. He lives in Broad Ripple with his wife, son, and dog.

www. Indiana L iving Green.com

hoosier environment

BY J e s s e K h a r b anda

Coal: At the Crossroads in Indiana When it comes to energy issues, coal—94 percent of the electricity generated within Indiana—has been center stage in our state for decades. And in the backdrop of Japan’s nuclear crisis, champions of coal power may get added support for their cause at the expense of nuclear power. But does such a sustained, heavy reliance on coal in Indiana really make good economic sense in the coming decades? Coal plants are required to internalize costs of damaging activity as never before: For decades, the plants had no federal limits on how much toxic mercury they could emit into our air, despite the growing evidence of mercury’s devastating impacts on neural development. Furthermore, no dedicated state safeguards exist against toxic coal ash in surface ponds, which can contaminate our groundwater. Adding these safeguards to coal plants is critical for public health. While the benefits far exceed the costs, their implementation will no doubt make coal power more expensive. Other factors are adding costs as well. Coal prices are rising as global demand grows. For example, the price of a one-month contract for Power River Basin coal rose 67 percent between 2009 and 2010. The costs for financing coal plants will grow, too: Because of the multi-billion dollar nature of such plants, coupled with their cost and regulatory uncertainty, banks are becoming more stringent in their lending criteria. Finally, coal-fired plants—the biggest source of carbon emissions in the United States—will eventually be required to curtail their impact on our climate. And retrofitting existing coal plants with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology will substantially raise costs. The U.S. Department of Energy has predicted that coal power prices could be 80-percent higher if we use existing technology to retrofit old coal plants. Coal power will be a mainstay of Indiana’s economy for quite awhile, but the business case to maintain old plants and build new ones will get harder to make. Where, then, will Indiana get its energy reliably and affordably? Natural gas, commercial-scale geothermal, solar, wind, and distributed generation such as solar arrays on rooftops. Costs to develop renewable energy plants continue to decrease. Commercial wind operations, for example, are 60-percent less expensive to build than 20 years ago, and could comfortably account for 10 to 15 percent of Indiana’s electricity, as they now do in Minnesota and Iowa. Of course, we can reduce the need to build new power plants if we shifted our policies toward rewarding energy conservation. In the meantime, help raise awareness about the costs of coal with your elected officials and urge them to support policies—a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) and Property Assessed Clean Energy Bonds (PACE)—that will accelerate our transition to greater dependence on renewable energy. Write us at comments@hecweb.org. Indiana’s energy future lies with conscientious citizens like you. n Jesse Kharbanda is the executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council. Learn more about renewable standards and the organization’s work at www.hecweb.org

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GREEN

GREENER Greenest!

Indiana Living Green offers ways for you to make a difference.

Gr e e n 1. Use zero-phosphorus fertilizer on your lawn to protect groundwater and streams. 2. Eliminate plastic bottles from routine use. 3. Buy organic whenever possible to keep toxic pesticides and herbicides out of our food, water, and air.

Gr e e n e r 1. Turn off your automatic sprinkler system and water only as needed. Rainfall of one inch a week is sufficient water for established lawns, plants, and trees. 2. Fix dripping sinks and running toilets to save water. 3. Buy locally grown and produced meats, veggies, and products through a CSA or farmer’s market.

Gr e e n e st 1. Reduce your lawn by 50 percent. Plant a vegetable garden or native plants, trees, or shrubs. 2. Replace showerheads, faucets, and toilets with low-flow water-saving models. 3. Support Indiana microbreweries and wineries by drinking locally produced beer and wine.

Advertise with us. Contact your Account Executive or call

317.769.3456 Sales@IndianaLivingGreen.com

Peak Problem

too long,” Haddock says. “In addition to watering grass, it’s not uncommon to see them watering their driveways and sidewalks because of poorly positioned sprinklers.”

By Judy Kenninger

Immersed in water-usage spikes in summer? Blame your lawn! It happens just about every summer in Central Indiana. The rain that seemed endless in April and May disappears. The sun shines and temperatures soar. Sprinklers start spewing water on parched lawns, pools are filled and refilled, and water consumption spikes to almost double normal levels, straining the system. “It’s like running your car at high RPMs all day long,” says Paul Whitmore, communications manager for Veolia Water Indianapolis. “It’s just not a good idea.” What is a good idea is conserving water, especially when it’s most scarce. To make an impact, the place to start is at the outdoor water spigots. According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, about half of the water used in a single-family American home during the course of a year will be put onto the landscape “It’s a small piece compared to industrial use, but it does have a big impact on the size of treatment plants,” says Dan Haddock, a senior project manager for Layne-Hydro, a Bloomington-based water resources consulting firm. “Utilities end up having to build for everyone to come home and flip on their sprinklers at the same time in the evening.”

Why should we save? Although Indiana has traditionally had adequate water resources, problems occur based on when it’s used. “It’s a matter of adequate water-treatment resources,” says Falon French, outreach associate and policy researcher for the Hoosier Environmental Council. “Peak usage can push utilities over their infrastructure limits. Although Indianapolis Water is rated for 210 million gallons per day, during the 2007 heat wave they ended up using 228 million gallons a day.” That compares to 120 million gallons on a typical winter day, according to Whitmore. Haddock, who has clients around the country, says the pattern is familiar. “In systems with a lot of nice homes, on a peak day they use twice the daily average,” he says. “On a hot, dry day, use skyrockets.” The culprit is easy to identify. The conservation plan adopted by Indianapolis Water says “all evidence supports the conclusion that the greatest source of system stress is due to lawn irrigation.” The solution is also clear. “Homeowners tend to water their lawns too often and for

So far, Indiana communities have not had to adopt the strict water conservation measures taken in other parts of the country, but there are reasons to worry. A 2009 analysis conducted by Indianapolis Water reports that current system treatment and delivery capacity is insufficient to supply maximum day demands forecasted into 2010 and beyond. After the 2007 scare, the city of Indianapolis did adopt an ordinance mandating water conservation in times of drought or other manmade conditions that may arise. “The mayor can declare a water emergency, and it puts in place some enforcement capability,” Whitmore says, “You can’t water your grass, and you can’t use water to clean sidewalks or fill swimming pools.”

Photo courtesy Lynn Jenkins

Saving measures

Replacing a grass lawn with a native wildflower meadow is a surefire way to reduce the use of your hose during summer months.

Indianapolis Water is urging conservation through its website and in billing notices. It’s also working to identify leaks in its own systems and maximize efficiency. The conservation plan Haddock designed for the city of Bloomington identifies several possible measures, and the first one has already been adopted: hiring an employee dedicated to conservation efforts. www. Indiana L iving G reen.com

Greener Ways to a Green Lawn Ready to do your part? That doesn’t mean doing without. Here are some ideas for using less water in your yard from local landscaping professionals. • Connect a rain barrel to your home’s downspout to store rainwater until needed for watering your lawn or flowers. Michael Harris of Chemical Free Grass says that you can connect a $50 sump pump to a rain barrel and extend your hose’s reach. • Use a drought-tolerant seed mix for lawns. Jami Scholl of Edible Eden LLC in Bloomington suggests a Dutch white clover mixed with fescue. You can also try the Turfgrass Selection Tool developed by Purdue University. (See Resources below for website.) • If you do water, use best practices. Don’t water during the heat of the day to avoid rapid evaporation and make sure you’re not watering sidewalks or driveways. Water just once a week, taking into account the amount of rain the area has received. Don’t water again until footprints remain after walking or pressing on the lawn. • Only have grass where it will be used for recreation, and consider the rest of your yard as a potential food producing area, Scholl suggests. You can also replace lawn expanses with a meadow of native prairie plants or trees.. • Replace traditional grass with sedges and prairie grasses, suggests Hillary Cox of Leescapes Garden Design in Avon. An added bonus: “You may only need to mow once a summer,” she says. Carex jamesii (James’ sedge) does well in Central Indiana.

An idea under consideration in both communities is to charge residential customers more for water when their use goes up. “It’s an appropriate price signal,” Haddock says. “Lawn watering drives peak demand and requires utilities to invest significant amounts of capital to meet peak demands. Customers who don’t use water for irrigation end up paying for infrastructure capacity increases that aren’t driven by their use.” The Bloomington plan also mentions requiring those adding new irrigation systems to use a WaterSense-certified landscape irrigation professional, which could result in a 15-percent savings. That’s according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which

created the WaterSense program to identify water-efficient fixtures, appliances, and products for consumers. The new lawn systems include smart irrigation controllers, rain shutoff devices, or soil moisture sensors. “When you’re communicating about conservation, it’s not about asking people to do without,” Haddock points out. “It’s asking people not to waste it, recognizing that it’s a shared resource.” “It comes down to the fact that this is drinking water,” Whitmore says. “You have to consider the health of people first and foremost.” n Judy Kenninger lost her Brownsburg yard to drought last summer and is replanting with hardier prairie grass, tall fescue, and fine fescue.

Resources

• • • • •

Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/watersense Find WaterSense-certified lawn water systems. Indiana Organic Gardeners Association, www.gardeningnaturally.org Where to go when you’re ready to replace the grass with garden. Indianapolis Water, www.indianapoliswater.com Wise watering practices and other household water-use tips. Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District, www.marionswcd.org/ For tip sheets on composting, mulching, water conservation, and other ideas for breaking your lawn’s water addiction. Purdue University Lawn Turf Selection Tool, www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/turfgrass

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MEDIA REVIEW 101 Organic Gardening Tips By Sheri Ann Richerson, 2010, Life Tips, Inc. Having been an organic gardener “forever,” I was curious to see what new ideas exist for earth-friendly gardening. In 101 Organic Gardening Tips, Sheri Ann Richerson gave me fresh and specific tips without a lot of verbiage. Reasons for companion planting, intercropping, and two-layer planting are succinctly explained with multiple examples. Besides specific advice on growing veggies, Richardson covers herbs, fruits and ornamentals. Her info on native plants, trees, and shrubs, and on collecting wild seed or plants is ecologically sound. I’ve found many new ideas (such as starting carrot seeds in toilet paper rolls and tackling mealy bugs on house plants), and was pleased to see additional material on conserving water, composting, and even garden recycling. My only dispute with Richerson is her comment that “growing plants organically can be

time-consuming and labor-intensive.” I politely disagree, believing that the methods are no more difficult than the processes of chemical gardening with its regular mixing and spraying schedules. And time in the garden with birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects is immensely rewarding. Nonetheless, the short single-page advice in 101 Organic Gardening Tips makes this a perfect pick-up book for quick ideas for eco-gardening. The Kindle option makes it even greener.

True Brew, A Guide to Craft Beer in Indiana By Rita T. Kohn, 2010, Quarry Books You needn’t be a beer geek to notice the abundance of microbreweries sprouting up in Indiana. Most beer aficionados will tell you how the small batch brews have more taste and character than the standard pale yellow suds of the mega breweries. Well and true, but I like to think that the resurgence of craft beer also has a green tint: It’s

surely more satisfying to drink a tasty mug that also supports a locally owned small business in your own community, isn’t it? In a roundabout way, True Brew supports my conjecture. Subtitled, A Guide to Craft Beer in Indiana, the book isn’t “encyclopedic … but rather to be representative of the people involved in the various facets of the craft category.” To that end, author Rita Kohn and photographer Kris Arnold have collected about 60 interviews from those involved in the microbrewing industry in Indiana. With a rich history of Hoosier brewing that began in 1818, beer making has experienced a resurgence, each microbrewery with its own story, characters, and brews. True Brew highlights the people—mostly the brewmasters (or brewster, if it’s a woman) and owners. Rounding out their stories are interviews from home brew suppliers, judges, distributors, and promoters, including the Brewers of Indiana Guild, which indeed has sustainability as a core pursuit, according to Kohn. It seems the world of brewers and beer geeks is small and mostly cozy. If you want to join the camaraderie, True Brew will give you a heads up on the who, what, when, and where. You’ll have to do your own tastings. — by Lynn Je nki n s

Ed Stites Recycling Electronics, Rebuilding Lives

Photo courtesy Betsy Sheldon

footprints

After spending a few minutes with Ed Stites, few would be surprised to learn that he used to be a successful salesman. Whether promoting snack foods or teaching others the secrets of “persuasion,” his friendly demeanor, high-velocity speech, and cranked-up enthusiasm have served him and the companies he’s worked for well. But it wasn’t until a “come-to-consciousness” moment in 2008, that Stites made the decision to quit his job and use his powers for good. Several part-time jobs, consulting gigs, and volunteer projects later, he’s found a fit that allows him to “help make the world a better place instead of selling empty calories.” In February, Stites joined RecycleForce—an electronics recycling enterprise that creates transitional jobs for recently released prisoners. Participants gain skills that will position them well for other job opportunities. As Stites explains it, RecycleForce focuses on “de-manufacturing electronics and re-manufacturing the lives and dreams of our participants.” Stites and some three-dozen workers gather each morning in “the circle,” described as a Native American tradition for starting the day. Participants sit in folding chairs keeping both feet on the floor (to stay “grounded”), and listen as supervisors explain the day’s priorities, workers raise questions and report problems, and everyone is generous with accolades for fellow workers. Then it’s off to a day of “demanning” the mountains of computers, cellphones, microwaves, TVs, printers, and voting booths. Copper, gold, other metals, wires, and plastics are sorted into piles, which will be shipped to buyers who will reuse the materials. According to Stites, virtually every single part is rescued from the landfill or incinerator. “We don’t throw anything away—there is no away.” Stites has always been bothered by waste. Once he made the decision to scrap his sales and marketing job, he got involved in a number of projects, most relating to food or recycling. He coached farmers-market vendors to better promote their wares. He volunteers for the New Hope Community Garden on South Arlington. He’s been active in Slow Food Indy, and serves as cook and host of Earth House’s pay-what-you-can community meals. But it was his volunteer efforts with Green Piece Indy’s Rush Hour Recycling that led him to his new role. The late-afternoon events connected him with volunteer Tom Gray, also the vice president of RecycleForce. The connection resulted in a job offer as director of sales from Gray and RecycleForce president Greg Keesling. “Joining RecycleForce is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Stites reflects. “Everywhere I go people are happy to see me.” He contemplates the greater satisfaction he now feels at the end of a workday. “I’ve gone from a career that involved convincing people to buy more than they needed for more than they could afford, to a job that involves reusing stuff and helping people who need assistance. How much greener can you get?” n M ay/June 2 0 1 1

By Shawndra Miller

The Real Cost of

A beverage made from oil doesn’t sound nearly as appetizing as pure water from the remote mountain lake depicted on the label. Yet, each time we take a gulp from a plastic bottle of water, some experts say we might as well be chugging from an oil well. That’s because plastic bottles are around 70 percent petroleum, and chilling, transporting, and even recycling them requires additional oil. In fact, researchers at the Pacific Institute estimate that America’s bottled water habit requires an annual 32 to 54 million barrels of oil. What’s more, the Institute says that nearly half the bottled water in 2006 was actually municipal water, packaged and sold as “purified.” In other words, many Americans are paying out the nose for something they have already purchased, just by paying their monthly utility bills. The Natural Resources Defense Council

What are You Drinking? Ed Stites, director of sales, RecycleForce I use my Klean Kanteen, and take it wherever I go. We have a whole-house water filter.

(NRDC) estimates that we easily spend 240 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water, and in some cases as high as 10,000 times more. At a fairly economical price of 99 cents for a one-liter bottle of water, for example, it might cost less to fuel up our cars than to quench our thirst. And we are a thirsty people: The Beverage Marketing Corporation reports that in 2007, U.S. consumers were buying bottled water at a rate averaging nearly 30 gallons per person per year. In more recent years, the market share has remained at about 29 percent of total volume among all liquid beverages, even as actual gallons sold have dropped slightly. Is the nation’s bottled water habit a colossal waste of money? That’s what Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter’s Bowden Quinn thinks. “There’s no evidence that bottled water is any better than tap water,” he notes.

Drink to your health Adding to the dubious value is the fact that public water is heavily monitored, while bottled water is not, according to Jennifer Boyle Warner, Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservawww. Indiana L iving Green.com

BottledW

dWater tion Districts executive director. “People have no idea where that water’s coming from. Everyone thinks [bottled water] is better to drink, though. It’s a frustrating situation.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in charge of regulations surrounding bottled water, and those rules tend to be lax, according to the NRDC, while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stringently regulates municipal water. Further, the FDA exempts much of the bottled water sold in the U.S. from its standards because of a regulatory loophole. Ironically, while desire for a healthy lifestyle is one of the key factors driving the industry, consumers may not be getting what they expect. An NRDC report notes that despite the labels depicting sparkling clean lakes, some bottled water is far from pure. In one case, researchers found that “spring water” actually originated from a well near a hazardous

waste dump. This less-than pristine setting led to the well’s periodic chemical contamination, at levels exceeding EPA safety standards. There’s even cause for concern when it comes to the health impacts of the plastic itself. Widely publicized research suggests that many plastic bottles leach the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which mimics estrogen in the body and is linked to a number of health issues. Concerns about the health effects of BPA have led to manufacturing of new plastic bottles that are purportedly safer. But a new report from Environmental Health Perspectives states that even BPA-free plastic bottles release estrogenic chemicals.

Buried in plastic Those chemicals end up not only in the bodies of those drinking the water, the Sierra Club’s Quinn notes, but when plastic litter floats down waterways, the

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What are You Drinking? David Parsons, principal, REAL Compost At home, I drink tap water—city of Bloomington, good old Lake Monroe reservoir rainwater.

chemicals can leach into the environment, posing a threat to wildlife as well as humans. The Sierra Club and other environmental groups decry the phenomenal amounts of waste generated by the bottled beverage industry. According to the EPA, plastic waste has increased dramatically in recent years. While specific numbers are not available for bottles compared to other forms of plastic, plastics in general now comprise over 12 percent of municipal solid waste. In 2009, the EPA estimated that some 30 million tons of plastic hit the waste stream, 13 million tons of which were containers and packaging. — Continued on page 18 17

— Continued from page 17

What are You Drinking?

Indiana organizations such as Friends of the White River see the impact of all this refuse firsthand. In river cleanups throughout the state, plastic bottles are ubiquitous, because of the way they easily wash down from roadways and into streams. “It’s the main litter item we pick up when we do cleanups on waterways, whether the setting is rural or urban,” says executive director Kevin Hardie. According to SWCD’s Warner, yet another environmental concern the bottled water industry raises is the potential depletion of aquifers. She predicts, “Once communities realize the impact on their aquifers, we may get more attention on this issue. But Indiana is one of the states where we have more than enough water, so it doesn’t seem to hit home yet.” As Quinn points out, there is a simple solution to all this. “From an environmental perspective, having people carry their own water bottles and refill them is much better than having people buy a lot of little plastic bottles,” he says. “Even if they’re recycled, it’s just not an efficient use of resources.”

Photo courtesy Paul Wilson

Falon French, outreach associate and policy researcher, Hoosier Environmental Council I use a Brita pitcher with a basic carbon filter. When I’m traveling or exercising, I use an aluminum water bottle.

What are You Drinking?

as convenient for people to recycle those bottles. While only 7 percent of U.S. total plastic waste was recycled in 2009, the recycling rate for some plastics is higher, according to the EPA. Nearly 30 percent of PET and HDPE bottles (plastics 1 and 2) were recycled. Still, the processing capacity and demand for recovered Put it in the bin plastic far outpaces the amount actually But given the convenience of water recycled. bottles to go, busy people are not likely The dismal recycling rate is what to give up the habit any time soon. That’s fuels the IRC’s executive director Carey why the Indiana Recycling Coalition Hamilton, who says that increased (IRC) is working so hard to make it just recycling represents a win-win for the environment and the What are Drinking? economy. “There are huge Jesse Kharbanda, executive director, energy savings—upwards of 95 Hoosier Environmental Council percent—when plastic bottles are turned into a new plastic When at long meetings, I try to fill up a recyclable bottle vs. being made from new drinking container with filtered water or water from petroleum-based materials. my home delivery service. The energy savings translates

You

to dollars saved by the manufacturer.” Recycled plastic is also reborn as upholstery, nylon bags, carpet fibers, clothing, and other products. Hamilton says that because approximately one-third of bottled beverages are consumed away from home, a coalition priority is increasing the number of public-space recycling bins across the state. The organization is partnering with community groups to collect large amounts of plastics that would otherwise be incinerated or buried in a landfill.

Mindi Epstein, director of marketing and membership, JCC I never go anywhere without my Nalgene bottle. I only drink filtered tap water. I avoid tap water as much as possible. I do not purchase bottled water because of the waste it generates.

Getting off the bottle Meanwhile, going on the assumption that the best thing would be to avoid bottled water altogether, a growing number of online campaigns have cropped up to encourage people to carry a reusable bottle instead. The Think Outside the Bottle movement urges elected representatives to support tap water over bottled water, and set the example in their dayto-day activities. Brita’s FilterForGood estimates that Indiana residents have avoided using nearly 6 million bottles based on bottle-free pledges to date.

www. Indiana L ivingG reen.com

Many youth sports organizations encourage young athletes like Irish Wilson (left) and Murphy Nickell to bring their own water containers rather than provide bottled water.

Photo courtesy Paul Wilson

But what about people whose water contains dangerous levels of contaminants, such as those in rural communities whose proximity to factory farms has tainted their wells? Filtration is the way to go, according to Hoosier Environmental Council’s Falon French of Lafayette. She sees these issues play out firsthand in her work in the Wabash River Valley area. In fact, her own grandparents were among those she counseled after their well water tested high in E. coli because of a poultry farm upstream.

Depending on the type of contamination, options include reverse osmosis, distillation, or pitcher-type filters. To take guesswork out of the decisionmaking, she urges people to have their water tested, either by their utility company or the county health department. For those concerned about filling a reusable bottle from public drinking fountains, there are even stainless steel bottles with built-in filtration. With all these alternatives, clearly there’s no longer any need to drink water that could just as well be topped with an oil slick. n Shawndra Miller is a freelance writer and active member of the Irvington Green Initiative in Indianapolis.

Resources

• •

Think Outside the Bottle campaign www.stopcorporateabuse.org The Story of Bottled Water film www.storyofstuff.com

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garden

ROUNDUP Traders Point Creamery Hosts Family Garden Fun

Now, another reason to head for Traders Point Creamery in Zionsville on Friday evenings. During May and June, Family Garden Fun offers lively lessons on growing a family organic garden from 4:00 to 6:30. Environmental educator and singer/songwriter Pamela Jay covers topics from designing a productive plot to managing pests and weeds. For more information, visit www.tpforganics.com or www.traderspointcreamery.com.

Bad news: A small but destructive beetle has invaded Indiana and threatens to wipe out the state’s ash trees. The emerald ash borer (EAB) was first spotted in 2004. And it has reportedly destroyed 60 million trees throughout the state since 2006. Any ash tree infested with the EAB will die unless treated in time. It only takes two to four years for the insect to finish the job. Once the canopy of the tree is 50-percent infected, the only treatment is removal. Good news: If caught and treated in time, a tree with less than 30 percent canopy damage has a good chance of surviving. One treatment that has been identified as environmentally safe is Tree-Age. The insecticide is injected directly into the tree rather than the ground—avoiding contamination of soil, other growth, and groundwater. One local company that offers this treatment is Indy Ash, www.indyash.com. For more about the emerald ash borer, visit www.emeraldashborer.info or www.extension.entm.purdue.edu.

Photo courtesy Lynn Jenkins

Keeping Indiana Trees Safe from Emerald Ash Borer

Native Plant Sale and Auction

The Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society (INPAWS) will hold its annual sale and auction in Indianapolis at Trinity Church (St. Richard’s School gym). The free event is set for Saturday, May 7, from 10:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with the auction starting at 11:15. A special pre-sale presentation about native plants that attract pollinators begins at 9:30—$10 provides admission to the presentation, a 15-minute jump-start on the sale, and a $10 coupon toward any auction purchase. Visit www.inpaws.org for more.

Drink to

I’ll

That!

Beer fans are discovering that many of Indiana’s microbreweries stand out as shining role models for sustainable business practices. This story is about green beer. Not the cheap, mass-produced light beer that’s been dyed Kelly-green for St. Patrick’s Day. Green as in fresh and locally made, with an eye toward keeping its carbon footprint as light as its flavor is robust. And fortunately for those who live in Indiana, microbreweries have sprung up all over the state. According to the list of Indiana breweries on hoosierbeergeek. com, 35 now operate, some at multiple locations. The most popular beer in the country is still a mass-produced one: Bud Light is manufactured by the nation’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch—now a subsidiary of the world’s largest brewer, the Brazilian-Belgian company InBev. (More evidence, if you needed it, that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better.) In the millennial-long history of brewing, mass-produced beer is a fairly recent institution, made possible by the development of refrigerated railroad cars in 1880. In 1873 the number of breweries in the U.S. had peaked at 4,131. But as Budweiser became available in every part

of the country, smaller businesses started closing. Forty years later, Prohibition finished off the small breweries, while the larger ones survived by switching to different products—Anheuser-Busch, for example, made ice cream. To be fair, big brewers follow a lot of sustainable and innovative practices, too. Unless you live in St. Louis, Golden, or Milwaukee, however, that impact on local communities is negligible. It used to be that all breweries were local, and an important part of the economy. Brewers purchased a large portion of the grain harvest—in ancient Egypt up to 40 percent of the harvest was allocated for beer making. The drink was an important source of nutrition. (Ever heard the term “liquid bread?”) And it was distributed in reusable buckets and jugs—no refrigerated railroad cars required. One of the biggest factors that qualify local brews as a green product is that they don’t require as much transportation as national brands. In fact, consumers can usually take their own containers

to breweries or tasting rooms to get their suds to go. The usual container is a half-gallon glass jug called a growler, though some breweries are also making plastic jugs and 32-ounce mini-growlers. Because these containers are reused, less packaging waste is generated, further reducing the carbon footprint. As a rule, small brewers pursue a number of other green practices as well. Here are some examples:

Contented cows A major waste product of the brewing process is spent grain, which is commonly used as cattle feed or, if no herds are located nearby, composted. According to Clay Robinson of Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, the brewing process strips harmful elements from the grain and makes it more digestible for cattle. In most cases the spent grain needs to be hauled to the cows, but Brazil’s Bee Creek Brewery is surrounded by its own herd of beef cattle. Julie Forster, Bee Creek’s vice president, says, “They enjoy the occasional warm meal.” www. Indiana L iving Green.com

Photo courtesy Katz Lee Finch

By L. Mark Finch

Research for this article took author L. Mark Finch to Broad Ripple Brewpub. Indiana Pale Ale is one of many local brews he has tested here and other Indy and Bloomington establishments.

Photo courtesy Lynn Jenkins

a new one in an average of two weeks, Robinson says), plus they do a better job than bottles of preserving beer. Bee Creek uses packaging supplies from Crown Packaging in Merrillville and honey from a supplier in Martinsville. Most of the country’s hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest, but at least two Indiana brewers are using Hoosier hops. The New Albanian Brewing Company in New Albany is encouraging hops farmers up the road in Floyds Knobs by buying their crops, and Bloomington Brewing Company owner Jeff Mease has been In addition to bars and brewpubs, Indiana beer is growing his own hops on a farm just readily available at liquor stores and even in national outside the city. Many, if not most, of the grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market. brewers that operate brewpubs also make it a practice to use locally grown meats Local suppliers and produce for their menu items. Depending upon the products, brewing supplies may come from all over the Limited distribution world. Brewers use local suppliers when No local brewers seem to be contemthey can, though: Sun King has chosen plating refrigerated railroad cars. Sun aluminum cans from Ball Corporation King limits its distribution to a 75-mile in Monticello for its smallest containers radius from its brewery; the Bloomington because of their light weight and ease of Brewing Company has committed itself recycling (a used can becomes part of to being a draft-only facility. If you want M ay/June 2 0 1 1

to sample local brews, the best way is to seek them out in the areas where they’re made.

Adaptive reuse of buildings Indiana’s oldest existing microbrewery, the Broad Ripple Brewpub in Indianapolis, was once a defunct auto parts store. Skillfully remodeled by proprietor and Yorkshire native John Hill, it now looks like a corner of England plopped down in Broad Ripple Village. New Albanian owner Roger Baylor has been actively involved in downtown redevelopment and adaptive reuse for some time, and put his second location, the Bank Street Brewhouse, in an unused building in a part of downtown New Albany that badly needs more business tenants. Big Woods Brewery adapted an old building in Nashville by using local craftsmen to build a timber frame structure around it. Sun King’s facility has a white membrane roof to aid with cooling in the summer and skylights in order to take advantage of natural light. — Continued on page 24 23

— Continued from page 23

Responsible use of resources

Sustainable technology Solar collectors do a great job of heating water, and that’s what Broad Ripple Brewpub, Upland Brewing with locations in Bloomington and Indy, and Bee Creek use them for. Bee Creek also employs a geothermal loop to cool water. Upland has a heat exchanger to heat and cool water for different processes, and Sun King follows a similar method. Wilbur Brewing Company in Martinsville, which makes a number of organic brews, works with a wood-burning stove to heat its brew kettle, and ice to cool its wort.

For more information about Indiana’s craft breweries, visit www.indianabeergeek.com. Two recent books, both by Indiana authors, are also good reads: Indiana One Pint at a Time: A Traveler’s Guide to Indiana’s Breweries by Douglas A. Wissing (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2010); and True Brew: A Guide to Craft Beer in Indiana, by Rita T. Kohn (Quarry Books, 2010). Also, see the review of True Brew on page 14.

Photo courtesy Lynn Jenkins

Local brewers are conscientious about water usage. Figure Eight in Valparaiso recaptures the water it uses for cooling in one part of the brewing process and uses it for heating in another, as does Sun King and Broad Ripple Brewpub. Sun King and Bloomington Brewing Company strain the effluent from their wastewater before discharging it to reduce the load on their municipal sewer systems.

For a complete list of Indiana microbreweries, visit www.IndianaLivingGreen.com.

Pedal power Bicycles and beer seem to have a long-standing natural affinity for each other, and that relationship is thriving in Indiana. Upland sponsors a road-racing team that buys carbon credits to offset using motor vehicles to travel to events, and also organizes the Tour de Upland for recreational cyclists. Bicycle racks are a fixture at Upland’s Bloomington and Indianapolis locations, and have the prime parking spot at the Broad Ripple Brewpub, where Hill and

wife, Nancy, were part of the citizen group that promoted turning the abandoned Monon railroad right-of-way into a recreational corridor. (The Monon Trail now passes within easy riding distance of the Brewpub, the Upland tasting room, and the Sun King Brewery.) Sun King uses three industrial tricycles to make local deliveries of cans and kegs and run errands.

Community involvement

It should come as no surprise that

local breweries support the communities that support them. Sun King partners with local producers and businesses, and Upland is a staunch supporter of land trusts. Ten percent of the profits from sales of their Preservation Pilsner are donated to local land trusts, and they sponsor the Hillbilly Haiku, an annual music festival that benefits the Sycamore Land Trust. New Albanian proprietor Roger Baylor has served on the boards of Develop New Albany and the Urban Enterprise Association, and is now campaigning for a seat on the New Albany City Council. Bloomington Brewing Company’s Jeff Mease nicely summed up the greenbenefits of local brews in a story on www.craftbeer.com, an online magazine of the national Brewers Association. “There’s an ecological beauty in craftbrewed draft beer,” he said. “It’s one of the most sustainable beverages you can drink, with no packaging waste and four all-natural ingredients. We think that’s pretty cool.” n

By Megan Fernandez

Wheels

What defines a bike-friendly workplace? Recognition by the League of American Bicyclists is a start. Szabo Schmucker, advocacy director for Bicycle Garage Indy. “You want to make it more active and actively promote it.”

Photo courtesy Bloomington City Hall

As city infrastructures for biking continue to improve, we know what you’re thinking: Can I finally bike to work? Leaving the car at home is a tantalizing fantasy: You reduce your carbon footprint, save money on gas, turn a routine commute into exercise, and start the day doing something that makes you happy. But the logistics can be tricky. Where will you park your bike? Can you clean up and change clothes at the office? Will eyebrows be raised if you are spotted in shorts and a T-shirt? The workplace that waits at the other end of the bike lane plays a big part in whether or not your commute can work. Thousands of residents in Indianapolis and Bloomington—where biking has been part of the culture for decades— have that part figured out. They work at a certified bicycle-friendly business (BFB). The League of American Bicyclists offers five levels of company certification. Every successful applicant offers a secure place to store the bike, and most have shower facilities on the premises, too. By virtue of being certified, the company is letting employees know that it’s okay to arrive at the office in sweaty athletic attire. These are just the basics. The certified BFBs in Central Indiana go way beyond them. “You want to do something beyond saying, ‘Yeah, you can bike to work if you want,’” says Connie

The B-Line greenway makes for a traffic-free commute for employees of Bloomington City Hall and Bloomington Cooperative Services.

Rewarding the biker Bicycle Garage Indy, the only goldlevel certified company in Indiana, pays its employees for biking to work: 15 cents for every car mile they replace by biking, with the payout doubled during National Bike Month in May. Rewards are paid in BGI gift cards. The program has helped BGI create a workplace culture that glorifies biking to the job. Staffers get competitive about making each month’s Top 5 Commuters list. BGI tracks progress by number of trips and number of miles so that everyone—regardless of how far they

live from the store—has a chance to be recognized. Last year, 537 employees of other companies, such as Community Hospitals, participated in BGI’s corporate wellness program, designed specifically for bike commuting. “Get Back on Your Bike” is an eight-week program that challenges participants to bike 200 miles. BGI provides an online tool for tracking the miles, and each participant receives about $90 worth of materials and equipment—including a handlebar-mounted computer that records distance. They receive BGI gift cards just for attending lunch-and-learn safety clinics. About 100 participants last year used a bike rented from BGI at a deep discount.

Routing assistance and safety clinics RCI, a timeshare exchange company in Carmel, is another trailblazer for the bike-friendly corporate culture. Employees lock up their bikes at monitored racks with overhead lighting and receive a free company bike jersey. A bike captain on staff helps workers choose a good route from their home to the office, and the employee bike club arranges for commuters to meet up in the morning and ride together. The company offers clinics on safe riding and bike maintenance, as well as cash incentives. Eli Lilly & Company, a bronze-level recipient in 2010, also gives free logo jerseys to members of the Lilly Cycling Club. Bike commuters can store their ride in a secure bike locker, and soon they will be able to cruise onto the company’s campus via an extension

www. Indiana L ivingG reen.com

A former participant in I.U.’s Little 500 bike race, digital strategist John Palmer generally parks his bike in his workspace at Young & Laramore. The company’s three Elektra cruisers are available for employee use.

downtown Indy have bikes for employees to use during the day and are hoping to set an example for other like-minded companies.

Helmets, baskets, and other bells & whistles

Certified Bike-Friendly Businesses Photo courtesy Young & Laramore

These companies have sought and received certification from the League of American Bicyclists: • • • • • • • • • •

Bicycle Garage Indy Bloomington Cooperative Services (Bloomingfoods) The Broadbent Company (Indy) City of Bloomington City Hall Eli Lilly & Company (Indy) Freewheelin’ Community Bikes (Indy) IndyGo Keep Indianapolis Beautiful RCI (Indy) Storrow Kinsella Associates (Indy)

Photo courtesy Young & Laramore

of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail that Lilly subsidized. According the League of American Bicyclists, Lilly’s bike club also offers awards for the longest and shortest commute, maintenance clinics, and lunch-and-learns. In Bloomington, City Hall was designated a silver-level BFB last year. Employees who bike to work for a majority of their trips receive vouchers to use at local bike shops. The city pays for its workers to take clinics in traffic skills and commuting, and it allows them to use the parking enforcement team’s fleet of bikes when they are available.

Bike-share programs Bloomington Cooperative Services, known for operating Bloomingfoods co-ops, has built upon its location on

the B-Line greenway by providing free jerseys and a fleet of bicycles. An experienced cyclist at each store location gives new hires a primer on biking to work, and employees learn about safe bike routes in the employee newsletter. The company’s qualifications as a BFB were enhanced by its use of Bloomington Pedal Power, a bike service for deliveries and hauling away recycling. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful is another newly certified workplace. According to the League, more than 25 percent of KIB employees bike to work. Members of its Youth Tree Team use provided bikes to monitor trees that KIB has planted, and others attend the organization’s Bike Bucket workshops to make their own panniers from kitty-litter containers. Two non-certified businesses in

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Indy-based advertising agency Young & Laramore started its bike-share program several years ago when a client donated three Elektra cruisers. The company already had a designated CEvO— chief environmental officer—who gladly took responsibility for maintenance, adding a bell and the company logo to the bikes, and providing helmets and safety training for employees. “Under the seat is a little license plate that says Y&L,” says CEO Paul Knapp. “In front of the basket are little placards with pithy sayings to encourage others to think, ‘We should do that.’ They’re on a little ring, so you can flip it over and change it.” Ratio Architects recently took the advice of a new hire, Brian Staresnick, who relocated to Indy from New York City. “People are wearing their suits on Wall Street riding to and from work,” he says. “We wanted to demonstrate that you can wear regular work clothes riding your bike.” Ratio spent around $700 for a Dutch-style Biria city bike and all the accoutrements that make it safe and legal to ride, and INDYCOG provided a safety class for interested employees. For insurance reasons, use of the bike is limited to work errands, Staresnick says. “We wanted to do this to create awareness,” he says. “Bicycling during work, for work, is a viable option.” n Megan Fernandez regularly bikes to her job as a senior editor at Indianapolis Monthly, whose offices are located on Indy’s downtown circle.

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the last row

BY m a r ia s m i etana

When Water Worries Most of us divide our lives into some sort of before and after: marriage, divorce, our first gray hair, the year our team finally won the championship. For Steadfast Spouse and me, this division is marked by the beginning of our water worries—or BWW and AWW. Before we took up country living, Spouse and I lived in a pleasant condominium community on a charming little lake that had started life as a gravel pit. Our water worries never extended beyond a concern that our homeowner’s association seemed to waste a lot of it on a frequently malfunctioning irrigation system that tried hard to keep everyone’s lawn green during parts of the year when no lawn has a right or a reason to be green. When we moved to our little farm, we gladly gave up lawns altogether. But we sat on pins and needles hoping the well driller would hit water before digging all the way to the planet’s molten core. Then we fretted further as we waited for our well sample to pass the county’s E. coli test. A few years later, we started commercial produce growing, and that’s when the AWW phase of our life began in earnest. For farmers, water worries begin in winter, when we agonize about the snow pack. Will there be enough of it to replenish precious groundwater reserves? Will it melt slowly enough so as not to flood the creek banks and wash out the road or the bridge? Then there are the spring rains, always equal parts blessing and curse. Too little rain, and tender new crops get off to a pitiful start in life. Too much, and soggy fields can’t be plowed or sown at all, putting the timing of the growing season at risk, and with it our income. In dry summers (and almost all of

them are anymore), we all pray for rain, but please, not on days when we take our crops to market. There’s not a more despondent gathering of souls anywhere than a bunch of farmers who’ve just shivered through a sudden July downpour, only to have to pack up soggy unsold goods and drag them all the way home again. No one wants rain in fall, of course, unless you’re the kind of farmer who puts in cool weather crops, or gets tired of watching your cornfields catch fire, which would be most of us. That brings us back around to snow

packs, but we think you get the picture by now. Of all these water worries, summer and fall drought are at least somewhat amenable to intervention, so in year two AWW, Steadfast Spouse and I became devotees of primitive irrigation remedies. Garden hose is thankfully cheap, and given enough pressure at the well pump, does its job even when joined together to nearly astronomical lengths. We ran a lot of it from the house to the vegetable plots and cobbled on various salvaged sprinkler heads to do the rest. What has really saved us, though, is mulch: many a small farmer’s ultimate miracle. We make a lot of it each year, thanks to plentiful fallen limbs and branches. Layered a few inches deep around the base of the plants, the mulch chips are soon joined together by strands of friendly fungi. In a matter of weeks, the whole system becomes a sort of communal sponge, keeping precious moisture right where it’s needed most. Why, if this stuff starts to work any better, we may find ourselves in year six AWW looking for a whole new kind of worry. But please don’t tell my fellow farmers—they may send us some of theirs. n Maria Smietana is a refugee from the corporate world who now writes and grows organic produce on her mini-farm in Boone County.