Indiana Living Green - January/February 2012 by NUVO

INDIANA LIVING GREEN

TURNS A NEW LEAF

THIS MARCH A fresh new look

Writers from across the state New features, including interactive quiz and advice column Comic strip by Bloomington’s Joe Lee Green Marketplace classiﬁed section Newly designed, interactive website Now on stands 1st of every month

IndianaLivingGreen.com

SO FRESH & SO GREEN March 2012

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CONTENTS

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 P U B L I S H E R Kevin

McKinney

kmckinney@indianalivinggreen.com E D I T O R Jim

F E A T U R E S

Poyser

jpoyser@indianalivinggreen.com

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E D I T O R I A L A S S I S TA N T S

Alexis Boxer (West Lafayette) Jaclyn Goldsborough (Fort Wayne) Christina Kratzner (Bloomington) Liz Nolan (Columbus) Jennifer Troemner (Indianapolis)

• Play It Green: the Greening of the Super Bowl . . . . . . . . . . . 10 • God + Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Want to be on the ILG team? Email Jim!

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CONTRIBUTORS

The ApocaDocs, Alexis Boxer, Kim Ferraro, Madi Hirschland, K.O. Jackson, Shelby Kelley, Joe Lee, Mark Lee, Betsy Sheldon, Maria Smietana, Renee Sweany, Julianna Thibodeaux

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i n d i a n a l i v i nggre e n.c o m

D E P A R T M E N T S

• Doom & Bloom with Editor Jim Poyser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 • Ask Renee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Tristan Schmid tschmid@indianalivinggreen.com T.J. Zmina tjzmina@indianalivinggreen.com

• Watts and Whatnot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

SALES & MARKETING

• The PANIQuiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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Robert Barnes rbarnes@indianalivinggreen.com Mary Morgan mmorgan@indianalivinggreen.com Lauren Guidotti lguidotti@indianalivinggreen.com

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• Hoosier Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 • The Last Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 • Life is an Egg by Joe Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

DISTRIBUTION

Christa Phelps cphelps@indianalivinggreen.com Dick Powell

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ADMIN

Kathy Flahavin kﬂahavin@indianalivinggreen.com Susie Fortune sfortune@indianalivinggreen.com

Phone number: 317-254-2409 • • •

ON THE COVER: Illustration by Shelby Kelley IN THIS ISSUE: We are unveiling some new products you’ll begin to see each issue, including Ask Renee, a green advice column by longtime ILG contributor Renee Sweany and Life is an Egg by Bloomington-based cartoonist, Joe Lee. In March, ILG will be re-designed and published monthly.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Paul Wilson, Wilson Design, LLC paul@paulwilsondesign.com

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Indiana Living Green 4 JAN/FEB 2012

• • • Indiana Living Green is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Published by NUVO, Inc.

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DOOM&BLOOM

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FROM THE EDITOR, JIM POYSER

Photo by David Yosha

Year of the Apocalypse Welcome W to the last year of th world-as-you-know-it. On the 12/21/2012, Something Significant 1 will happen — if we believe the forew tellers, some kind of Apocalypse. te Depending on your preferred soothD ssayer, the Something Significant will be nuclear war or the arrival of aliens b or The Rapture. o I don’t believe in the Apocalypse aas some mystical phenomenon. For me, the Mother Mother-of-All-Disasters we’re approaching is already me of All Dis happening: the wholesale wrecking of our habitat through mindless consumerism, toxic pollution and greenhouse gasses growing out of control. Still, it is a little creepy when you read about those ancient Apocalyptic predications. For example, in October, I was in Miami for an environmental journalism conference. As I was wandering through the city at night, one too many mojitos under my proverbial belt, I encountered a screening of Koyannisqatsi, massively projected on the side of an arts facility. People were gathered, sprawled on blankets, sitting in folding chairs and watching Godfrey Reggio’s 1982 hypnotic meditation on the sprawl of humanity and its technology, with that infectious (or you might think, annoying) Phillip Glass soundtrack. What I did not recall from earlier viewings of the film were the three Hopi prophecies at the end: 1) If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster. 2) Near the day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky. 3) A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans. Whoa, dude, I thought, that is pretty right on. Prophecy number 1 is fo’ sho’ our fossil fuel foolishness pulling coal and oil and natural gas and rare metals from the earth. And the “cobwebs” thing …? hellooo, wi-fi! The third one is also easy to interpret: industry of all kinds, especially coal-fired plants and tsunamied nuclear reactors, burning the land and creating an acidified ocean. These predictions are untold generations old. How’d the Hopi know we’d be faced with such global-scale challenges here at the dawn of the Age of Aquarius — or as the Hopi 4

would put it, the Fifth World? No wonder there’s such hype around change right now, a sense that we are at a massive, collective pivot point in the development of human evolution. My theory is this, and I’m sticking to it: On 12/21/12 we will come to the end of this stage of time — the time of ignorance, of mindless consumption, of disconnection to nature. On that date, we’ll hit the tipping point where more people will get it than people who don’t: just that many more people will understand what we’ve done to the planet and what needs to be done to reconnect to nature, to ourselves. Apocalypse? Shmapocalypse. I say bring it on. So. In honor of the Year of the Apocalypse, Indiana Living Green, along with the Writers’ Center of Indiana (indianawriters.org), is announcing a poetry contest. Not just any poetry contest, but a contest with a theme: the Apocalypse. Here’s the deal. You must write your poem in the style of James Whitcomb Riley. That’s right, the Hoosier Poet himself. Write in the dialect, keep to the form and rhyme about the Apocalypse, with an Indiana angle. Send your submissions (limit two) to apocapoetrycontest@ indianalivinggreen.com. The winner gets $250. We will print any we think are decent or hilarious. Deadline: Oct. 1, 2012; we’ll announce — and print — the winner (and many of the non-winners) in December, of course, just in time for the End Times. 4 —

Ji m • jpoyser@indianalivinggreen.com ONLINE AT:

IndianaLivingGreen.com

• • •

ASK RENEE

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Energy prices are rising Solar prices are falling…

BY RENEE SWEANY

Photo by Stephen Simonetto

W What is the best way to recycle/reuse k kitty litter? According to my dogs, Miles and Fritz, the best way to recycle/ rreuse kitty litter is as a bedtime snack. Since that is disgusting, it’s not w what I recommend. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to actually rreuse the shi — I mean, stuff — so you may want to focus your efforts o on ﬁnding the most eco-friendly litter instead. There are a lot of different kinds out there, using everything from rrecycled newspapers to corn. I prefer the corn-based products since I li like scoopable/clumping litter. Though it gets mixed reviews online, my fa favorite is Arm & Hammer Essentials. They use discarded corncobs, rather than taking corn from our food stream. Some things to think about when it comes to disposing of litter:

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• “Biodegradable” doesn’t matter here in Indianapolis. Residential trash goes to an incinerator, so don’t console yourself by thinking it will just magically disappear in a landfill. • Flushable isn’t any better. Our wastewater treatment plants in the city can only handle so much. On a rainy day, a lot of our sewage overflows into our waterways. A bluegill that eats kitty litter does not a catfish make. Here’s a thought on making your poo scooping a bit greener. Instead of using trash bags to hold your waste until it makes its way to the curb, re-use the plastic bag that the litter came in. If you’re even thinking about saying, “Well, I re-use the plastic grocery bags I get at the store. That’s green, right?” NO! Since you’re using reusable bags for your grocery shopping, you shouldn’t have any of those pesky plastic bags in the first place!

How does one go about shopping green on a budget? Green does not always mean expensive. Sure, organic bananas often cost about 20-cents more per lb. But there are plenty of budget- and eco-friendly shopportunities out there. Here are some of my faves:

Indy’s Original Health Food Store Tremedous Selection of Organic, Local & Fair-Trade Products

• Shop in bulk. I’m not talking about buying a 20lb. jar of pickles (unless you’re into that). Many stores (typically health food stores where many people often think things cost more) have bulk bins where you can buy as much or as little as you need. Only need 1 cup of ﬂour for a recipe? Only buy 1 cup. Want enough sesame sticks to last for two-weeks-worth of snack breaks? Fill up a whole bag! Recently I re-stocked eight jars from our spice rack and I spent less than $5. Eight pre-packaged spices would have cost more than $40! How is this green, you ask? Duh. Bring your own containers for the bulk section. Anything from paper sacks, cotton bags, glass jars or baggies – the person at the register can get a tare weight and you only pay for what you put inside.

Local, Family-Owned & Independent for 4 decades Huge Variety of Vitamins & Supplements at Discount Prices Bulk Herbs, Spices, Coffees, Teas & Foods

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• Bring reusable bags. This one is a no-brainer. You can ﬁt more in them. You don’t end up with a wad of plastic under your sink. And many stores offer a 5-cent credit on your bill. • Ride your bike to the store. Before you look at me like I’m crazy, I’d just like to point out that riding your bike probably means that: you’ll only buy what you need at the moment (spend less on food); you won’t be driving your car (spend less on gas); and you’ll get great exercise (spend less on a gym). Hey, you asked. 4

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Got a “green” question for Renee? Send to askrenee@indianalivinggreen.com Indiana Living Green 4 JAN/FEB 2012

www.good-earth.com 6350 Guilford Ave. 46220

Watts whatnot and

Conservation Day at the Statehouse

Mark your calendars, folks! On Jan. 24, the Indiana Statehouse will be hosting Conservation Day, where Hoosiers will have a chance to talk to our legislators and let

Get on the (green) bus BY ALEXIS BOXER

Indiana isn’t known as a state with many alternative transportation options, nor is it known for supporting renewable energy projects, especially during a recession. It’s no easy task to get people out of their cars and onto buses, but during a time of rising cost for fuel and financial insecurity, one local transit authority has seen overwhelming support for its alternative transportation initiatives. Lafayette CityBus has undertaken the task of greening its fleet and incorporating sustainability into its mission and values. In 2007, CityBus made the decision to transition part of their fleet to diesel-electric hybrid buses, bringing the number of hybrid buses up to 20 out of their collection of 70. This helped CityBus with their image and mission to ‘go green,’ but also led to new jobs created in Indiana by partnering with businesses such as Allison Transmission and Cummins Engine. “The engines and transmissions were all made in Indiana,” said John Metzinger, Manager of Development at CityBus. “Reducing fuel consumption and emissions is important, but we also know it’s politically important to create jobs.” The new buses run with a combination of diesel fuel and a 900 volt battery affixed to the roof, which powers the initial acceleration of the bus and is recharged by the forward momentum of the vehicle. In 2009 as a part of the federal stimulus package, the federal government launched a program called TIGGER (Transit Investments in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction) to spur innovation and investments in clean energy projects in transportation. CityBus applied for a grant and was chosen as one of 43 programs in the U.S. to receive funding. They were awarded $1.8 million and set to work improving infrastructure, investing in clean energy for their offices and increasing the capacity of their fleet. 6

them know how we feel about conserving natural resources and our environment. Conservation Day is also a chance to get in touch with the conservation organizations all over Indiana. Registration starts at 10 a.m. in the North Atrium of the Statehouse, and the event will run until 1:30 p.m. Grab your friends, your questions and concerns, and head downtown to show the people running our state how much it means to us. For more, see indianalivinggreen.com. The CityBus offices, located in downtown Lafayette, are now powered by three onsite wind turbines, which someday could be used to help power their vehicles. Even at a time when many industries are suffering, CityBus has found that, though there was a slight dip during the hardest moments of recession, they are expecting to have the highest ridership in their history, with over five million rides this year. “The green message resonates here,” Metzinger said. “We are seeing people choosing to leave the car at home and take the bus to work and class.” Being one of the first in Indiana to embrace sustainability and invest in hybrid technology has proven beneficial as CityBus has worked with Purdue University and the Indiana Transportation Association (ITA), making them a leader among Indiana public transit agencies. Metzinger added: “Being a member of ITA allows us to share best practices and create close associations but also allows us to learn from each other.” When asked if they have seen financial savings from these initiatives, Metzinger replied, “This is a new program and the project hasn’t come full circle yet. But this isn’t why we are doing it. We made this commitment because being a good steward and protecting the environment is the right thing to do.” Editor’s note: At press time for this issue, we learned of “greening the fleet” news in Indianapolis: The U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program and the Indiana Office of Energy Development gave $318,300 to the city to retrofit eight trucks to run on propane, which they said costs an average of $2.50 per gallon. This will result in a 24 percent reduction in the vehicles’ carbon emissions with 90 percent of the efficiency of unleaded gasoline. The money will also be used to underwrite the purchase of 25 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrids to replace older and less-efficient Crown Victorias as well as the conversion of 11 vans to bi-fuel propane systems. 4 ONLINE AT:

IndianaLivingGreen.com

More than corn in them thar biofuels

In our country’s effort to get out of our oil-dependent rut, we ﬁrst turned to over-subsidized corn megaliths to provide for all our ethanol needs, which caused a whole mess of other problems. This time around, the federal government is doing what every country boy and stockbroker knows best: starting to diversify. A new program will support research and production of biofuels that don’t come from corn kernel starch, and that’s getting more than 157 biofuel producing companies thinking outside the bushel. Instead they’re looking into food and yard waste, landﬁll gasses and crop residue. On top of helping us quit foreign oil, switching to sustainable biofuels will trim our greenhouse emissions and let us recycle mountains of waste into earth-friendly solutions. insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=50538 4

The Biggest Loser: Energy Efﬁciency Edition

The applications are in and the Community Conservation Challenge (CCC) is ready to begin! The CCC has nearly $1 million in federal grant funding ready to pass out to the selected projects, all of them run for Hoosiers by Hoosiers, who had to find ways to improve energy efficiency with the help and support of the communities around them. Of the 77 organizations who ran the gambit, four caught the eye of the CCC: LOGAN Community Resources, Inc, and its efforts to revamp its South Bend facility; The Affordable Housing Corporation of Marion’s project to weatherize and reduce the energy costs of 100 homeowners; Monroe County’s work to greenify a county-owned building and monitor the energy output of three county schools; and e-biofuels, which will retrofit its boilers for higher energy efficiency. Find out more at energy.in.gov, or follow progress on twitter @IndianaEnergy 4

Catching fungus in the ’Net

Researchers at Purdue University are ganging up with the public to delete thousand cankers disease (TCD) before the infection hits the heartland. TCD is a fatal fungal disease that’s been chomping on black walnut trees in the western states, and covertly snuck over to the eastern states last year. On TCD’s side are millions of walnut twig beetles, which infect a tree with the fungus. On the home team, though, are Justin Arse-neault of Purdue University and his team. They’re calling the public to arms with a new website designed to educate Hoosiers on how to recognize and deal with TCD, before it robs our state of $1.7 billion in hardwood species and natural beauty. Check out the site yourself at thousandcankers.com 4 Indiana Living Green 4 JAN/FEB 2012

Try Stufﬁng This One Under the Tree!

’Tis the season for giving, and the late Van Eller has given a gift to all of Indiana. Before his passing last year, the Indiana farmer and conservationist donated 40 acres of land — valued at a whopping $2 million — to the Central Indiana Land Trust, in the booming area between Fishers and Carmel on 116th Street. Eller grew up and lived most of his life on that land, and his gift will make sure that people will always be able to enjoy the woods and wildlife he loved in life. Right across the street from the donated land lays Wapihani, a 77-acre park that Eller and other landowners had sold to the Land Trust at a discount years before. Like Wapihani, this new stretch of land will be restored and made accessible to the public in a way that’s safe for people and wildlife alike. Find out more at conservingindiana.org/ 4

Climate change = screwed beasts

In a recent study conducted by Indiana University, it was discovered that the rate at which our climate is changing is rapidly bypassing the rate at which species can adapt. The study, “Pleistocene Climate, Phylogeny, and Climate Envelope Models: An Integrative Approach to Better Understand” focused on North American rattlesnakes, which are a good indication of climate change because they rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature. By 2100, the climate will be changing more than 100 times faster than it currently does, and will be two to three orders of magnitude greater than the change over the past 300 millennia. For the rattlesnakes in particular, this climate change will be a detriment to their way of life, severely limiting the states in which they are able to live. But it’s not hard to imagine we’ll all be in a pickle. For more on the story: plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone 4

Survey says: Recycle!

Car batteries are corrosive, explosive, and downright dangerous — and that’s why they’ve topped the list of electronic waste that absolutely needs to be recycled, according to a study by Harris Interactive. Of everyone surveyed, 90 percent overwhelmingly agreed, and 93 percent said they should be recycled on American soil, where we can keep our eyes on them, instead of paying other countries with more ﬂoppy environmental regulations to do it for us. There’s not a lot of downside to recycling them domestically: It gives Americans the jobs we’ve been craving, and it lets us make sure nobody’s dumping battery acid into our oceans. slabwatchdog.com 4

— Continued on page 8 7

WATTA AND WHATNOT — Continued from page 8

Ye Olde Library gets a green facelift

The Shelby Branch Library just finished a four-month makeover that’s transformed it into a lean, green, energy-efficient learning machine. With the new look comes a new name: the Garfield Park Branch. Teaching people about the importance of energy and resource conservation is a big goal for this library, and they’re going all out to lead by example. Look up new green tips on their new computers, which are run by energy monitoring programming. Those who drive electric vehicles can let your car charge while you get cozy with your favorite book under natural lighting, or while you take a stroll through the butterfly garden and the wild bird garden, both of which are blooming with native Indiana plants. Come visit at 2502 Shelby St. or see: imcpl. org/about/locations/garfieldpark.html 4

Kokomo Subway restaurant goes green

Photo by Ryan Fitzpatrick

BY K.O. JACKSON

Subway restaurants, the chain that boasts healthy choices over typical fast food, is now working toward a greener environment. The chain recently opened five Subway Eco-Restaurants designed to reduce energy, water and waste consumption while improving indoor air quality. The Markland Avenue Subway in Kokomo, Ind., is the first such Subway east of the Mississippi River. As part of its “Eat Fresh, Live Green” initiative, Subway encourages franchisees to create eco-restaurants. Subway restaurants that cannot be rebuilt are using fixtures like low-flow faucets and toilets, energy-saving appliances, motion-sensor lights and recyclable trash cans to green their stores. The new Subway in Kokomo is constructed entirely from recycled materials, and features an energy-saving LED-lighting system and a large monitor that displays the restaurant’s real-time energy usage. “It’s good to come in here and see all that goes on to make your food and how conscious they are about saving energy and the environment,” customer Cathy Riley said. “More businesses should be following this lead for the community and to educate our children about recycling.” The restaurant’s grand opening attracted local celebrities and politicians, including Indy-based Subway spokesman Jared who, after touring the restaurant, said, “This is the Taj Mahal of Subways — and I’ve been to many of them.” Students from the nearby Elwood Haynes Elementary School planted more than 2,000 plants outside the restaurant to create a rain garden. The diverse collection of 8

Greener homes, better planet

Energy Star rated homes built in 2012 will go even further toward making both homeowners and the planet happy. Over 400 builders have already committed to new home construction that the Environmental Protection Agency says will be 30 percent more energy-efficient than new homes without the Energy Star label. New measures include some of the usual suspects — energy-saving light fixtures and appliances, high efficiency heating and cooling and high-performance windows — and at least one measure that all homeowners probably expect: properly installed insulation. The EPA says the new Energy Star homes will be a win/win with lower energy costs and less pollution. Last year Energy Star homes and appliances saved an EPA-estimated $18 billion while preventing greenhouse gas emissions that equal those created by 33 million vehicles. Learn more about the new standards at energystar. gov/index.cfm?c=next_generation.ng_qualified_new_homes 4 Indiana-native plants will filter and clean the water supply before it returns to the ground, alleviating some of Kokomo’s sewer overflow issues. Brandon Pitcher, the chief sustainability officer of Kokomobased Fortune Management, Inc., was involved in negotiating the new restaurant’s lease. Pitcher said the rain garden will help reduce the amount of water burdening the city’s CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) system. “This may be the most important ecological crisis we must solve, as it is a federal mandate that is unfunded,” said Pitcher, who’s a Lugar Energy Patriot award winner. “Over the next few years, the students will be able to watch their plantings grow from their playground while remembering a great community building experience with Subway, which also provided a healthy meal for lunch. “The building overall will have value for decades as an educational model for current development practices to reducing the energy consumption by over a third. It is just the beginning.” Columbus, Ind., businessman George Estep is the franchisee of the new eco-restaurant. His energy-efficiency efforts were recognized this fall, when Sen. Richard Lugar presented him with a Lugar Energy Patriot award. The store was also nominated for a national LEED award — a third-party certification program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. For Estep, the awards are only one part of his business’ many accomplishments. “[The rain garden] gives students an opportunity to start learning about recycling and protecting the environment,” Estep said. “For Subway, it’s all about taking what we have and recycling to be better eco-friendly. “From a business standpoint, on a return on investment, we are saving $600 monthly in our water and electric bills. Over time, that savings is going to increase. It’s a business plan others can follow. It’s something that we will do over and over again.” 4 ONLINE AT:

IndianaLivingGreen.com

P L AY IT

Green How the Super Bowl is making Indiana more sustainable BY JULIANNA THIBODEAUX

Few would dispute that hosting the Super Bowl is a good thing for Indianapolis, and indeed, the state. In addition to the media spotlight, the city benefits from a significant economic impact: With an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 visitors coming to the city, a staggering amount of money will be spent here. But there’s an environmental impact as well — and on first glance, it would not appear to be a beneficial one. While exact figures are hard to come by, due to the way trash is processed and disposed of, literally tons of solid and food waste are generated during each Super Bowl and related events, not to mention excessive water usage and carbon emissions related to transportation and other energy expenditures. (One figure estimates that an average of 65 tons of trash are generated in the stadium alone on game day.) The National Football League has taken notice, though, and for the past 18 years, its Environmental Program office has initiated collaborations with Super Bowl host cities to address some of these issues — from solid waste management and recycling programs to reducing energy consumption initiatives. Reduce, reuse and recycle are more than buzzwords. They offer a template for an ambitious set of programs and strategies that are already in play, some generated from the NFL office, and many sprung from home turf. Jack Groh, director of the NFL’s Environmental Program, acknowledges that these efforts are not widely known. “We’re not a public relations driven program,” he says. “It’s not really about the politics or the green image. It’s really driven by, ‘Does this make sense? Is this a smart way to run our operations?’ ” Since its opening in 1994, Groh’s Rhode

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Island-based ofﬁce has been operating under the mantra “to incorporate environmental principles into the management of events consistent with sound business practices.”

What are those practices? Recycling programs may be the most visible. At each Super Bowl, along with related events such as NFL Experience — an interactive football theme park, which will be set up for Super Bowl XLVI in the Indiana Convention Center — recycling bins are in plentiful supply, along with a cadre of volunteers who will point out the bins’ presence and their proper usage. Indy’s 10-day “Super Bowl Village,” located on a three-block area on Georgia Street in downtown, will roll out the city’s homegrown Georgia Street Improvement plan, which is both aesthetic and sustainably-minded, with pedestrian-friendly features and, of course, recycling bins. Add to this a number of recovery programs put in place to reapportion and repurpose everything from food to office supplies to plastic banners — which can be remanufactured into reusable shopping bags. Office furniture from the Super Bowl XLVI offices, for instance, will be sold at bargain bin prices and/or donated to local nonprofits. The NFL-initiated Super Kids Super Sharing program collects books and sports equipment for redistribution in local communities. Groh says 130 donor schools are already on board in Indianapolis, representing 17 school districts. “Some of the lower income schools, rather than participate as donor schools, are lining up to be recipients for the materials,” Groh says. “It’s a great way to get stuff in the hands of people who need it.” In addition, kids who participate learn valuable lessons about helping others. Then there are the trees. Each Super Bowl host city is beneficiary of an ambitious NFL-generated tree planting program. But in Indianapolis, the program has grown beyond expectations — “2012 Trees by 2012,” a collaboration with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, has surpassed its goal with nearly 3,000 trees and counting planted locally and around the state. — Continued on page 12

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GREENING OF THE SUPER BOWL — Continued from page 11

Keown’s hope is that by developing these habits now, they’ll continue long after the program is complete. In the spirit of the Super Bowl, which is a competition, As local environmental liaison, the Super Bowl XLVI Enafter all, individuals, households and even classrooms and vironmental Programs Committee — a subcommittee of the multifaceted, 800-plus member Super Bowl XLVI Host Com- businesses are competing against one another to see who can save the most water or the most amount of carbon. The mittee — has taken the environmental ball and run with it. If weekend prior to the Super Bowl, Keown says, the winners momentum continues at its current rate, efforts here at home will be recognized onstage at the Super Bowl Village. may end up doing more than offsetting the environmental On the 1st and Green website, visitors and cost of the event. participants can learn more about how to reduce Summer Keown, on loan energy usage — from the little stuff, like unplugto the Super Bowl Host ging electrical equipment when it’s not in use, to the Committee from the Indiana bigger things like biking to work or insulating the Department of Environmencrawlspace to save energy. As of this writing, the 1st tal Management (IDEM), and Green website boasted 1,137,243 pounds of where she normally works carbon offsets — that means individuals and groups in the office of air quality, from offices to families have undertaken efforts is working to ensure that a to save energy that have nothing to do with Super number of environmental Bowl Sunday, and if these efforts become habit, programs initiated by the Suthey’ll continue long after. per Bowl will continue long Building on the 1st and after the last touchdown. Green program, the local “We want to be responcommittee’s Green Corps prosible about the event,” gram has enlisted schools to Keown says, “and with the get involved in saving energy. number of people coming Each school district nominatto town, there will be a lot ed a student or two from the of resources used.” class of 2012 as representa[1st and To this end, the Environtives; the students are charged mental Programs committee Green is] with initiating environmental (with its seven subcommita way to initiatives locally. tees) has developed and maybe “We really just said, you can implemented, among other engage do anything you want, if you programs, the statewide “1st people who see an environmental need and Green” program, which in your community,” Keown aren’t as has already gotten football says. “One of our schools in and non-football fans alike to interested Fort Wayne held an eco-week step up. Through the online or involved … they had a weeklong chalSummer Keown (upper left); site 1standgreen.com, indiin the Kären Haley (below). lenge for each classroom to viduals and groups can sign environment. collect as many recyclables as up to track carbon and water they could, and we got to go usage, and therefore savings. award reusable water bottles to the class that won. And they — Summer Keown As Keown explains, “It’s were so excited. They had, I think, eight enormous trash bags a way to maybe engage of recyclables that they collected in just a week.” people who aren’t as interested or involved in the environment; but through their interest in football and the Building it green Super Bowl, encourage them to take the small actions Several infrastructure improvement and beautification that add up to making a big difference in air quality and projects with a green slant will also have a lasting impact on water conservation.” the city far beyond Super Bowl Sunday. The most promiFor instance, if you turn off the water while brushing nent are Super Bowl Legacy investment on the city’s Near you’re teeth, the site will calculate how many gallons of waEastside and the locally initiated Georgia Street Improveter you will save. If you carpool, you can track your mileage ment Project. The Georgia Street improvements coincide and learn how many pounds of carbon you’ve reduced. By with the increased downtown pedestrian traffic for the taking even these seemingly small actions, Keown says, you Super Bowl and is the site of the Super Bowl Village, where can see “that it really does add up.” visitors and residents will congregate during the days leadThere’s strength in numbers, too. “We can see the impact ing up to and during the big event. that everyone is making altogether through the master calculator on the site,” she says. Photos by Mark Lee

From the ground up

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The Georgia Street improvements include converting the four-lane street — comprising three blocks from Pennsylvania Street to Capitol Avenue — to a two-lane, curbless street with a pedestrian mall in the median. Aesthetic improvements include historical Warehouse District signs, lighting and irrigation improvements and alternative drainage systems. These efforts will result in safe pedestrian access to Conseco Fieldhouse and the Convention Center — making Indianapolis even more walkable for Super Bowl visitors and residents. Although the Super Bowl will take place in Lucas Oil Stadium, all the major downtown venues will be in use in some way or another — and having such a walkable city makes the event even greener. Kären Haley, co-chair of the Environmental Programs Committee (and former director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability), has worked to make sure that, in addition to the recycling bins in place at the stadium on game day, the Georgia street improvements will include recycling bins in perpetuity. Haley is even more vested in the city’s green improvements as the director of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. It has attracted national attention for its sustainable focus — including recycling bins and because it is also pedestrian and bicyclist friendly. “The city is going to see a huge influx of recycling bins,” Haley says. But these don’t come without challenges — particularly when they’re an unfamiliar feature on the landscape. “There’s a learning curve just like anything,” Haley adds. “At the beginning, you see a bit more contamination [of recycling bins with trash]; so you have to do some education and some outreach. So the bins that we have on city streets are mainly for beverage containers.” Also significant is the Near East Side Initiative — part of the Super Bowl’s Lasting Legacy grant program. Haley is particularly excited about the impact this effort has already had. Funds from the Super Bowl’s Near Eastside Legacy Project “are making buildings on the near east side more energy efficient,” Haley says. To this end, 800 homeowners have received energy audits on their homes, and 200 Near Eastside businesses have been extended the same offer. “There was a waiting list,” Haley adds. As a result of these audits, up to 1,500 energy efficient improvements will be made. “I don’t think that program would have happened without the Legacy Project,” Haley says. A trip just east of the city on 10th Street reveals how much some of these efforts have already accomplished. The John H. Boner Center has brightened up a formerly blighted area, and businesses have sprung up to make the most of the economic and environmental makeover — from rain gardens along East 10th Street, to a LEED-certified community center on the campus of the Arsenal Tech High School that will include a rooftop garden. Haley says four alleyways in the area have been retrofitted with permeable pavement to improve drainage. “Now that the city is monitoring and seeing how it works, it allows us to continue to do something new and creative in a sustainable way for the city of Indianapolis.” All because of a football game. — Continued on page 14

Indiana Living Green 4 JAN/FEB 2012

Photo by Mark Lee

Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis.

Feeding frenzy

The Super Bowl is an excuse to get together with friends and family and eat — a lot. But a good percentage of that food will be thrown away, added to the spoils of the game. Only on Thanksgiving do Americans traditionally eat more. The biofriendly.com website boasts that eight million pounds of guacamole and 14.5 tons of chips are estimated to be consumed on Super Bowl Sunday. The Environmental Programs committee has taken notice of this, too — and plans to donate unconsumed prepared foods from local hotels. The foods will be re-prepared into nutritious meals by Second Helpings, which will redistribute the food to local food pantries, soup kitchens and daycare centers. The NFL’s Groh estimates that food recovery efforts could result in up to 75,000 pounds of repurposed food, “if it’s recovered well.” The JW Marriott hotel is taking food waste prevention one step further. It’s the host site for a food scrap recycling program with GreenCycle, which will collect kitchen scraps from the Super Bowl’s media center and turn them into compost. While it may not be possible to eliminate all the waste generated on game day and the days leading up to and afterward as visitors drive or fly home, an environmental optimist might say that the long-term benefits of increased environmental awareness — accompanied by the actions necessary to back it up — may result in a net gain after all. What are the biggest obstacles? “As with anything, I think communication is probably the most important thing,” Groh says. “In general, people want to do the right thing and the smart thing. In general. The biggest challenge is we don’t always know what the right decision is. … But if people have the right information, they make smarter decisions. Our biggest challenge over the last 18 years has been, number one, to identify which decisions are better than others, from both a business perspective and an environmental perspective.” As local communities take ownership of some of these decisions, the long-term future is inevitably brighter. Besides, who could argue with more recycling, more trees? “Regardless of what you feel about climate change, the benefits of more trees are pretty much endless,” Groh says. “I love going back to Super Bowl cities years afterwards and seeing those little saplings that now people are sitting under them and picnicking under them, and kids might be swinging from the branches and stuff. And people remember that this was something that happened during the Super Bowl.” 4 14

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God+green Faith communities embrace Earth stewardship BY BETSY SHELDON

Ed Cohen found himself preaching to the choir — a fairly small one at that. The longtime Indy crusader for energy conservation sought to take his message to a larger audience. Along the way, he found religion. But not necessarily the kind his mother might have hoped for. Defining his religious affiliation as “born into a Jewish family,” Cohen began reaching out, not only to rabbis, but also priests, reverends, nuns, monks and imams in the late ’90s to share his conviction that Earth stewardship is a religious imperative. “I saw that care for this created world was part of every religious faith,” he reflects, “but it seemed to be largely ignored.” Cohen is one of the early activists in Indiana who recognized the power of a faith-based environmental movement. In a state in which 40.3 percent of the residents are affiliated with a faith congregation — a statistic that mirrors national figures — that could convert into a hefty support base. Over the last decade, the efforts to bring religion into the climate-change conversation have been fruitful, and the ranks of faith advocates have multiplied. Today, not only are proactive congregations growing in number, they’re teaming up with other faith communities and generating enough zeal that Indiana’s infant interfaith resource is finding itself quite busy. Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light (HIPL) introduced itself to the faith community in March 2011. As a state affiliate of the national Interfaith Power & Light, HIPL works to empower religious institutions to respond to climate change through a prism of faith. The well-attended kickoff, held at First Baptist Church in Indianapolis, drew about 200 attendees to hear denominational faith statements and participate in a colorful and ecumenical service. Clergy and lay leaders represented 19 faiths, including Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Unitarians. Indiana Living Green 4 JAN/FEB 2012

Interfaith weatherizing: Philip Anderson (left) is a contractor who volunteers for Earth Care. Meghan Pottenger is with First Christian Church of Bloomington.

In the beginning …

The HIPL creation story involves a host of organizations, congregations and individuals. The “begats” started more than 10 years ago. The movement might have technically kicked off in 2001. Indiana was one of 18 states that received a grant from the National Council of Churches’ Interfaith Climate Change Campaign. The Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis managed the program, which was well received by local clergy. But when the grant money ran out a couple of years later, the initiative dissolved. Cohen, who’d been active in that effort, then directed his energies into Interfaith Alliance of Indianapolis. By 2005, he’d proposed, launched, and accepted leadership of IA’s Care for Creation committee. While Cohen was spreading his gospel of green, Jodi Perras, inspired by an Indianapolis Spirit & Place event in 2005, brought green activism to Epworth United Methodist Church. “I took ideas from the program to my church and talked to staff and the pastor,” Perras says. In short order an active green team, which Perras chairs, was formed. “I felt an overwhelming amount of support from my own congregation.” Before long, the team had instituted changes as small as eliminating Styrofoam coffee cups to conducting a complete energy audit of all church-owned structures and making major improvements to cut energy use.

Finding Common Ground

Throughout the faith community in Indianapolis, similar congregational green teams were forming — and reaching — Continued on page 16 15

out to each other. By 2007, several, including Epworth, Unitarian Universal Church of Indianapolis, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Christ the King Catholic Church, and First Mennonite Church had united as the Green Congregations Task Force. Meanwhile, in Bloomington, representatives of eight faith communities established Earth Care. Madeline (Madi) Hirschland, HIPL board vice chair [see Hirschland’s essay on page 18], is one of the Earth Care founders. “All of our faiths talk about the concept of caring for creation,” says Hirschland, a member of Congregation Beth Shalom. “So faith seems an obvious place from which to respond to climate change. The issue can be politically charged. But when faith communities address it, they talk above it. They transcend politics.” Eventually, the groups from Indy and Bloomington — representing about 25 congregations — connected, and ultimately agreed that afﬁliating with a national interfaith organization would further strengthen their efforts. In 2009, HIPL became the 38th afﬁliate of Interfaith Power & Light.

The issue can be politically charged. But when faith communities address it, they talk above it. They transcend politics. — Madi Hirschland

Task of the month

While not its primary focus, HIPL advocates on issues connected to climate change and energy use. “We are absolutely focused on reducing our carbon footprint,” says Rev. Dr. Lyle McKee, HIPL board chair. McKee, the pastor of St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bloomington and a founding member of Earth Care, notes that HIPL is calling for a shift away from coal, with the target of reducing coal-fueled households by one-eighth percent in the next three years. McKee and other board members will tell you that HIPL is not a leader of, or a substitute for, local interfaith bodies. It is a facilitator and resource for creation care groups throughout the state. “We don’t want to be centralized,” Hirschland says. “We want to ignite interest, and give communities help when they reach out. We have the resources for virtual libraries — there’s even a set of sermons available. When people see that all the pieces have been put in place, it’s easier to commit.” HIPL offers workshops to assist in forming congregational green teams and interfaith groups, a ﬁlm library, a manual on managing energy-saving projects for building committees — a checklist that helps determine the cost, savings, and payback period for energy improvements, and a website with a do-it-yourself carbon calculator. HIPL’s Seventh Day Initiative challenges congregations to cut their energy use by one-seventh. Its solar leadership initiative provides support materials for groups that want to organize their own solar leadership forums. 16

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Religious leaders from various faiths gathered in the early days of HIPL to talk about ways to merge faith with environmental stewardship. Clockwise, from the top: The Venerable Dr. Zundui; Rev. Mary Ann Macklin; Rev. T. Wyatt Watkins; Rev. E. Anne Henning Byﬁield; K. P. Singh, member, Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis.

Photo by Mark Lee

Dominion — or domination?

The Task of the Month toolkit appears to be in hot demand — some 80 congregations now have the 12-month program that tackles one energy-reducing behavior per month. Dr. Stephanie Kimball developed the toolkit and is HIPL program manager. “The toolkit was designed to help members think about their own use of creation’s resources in terms of their faith’s call to stewardship, and to take action to cut waste,” Kimball says. Congregations like Task of the Month for a few reasons. It’s simple to achieve, and participants working on the same task can offer one another support. Kimball says there’s a collective sense of success — and awareness that “Each household’s efforts are magniﬁed by the fact that others are also taking each step. They have sense of hope and purpose, and they realize they are not in this struggle alone.” The availability of the Task of the Month toolkit and others seems to have encouraged interfaith group development in cities including West Lafayette, Richmond, Evansville, Terre Haute, and Muncie. “I was green with envy over the things they were doing,” says Jennifer Rice-Snow, a congregant at United Methodist Church in Muncie. “They showed the power of working together.” Muncie’s ﬁrst interfaith meeting attracted 17 people from eight faith communities, including Muslim and Baha’i, Lutheran, Unitarian, Jewish, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Catholic. “Everyone was really impressed when we read our faith statements. It almost felt like a worship moment, even though we come from different traditions.” Indiana Living Green 4 JAN/FEB 2012

McKee concedes there are devoted souls, congregations, and even a few denominations that don’t see the connection between God and Green. “Many people of faith may have interpreted religious scripture as unsupportive of environmental activity. They’re mistaking ‘dominion’ with ‘domination.’ We need to reach those who are misinformed,” McKee says. McKee, who has been “preaching and teaching” environmental stewardship for a long time, affirms that the science behind climate change is sound, but his approach is theological and not scientific. He directs parishioners to biblical passages that support creation care. “Everything created is holy. We take these passages very seriously,” McKee says. While her congregation has embraced creation care, Perras concedes that not all parishioners are on board. Some, she says, express their disagreement vocally, others just shake their heads. One member, she recounts, refused to pay assessments that would cover some energyconserving building renovations. She has also been accused of supporting “a bunch of environmentalists using religion to achieve their aims.” “I have been a person of faith for much longer than I’ve been a green advocate,” Perras says. “But in both, I felt the call to stewardship of creation, and am connected to the environment through faith perspective.” Perras has suggestions for how to approach green activism among resistant congregations. “Start with things that everyone can support — energy efficiency, recycling, a community garden,” she says. She recounts successful efforts including a second-hand fashion show, a community garden and dinner featuring local food, and a film series. The lineup included An Inconvenient Truth, Who Killed the Electric Car, and other films that increased environmental awareness and stimulated discussion. “Emphasizing things everyone could agree with helped us gain community support, and then we were in a better position to talk about climate change,” Perras says. By the time HIPL had established itself, Ed Cohen had moved from Indiana. But he still shares in the sense of accomplishment with the others. “The fact that such an entity exists is wonderful because it now gives every person of faith, every congregation, a place where they can learn, get energized, and turn back to their own community and begin the work that needs to be done,” he says.

For more information • • • •

Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light, hoosieripl.org Interfaith Power & Light, interfaithpowerandlight.org Green Congregations, ikeroundtablelive.org Earth Care, earthcareindiana.org 17

Climate Change, Hope and Action B Y M A D I H IR S C H LA N D , HOOSIER INTERFAITH POWER AND LIGH T How much we hope has a direct relation to how long it will take to see change ... Hope is believing in spite of the evidence and then watching the evidence change. — Rev. Jim Wallis, civil rights veteran, May 2011 address to 38 Interfaith Power and Light affiliates Despite the recent negative news on climate change, the work of Hoosier faith communities gives me great hope. I’d like to share a few of their stories with you and then consider how we can fan their flames. • Indianapolis Green Congregations recently convened members of congregations from across the city to learn how to support public transportation. In Indianapolis and Muncie, clergy met to discuss the impact of coalfired electricity on Hoosiers and our Earth. • From Evansville to Goshen, 81 congregations have purchased Task of the Month toolkits to engage their congregations in reducing their energy use. In the first, Congregation Beth Shalom, over a third of the members have reduced their energy usage by a seventh or more. In Bloomington, within four months of a faith-based forum on solar power, an eighth of the participants had installed solar panels on their roofs. • In Muncie, members from 10 congregations are engaging teams from congregations across the city to come together to support congregational energy initiatives. Indiana’s United Methodist Conference has challenged congregations across the state to reduce their energy usage by 10 percent. • In downtown Fort Wayne, Trinity English models energy efficiency with its lighting, solar panels, and geothermal system. In rural northern Indiana, Richland Chapel installed ceiling fans, insulation, and a wind turbine and, when the church is empty, the thermostat is set at 54 degrees.

So how can we help move from hope to change? A recent survey on American attitudes toward climate change provides some clues. A majority of the respondents said they believed or were open to believing that climate change exists, is human-caused, is a threat and is something that together we can do something about. Yet, only a small proportion of even the most alarmed were taking action. Whether they took action was based on two factors. First, those who acted also were talking about climate change. I can see this. Imagine a sunny picnic with friends. Some of us sit chatting, others throw Frisbees. A few halfnotice, independently, that it’s become gray and a breeze has picked up. Yet not until someone says, “Say, that looks like a storm!” do we act, quickly, in consort: I pack up, you alert the others, we all race for cover. If we’re not even talking about climate change, how could the threat be so huge and imminent as to require action? If we do acknowledge its gravity, how could we not act? So why aren’t we talking? Do we doubt we can change what’s in store? Which leads to the second factor — hope. Of the people who believed that we could act to avert catastrophe, it was those who believed that we would act, who acted themselves. This makes sense: If I know that, to be effective, we all must act then I will act only if I believe that we will act. In fact, people of faith across Indiana are acting — and boldly. So what to do? We must talk about climate change and what we’re doing about it — that we’re using less energy and going solar and that others we know are doing the same. Together, we will “curb the beast.” In so doing, we will be our neighbors’ keeper, tend this good Earth and care for the least among us. 4 Madi Hirschland is vice chair of the board of Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light, which helps Hoosiers of faith act to curb climate change. Over a third of the members of her congregation have cut their energy use by a lot — in her case, 75 percent. She’s talking about it. Learn more at hoosieripl.org.

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• • •

HOOSIER ENVIRONMENT

• • •

BY KIM FERRARO

Photo by Stephen Simonetto

HEC/LEAF merger expands arsenal On Dec. 2, 2011, the Legal Envir ronmental Aid Foundation (LEAF) formally merged with the Hoosier fo Environmental Council (HEC). The E merger confirms HEC’s long-standing m ccommitment to overcoming environmental injustice in Indiana. m In its 28-year history, HEC has cchampioned efforts to ensure that disadvantaged communities are not d overburdened by the impact of polluo tion. Indeed, for years, HEC was the ti voice for clean air and water at the local level through a broad volunteer base and network of regional councils throughout the state. In more recent years, HEC has focused on education and raising awareness of the connection between environmental damage and human health, while promoting sound environmental policy solutions before the legislature and administrative agencies to mitigate environmental harm. LEAF provided legal representation to community groups and environmental organizations to address critical environmental threats. In so doing, LEAF set national case precedent confirming Congressional intent that citizen suit provisions were enacted to ensure vigorous enforcement of environmental laws and making it much more likely that citizen suit claims will be heard and decided on their merits. In addition, LEAF achieved several legal victories that have helped communities impacted by industrial pollution, factory farm waste, reckless residential development, and coal ash contamination. Through the HEC/LEAF partnership, a new HEC emerges with an expanded arsenal of tools to tackle Indiana’s most critical environmental challenges — the ability to take judicious legal action, scientific and technical expertise, and significant experience in public and environmental policy. This strengthened capacity is good news for Hoosiers and signals HEC’s renewed commitment to righting the power imbalance that exists between industry and citizens that has, for too long, allowed polluting industries to degrade our air and water with impunity. Specifi cally, as HEC’s new Agriculture and Water Policy Director, I bring to HEC my legal experience with LEAF in representing Hoosiers before Indiana’s courts, zoning boards and administrative agencies — along with a passion for environmental justice in Indiana. Consequently, you can expect HEC to continue advocating for strong Indiana Living Green 4 JAN/FEB 2012

protection of our waterways at the Statehouse. Indeed, this legislative session, HEC’s water program will address the critical problem of excess phosphorus in our waterways by pushing for legislation to regulate the content, use and sale of phosphorus-containing lawn fertilizers. You can also expect HEC to take a different approach geared toward helping residents in impacted communities to become effective advocates for protection of their water resources and improved quality of life. For example, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are responsible for about 80 percent of all livestock raised in Indiana, which includes approximately 870,000 cows and calves, 3.6 million hogs and pigs, and more than 42 million birds (chickens, turkeys and ducks) per year. These animals produce vast amounts of manure, containing diseasecausing pathogens. Because livestock waste is not treated, and its management is largely unregulated, people who live next to CAFOs are subject to significant health risks from animal waste that enters their surface and ground water from poorly constructed or operated manure lagoons, excessive application of manure to fields and atmospheric deposition. Predictably, most of Indiana’s CAFOs are located in poor, rural communities where people have limited financial resources and little political influence to fight back. As a result, these communities effectively have no say in where or if these CAFOs should be built because they don’t know how to effectively participate in the zoning and permitting approval processes before local planning bodies and state agencies. To help rectify this environmental injustice, HEC is developing a citizen advocacy initiative to help people who live in communities targeted for new CAFOs to understand what their legal rights are under environmental, zoning, land use and open government laws, and how to effectively exercise those rights. When an informed citizenry actively participates in the decision-making process, local governing bodies are forced to take a meaningful look at the type of growth and land use they are considering. With public oversight, governing bodies will feel pressure to take the necessary time to review development and permitting proposals, consider the best interests of the impacted community, and avoid unnecessary environmental harm. The new HEC will be at the forefront of ensuring Indiana’s citizens are capable of providing this oversight. 4 Kim Ferraro heads up Legal Environmental Aid Foundation, now officially merged with HEC. 19

PANIQuiz ANIQuiz The ApocaDocs’ Pre-Apocalypse News & Info Quiz (PANIQuiz) tests your knowledge of current environmental news. Brought to you by the ApocaDocs, Michael Jensen and Jim Poyser. Check your results (at the bottom), then see www.apocadocs.com to ﬁnd out more. 1. What does renowned skeptic Richard Muller believe about global warming?

__ __ __ __ __

a. It’s what human beings deserve. b. It’s a political issue. c. He thinks it’s a hoax. d. He’s changed his mind and thinks it’s real. e. It’s going to be good for the 1 percent.

2. What are mosquitoes being genetically engineered to do?

__ __ __ __ __

a. Be free of all disease! b. Convince other mosquitoes not to bite. c. Not make that annoying sound. d. Kill their offspring. e. Kill their parents.

3. What did sandblasting new blue jeans to make them appear “distressed” result in?

__ a. __ b. __ c. __ d. __ e.

Dead textile workers Chic chicks Higher prices An inﬂux of pregnancies Create rashes on consumers

4. What do researchers now link to children’s lack of outdoor play?

__ a. Short-sightedness __ b. Lower IQ scores __ c. Bully behavior __ d. Overall bratiness __ e. The ﬂourishing of the outdoors 5. What does a new study ﬁnd about the extraction of biofuels from forests?

__ a. Greenhouse gas emissions will be about the same. __ b. It will increase greenhouse gas emissions. __ c. The squirrels will not survive. __ d. It will decrease greenhouse gas emissions. __ e. Biofuels are the devil’s plaything.

6. What does a new investigation say about Americans and unsafe air?

__ a. The government has succeeded in protecting the people. __ b. Americans THRIVE on unsafe air. __ c. Americans would die outright if they breathed pure air. __ d. The air is safe, it’s Americans who are a danger. __ e. The government has failed to protect the people. 7. According to new research, why are trafﬁc jams so bad for your health?

__ a. Because people listen to too much Radio Disney. __ b. Because people listen to too much Rush Limbaugh. __ c. You arrive late at your destination. __ d. VOCs emitted from dashboards and steering wheels. __ e. Vehicle exhaust damages brain cells. 8. According to the IEA, how long before the door is “closed forever” on keeping global warming at safe levels?

__ a. __ b. __ c. __ d. __ e.

Five years Twenty-ﬁve years Twenty years Ten years That time is already history.

9. What innovation have scientists ﬁgured out to boost the power of lithium-ion batteries?

__ __ __ __ __

a. Kicking the battery. b. Whispering sweet nothings to the battery. c. Smearing the battery with jam. d. Cursing at the battery. e. Poking holes in the battery.

10. According to the Max Planck Institute, at what point does a person’s contributions to global warming decline?

__ a. After marriage. __ b. During death. __ c. After retirement. __ d. During the fetus months. __ e. During the teen years. Correct Answers: 1. (d): He’s changed his mind and thinks it’s real. (Associated Press) 2. (d): Kill their offspring. (New York Times) 3. (a): Dead textile workers (New York Times) 4. (a): Short-sightedness (BBC) 5. (b): It will increase greenhouse gas emissions. (Oregon State University) 6. (e): The government has failed to protect the people. (Center for Public Integrity) 7. (e): Vehicle exhaust damages brain cells. (Wall Street Journal) 8. (a): Five years (London Guardian) 9. (e): Poking holes in the battery. (BBC) 10. (c): After retirement. (Live Science)

THE

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Comin

g Soon

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GREEN

Marketplace Featuring • Eco-friendly Services • Local Farms and Organic Products • Natural Heath & Wellness Services • And Much More

Turn to The Green Marketplace in the March issue of Indiana Living Green to ﬁnd local businesses to ﬁt your green needs!

To advertise in The Green Marketplace contact Bob Barnes at (317) 808-4611 www.IndianaLivingGreen.com

• • •

T H E LL A A SS T T RRO OW W

• • •

B Y M A R I A S M I E TA N A

Keeping the farm fleet afloat If my Steadfast Spouse hadn’t gone to college, and then to graduate school, he likely would have been an auto mechanic. This is fortuitous, it turns out, because after Spouse and I traded our real jobs for the bucolic life of suburban vegetable farmers and bread bakers a few years ago, we gave up a lot of things, aside from the obvious regular paycheck. New vehicles, for instance, and even slightly used vehicles, for that matter. This meant one of us had to know how to repair the conveyances we could afford, and it wasn’t going to be me. Despite the many childhood Saturdays I spent hanging out with my dad under the hoods of the boat-like sedans that served as family transportation in the ’70s, nothing stuck from those lessons except good memories of dad-and-daughter bonding. I’d be hard-pressed to tell a distributor cap from a spark plug these days. That left Spouse as lone chief mechanic for a hard-working but needy farm fleet that consists of a 21-year-old Ford Ranger that just crested the 180,000-mile mark, and a temperamental 12-year-old Volvo station wagon with 150,000 miles that we bought on eBay from a shady guy in New Jersey who disappeared from the map the second our check cleared. I suppose we should count the rototiller in the fleet, too. It’s not exactly transportation, but like the vehicles, it runs on a smelly gasoline engine, and is as temperamental as the Volvo. While other folks keep Reader’s Digest and Newsweek in their bathroom reading racks, ours holds well-thumbed versions of the Haynes Service and Repair Manual; one for vintage Volvos and the other for Rangers and related Fords spanning the era between Ronald Reagan and Beanie Babies. With these tomes of mechanical wisdom and a couple of chests jammed full of Sears Craftsmen tools, Spouse can do major surgery at the drop of a bolt. Of course, the only other thing needed is parts. If it’s the Ford that’s ill or injured, Spouse generally comes home with bags and boxes from Advance Auto. I am therefore familiar with brick-and-mortar auto parts stores and their offerings, though I can’t say I’ve visited many 22

in person. But I hadn’t considered the huge catalog-order industry that also supplies auto innards to the home mechanic. That all changed when boxes from IPD in Oregon started appearing on our porch via the UPS man, who no doubt cursed the long trips his brown truck had to endure down our rutted country lane. The Volvo, it appeared, had organs and bones that could not be procured locally. But he works so well when he works that if buying out-of-state parts was all it took to make him whole again, I was happy to pay the shipping costs. Despite Spouse’s accumulating technical talents, not all repair jobs that started in the home garage ended there, especially where the Volvo was concerned. Sometimes, a trip to the emergency room was required. Such was the case with the brake pad replacement of last season, a job that, on its face, should be been an easy couple of hours of work. The ﬁ rst caliper bolt came off easily enough. The second one wouldn’t budge, despite hours of cursing and grunting and one trip to the hardware store for a new pair of vice grips. Feeling wimpy and defeated, Spouse packed up all the parts and drove to the Place of Last Resort, a swanky Volvo dealership on the other end of town. A bit of his dignity was refunded when even the high-end equipment in their service department could not loosen the bolt. Like a rotten tooth, all that could be done was to drill it out. As a consolation prize for Spouse’s efforts, the shop took his box of parts and ﬁnished the brake job for him. After that experience, he stuck to oil changes for a while. Now, a drive shaft needs replacing again, and he assures me he’s up for the challenge. He’s done it once before, after all. I trust that all will go well. But if you see me riding to farmer’s markets on the rototiller, please don’t ask me what went wrong. 4 Maria Smietana is a refugee from the corporate world who now writes and grows organic produce on her mini-farm in Boone County. ONLINE AT:

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Indiana Living Green 4 JAN/FEB 2012