Conserve Plastic Bags

Return to My Roots

2010-05-06T20:17:00.005-05:00

It's been too long since I've visited my blog. Many changes, both good and bad, have transpired since I last wrote about the Carnival of the Green. I look back at this blog knowing that my core beliefs have been firmly represented here. This is who I am, a person concerned with important issues that go beyond the self.

And yet, I am looking at myself in wonderment. I no longer question who I am, but look with curiosity at who I may become.

I am changing, and hopefully for the better. I am willing to let go of decisions I thought were once good, but have unfortunately soured. What to do, but to get back to my roots and my core.

Thank you everyone who have participated in this journey with me. Thank you for the ride and for the good stories. The adventure must go on, even though the characters and plots may change.

As is with nature and its steady fluctuations, we move on. Hopefully to bigger and brighter things, but never guaranteed. I hold fast to these memories forever grateful. Take care of yourself and of those who love you, plants and animals.

Carnival of the Green #186! Yay!

2009-06-28T19:25:00.016-05:00

Treehugger's Carnival of the Green is a great way to read all the latest blogs on environmentalism. And it's fun to host a carnival, too. This is my second time hosting, but I don't want to monopolize all the fun - if you've never done it before, check out Treehugger to get more information on posting and hosting a carnival.

Last week, The Daily (Maybe) did a fabulous job organizing the carnival. And next week, Plant a Tree USA will have the pleasure of hosting another carnival. So round and round we go! Now without further delay, please enjoy this week's selection of green posts and tweets!

Summer Reading
Now is the time of year to relax and enjoy a good book. And if you're looking for some inspiration and a few good laughs, check out Living the Scientific Life's balanced review of Sleeping Naked in Green: How an Eco-Cynic Unplugged Her Fridge, Sold Her Car, and Found Love in 366 Days. (For all you bloggers out there, this book was adapted by blog called Green as a Thistle!)

Summer Cooking
Why not take advantage of a full sun when it comes to cooking your favorite pasta? That's exactly what Y-2K Hippie did with their homemade solar oven. Check out the pictures and see the two thumbs up from their toughest critics (the kids!).

Of course, if you're caught in the rain, then maybe using your kitchen appliances would be the best option. In this blog, Frugally Green discusses the merits of getting the most out of our appliances.

Summer Cleaning
Isn't the sun a glorious source of energy and inspiration? Why not take advantage of the sun when it comes to meeting your cleaning needs? Condo Blues discusses several bleach alternatives that don't require chemical bleach. And yes, the sun is one way to bleach our clothes. Read on to find out other alternatives. If you own a horse, you should definitely take note of this blog post!

Perhaps an obvious reason why people choose to make homemade goods is because it saves money. But is that the only reason why we ought to create our own household cleaners? Five Cent Nickel reveals the seven benefits of relying on homemade cleaners. Can you guess what they are? Check your answers on Five Cent Nickel's blog!

Summer Eating
Here’s another pop quiz for you: Can you list seven reasons why we should eat organic foods? In case you’re stumped by this question, refresh your memory by reading The Conscious Shopper's blog.

Interested in learning how to create your own square foot garden? Bargaineering teaches us how to create this type of garden, which is great if you don't have a lot of land for this purpose. What a brilliant and efficient way to grow your own food with only a square foot!

Which reminds me: My Zero Waste has a fun summer project to reuse plastic bottles for making slug collars. This is a creative way to reuse plastic and deter slugs from ruining your garden!

But what to do with all your leftover veggies from the garden? Before placing your tasty leftovers in plastic containers, check out Fake Plastic Fish’s post on storing organic foods in plastic packaging.

Green Gadgets
It’s no surprise that Google wants to help us to reduce our carbon footprint. Read Little Green Blog’s to learn how Google is taking initiative to provide households a computerized way to measure our electricity usage in 'real time'. This sounds like a great idea!

Here’s another gadget that may be useful in the car from Energy Savings Gadgets– it's called a PLX Kiwi, which provides a computerized account of your driving habits, both good and bad, in an effort to help you increase fuel efficiency.

And here is an innovative gadget for those of you curious to know how you can recycle old papers into your personalized toilet paper. It’s called the “White Goat,” and you really should go to Japan Technology Information’s blog to read how you can reuse old papers for your toiletry needs.

The Green Standard
Speaking from personal experience, I know how frustrating it can be to constantly receive junk mail. Check out Money Blue Book’s blog to find out how to get rid of your junk mail. I know I will be reading this site for some tips as I have not been successful with other services that claim to eliminate junk mail. I hope this does the trick!

By now, many of us are avid recyclers. When this behavior becomes automatic, it’s sometimes easy to forget why we have adopted a new habit. Sure, we have the general idea of recycling being a good thing, but why is this a helpful practice? Test your memory by reading Guffly’s post on the benefits of recycling. It’s great to refresh our memory (I know, I’m a cognitive psychologist known to have a faulty memory!)

Politics
And here’s a political question to ponder: Should the Federal Reserve be regulated? The Truth provides a critical synopsis of Ron Paul’s views on regulating the Federal Reserve. What are your thoughts on this subject?

Science
Part of the reason why I’m a happy environmentalist is because I respect the existence of other species on this planet. And I love science because it’s a great way to learn how other plants and animals thrive on our planet. We are truly not alone. And I was surprised to learn that human beings are not the only species capable of cheating on their partners! I hope you get a chance to read Veggie Revolution’s blog about the antbird and how these creatures seduce their lovers by singing duets. It’s remarkable! And in case this post leaves you wanting more, check out Veggie Revolution’s other post that links you to a recent NPR interview with Sadie Kneidel.

By the way, have you ever heard of the ice plant? This plant is nature’s way of desalinating saline salts. Check it out by reading Japan Technology Information’s blog. Very cool!

Final Tweets

Hosting this week’s carnival has been lots of fun. But before I go, here are the top five green tweets from Twitter:

1. @Musubi Good luck in your meetings tomorrow. Keep us posted on the green meetings. I look forward to your tweets. Best always!! - submitted by vcolon

2. @tommcfly green is indeed the best colour and your tweets are never pointless =D - submitted by Lazza1307

3. @greenmom I am adding you to the longer best green tweets list it will be a couple a days until I expand the article from 22 to 100. - submitted by iportion

4. @sleepydad Thanks for the retweet! Diggin' your #iranelection tweets and green avatar pix. Crazy times, hoping for the best outcome. - submitted by tomatoejane

5. Best eco-advocates & I'm one of 'em! : -) Green Tweets: 75+ Environmentalists to Follow on Twitter http://bit.ly/FEfTK - submitted by michaelqtodd

Ciao, everyone. I hope you enjoyed this week’s Carnival of the Green!

Update - This just in from Green Gigs - What is the brown side of green and how does this relate to green jobs? Find out how restoring the environment is done through the lens of a green collar worker.

Tough Stuff Recycling Fest - RESULTS!

2009-04-28T07:55:00.003-05:00

This year's IUSB Tough Stuff Recycling Fest was a huge success! I was physically sore (for two days!) from hoisting and wrapping hundreds of TVs and other electronics into pallets on Saturday. Thankfully, about 30 students, faculty, and staff worked together to make this event happen, so I was definitely not alone in this endeavor.

Without further adieu, here are the results:

Shoe Collection
We collected many, many shoes that will be donated to one of three organizations:
a) Seven 30-gallon bags of shoes to GoodWill (over 200 pounds)
b) Three 30-gallon bags to Nike Grind (soles will be ground up and used to make athletic courts)
c) One 30-gallon bag will be donated to Shoes-4-Africa (gently used athletic shoes are given to people who would not otherwise have shoes in Kenya, Africa)

Styrofoam and Packing Material
Approximately 900 gallons of packing peanuts and packing material were donated to UPS stores, and 900 gallons of styrofoam were sent to Michigan City for recycling.

Plastic Bags
900 gallons of plastic bags were given to WalMart for recycling.

Egg Cartons
Over 800 egg cartons were collected. These cartons are being given to local egg farmers.

Electronic Waste
We conservatively estimate that 100,000 pounds of electronics were diverted from the landfill. 25 of the pallets were nothing but Computers (we estimate 400+). Free Geek Michiana (see below) will test each of the computers, those that are viable will be rebuilt and donated back into the community to help overcome the digital divide and raise the IT capacity of the community as a whole. Electronic equipment contains toxic metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, that can leach into groundwater and contaminate soils. Recovering these toxic metals and other reuseable material from the electronics helps reduce the amount of raw material that needs to be mined and reduces contamination of water, soil, and air from landfills.

Four semi-trucks (donated by Apple Computers) will be collecting this equipment (104 pallets). All of the equipment will be recycled in the United States in an environmentally responsible manner. This collection would not have been possible without the generosity of Apple Computers and the IT technology departments on the Indiana University campuses!

Financial & Community Support
Community members generously donated more than $900 to help cover costs of this event and future sustainability events. During the first two hours, cars were backed up down Mishawaka Avenue, and there was a 20-30 minute wait to drop off. It was great to see individuals who had organized collections within their neighborhoods, and brought materials in pick-up trucks.

Tough Stuff Recycling Fest Poster

2009-04-08T10:01:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the fabulous marketing department at IU South Bend, we were able to get a really cool poster to help promote the upcoming recycling festival.

Here is a link to the poster: http://mypage.iusb.edu/~mverges/fest

Feel free to share this poster with your friends!

Tough Stuff Recycling Fest!

2009-04-01T14:05:00.004-05:00

Please mark your calendar for this event - the Recycling Committee at IU South Bend has organized its annual recycling festival the week of April 19 - 25.

From Monday, April 19th, to Saturday, April 25th, people can drop off the items listed below at IU South Bend campus locations: Administration Building (Grille cafeteria), Student Activities Center, Northside Hall, and Wiekamp Hall:

• STYROFOAM - Expanded polystyrene #6 (we can only accept white, small beaded, Styrofoam that has a recycling symbol that says #6 PS; e.g., Styrofoam coolers, Styrofoam used to pack electronics)

• PACKING PEANUTS AND BUBBLE WRAP

• EGG CARTONS (any type)

• PLASTIC BAGS (any type, including grocery bags, dry cleaning, bread bags, newspaper, etc)

• SHOES - shoes need to be rubber banded together in pairs

On Saturday, April 25th, from 10am - 2pm behind the Administration Building, in addition to all of the items listed above, we will also be collecting:

• COMPUTERS - $15 charge for each monitor

• Giving away TV COUPONS (one coupon per household) from the St. Joseph Solid Waste Management District. These coupons will allow you to take your used TV to Solid Waste for proper recycling free of charge (TVs will not be collected at IUSB, but must be dropped of at Hazardous Waste Facility on 5th Street in Mishawaka).

What will be done with the materials collected?
Styrofoam will be taken to the TEGRANT Corporation in Michigan City, where it will be remolded into new Styrofoam containers. Packing peanuts and bubble wrap will be taken to UPS stores. Egg cartons will be given to local chicken farmers and churches. Plastic bags will be recycled at Wal-Mart and area grocery stores. Shoes will be sent to the Shoes-4-Africa program, local Goodwill, and really worn shoes will be sent to Nike Grind (to be ground and used to make surfaces for athletic courts). Computers will be refurbished by Free Geek and redistributed to lower income households in Michiana.

This event is being sponsored by the Environmental Justice Club, Recycling Committee, and Center for a Sustainable Future.

I hope to see many friendly faces at this year's event!

An Era of Consequences

2009-01-30T13:44:00.002-05:00

I have the pleasure of introducing James O'Shea as a guest writer on my blog. James comes to us from the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Cancer Center, where he serves as a content developer to provide current and accurate information regarding issues pertaining to the treatment and prevention of these cancers. If you have any questions for James regarding his post, feel free to leave a comment or email him at joshea@maacenter.org.

As we enter a new administration and era of Barack Obama’s governance, it is time we recognize and correct the problems with our current energy and environmental policies. What I wish to focus on however, is a little-known effect of our energy attitudes of the past, which had much less regard for not only the environmental impact, but also the human impact being wagered. What needs to be brought to light are the harmful health effects being caused by fossil fuel burning and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) release. What will be clear then is not only are we threatening the future of our planet and sustainability of resources, but the human health condition has suffered because of our environmental policies.

The burning of fossil fuel and related emissions has long been suspected to threaten respiratory health. It should be no surprise then that asthma rates are markedly higher in known high-pollution areas such as Los Angeles and surrounding area. Skin cancer rates in places like South Africa and Australia are similarly high due to depleted ozone in the atmosphere, an effect of CFC release.

There is another level of consequences. Industries which harm our environment, such as oil refineries and coal plants, are among the most hazardous working conditions. Asbestos and benzene are used extensively in these industries in older piping and fixtures. In recent years there has been a rise of the asbestos cancer known as mesothelioma in oil refinery workers, largely due to occupational exposures to asbestos.

Despite campaign promises to lower carbon dioxide emissions, the prior administration ignored global warming initiatives. When President George W. Bush ordered military operations in Iraq it became clear that securing access to oil had become a national security concern. This act solidified the Bush presidency’s legacy with regards to foreign fuel and the same old attitudes towards fossil fuel production. Rather than invest some of the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the war in Iraq into the development of alternative energy solutions, we simply decided to fight a war for a rapidly dwindling resource. President Obama’s continued support of ending the war in Iraq and much more comprehensive investment in alternative fuels would seem to suggest a shift in our paradigm.

These are clear cause and effect examples of how our environmental attitudes and policies are harming us and our health. The next phase of our energy and environmental policies/ legislation needs to account for these facts. Renewable energy sources will eliminate a dependence on dirty (and unsafe) industries like oil and petroleum processing. We must push for these because soon we need to realize that we’re not only threatening the planet of our children and posterity, but also the health of her inhabitants today.

James O’Shea
Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center

Still Dealing with Virtual Cobwebs

2009-01-26T12:27:00.002-05:00

I thought I could just get back on the ole' blogging saddle, but that's not been the case thus far. But the inspiration is starting to kick in, thanks to some nudges I'm getting in the mail (i.e., Better Bag) and on the blog.

I had hoped to post my documentary online (it's really short, only about 10 min), but I don't know how to convert the files to be compatible with youtube. Maybe one of my students can help me.

In the meantime, however, I just received this really cute short from Mark Dixon, who's affiliated with the YERT project. Take a look at this film - I hope you enjoy it!

Back from sabbatical

2008-12-14T13:46:00.006-05:00

I feel like I've taken a sabbatical from this blog. Having jaw surgery this summer really took me away from my daily routine. And honestly, I've felt like I haven't had much to say recently. Of course, once I recovered from surgery, I was back to the grind: riding my bike, recycling, composting food scraps and pet waste. But there wasn't really anything new in my life to report, so I kept quiet and listened to others discuss their personal triumphs (congratulations, Beth!) and woes.

But I finally have good news to share with you. My paper about BagFest was accepted into the Journal for Civic Commitment. I'm working on the final revisions right now, but as soon as it's published, I'll post the paper for anyone to read.

And the BagFest documentary is officially complete!!! Thanks to Kate Reynolds, a documentarian out in Seattle, who graciously edited the film out of the goodness of her heart. I still need to figure out how to make copies of the documentary, but as soon I do that, I'll have it available to anyone who wants a copy of it (free of course, excluding any potential shipping costs).

So that's it for now. Boy do I feel rusty getting back to this blog. Let's see if I can shake off these virtual cobwebs and get back to the blogging routine!

An Innovative Way to Reuse Plastic Bags?

2008-08-11T08:29:00.004-05:00

Luann
My friend Len sent me this comic. Humorous, isn't it? On a serious note, this comic reminds me of the time my friend and mathematics guru Amanda Serenevy once calculated how many plastic bags could be used as fuel. Based on her calculations, she estimated that it would take 14 plastic bags to power a vehicle for 1 mile. Not bad, right? Another estimate projects that each year, the US allocates 12 million barrels of oil for making plastic bags. Many of my students have expressed surprise when they've recalled that plastic bags are made of oil. Sometimes it's good to be reminded of these things, even if it's from reading a comic.

UK's Not My Bag

2008-08-02T08:59:00.001-05:00

I chuckled to myself when I read about Chis Jeavans' mission to refuse consuming any plastic for one month. I instantly thought that she's the British version of Beth's Fake Plastic Fish. Although Beth hasn't outright banned the use of plastic, her consumption is so darn minimal that it seems nearly non-existent. Plus, Beth has been doing her best to give up plastic for over a year. I think Chris has some catching up to do, but it will be interesting to track her progress on the BBC.

Watch Chris discuss the mound of plastic she is trying to forgo this month: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7535500.stm.

Who Gains From Your Pain?

2008-07-31T09:13:00.001-05:00

This past year has been met with several changes in the marketplace, which affect the price of gas, food, energy, travel, and so on. It's gotten to the point where people have taken "staycations" this year, a new term to describe forgoing a proper vacation to stay at home and do local activities.

I personally think many of these changes are positive, like frequenting farmers' markets and driving less, but many people aren't happy about the increased cost of just about everything. (Why everything? Well, because it seems like everything is somehow connected to oil.)

But not everyone's complaining. On the contrary, there's much to be gained from your pain: money. This morning, Exxon Mobile posted their second quarter earnings. They made $11.68 billion this quarter - that's the most amount of profit ever reported in US history. Impressive, right? Well, this $$$ figure was lower than investors expected (I know, get the kleenex out and shed a tear!). But who knows? Maybe this year they'll beat last year's annual profit of $40 billion. That's something to look forward to.

Reading this news makes me grateful for riding my bike. I haven't bought any gas since May, which has saved me some much needed cash. And perhaps this goes without saying, but biking doesn't pollute and it's good for the body. You just have to be careful. And that goes for drivers, too!!!

Biking In Memoriam

2008-07-30T14:36:00.002-05:00

Yesterday about 300 bicyclists got together in Granger to bike in memoriam of Patrick Sawyer. My friend Matt Mooney helped organize this event. He also picked me up so we could carpool together. Along the way, he gave me more details about Patrick and his family. They were good friends, that much is true. He wasn't sure how his wife was doing and we both asked many questions about their children. How is she going to raise four kids on her own? I don't think they came from wealthy families. The good news is that many people in our community have pitched in to help the Sawyer family. Matt also said they hope to make this an annual event so that Pat's kids will have the things they need as they continue to grow and live their lives.

It was a stunning to see so many people bike in Pat's honor. I'm glad I was able to pay my respects in this way.

RIP: Patrick Sawyer

2008-07-24T10:44:00.003-05:00

I received terrible news yesterday - Patrick Sawyer, an IUSB student, was struck by a car on Monday while riding his bike on Cleveland Avenue. Sadly, he ultimately did not survive the accident.

A few of my friends have organized a charity ride in honor of Patrick and to help his family. Patrick leaves behind a wife and four young children. It will take place next Tuesday, beginning at North Point School in Granger. Folks will be arriving around 5:30pm and the race will kick-off at 6pm. People are welcome to ride multiple distances and all are welcome. Yours truly will be there.

If you can't ride, but would like to make a donation, you can drop it off at the local bike shops (Outpost Sports, Spin Zone, and Pro Form). Key Bank is also hosting a trust fund for the family (it's called Benefit of Patrick Sawyer).

Rest in peace, Patrick. I know you are missed.

Thank you, Al Gore!

2008-07-18T17:16:00.007-05:00

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing." Those words have stuck with me for several months now. It boggled my mind why the need for solar energy wasn't receiving greater, positive attention - instead, it seemed like most folks talked in circles about our dependence on oil and the limitations regarding renewable energies. For me, such negative talk about solar and wind energy produced "green fatigue." I was getting weary of hearing the same tired arguments. I think I've grown tired of hearing many people talk - I want to see action.

So perhaps it's ironic that I felt encouraged by Al Gore's speech yesterday.* It is, after all, more words to listen to. But this time I heard optimism and conviction resonate in his voice. To invoke Emerson, I believe that Al Gore sees the sun.

Gore said, "Scientists have confirmed that enough solar energy falls on the surface of the earth every 40 minutes to meet 100 percent of the entire world's energy needs for a full year. Tapping just a small portion of this solar energy could provide all of the electricity America uses. And enough wind power blows through the Midwest corridor every day to also meet 100 percent of US electricity demand. Geothermal energy, similarly, is capable of providing enormous supplies of electricity for America."

Gore clearly sees that our current status quo must end by embracing renewable energy within 10 years. I really do think we're at a tipping point and that sweeping, innovative changes will be made in the near future. So thank you, Al Gore, for speaking on behalf of so many individuals who are craving genuine leadership in this front. I for one sincerely appreciate his efforts.

______________________
*Above is an annotated version of Gore's speech. To watch the speech in its entirety, click here.

The Story of Stuff

2008-07-15T17:07:00.007-05:00

Apparently, over 3 million people have already seen Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff on the internet. I just got the memo, but it's certainly not to0 late to watch this 20-minute film. Dr. Leonard does a brilliant job outlining the relationship among the processes of extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. She integrates social justice issues and our perceptions regarding how much value we place onto other people (basically, the more stuff you have, the more valuable you are perceived).

Ok, I don't want to give too much of the film away, so I hope you get a chance to watch this. And afterwards, go check out her blog. Dr. Leonard has additional resources and information about the work she's done for over 20 years. Amazing!

Wall-E

2008-07-14T11:57:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, my friend Deb and I went to the movies and saw Wall-E. I hadn't heard much about this movie - I checked online at rottentomatoes.com to see its ratings and it scored a 97%. So I figured it must be good!

This was a clever film about a robot whose job is to clean the all the junk and debris left behind by us humans. The humans have long since abandoned the planet, living far in the galaxy on a luxurious spacecraft. For the most part, Wall-E the robot lives a humdrum existence cleaning up trash. But he finds himself in a romantic and life-preserving adventure, which is fun, entertaining, and thought-provoking. If you feel in the mood to go to the movies, I encourage you to watch this film!

Deb also surprised me by giving me a Preserve toothbrush. It's the same toothbrush made by Recycline, the company that uses recycled yogurt cups. So cool! They really thought of everything, right down to the packaging, which I can use as a reusable travel case. The toothbrush was also made in the USA, which is refreshing (what? It's not made in China?!?). And instead of throwing the toothbrush away when it's old, Recycline has a postage-paid mailer that I can use for recycling. Three cheers for Recycline's commitment to be environmentally friendly. Now I can feel good when I brush my teeth three times a day!

Why We Don't Use Plastic Bags

2008-07-10T17:05:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it's good to be reminded why we don't use plastic bags. At least that was my thought when I received an email from my friend David today. He sent everyone a pdf regarding the environmental hazards of using plastic bags. I think this document provides a brief, yet thorough overview of this issue. If you have a couple of minutes, I encourage you to take a look at it.

He also wrote about his and his wife's change to using reusable bags:

Annette and I have recently finally gotten in the habit of bringing our own bags to the grocery store. It took a while to get in this habit; not only did we need to i) acquire a sufficient number of cloth and sturdy re-usable bags, we needed to ii) keep them in the car, and of course then iii) remember to bring them into the store. However, now that we're fully into the routine, we remember our bags all the time and perhaps we are now in the category of people that use 12 less bags/week = 48 bags/month = 576 bags/year.

That's so awesome! I must also thank Dave and Annette for giving me their composting bin a year ago. Thanks to them, I no longer throw my food waste into the garbage. This has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the frequency and amount of trash that I generate at home. No more stinky trash! And I would say that I use 2 trash bags a month to handle my waste. That's down about 50%. Sweet!

Stonyfield Yogurt - Bid with your lid 2008

2008-07-09T17:50:00.001-05:00

Stonyfield Yogurt - Bid with your lid 2008

Check this out - Stonyfield Farm donates 10% of their profits to three non-profit organizations: Physicians for Social Responsibility, Ocean Conservancy, and The Worldwatch Institute. All they're asking us to do is vote for our favorite organization. Doing so will allocate a percentage of $40,000 to those non-profits. You can only vote once, so feel free spread the word to your friends!

And while you're at their site, also check out their Recycline Toothbrushes. I really like their vision: From Yogurt Cups to Razors and Toothbrushes. I appreciate their efforts at trying to close the recycling loop. It reminds me of some of the principles I read about in Cradle to Cradle (a great summer reading book if you have the time!).

The Mayor Needs Us - RSVP Deadline Tomorrow!!

2008-07-07T21:28:00.001-05:00

Have you heard the news? The Mayor of South Bend wants us to participate at the next public forum on July 12th. This is our chance to participate in the democratic process of renovating LaSalle Square. But we have to RSVP by tomorrow, so there's no time to procrastinate. I'll be making my reservation by calling the city's Division of Community Development at 235-9660.

Here is more information about the event, which I've copied from the city website:

What's the best way to build community consensus on the future of LaSalle Square? Residents are being invited July 12 to play a game based on Monopoly to consider how to allocate public resources at the former retail shopping center in need of revitalization.

The LaSalle Square Steering Committee, a partnership of residents, businesses and the City of South Bend, is overseeing the process to create an action plan for the site. They seek to leverage public resources in order to expand private investment at LaSalle Square, located on the city's northwest side at Bendix Drive and Ardmore Trail.

But the first step, based on the advice of planners and architects from Chicago hired to assist in the process, is to get public input about what residents believe will work best at LaSalle Square. Reservations are required for the July 12 event. See details below.

"City officials, developers and planning professionals don't have a monopoly on good ideas. That was confirmed when more than 3,000 people participated in public meetings to shape the development of City Plan, the 20-year comprehensive plan for South Bend's future," said Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. "This is not just a game, but an attitude: A belief that interactive planning represents the best way to shape good public policy and foster strong private development for LaSalle Square's future."

Neighborhood Transopoly, a planning version of the classic Monopoly board game, is designed for groups of five to eight people. With support from facilitators, they will make decisions about how to spend money allocated in the game for traveling to and within LaSalle Square. Players will work on table maps of the area and consider how to improve streets, lighting and landscaping. Developed by the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology, which has used the exercise in other communities, Neighborhood Transopoly feeds the consensus from each group into overall planning.
"We tailor the game to the unique needs and interests of each community we work with," said David Chandler, the Center for Neighborhood Technology's senior business analyst.

"Basic questions of LaSalle Square's connectivity to the existing community and the potential for some form of Transit-Oriented Development can be facilitated in a short period of time with Transopoly," according to the planning proposal.

After a short break, the second portion of the meeting will feature a charrette design process managed by zpd+a, the Chicago-based architecture firm that is serving as the primary LaSalle Square consultant. The charrette, an intense period of visual and interactive design activity, will build on the Transopoly process to determine the best land uses – residential, commercial, office or retail – as well as possible look of the buildings.

Participants in the planning process will benefit from a market analysis as well as feedback from interviews with area stakeholders, including businesses, nonprofit organizations, churches, neighborhood-based groups and residents. The market analysis will assess the history, current conditions and likely future commercial and housing markets of the site. It will include studies of a one-mile pedestrian radius; the Lincolnway, Bendix and Ardmore corridors, the South Shore passenger railroad corridor; South Bend Regional Airport; the Amtrak Station; and sub-markets within a five-mile radius.

The gathering is the first of two public planning sessions, to which all are invited.

The first, featuring Neighborhood Transopoly, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at Faith Apostolic Church, 921 N. Bendix Drive, in LaSalle Square. Light refreshments will be served. Reservations are required.
A second session, tentatively scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, will feature a report developed based on the input from July 12. Proposed solutions for LaSalle Square will include sketches, illustrations, photos and policy recommendations.

"The only requirements for participating in the meeting are a desire to see South Bend and the West Side thrive and to register by Tuesday, July 8, so that materials can be prepared for your participation," said Jeff Vitton, the community development planner managing the project. Call the city's Division of Community Development at 235.9660 to RSVP or for more information.

zpd+a will gather all information into a draft action plan for presentation to the city's Redevelopment Commission for approval. Final action is anticipated in September.

Last summer, the Redevelopment Commission added LaSalle Square, the Marycrest/Hurwich area and the former Sample-Ewing Development Area to the Airport Economic Development Area. Mayor Luecke has pledged to make LaSalle Square a priority for investment, committing $2 million to support those planning efforts and serve as seed money for substantial private investment.

Both projects are funded by tax increment financing (TIF) revenue from the west-side Airport Economic Development Area, the city's largest.

In a TIF district, the increase in tax revenue generated by new development stays within the boundaries of the district to fund infrastructure improvements, including curbs, sidewalks, streets, landscaping and other public improvements. These resources are available for economic development but not for general city services.

Last week, the Redevelopment Commission approved a development agreement between the City of South Bend, Memorial Hospital and Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center to renovate a vacant medical office building across from LaSalle Square to create a west-side family practice facility.

In early 2009, Memorial Hospital and Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center will launch Bendix Family Physicians, a fully staffed physicians' office at 1010 N. Bendix Drive, under the auspices of the non-profit Community Health Partners of South Bend. The hospitals and private foundations will support Community Health Partners.

Renovation of the medical office building will take place in 2008. The facility is expected to open in 2009.

Community Health Partners will invest nearly $1.2 million to furnish and equip the facility as a full-service medical practice and a venue for community health information and programming, and underwrite ongoing operational costs.

Contact:

Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
Jeff Vitton, Community Development Planner, 235-5827 or 289-1066, Ext. 206

Eco Fest Speech

2008-06-24T22:20:00.002-05:00

Below is a transcript of a speech I gave at Eco Fest last weekend. I'm sorry for not providing more substance on this post. I've been preoccupied with having jaw surgery. At any rate, I hope you enjoy the speech and take the message to heart.

Ideas for Rethinking What We Do: Building the 3 R's

Harking back to Sesame Street, I'd like to propose to you that today's Eco Fest was brought to you by the letter R and the #8.

We're probably all familiar with the 3 R's: reduce, reuse, and recycle, so I'm not going to spend time talking about them. Instead, I'd like for you to consider 5 more R's as you walk around the booths and talk to other people who are dedicated to protecting the environment.

The first R is Refuse. Some things are easy to refuse, like plastic bags. Think about how long you use a plastic bag for - maybe 2 to 5 minutes to carry your groceries from your car into your house? Or less than a minute to carry your Subway sandwich to a table? But those bags can last hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. So if you don't need it, refuse it. The same is true for junk mail and unwanted catalogs. There are easy ways to refuse those items and avoid the waste altogether.

But some challenges are more demanding - we need to refuse to be complacent. Though tempting, we must refuse to believe that someone else will solve our problems for us. We are that someone else! Yes, it is a tough challenge at times. But seeing you here today gives me confidence that we're all refusing to ignore these current environmental issues. And that's awesome.

The second R is Reply. We need to reply to elected officials, community organizers, friends and family. Your experience is just as valid as anybody else's. So are you replying to the call of action? Just this week, I attended the Community Forum for Economic Development. It was an eye-opening experience because I realized how many things I take for granted in our city. There are many people who work hard to make South Bend a great place for us to live.

But you know what else? I heard residents voice their concerns at the meeting. There were folks who wanted to know what action was taking place on Portage Ave regarding sewage issues; folks who wanted to better understand why power lines are being placed on Western Ave. These people replied to a message and took the opportunity to have their voices heard when it mattered most.

There's another call for public action on July 12th - I hope you reply to this message by going to the public forum to help guide the future of LaSalle Square.

And please reply to the Sustainability Network so that you can be linked to other groups and people in the Michiana area who are actively working on sustainability and conservation initiatives. Introduce yourself to Jessica at the Taproot Circle booth to join the Sustainability Network today.

The third R is Reeducate. Coming to Eco Fest today gives us a chance to reeducate ourselves about the food choices and lifestyle decisions we make on a daily basis. If you ever wanted to gain a better understanding about fair trade coffee, then stop by the Chicory Cafe booth for that free lesson. And if you want to learn more about portion sizes and the importance of reducing our meat consumption, then you'll want to visit Judith at the Earth Friendly Eating booth. Take advantage of this free reeducation!

The fourth R is to Remember the Big Picture. When you come to festivals like this one, it's easy to get bombarded with information about the do's and don'ts, the pros and cons, of just about any environmental issue. How will you protect yourself from "green fatigue"? Part of the defense is to remember the big picture, why we're doing this to begin with. For others, it's about caring for plants and animals and the ecosystem we're dependent on as part of our survival. And other people integrate global equality as part of their mission to protect the environment. There's probably a host of other reasons why people get involved in environmental action. Whatever the reason, take a moment to remember your big picture, and how you're trying to make this world a better place for yourself, your loved ones, other people, plants, and animals.

This leads me to the fifth and final R and that's to be Responsible. By refusing to give up, by replying to the environmental call to take action now, by reeducating yourself and remembering the big picture, you are taking responsibility. Now, this responsibility should not just happen on an individual basis, although it does start with you making a decision to act. We also need communities, businesses, schools, local, national, and international governments to take responsibility, too. Today is a testament to taking that responsibility seriously and doing so across the board.

So as you mingle around the booths and make new friends and contacts, I hope you will see for yourself that today's Eco Fest was indeed brought to you by the letter R and the #8. Thank you.

Join the Fun at Eco Fest Tomorrow!

2008-06-20T12:04:00.004-05:00

I am so stoked about tomorrow's Eco Fest! There's a huge line-up of exhibits, activities, speakers, and live music. Folks can also bring their plastic bags and used computers for recycling (please bring $15 to recycle your old computers!).

I'm also happy to report that my speech is ready! I finished it yesterday so that I wouldn't have to worry about it today. Sean arrived from Philadelphia this morning, so I'd rather spend the day with him than fretting over an incomplete speech. I'm speaking at 12pm, so if you're in the neighborhood, please stop by and enjoy the festivities! I have a feeling this is going to be a big event, much bigger than the festivals we've hosted at IUSB, and I'm excited to see the community embracing the environmental movement.

I've posted the line-up of events for Eco Fest so that you can see the entire roster of events by clicking on the huge Eco Fest logo. Hope to see you there!! :0)

Wong Commercial in Peru

2008-06-19T20:20:00.006-05:00

I was talking with my friend Hugo on Skype tonight and he was telling me about a commercial that's promoting biodegradable bags. This store, called Wong, is very popular in Peru - Hugo says it's like a 'regular' grocery store that most of us go to (e.g., Martins, Kroger's). It's not like going to say, Whole Foods, although seeing this commercial, you would probably think that it would come from a place like Whole Foods.

Before watching this video, take note this is their only ad campaign that's currently running on TV. Notice how there's no mention of any products...

Hugo says that Wong's ad campaign reflects their trust with public concern about the environment. And from a marketing perspective, this ad gives them an edge over other stores. And if you don't understand Spanish, here's a translation of what's said at the end of the commercial: "We can all contribute to save the planet. You can begin by coming to Wong."

Alright, enough gabbing about the video - I hope you enjoy watching the ad!

Building a Connected Network

2008-06-19T13:55:00.003-05:00

It's a blessing to have easy access to online groups and actions. But it can be a dizzying experience to keep up with the buzz! So I want to plug two groups that are rallying people to join their network and take part in environmental action:

First, there's my friend Beth in Oakland (ok, she does a very fine job getting the word out, so she doesn't need me to do a plug for her, but I want to!!). She has launched the Take Back the Filter Brita Campaign, which is worth checking out, especially if you happen own one of those filters.

And for my friends in South Bend, I hope you will consider joining the Sustainability Network. My friend Jessica is organizing this effort to link groups and individuals in the Michiana area that are actively working on sustainability and conservation initiatives.

If there's other groups or networks you know of, please let me know. It's important for us to built a strong, interconnected network so that we can make a difference at local, national, and international levels.

South Bend's Efforts to Protect the Environment

2008-06-18T10:13:00.002-05:00

Last night I attended the Community Forum for Economic Development. I heard Gary Gilot, SB's Director of Public Works, discuss how his department addresses global warming by dealing with transportation, infrastructure, urban design, and environmental management. I also heard Christine Fiordalis, Chair of the Michiana Group of the Sierra Club, discuss the Cool Cities Initiative, which our mayor signed on Earth Day.

It was a 2-hour meeting, so there was alot of information to process. To provide a few highlights, I heard plans for creating 50-miles of bike paths to form a network of bike trails in five years; using LED traffic lights to save energy cost in the next decade; discussion of using more hybrids and fewer trucks; planting more native plants and flowers to reduce mowing; grid heating to take heat off computers to use as heat sinks (this is already being done at the Conservatory Greenhouse - this technology may also be used for heating the pool at Potowatomi Park, the Wastewater Anaerobic Digester, and Memorial Hospital).

There were a couple of things that didn't quite sit right with me, though. At the beginning of the presentation, Gary showed a picture of the St. Joseph River running through the city. He pointed out the many trees along the river, and how the trees and surrounding ground cover play an important role to reduce soil erosion. And then he said that they were involved in taking down some trees to provide people with a better view of the river. Huh? Did I hear that right? Yes I did.

The other discordant point he made had to do with the Eddy Commons that's currently under construction. For those of you who don't know, Eddy Commons is an area close to the Notre Dame campus. It's 25-acres of forest land that's going to be cleared to build a shopping center, hotels, and condominiums. Gary touted the construction of Eddy Commons as a method to decrease urban sprawl and increase walkable urban communities. But what he didn't mention was the decimation of all the animals that once lived in the forest. Where do they go? Why do we have to clear this land when there's a perfectly good downtown center that desperately needs revitalization? What are the implications for replacing the woods with a shopping center?

All in all, it was useful for me to attend this meeting. I learned how critically important it is to know what's happening in the community, who's in charge of making these decisions, and how I can voice my concerns to hopefully make a positive impact. It's so important to be engaged and not disengaged with local issues.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Focus, Focus, Focus

2008-06-17T12:23:00.005-05:00

This morning I stopped by Chicory Cafe for a treat and to see my friend Heather who owns the place. We were having a pleasant conversation over coffee and a bagel. And then she asked me about my speech for this Saturday. *Gulp* I only have a few notes written thus far. But it will get done because it has to and hopefully, it'll be alright.

The truth of the matter is that I've been preoccupied. I'm having major oral surgery next week. I've not really talked about it on this blog because how do I integrate jaw surgery with environmentalism??? So this morning I created another blog to post my thoughts about this dental experience. I'm hoping it will provide me with an appropriate venue to write about another project that's consuming my time and energy.

But in the meantime, I've got to get focused on writing my speech for Eco Fest!!

Sustainable Living Expo

2008-06-16T09:49:00.004-05:00

I'm just now getting my act together by posting a couple of pictures taken at this weekend's Sustainable Living Expo.

I really didn't know what to expect at this event, which was hosted by 88.1 WVPE Public Radio, Notre Dame, and IU South Bend. And sometimes I think it's a blessing not to create any expectations, but to have an open mind and see what happens. Ok, I'll admit it - I've been experiencing some 'green fatigue' lately. It's just that I wonder if hosting and going to these festivals makes a positive difference in people's lives - I also wonder if it's just the same people going to these events. My larger concern is how to reach out to a broader group of citizens - who's being overlooked? What are the barriers that prevent more people from adopting a sustainable lifestyle?

With that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the turnout. According to Anthony Hunt, Station Manager of WVPE, there were 1,000 people that attended the Expo. Wow! Of course, this picture doesn't do any justice because I took it pretty early on, but you can see that it was a pretty day on Saturday, which helped bring the masses to the festival.

And it was great talking to people who wanted to know more about how IU South Bend is adopting the principles of sustainability on campus. I spoke with a high-school teacher from California who was interested in BagFest. He really liked the picture of the bag pile. I told him that we filmed a documentary, which hopefully will be finished soon so that I can send him a copy. That way, he'll have a better idea on how the project began and what we did to raise awareness on the consumption of plastic bags. It also got me thinking how cool (i.e., educational, fun, and very important!) it would be to work with high-school students to engage in environmental action. That's a long-term goal I have - finally, maybe I can put my Master's in developmental psychology to use! :0)

In the meantime, however, I've been reaffirmed on the importance of sharing what's happening at IU South Bend. I'm very proud and humbled to join my colleagues in our quest to integrate sustainability with education.

So onward to this Saturday's Eco Fest in downtown South Bend!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Flock, The Social Web Browser!

2008-06-15T17:53:00.001-05:00

As I was reading the news in Treehugger, I saw a little badge on the sidebar for Flock, which is a browser especially designed for eco-minded individuals. So of course, I had to download and see what the fuss is all about - I already love it! Flock imported all my bookmarks, and it caters to bloggers, media junkies, news hounds, shutterbugs, and social animals. It's really cool - I'm so glad I made the switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox and now to Flock!

Flock, The Social Web Browser!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Forces of Nature Affect Implicit Connections with Nature

2008-06-14T09:33:00.007-05:00

Well, that's the title of our latest paper, which Sean and I submitted to the Journal of Environmental Psychology yesterday. We did a 10-month long project investigating the extent to which people associate themselves to the natural or built environment across seasonal and meteorological changes.

There's plenty of research in the environmental literature that suggests people have a "primitive belief" about nature that's dispositional (meaning, it's like an inherited trait we all have in our DNA). If that's the case, then it suggests we're always connected with nature, so much so that we prefer nature over built environments. It also suggests that our connections with nature aren't influenced by contextual factors (e.g., sitting in a courtyard or laboratory), although there's evidence that with repeated exposure (e.g., going to a zoo), our connectedness with nature strengthens.

So that led us to ask this question - What happens if you consider forces of nature with respect to people's connections with nature? If the dispositional view is correct, we should always be connected with nature no matter what changes occur in the physical environment. But if context matters, then people's connectedness with nature may change as the seasons, temperatures, and precipitation levels change.

Well, what do you think we found? Perhaps the title gives us away, but I'm curious to know your thoughts on the subject (without evoking too much hindsight bias!).

Bike Thieves in South Bend

2008-06-12T23:27:00.000-05:00

Grr...I'm so annoyed. Some jerk stole my bike helmet tonight, along with my friend's rear light and sack. And they also tried to steal this other guy's wheel from his bike. The nerve! Prior to this discovery, my friend Jackie and I attended a jazz concert near my house. It was a fun, certainly a nice diversion from writing academic papers. But really! Why are there people out there willing to take what clearly does not belong to them?? (This is rhetorical questions, folks!)

It just peeves me. So now, I'm going to have to *drive* to the local bike shop to purchase a new helmet. While I'm there, I'll pick up some other items that I'm sure these thieves would want to add to their collection.

Now when I'm riding my bike, I'll be keeping an eye for someone who's sporting a pink helmet!

The Dark Side of Gardening

2008-06-08T09:45:00.016-05:00

Gardening is a popular pastime for many people. For some, gardening is a way to observe beauty and feel relaxation; for others, gardening is a way to showcase their green thumbs. Whatever the reason, gardening is certainly one approach to fostering a direct experience with nature.

But does gardening pose a negative impact on the environment? I read a shocking article in the NY Times a few days ago. Dubbed the "Garden Vigilantes," the reporter interviewed gardeners who kill pests in order to save their vegetables and flowers.

There's Jessica in Connecticut, who shoots garter snakes with a shotgun; Joanna in Brooklyn, who drowns squirrels with her bare hands; Susanne in Alaska who clubs porcupines; and Mr. Anonymous in Pennsylvania who shoots woodchucks. They kill pests because they're annoying. Those animals ruin their gardens or decimate their tranquil experiences with gardening.

Are these people somehow deranged? Probably not, despite their extreme and violent actions toward those animals. (Having said that, I'm appalled and disgusted to know these folks are killing helpless critters.) Although many people garden to appreciate nature, they don't generally think of their yards and gardens as part of the natural environment. This may be why gardeners are likely to plant invasive non-native species, use too much water, and apply pesticides to ward off bugs.

I naively thought gardening was a positive way of feeling connected to nature. But now I'm not so sure. It does make me wonder how people in general view themselves in relation to the natural world. What is valued most when people garden? And how do their values reconcile with preserving (or harming) the environment?

Rallying Behind Crunchy Chicken

2008-06-07T09:08:00.006-05:00

I first heard about Crunchy Chicken by reading the comments on No Impact Man's blog. I was pleasantly surprised when I went to her blog - she was hosting a poll (the exact question eludes me now). But instantly, I knew I could relate to this woman - for crying out loud, we both love statistics and asking people questions! It's a pretty dynamic site, in case you haven't visited. Crunchy hosts online book discussions and challenges that really gets people excited to do act in an environmentally responsible manner. For goodness sake, I've frozen my buns over the winter with her Freeze Your Buns Challenge. And I recall having several interesting conversations when I participated in the Diva Cup Challenge.

Crunchy's been going through some tough times, which I won't get into that here. She nearly retired from the blogosphere last week. But lucky for us, she just can't stop blogging! In fact, a group of bloggers created a Tribute to Crunchy blog, which partly honors her for being so darn cool. In addition, this tribute is also raising money for one of her causes called Good4Girls - it's a charity that provides sanitary products to school-age girls in Africa.

I'm no Rockefeller, but I donated $50 to this charity. It's a drop in the bucket, but I hope Crunchy will accept this as a token of my appreciation for what she does best: Finger lickin' good and always crunchy. But, mostly just clucking around!

Toxic: Garbage Island - Part 1

2008-06-06T09:55:00.006-05:00

I've read a lot of factual information about the amount of plastic in the Pacific Ocean. But seeing the story unfold on video is quite a different experience.

There's a 12-part series of these videos that you can watch online: http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1485308505

I plan on watching these videos after I complete my writing tasks for the day.

Tagged by Fake Plastic Fish's Meme!

2008-06-04T08:00:00.010-05:00

Well, as Radiohead's Thom Yorke once said, "You did it to yourself and that's why it really hurts." Only this time it doesn't hurt so bad. I'm particularly excited about writing this post because I'm second in line to a new meme started by Fake Plastic Fish. These questions are all about blogging, whether it's writing posts on blogs or reading other people's blogs.

Now usually memes have a bunch of rules you're supposed to follow, but I'm going to keep it simple by just answering FPF's questions. And then whomever I tag will hopefully keep this meme alive in the blogosphere.

1) Do you feel pressured to write a minimum number of posts per week?

Sometimes, although this perceived pressure is self-imposed. I actually feel greater pressure to conduct research and write articles for publication, so blogging is usually a nice diversion from my regular work routine.

I do wish I could write more thoughtful posts, but the fact of the matter is that I've got other duties that demand more of my time and energy. I'm currently writing five research articles for publication. Yikes!

2) If so, where does the pressure come from? If not, why the heck not? What's your secret?

I don't have any hidden insights regarding my self-imposed pressure to blog. I do think the key is balance, and a dash of perspective thrown in for good measure. Fake Plastic Fish knows that I have blog-envy. (If only I could make my blog as cool as hers! If only I could write more thought-provoking articles like she does!) But I think if I spent more time on my blog, it would be at the expense of my research agenda, and I'm not willing to make that sacrifice. I guess that's my perspective on this issue. At any rate, it's how I deal with my blog envy.

3) How do you manage your computer time in general? Is it easy for you to get on, do what you have to do, and get off? Or do you get sucked in for hours and lose track of time?

My computer is constantly on, especially my email. My students have told me that I'm super-quick in replying to their emails. I view it like tennis - you volley to me, and I quickly want to volley back. Anything to get it off my desk, so to speak.

4) Do you have significant others who resent the time you spend online? How do you negotiate computer time vs. personal real-life time?

My partner also blogs, so I don't think he feels any resentment towards me blogging. Actually, if he's going to resent anything, it's the fact that I live in South Bend (he lives in Philadelphia).

5) Do you ever find yourself walking down the street in the real world and realize that your head is still totally stuck in the Blogosphere?

Not usually, although there have been times I've seen or heard something in the real world and said to myself, "Now that's blogworthy!"

6) Has your body suffered in any way from spending too much time sitting and staring at a computer screen rather than exercising? Has your diet suffered?

Not really, although sometimes I need to stretch my legs and buns from sitting at my desk all day. It does help that I regularly bike to work and walk my pups at least twice daily.

7) Have you resorted to alcohol or other chemicals to wind down and take your mind off cyberland? If so, is that a problem for you?

No. I drink alcohol to take my mind off of academia. It's not a problem. All academics do it.*

8) How do you manage your e-mail? Seriously. I need to know. Because remember when I wrote about having over 500 messages in my inbox? I still have over 500 messages in my inbox!

Easy: If there's an especially annoying or frivolous email, I'll delete it. Out of sight out of mind! Ok, so I've only done this twice my whole life (and boy, did it feel good!). My general practice is to keep my email replies short and sweet.

9) Does blogging ever make you feel lonely? It is, after all, a solitary act while you're composing your posts. I suppose it's no different from being any other kind of writer in that regard.

No, on the contrary, I feel more connected. I have a few friends that read my blog regularly. And I've also made some friends, too (like FPF, Merry Meghan). Maybe the underlying question to ask is who's a 'friend' given today's techno-savvy world.

10) What kind of support can we, as bloggers and blog readers, give to each other besides nice comments on the blogs? Is there a way that we can work together and give each other a break? Sure, we could create a Forum to vent our frustrations and give each other feedback. But would that just add another task to our online "to do" lists?

No new ideas here, but perhaps a reflection - I find carnivals (Carnival of the Green) and other blog challenges (Crunchy Chicken's Freeze Your Buns Challenge) to be incredibly supportive and fun. I think this also dovetails with me not feeling lonely while writing my posts - writing keeps me connected with you guys. I love it!

11) Bonus question: How do you read blogs? Do you subscribe in a reader and if so, how many blogs are you subscribed to? How many feeds do you read each day? Do you feel pressured to keep up with your blog reading in addition to your blog writing?

I use Google Reader to keep up with ~25 blogs. Again, there's no pressure on my part. Reading other people's blogs reaffirms my belief that together, we are taking big and small steps to making this world a better place for everyone (ourselves, kids, plants, and animals).

Ok, the questions have been answered, so I'm tagging Merry Meghan and Bring Your Own to help keep FPF's meme going!

Whoa! Thanks for posing these great questions, Fake Plastic Fish!!
_______________
* For those of you really wondering if I was being serious or facetious, I assure you - it's only a joke! ;0)

My Prediction for Tomorrow's Weather

2008-06-03T18:22:00.003-05:00

I didn't ride my bike today because the weather forecast predicted an 80% chance of thunderstorms and showers. Ok, I'll admit - I'm a chicken when it comes to biking in stormy weather. I was debating this issue this morning, though. Should I ride or not? I wanted to ride so that I could add more miles to Team IUSB for the Michiana Bike to Work Week challenge. But I didn't want to get stuck in a storm. So I drove to work today.

What a mistake.

It rained for about 10 minutes. And that was it. I looked outside my office window in frustration. I was expecting something way more severe, just like the weatherman promised. But no, that didn't happen. As I drove home from work today, I saw several people biking. I should be on my bike, not in my car, I thought to myself.

So here's my prediction for tomorrow: It will rain like cats and dogs. And I will be in the middle of it, on my bike. Forget the weatherman's report. I'm biking tomorrow. Now watch me get struck by lightning.

Pooch Pick-Ups a Let Down

2008-06-01T12:01:00.010-05:00

It's been almost a year since I started composting Jack and Willy's waste. It's really easy - all I did was dig a hole in the backyard and occasionally put dirt to cover it up. I've gone through 5 compost pockets by now, and the good news is that my pets' waste have really composted into the soil.

I'm glad that I've diverted their waste from entering landfills. But there is a glitch in the system and it all has to do with these biodegradable bags. These pooch pick-up bags are made from cornstarch, and according to the label, these bags biodegrade much faster than ordinary poo bags. When I first heard about this product, I was excited because I thought that meant I could also toss these bags into the compost pocket. But 10-months later, those bags have not biodegraded one bit! My first hunch was that I was doing something wrong, but when I checked the packaging for some instructions, I found none.

I guess my compost pocket doesn't get hot enough to biodegrade these doggie bags. Consequently, my compost pocket now looks like this:

Here's a close-up of what I now consider to be a big, bag mess in my backyard:

Because the bags simply aren't biodegrading fast enough, I've been throwing them away in the garbage. I still toss Jack and Willy's waste into the compost pocket, though. But I'm not happy with these bags. What should I do?

I don't compost my pets' waste into my regular composting bin because I don't want bacteria to contaminate that humus. Because pets lack a pathogenic system, bacteria are released in their stool. And because my composting bin doesn't reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit, it's not hot enough to kill those bacteria.

This is the only hang-up I've had since I started composting last year. Otherwise, composting has been a cinch. And these guys don't mind being eco-friendly pups!

Jack & Willy

Green Wikia!

2008-05-30T21:20:00.006-05:00

I recently discovered Green Wikia, which is an online resource that covers topics on climate change and environmental sustainability. Just like the original Wikipedia, Green Wikia offers a central repository for anyone who has internet access. Granted, this wikia is fairly new (i.e., there's 182 articles published to date), so that means this is a great opportunity to help make a difference by editing and writing articles. What I'd like to do is edit their recycling page by discussing the need for a sustainable design that increases the recycling rate while decreasing the amount of contaminants that enter the recycling stream. (Yep, you guessed it - I want to share the findings from the recycle-bin project!) I'm struggling with uploading pictures onto their website, though. So hopefully I can figure this out and start working on that article for Green Wikia.

Join Team IUSB for Bike to Work Week!

2008-05-29T15:55:00.002-05:00

If you haven't heard the news, next week is Bike to Work Week. This year's organizers are encouraging employee groups to "compete" as part of team. My colleague, Bruce Spitzer, has created an IUSB team, which I joined yesterday. There are other teams, too. The basic idea is to simply log the miles you ride during the week. So if you have a bike, and would like to join a team, go to Michiana Bike to Work to register.

Back from APS!

2008-05-26T14:10:00.008-05:00

It's been a whirlwind of activity and fun these last few weeks. Sean and I took our students with us to Chicago last week to present our research at the 20th Annual Convention for the Association of Psychological Science (whew, that's a mouthful! For sake of brevity, I'll refer to this conference as APS). I have to say, we had a great time at APS! We met other researchers who are doing similar research on environmental concerns and attitudes, and we were able to share ideas and make connections with those folks, which is fantastic. There were hundreds of poster presentations and invited addresses, too. I've learned the hard way that you have to be selective in choosing which talk or poster to go to because otherwise, you'll wear yourself out!

Here's a picture of us standing in front of our poster on people's implicit connections with nature. You may notice that my hair is wet in this photograph - that's because our poster presentation was scheduled for 8am on Thursday. Yikes!! :0) Standing next to me is Matt Robinson, an undergraduate at Rutgers University. This summer, I have the pleasure of being his faculty mentor for a grant he received from APS. And standing next to Sean is Becky Lomas, another undergraduate at Rutgers University. Becky and Matt are two incredibly motivated students. It was so awesome sharing this experience with them and seeing them shine as they presented their posters at the conference.

Here's a photo of us after we presented our poster (you'll notice my hair is no longer soggy wet!). Sitting on my right is Nick Vecchione, yet another one of Sean's students. (At the moment, I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture with my student, Nate Ring, who also attended APS. Sorry, Nate!!)

We were able to mix-in some fun with work. Here we are queuing to enter the Green Mill, which is a famous jazz club in Chicago.

I like this picture of Becky. Matt's standing behind her holding two chocolate-covered truffles from the APS banquet.

And here's one last group photo of us. It's hard to believe how fast this year has been. It was at last year's APS conference when I met Sean, and now fast-forward to the present time, here we are with our students presenting our research. It's amazing how much can change within the course of the year. I wonder what we'll be presenting at next year's conference. Hopefully, when we go to APS in San Francisco, Nate and some more of my students will want to present their research, too!

Hot Off the Press!

2008-05-16T16:12:00.004-05:00

Experimentaholic and I have been getting our posters ready for next week's APS conference in Chicago. And we've finally gotten our posters hot off the press! I've added them onto the sidebar for you preview. I also added our paper that was accepted into the Environment and Behavior journal onto the sidebar. Feel free to check-out these environment projects!

Downtown SB's EcoFest

2008-05-15T12:38:00.002-05:00

Well, the "green" theme may be contagious: Downtown South Bend is hosting an EcoFest next month! I'm excited and curious about this community event, which will be held on June 21st from 10am - 3pm. I've been invited to host a booth at EcoFest, which I'm happy to do. In the meantime, however, please mark your calendars. I hope to see you there! :0)

Royte Reviews Children's Books on Environmentalism

2008-05-13T08:00:00.006-05:00

Our friend, Elizabeth Royte, wrote an article in the NY Times about children's books that address environmental issues. (I know Fake Plastic Fish has been recently talking about this.) In short, Royte mildly critiques one book for conveying "anthropogenic doom" and praises another book for leaving the reader feeling "not only hopeful, but enthused." Royte's article reinforces Marc's thesis that instilling a positive mood helps motivate people to embrace pro-environmental (and political!) attitudes.

As many of you know, Elizabeth Royte was our featured speaker at last year's BagFest. It was so incredibly awesome to have her come to IU South Bend for that event. Here's a picture of us taken after a dinner I hosted to honor her and my students for embarking on that plastic-bag journey with me:

This photo sure brings back good memories! :0)

Recycling-Lid Project Accepted for Publication

2008-05-12T11:59:00.011-05:00

I have some good news to share with you today: The recycling-lid project that Experimentaholic and I have been working on was accepted into Environment and Behavior. Hooray! I'm putting the finishing touches on the paper, but as soon as it's finalized, I'll post a copy of the paper on the blog.

What is Nature?

2008-05-10T09:15:00.006-05:00

I've spent the last three months collecting data on how people conceive of nature. (I'll be writing a paper on this topic soon, so details on this project are forthcoming.) One finding I've discovered is that when people think about nature, they tend to conjure up nice, pretty, cute creatures (e.g., birds) and lovely plants (e.g., roses). They don't tend to think about the scary, violent, and dangerous side of nature, like this video portrays. Wow, this is suspenseful!

A Happy Mood to Preserve the Environment

2008-05-08T10:38:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, my student Marc and I analyzed data from an experiment he recently conducted. Marc's interested in whether a happy or sad mood can influence people's political leanings regarding social, economic, and environmental issues.

To be sure, the data are speculative at this point. (He needs to collect more data next fall semester.) But, we were both surprised by his preliminary findings. Based on Marc's experiment, we found that a happy mood affects people's political leanings that support pro-environmental concerns. The influence of a happy or sad mood, however, does not appear to affect people's political leanings toward social or economic issues.

We're both surprised by this tentative finding. It was actually quite uncanny: We were both reminded of BagFest and how it rallied folks to action in our community. So if this result turns out to be reliable, it suggests to me (and perhaps to other environmentalists) that messages used to induce a glum mood about current environment conditions should be squelched to foster positive messages, actions, and events that motivate people to preserve the environment.

The Dangers and Irony of Biking

2008-05-06T15:26:00.009-05:00

I almost got hit by a SUV today. I was biking on Colfax, just crossing over the bridge, when a big, black SUV out of nowhere crossed my path to enter a parking lot. The collision was so close that the driver had to step on the gas to avoid hitting me. Otherwise, I reckon she would have t-boned me into oblivion.

I couldn't believe what happened. And before I could change my mind, I biked into the parking lot to speak to her. I don't think she realized I was waiting for her.

When she exited the vehicle, I told her, "you almost hit me." She looked surprised. "Well, excuse me, but I didn't see you," she said with a haughty tone. "You put my life in jeopardy," I replied. Instead of apologizing, she turned the tables on me and said that I would have hit her. "Actually, I was doing just fine; I was obeying the laws when I was riding." I think she was now getting angry at me. "Look, I'm ok, you're ok. If you want to call the police (but it sounded like po-lice) for a near accident, then go ahead." I told her that wasn't my intention at all. "I have work to do," was her final retort. And with that, she proceeded to walk away. I had the last word, though. "At least drive more carefully!," I exclaimed.

Truth be told, I hate biking on the street, but I do it to conserve fuel, pollute less, and exercise more while commuting to work. I guess the irony here is that I nearly got struck by a gas-guzzling, big-time polluting SUV. And she's not going to apologize for that.

Chicago Green Festival: May 17-18

2008-05-04T10:16:00.006-05:00

I'm excited to hear about the Chicago Green Festival, which will be held later this month. I will definitely attend this event and will most likely share my experience with you on the blog. :0)

I heard about this festival at GreenScene USA - it's a great online resource that provides current 'green' information in several major cities including Chicago. If you have a free moment, I hope you'll check-out this site!

State of the Air Report: We're Barely Passing

2008-05-03T10:42:00.005-05:00

Spring semester is nearly over, I keep reminding myself as I've been frantically grading final exams and papers. So the issue of doling and receiving grades has been on many people's minds, which is why I was displeased to hear this report on NPR two days ago.

The American Lung Association released their State of the Air report. In terms of particle pollution, we are passing with a D. In terms of high ozone days, we are passing with a C. People with cardiovascular difficulties, asthma, and diabetes are particularly vulnerable to air pollution in St. Joseph county.

These grades suggest there's plenty of room for improvement. (Of course, this comes from someone who as a life-long student, was obsessed with getting straight-A's, so I'm particularly disappointed with this outcome.)

When I first moved to South Bend, I was puzzled by a weird "bar" smell I occassionally whiffed. My neighbor told me it was from an ethanol plant. To this day, I still don't know where this plant is exactly located, but if the wind blows in just the right direction, I can smell it. Besides biking, what are some ways we can reduce air pollution to improve this dismal report card?

Trash Trooping is Contagious!

2008-05-01T11:50:00.006-05:00

This morning, the pups and I ran into one of our neighbors and her two dogs. (It's the same neighbor who saw me picking-up trash last week and asked me if I was doing my civic duty.) Turns out, trash trooping is contagious. She said that after watching me pick-up trash, she and her partner did the same thing, only at other parts of the neighborhood that I had missed. Very cool!

We talked about doing this again. I had been thinking about doing another trash-trooping exercise, although I don't want to make this a daily habit. My neighbor suggested doing this once a week. I've been inclined to doing this once every two weeks, but we'll see now that she's planted that thought into my head! :0)

Mentally Dealing with Carbon Footprints

2008-04-30T13:48:00.009-05:00

Confession: The notion of a "carbon footprint" has been troubling my thoughts for some time now. You've probably encountered a variety of carbon-footprint calculators like this one or that one.

But what does it mean to say that I'm responsible for emitting 15 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere? Does that inspire and motivate behavioral changes to reduce our negative impact on the environment?

I don't think so.

For starters, this information is way too abstract. I've tried but failed repeatedly to imagine what a ton of carbon would look like. There's simply no direct connection to my five senses (and really, using one sense could probably do the trick).

Second, many of these carbon-footprint calculators don't tailor their suggestions to consumers. It reminds me of the one-size-fits-all mentality, which I think overlooks the actual complexities of this issue.

My third complaint is that all of these eco-calculators are mentally taxing on the brain. They require that we all keep the following logic firmly held in place, when really, our attention spans are remarkably short. Here's the logic, which I've paraphrased below:

A. Climate change reflects average temperatures that are on the rise*, which negatively affects the planet.

B. We can measure how much you contribute to climate change by calculating a carbon footprint. The carbon footprint indicates how much CO2 (and other greenhouse gases) you personally emit into the atmosphere.

C. In turn, this computed carbon footprint shows your impact on climate change.

And this is where the real break-down in communication comes in, and that's what to do about your so-called carbon footprint. This is the one-size-fits-all strategy: Use less energy.

Isn't this issue a wee-bit more complicated? What are your thoughts about the carbon footprint?
__________________
* To pose a direction on climate change (i.e., average temperatures are on the rise), we neglect the alternate possibility of cooler temperatures occurring across various locations on the planet.

More Results - Yay!

2008-04-29T10:20:00.005-05:00

Just two weeks ago, I boastfully said that the Green Michiana Sustainability Fair was a success. But I didn't have much evidence to suport this claim. Now I do - see below for a list of results that everyone accomplished at the fair. Hopefully, next year we'll be able to replicate these achievements.

Plastic bags: We collected over 156,000 plastic bags for recycling by Wal-Mart.

Styrofoam peanuts: We collected 2,000 gallons of styrofoam peanuts that will be reused in UPS packaging stores. Some of the peanuts will be used by the IU-South Bend Arts department in their sculpture art classes.

Expanded polystyrene #6: We collected approximately 5,000 gallons of expanded polystyrene (EPS) #6 (styrofoam used to pack electronic equipment and make coolers). This material will be used by Tegrant Corporation in Michigan City, Indiana (produce ThermoSafe Packaging). The white beads are broken apart, mixed with new styrofoam beads, and remolded into new styrofoam containers. The new styrofoam containers will contain about 10% of the “recycled” styrofoam. We collected 2.5 times more peanuts and “styrofoam” in 2008 compared to 2007. This amount of styrofoam filled a 24-foot moving truck about 75% full (floor to ceiling).

Egg Cartons: Over 300 egg cartons were collected. These egg cartons will be used by local farmers and a church group.

Computers: Free Geek Michiana collected 80 computers, 20 monitors, and associated keyboards, and mice.

Cell Phones: About ten cell phones were collected. Cell phones that can be reused will be reprogrammed for use by women groups. Very old cell phones or damaged cell phones will be recycled by Technotrash (an electronics recycling company).

49 businesses and organizations (government, non-profit groups, and citizen groups)participated in the fair. A rough estimate of 700+ people attended the fair. Coordinated efforts by the Recycling Committee, Sustainability Committee, Environmental Justice Club, Custodial staff, Support Services, Facilities, and the IUSB Events Office made this fair possible.

Trash Trooping Results: Part II

2008-04-27T17:51:00.009-05:00

Heather and I went to Rum Village today to join the Trash Troopers. When we arrived at the park, however, we didn't see anyone. We asked the fellow who was working at the front desk if he had seen anyone picking up trash; he didn't. So we figured we might as well do it without them.

We walked just a bit past the Nature Center and quickly found a host of trash strewn in the woods. This time I had gloves on, so it was easier to deal with the trash and focus on not getting stuck by sticker bushes. Similar to my neighborhood trash-trooping experience, it didn't take us long to fill up our bags with discarded materials. In comparison to Heather, I did not find too many digusting items. She found a pantyliner, a bottle of beer (or urine! Who knows? We didn't open it to find out!), and part of a raccoon's tail. But I did find a used condom, which made me want to gag. Oh, for the love!

Not long after the condom encounter, we spotted the Trash Troopers. They were fairly conspicuous in their green attire. Heather and I apparently did not get that memo - I was wearing a pink shirt and she was wearing a yellow pullover. At any rate, we decided against joining the gang because we thought it would be best if everyone dispersed in their trash-collecting efforts. Plus, we were nearing our 1-hour commitment.

So as we wrapped things up, I brought up the question that Nate recently posed: By picking-up other people's trash, are we really enabling others to litter and pollute? Sheesh, this is a good and tough question to answer. It feels like a catch-22. No, it's not okay to litter and no, I don't really want to pick-up after strangers (especially that used condom; disgusting!). But it's also not okay to turn a blind eye to this problem. "This is what diffusion of responsibility looks like", I told Heather, as I carried a full trash bag. It's not pretty, but as you can tell from the picture, we did have a good time making Rum Village look more like a hospitable park, and less like a landfill.

Trash Trooping Results

2008-04-25T09:46:00.006-05:00

I started with an empty Seventh Generation trash bag on yesterday's afternoon walk with the pups. It didn't take me long before I started picking up discarded candy wrappers. And it certainly took no time before that trash bag started to get full. A few of my neighbors were outside enjoying the warm weather. "Feeling environmental today?," one of my neighbors asked. I said it wasn't a big deal as I was just picking-up trash along my regular walking route. I noticed a piece of paper on their lawn. "I'd pick that up, but it's on the other side of the fence." "God bless you," was their reply. (I noticed that piece of paper was picked up this morning.)

Another one of my neighbors asked me if I was doing my civic duty. I guess so, I thought to myself. But I can't take sole ownership for this task. Hopefully, this is our civic duty, right? Who really wants to see strewn styrofoam cups, candy wrappers, cigarette packages, beer bottles*, or condom wrappers? (All of those items, by the way, were picked up on yesterday's walk.)

I did not, however, pick-up any cigarette butts, although I did see plenty of them on the grass. I wasn't wearing gloves and believe it or not, it wasn't long before my back started to complain from all that bending down. (Yes, I'm getting old!) Plus, as some of you know, those Seventh Generation trash bags can't really handle a lot of weight. I actually had to stop picking-up trash midpoint of my walk because the bag was starting to rip at the bottom. So if it doesn't rain today, I'll bring another bag and do a second round of trash trooping in my neighborhood.
_____________
* I took the beer bottles out of the trash bag; they're now in my recycling bin.

Resisting the Wind to Work

2008-04-24T10:16:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness, I exclaimed to myself as I biked into work this morning. The wind was really making me work hard. Sometimes it was pushing against my side, but most of the time, it was pushing directly against my intended destination. (If only I were biking home, then it would be easy to go with the flow!) But no, not this time. I figured if I had been driving, I probably wouldn't have noticed this blustery wind. But on a bike, it's another matter entirely - turns out, I was biking against 26 to 32 mph gusts of wind. Wowza!

I'll tell you this, though. After putting so much energy into my commute today, quenching my thirst with water tasted much more sweeter, and sitting in my office chair feels a little more softer. Now, time to get some work done!

Trash Trooping in my Neighborhood

2008-04-24T08:02:00.003-05:00

As I was walking the pups this morning, I noticed more trash than usual strewn on the sidewalk and grass. It reminded me of the Trash Trooping I'll be doing on Sunday. But why leave my own neighborhood in neglect? Don't get me wrong - I'm happy to clean-up a public park, but the truth of the matter is that I walk in my neighborhood everyday. So why not make my daily walks more pleasant for me, my dogs, and neighbors?

When I take the pups for their afternoon walk today, I'm going to bring an extra bag to pick-up the neighborhood trash. It's probably no worse than picking up pet waste (I hope). I'll take a few pictures of this neighborhood Trash Trooping adventure and share them with you soon.

Trash Troopers!

2008-04-23T20:16:00.005-05:00

My friend Heather emailed me today about becoming a Trash Trooper with her this weekend. Trash Trooper? What the heck did I get myself into this time? ;0)

It's actually a simple plan to pick-up trash at Rum Village (by Ewing). We'll be cleaning up the park for an hour, and with 20 volunteers already on board to help, this should be a cinch (I was going to say a walk in the park, but that would be too cheesy!).

This clean-up adventure also reminds me of the St. Joseph River Clean-Up I did last year, which I thought was fun (and reflective).

So, we're going to get there at 3pm on Sunday - hey, anyone else interested in becoming a Trash Trooper? :0)

GreenTV Captures Highlights from Green Michiana Fair

2008-04-22T09:26:00.004-05:00

If you weren't able to come to the Green Michiana Fair, here's your chance to watch some of the action here:

I hope you enjoy this short video! :0)

More Green Michiana Pictures!

2008-04-16T11:22:00.006-05:00

Well, be careful of what you wish for, I reminded myself as I viewed photos taken by this joker. I was expecting to receive more "typical" photos from the fair, like this one:

But that would be too ordinary and predictable! So I hope you enjoy a more nuanced view of the Green Michiana Fair!

Blue Monster Recycled

A Soggy Sign

A Frugal Sign

And here's a fun demo comparing the amount of energy required to light an ordinary vs. CFL lightbulb!

IUSB's Green Michiana Fair a Success!

2008-04-14T11:09:00.016-05:00

I'm happy to report that Saturday's Green Michiana Sustainability Fair was a huge success! By my rough estimate, I think ~1,000 folks stopped by throughout the day to recycle their plastic bags, styrofoam, cell phones and old computers. And many folks stayed to check out the myriad booths from local businesses. Wal-Mart and Home Depot passed out free reusable bags; other businesses sold their goods, including fair-trade coffee and clothing.

In addition, the South Bend Tribune ran a story about the fair in yesterday's paper. If you have any downtime, I encourage you to read the story. At the moment, I'm gathering some photos taken at the Fair. (If you have pictures you'd like for me to post on the blog, then please send them my way!) In the meantime, please enjoy these photos!

Ten Thousand Villages

Martin's Grocery Store

Shacklee Products & Chicory Cafe
(That's Chancellor Reck on the right!)

Uni-Solar Panels

Just Goods

Bicycle Safety!

Dessie & Michelle
(Dessie is my friend Jessica's baby!)

Live Music!

Paper or Plastic? Either Way, It'll Cost You $$$

2008-04-09T19:19:00.012-05:00

Just last month, Judith Hizer from the SB Tribune asked the question, "Should we tax plastic bags?" As we continue to wrestle over the pros and cons of taxing plastic-bag consumption in South Bend, the folks in Seattle have already made their decision: If you want a plastic or paper bag, it'll cost .20 cents a bag.

Hmm...that's got me thinking: I wonder if those baggers will start to bag those groceries more efficiently? Maybe if people are paying for those plastic bags, baggers will finally chill-out with excessive bagging, lest they hear complaints from disgruntled shoppers.

Anyway, this "green fee" will be effective starting next year, which gives folks plenty of time to let go of their plastic (or paper) habit. Plus, some of these green taxes ($1 million) will be used to provide residents with free reusable bags.

In a perfect world, there would be no green taxes (and everyone would be eco-friendly). But in this imperfect world, how else can we motivate quick, sweeping changes that reduce our negative impact on the environment? Any suggestions?

Bring Your (Plastic) Bags!

2008-04-07T10:03:00.004-05:00

It's time to do some spring cleaning and that means going to your kitchen cabinet to root out all those plastic bags! (I know you have a cabinet stocked full of those bags - admit it!) The buzz is already alive. I've received several questions regarding those plastic bags. Here's the deal:

You can bring grocery shopping bags, bags from Macy's, Target, CVS, and ______ (you fill in the blank) for recycling. Also, you can bring plastic bags from the dry cleaners as well as the bags from newspapers.

Basically, if you have a bag and it's made from plastic, you can bring it for recycling. So that means even those bread bags are acceptable.

We're having the plastic-bag and Styrofoam drive this week*, leading up to the big day on Saturday. Last year, we netted over 72,000 plastic-bags for recycling. I have a funny feeling we'll be breaking that record this year! :0)
________________________________
* Campus drop-off locations include the Grille (Administration Building), Student Activities Center, Northside Hall, and Wiekamp Hall.

You know you're getting old when...

2008-04-02T15:24:00.008-05:00

I don't know how this happened. I remember in college rolling my eyes when a speaker lectured the audience on the importance of watching CSPAN. No way, I thought. Too boring. So I can't explain why in the world I'm hooked on CSPAN, other than taking this as a sign that I'm getting old!

At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed watching yesterday's hearing by the House Select Energy Committee. The top 5 oil companies (i.e., Exxon, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP) were invited to answer questions about increasing oil prices. Seeing those guys squirm under pressure strangely reminded me of the olden days when I witnessed poor graduate students defend their dissertation. Yeouch!

And I learned so much from watching this 2.5 hour hearing! Here's some highlights and quotes that were particulary memorable:

Two cute cliches from Chairman Markey: "American people shouldn't have to break the bank to fill the tank;" and, "Tax breaks for big oil, tough breaks for American families."

Exxon Mobile earned $40 billion in profit last year. Combined, the top 5 oil companies earned $123 billion in profit last year.

BP was the only company to admit they participated in a secret task force meeting with Dick Cheney in 2001. Now they have to submit documents regarding that clandestine meeting.

In response to reducing oil prices, all companies unanimously agreed they need open access to drilling oil in the US. In addition, BP wants to bridge stronger connections with Canada as they're the "Saudi Arabia of North America sitting there ready to provide us with energy."

Exxon has contributed less than one-half of 1% for renewable energy. Their singular contribution has been to donate $100 million to Stanford over 12 years for research purposes.

Meanwhile, the oil companies have received $18 billion in subsidies from tax payers, and they oppose legislation that would divert those monies for the Renewable Energy Package that was passed last month.

Clearly, there's a disconnect here - even Exxon admitted that. Why the disconnect? Three reasons: a weaker dollar, geopolitical risks, and speculation.

The bottom line from big oil: Give us access to American oil.

The bottom line from Congress: Quit nickel and diming Americans.

Carnival of the Green #121 - Wowza!

2008-03-31T08:00:00.010-05:00

Last week, it was Victoria E's turn to host Treehugger's Carnival of the Green - and now it's my turn - yay! As I read this week's posts, I really began to appreciate and admire all the good things folks are doing in their part of the world. It's great to take a break from the usual (and hectic!) routine to recognize these efforts. So without further adieu, please enjoy this week's posts!

To get things started, Brave New Leaf discusses how refigerators can be the 3rd greediest electricity suckers in our homes. How can we improve its efficiency? Check-out Brave New Leaf's adventures in cleaning (scary!) fridge coils. Here's a promise: It's not too tough!

Next up, Ed Yong provides us with a thoughtful discussion on how rising CO2 levels weaken plant defenses against hungry insects.

And speaking of food, Joe reveals an easy way to get some free vegetable (or flower) seeds sent to you. According to Joe, growing your own food is the ultimate way to eat locally. Plus, it's fun!

In keeping with this plant theme, Lane from Vegan Bits provides us with a vegan view as to why being a vegetarian may not be satisfactory.

Hey, thinking of traveling this year? Before you pack-up and go, take note of Joel's eight tips on how to be an environmentally-friendly traveler. And his pal Adam reviews the extremely difficult-to-use Magic Wheel - whoa!

And Natural Collection is talking about UK's Cbeebies going green with fantastic live action and animation. You must be wondering - will Tommy Zoom ever defeat the evil Polluto??

By the way, have you marked your calendars for Earth Day (April 22)? Before you do that, read Lynn's post and picture taken at Barnes & Noble - Can you believe the merchants are trying to turn Earth Day into a consumer holiday? Earth Day, of all things!

Speaking of overconsumption, Lisa Spinelli from PayItGreen has a simple message of dramatic proportion: "Go paperless..."

And Dawn C. shares her views regarding an email she recently received about ways to save money on gas. Do we save money by filling up in the morning (or not)?

Last but certainly not least, Beth from Fake Plastic Fish offers us great tips on plastic-free personal care products, including bottle-free shampoo and container-free deodorant.

And this just in (as of 11:22am!): Oliver wants to know what is innovation and how does it relate to rural areas, to farming and to business. Is it about making business more profitable or about ingenuity in the face of environmental necessity? And where does organic farming fit in - is it archaic or forward thinking? Oliver examines the funny word that is innovation, and considers what it might mean. Definitely worth reading!!

Folks, hosting this carnival has been a real blast! The fun continues next week when Agroblogger hosts the #122 edition of Carnival of the Green. In the meantime, keep up the good work! :0) M

Green Michiana Fair on Facebook

2008-03-27T19:51:00.002-05:00

My colleagues and I are trying our best to help spread the word about the Green Michiana Fair on April 12. So, in an attempt to reach 50,000 people in Northern Indiana, I posted information about the event on Facebook - go check it out, sign-up, and share this with your friends! :0)

Green Michiana Fair: April 12

2008-03-25T14:55:00.004-05:00

Well, it looks like IUSB has done it again! But instead of hosting BagFest like we did last year, this year we're hosting the Green Michiana Fair. So please mark your calendars for April 12 and feel free to download this flyer and distribute it to your friends, family, colleagues, businesses, etc.

As you can see from the flyer, there's so much fun stuff in store for everyone! But there's still some planning that needs to happen. In particular, we all need to pitch-in to spread the word about this event. The IUSB Marketing Department is helping out, thank goodness, but we still need to contact local schools and churches about Green Michiana. I was also thinking it would be great to invite the Boy/Girl Scouts, too.

Bringing the kids to this event is a no-brainer. After all, we're going to have a Bike Rodeo at the fair! Kids and parents are welcome to bring their bikes for onsite practice bike riding. We'll also have information about safe family biking. And folks can try on helmets, practice riding using safety techniques, and have fun too. They'll also be free giveaways at the Bike Rodeo.

So before all the fun begins on April 12, would anyone be interested in helping me spread the word? I sure could use the support! :0)

Opting-Out of Junk Mail, Spam, etc

2008-03-19T15:07:00.003-05:00

My landlord has been on a crusade today - she's been getting spam mail on her cell phone. And to make matters worse, one of her friends started getting porn offers on her cell phone! Good grief! So my landlord gave me some links to stop receiving all that junk mail. I thought I'd share them with you:

Stop cell-phone telemarketing: http://www.donotcall.gov/

Stop credit-card and bank offers: https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t

Maybe this will do the trick!

Experimentaholic's Recycling-Lid Obsession Continues

2008-03-07T10:01:00.006-05:00

What does eight years of higher education at the University of Chicago buy you? For Experimentaholic, it's somehow led him to pick through garbage and recyclables at several public venues! :0)

Remember the post about the effectiveness of using container lids on recycling bins? That project was apparently the spark that ignited Experimentaholic's flame in observing "smart" vs "stupid" recycling bins. Not all recycling bins were created equal as we recently discovered.

If you have a free moment, check-out Experimentaholic's post. And if you have a picture of a smart (or stupid) recycling bin, please send it to him and join the recycling-lid obsession!

APA Monitor: Curbing Climate Change

2008-03-05T11:10:00.010-05:00

In this month's APA Monitor, there's a special section on climate change. The question is whether psychology can help curb environmental problems (or phrased more provocatively, "Can psychology save the planet?"). It probably seems like a no-brainer (at least to me*), but that hasn't always been the case. Not too long ago, Susan Clayton** asked psychologists from several APA divisions their thoughts and attitudes on environmental practices. Here's some of the comments she received:

"This seems not to be a psychological issue, and thus not within our sphere."

"This is the silliest questionnaire I have filled out in a very long time. . . . It is virtually impossible to understate the importance of APA divisions [in regard to protecting the environment]."

Well, the good news is that these views are changing, and more people are indeed turning to psychology for ways to address environmental issues. So can psychology save the planet? If so, how?
________
*Although, thank goodness, other psychologists have gone "green."

**Clayton, S. (2000, August). Greening the branches: Environmental practices in APA divisions. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

Research Methods, Statistics, and Guitar Hero

2008-03-04T15:27:00.009-05:00

There's beauty in research design and statistics. That is, you can apply these tools to just about anything,* including plastic bags! Going back down memory lane for a moment, it all started with me asking the question of how to make a statistic (i.e., the US consumes 380 billion plastic bags each year) personally meaningful. And as many of you know, asking that question launched me into an eight-month long project, which culminated into BagFest last year.

Good times, good times!

And now I'm reminded of the fun in applying research methods and statistics to a real-world problem. But this time, instead of me asking a question, it's from one of my students: How can we convince Dr. Verges to host a Guitar-Hero experiment in our statistics class?

Brilliant question!

______
* You cannot however, apply these tools of empiricism to faith-based questions or to other questions that delve into a phantasmal world.

Mark Your Calendars!

2008-03-03T11:43:00.003-05:00

IU South Bend is hosting several events in March and April, so please mark your calendars. I've also included two links for more information about these events.

March 18: Public lecture by Erik Reece, author of Lost Mountain (2006)

March 20: Native Gardening Master Class, JF New Nursery

March 25: Public lecture by Dr. Roland Chamblee, St. Joseph County Health Officer

April 3: Public lecture by Dr. Kristin Schrader-Frechette, Internationally known philosopher

April 12: Green Michiana: A Sustainability Fair for Home, Garden, and Road

I hope to see you at some (if not all!) of these events!

SBT: Plastic No Longer Wave of Future

2008-02-28T17:05:00.005-05:00

This morning, one of my colleagues warmly greeted me as the "Bag Lady." I've gladly accepted this moniker since hosting BagFest last year, so hearing this endearing term didn't serve my colleague's intended purpose. She asked if I had read today's SB Tribune. I hadn't; I had just finished teaching my 8:30am research-methods class when we spoke.

So I was pleasantly surprised when she told me about this story in today's SBT. Truth be told, I forgot I was interviewed for this story, which took place at least three weeks ago!

At any rate, I'm very encouraged to see Martin's promote their reusable bag program - so take note - we now get .05 cents off for each reusable bag we bring to Martin's. Woo hoo!!

(For future reference, I'll also post this article in the Media section of the blog.)

What Makes Us (Un)Happy?

2008-02-21T11:02:00.003-05:00

What does consumerism, high/low expectations, Denmark, USA, and happiness have in common? (Maybe the better question to ask is how are these concepts different across cultures.) Watch this video to find out!

Another Texas Refinery Explodes

2008-02-19T18:48:00.006-05:00

I'm still shaking my head at this. And in related news, oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel. The wave of unintended consequences will surely reverberate in our respective hometowns soon.

And I'm still not over yesterday's beef recall. Somehow this story was brought up in my research methods class today - one of my students proudly exclaimed why she's chosen to become a vegetarian. Many were displeased when we discussed how Westport Meat Co is (was?) a supplier for the school-lunch programs.

But I suspect that knowing this information is not going to overthrow our meat-consuming habits. I went to the General Social Survey (it's a national data program for the social sciences) and found this question: "How often do you refuse to eat meat for moral or environmental reasons?" Of the 2,883 respondents, 69.4% said never.

I also read an interesting article about heuristics (i.e., mental shortcuts for finding a solution to a problem). In this report*, the researcher cited a statistic about the percentage of organ donors in the US and France. Whereas only 28% of Americans are potential organ donors, 99.9% of the French are organ donors. How can this be? Do the French have a superior moral consciousness? Are they more knowledgeable about the importance of saving lives by donating one's organs?

No. And no.

Instead, the researcher suggested these cultural differences are a result of a default heuristic (i.e., a general rule of thumb that says if there's a default, then do nothing about it). Our default heuristic is that noone's an organ donor unless you opt into the program. The opposite is true for the French, meaning their default is that everyone's an organ donor unless you opt out.

So today I learned that acquiring knowledge is sometimes not sufficient to produce a behavioral change; when knowledge is not power, we ought to reconsider our default heuristics so that we may change those defaults for a desired outcome.

________

* Gigerenzer, G. (2008). Why heuristics work. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3, 20-29.

Largest Beef Recall in USDA History

2008-02-18T10:30:00.006-05:00

If you've been listening to the news (i.e., NPR, NY Times), then you've probably heard this story already: The USDA has recalled 143 million pounds of beef, the largest beef recall in US history.

The Humane Society blew the whistle on Westland/Hallmark Meat Company when they released this video in January: https://community.hsus.org/campaign/CA_2008_investigation?source=gaba89

I encourage you to take a moment to watch the video. Consider the intertwining issues that surround this scandal (i.e., how Westland Meat Co is the #1 meat provider for school lunches). It also raises broader questions on food safety, health outcomes, animal cruelty, and other issues regarding the mechanization of the meat-packing industry. But the real question concerns our behavior: Will we change our meat-eating habits? If so, how?

Listening to our Great-Grandparents

2008-02-17T12:31:00.003-05:00

This quote jumped off a page I was reading in Environmentalism for a New Millennium:

The central thing for which Conservation stands is to make this country the best possible place to live in, both for us and for our descendants. It stands against the waste of natural resources which cannot be renewed, such as coal and iron; it stands for the perpetuation of the resources which can be renewed, such as the food-producing soils and the forests; and most of all it stands for an equal opportunity for every American citizen to get his fair share of benefit from these resources, both now and hereafter.

- Gifford Pinchot, 1891

This message is 117 years old and it's still relevant today. But is this message falling on deaf ears? I felt more receptive to Pinchot's philosophy as I imagined him to be a great-grandfather disclosing his beliefs and experiences to his naive great-grandchildren. I admire Pinchot's keen foresight into the future. As his intellectual descendants, I hope we are listening, learning, and furthering these words of wisdom.

Environment America: Grand Canyon Coalition

2008-02-13T20:16:00.002-05:00

I met Lucinda Hohman, Midwest Field Organizer of Environment America, at the Call for Action Event two weeks ago. She has asked me to help forward this petition to stop mining in the Grand Canyon (see below). Please let me know if you would like to be included on this petition - Lucinda is hoping for 7 more signatures to add to her South Bend list!

From Environment America:

If you have been lucky enough to travel to the Grand Canyon, you will likely always remember the unparalleled natural beauty, from the jagged red cliffs to the winding Colorado River. Visitors from around the world come to admire our national treasure that is now facing a growing threat. Mining companies know that it is against the law in most cases to set up operations in the Grand Canyon, or any national park for that matter. Yet, incredibly, the current mining law that has been around for 135 years does allow mining operations right next door to our national parks. In the past five years, mining companies have staked more than 800 claims at the edge of the Grand Canyon, and with the price of gold increasing; the number of claims continues to grow.
Mining companies use a range of toxic chemicals to extract gold, silver, copper, and other minerals from the earth. In one mining process cyanide is poured over mounds of earth to extract low grade ore. This combined with other operations has led to fish kills, dead birds around mines, and fenced off areas of contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that hardrock mining is the number one source of toxic pollution in the United States and that it has contaminated 40 percent of western watersheds.
Given the rush to stake mining claims at the edge of the Grand Canyon and other national treasures, there must be a process to prevent the worst effects of toxic mining from permanently damaging these lands that belong to all Americans.

The government must have the authority to stop any mine that would damage the natural resources of Grand Canyon National Park or other national parks.
A set of sensitive lands around the Grand Canyon and in other important areas must be placed “off-limits” to future mining activities, like national forest roadless areas.
Mining companies should pay a royalty for mining activities on public lands to provide a source of money to clean up the nearly 500,000 abandoned mines along the Colorado River and across the country.
The practice of selling our public lands for pennies on the dollar to companies for mining or unrelated development must end. The public lands at the edge of the Grand Canyon and around the country should stay in public hands.
Local governments, tribes, and citizens need the ability to designate certain areas unsuitable for mining, if they find it will negatively impact their communities. This will allow for other sensitive locations to be protected from toxic mining pollution.
Where mining is deemed appropriate on our public lands, mining companies must have a comprehensive and thorough plan to return the land to its original state and to assure that water pollution will not need ongoing treatment. With the number of new claims surrounding the Grand Canyon, this would ensure that toxic mining does not pollute this American treasure for decades to come.

To save the Grand Canyon and other public treasures for future generations, we need to protect all national parks and sensitive lands from the toxic affects of hardrock mining.

LuCinda Hohmann, Midwest Field Organizer
Environment America
Illinois and Indiana

Tom Anderson, Executive Director
Save the Dunes Council
Michigan City, IN

Jackie Smith
Associate Professor of Sociology and Peace Studies
The Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN

Michelle Verges
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Indiana University-South Bend
South Bend, IN

Philip Lane Tanton, Organizer
Arisits United Against Injustice
Three Oaks, MI

Jessica Mikels
Michiana Community Currency
South Bend, IN

Kerry Koller, Head of School
Trinity School at Greenlawn
South Bend, IN

Barbara J. Koller, Director of Admissions
Trinity School at Greenlawn
South Bend, IN

Becky Reimbold, Owner
Just Goods
Social & ecological a-wear-ness
South Bend, IN

NAME_________________________________________________
TITLE_________________________________________________
ORGANIZATION________________________________________
ADDRESS______________________________________________
PHONE_________________________________________________
EMAIL_________________________________________________

IUSB Students Blog about the Environment

2008-02-11T13:33:00.000-05:00

One of my colleagues, Bruce Spitzer, has integrated blogging into one of his courses this semester. Naturally, I was intrigued. I've really enjoyed having a class blog - there were several occassions in which students inspired the class to become more eco-friendly (like using toilet paper made from recycled paper!). Some of my other colleagues have shared similar positive experiences by hosting class blogs. So if you have any downtime, check out these cool environmental blogs posted by IUSB students!

Disgusted with BP

2008-02-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

There was a story on NPR two days ago that keeps troubling me. It was about an explosion that occurred at a BP refinery in Texas City, TX. (If you have ~7 minutes of downtime, you may want to hear the story online.) As I listened to the story, I imagined the horrific scene. Sadly, what actually happened was far worse than I could have imagined. I'm thoroughly disgusted with BP. While I certainly hope there'll be justice in holding BP financially accountable for their negligence, I wish there was something more I could do about this situation. It just seems like boycotting BP is not enough to show my contempt for this company.

A Three-Way Tie!!

2008-02-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

Wow, I'm surprised by this three-way tie! Maybe you'll also be surprised when I tell you the results. To quickly recap, Experimentaholic conducted a four-week observation to examine the usefulness of these container lids:

He counted the number of bottles and cans discarded into 30 bins, twice each week, for four weeks. As you can see, there were three types of bins: trash, aluminum/glass/plastic, and paper. He discreetly removed the lids off 15 containers, so that half of the bins had lids on them and half of the bins did not have lids on them. That way, he could find out if these lids affected the recycling rate.

Some* of you indicated that using these lids do NOT affect the recycling rate. In terms of this three-way tie, however, there's a stalemate among these possibilities:

1. Using container lids REDUCE the recycling rate (i.e., people are more likely to discard their bottles and cans into the trashcan)

2. Using container lids INCREASE the recycling rate (i.e., people are more likely to properly dispose their bottles and cans into the correct bin)

3. I have no idea!

Well, now the mystery is about to be solved. See for yourself and be amazed by Experimentaholic's discovery! Here's the result in the lids-absent condition and here's the result in the lids-present condition. So what do you think? Are you surprised by these findings? I'm curious to hear your reactions! :0)

____

*Meghan, it's so great to hear from you - I've missed you!!

Please Cast Your Vote!

2008-01-28T17:19:00.000-05:00

There's still a week to vote on whether recycling lids really affect behavior. And I only have 11 votes so far! So if you've already voted, then get your friends to vote (no double voting, please!).

Right now, there seems to be a split between "I have no idea" and "having these lids on reduces recycling behavior," so let's see if there's going to be a tie-breaker this week.

Just to recap, I'm curious to know what you think about using recycling lids on top of recycling containers. Are they effective? Or do they somehow encourage folks to throw their items in the trashcan?

On one hand, maybe having the lids on increases the recycling rate because those lids prompt folks to toss their items into the appropriate container. On the other hand, however, maybe having the lids on decreases the recycling rate because a person has to consider where they should toss their discarded item; and maybe it's just easier to throw it away in the trash. (It's as though tossing something in the trash is the default option.) Of course, a third possibility is that having these lids on really doesn't matter, and is therefore a waste of money to purchase these lids. So what do you think?

I'm really eager to reveal this result to you, so get those votes turned in!!

Michiana Call to Action!

2008-01-25T15:40:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow I will be co-hosting a booth that promotes environmentally-friendly action at the Michiana Social Forum. This event will be held at the St. Joseph Public Library. If you have a chance to attend this event, please stop by my booth to say hello! :0)

(The event will be held from 12pm to 4:30pm.)

Do Recycling Lids Really Matter?

2008-01-22T16:39:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered whether recycling lids are really effective at reducing the amount of recyclables thrown in the trash and increasing the recycling rate? Or does having these lids on somehow encourage folks to toss items into the trash?

I recently had this conversation with a friend....but he's no ordinary person; this guy likes to conduct experiments! So Experimentaholic wanted to determine the effectiveness of using these recycling lids - and "naturally," he rigged an experiment at his school just to find out.

Here's the general set-up: At both ends of a long hallway were several containers. Some of the containers were for recycling cans, paper, and plastic; another was for trash.

To examine whether the presence or absence of these recycling lids affect the recycling rate, Experimentaholic took the lids off one set of bins (i.e., experimental group) and kept the lids on the other set of bins (i.e., control group). At midpoint of the week, he switched the lids in order to rule out hallway location as a potential confound. For one week, Experimentaholic counted the number of items in each container. (Ewww....gross!!)

So what do you think happened? We have three options to consider:

A. Recycling lids don't influence whether someone recycles their materials or not

B. Recycling lids increase the recycling rate (i.e., people are more likely to recycle)

C. Recycling lids decrease the recycling rate (i.e., people are more likely to use the trash bin)

I'm really curious to know what you think happened- check out the poll on the blog and cast your vote regarding Experimentaholic's latest discovery! (I'll post his results after the poll ends.)

Let Me See What You Eat

2008-01-18T11:36:00.000-05:00

I just received an interesting email from a colleague. This email contained nine photos of families around the world who were photographed with the food they eat each week and the cost of what they eat each week. Check this out for yourself:

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily; Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide; Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina; Food expenditure for one week $341.98

Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca; Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna; Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo; Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo; Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village; Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp; Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

Of course, viewing these nine photos is hardly representative of any general population; nonetheless, the voyer in me is fascinated to wonder what people eat and to consider how our diets are related not only to health outcomes, but also to economic and environmental outcomes.

It's All in the Movies

2008-01-10T14:56:00.000-05:00

Oh, dear...I've not been a good blogger these days. So to help cover-up my slack, my friend Len has kindly offered to write a guest post on the blog. I think you'll enjoy his post and his good humor. Thanks for the guest post, Len!! :0)

In 2005 the American Film Institute published its list of the top 100 quotes from U.S. movies. Number one on the list was Rhett Butler’s final comment to Scarlet O’Hara in the 1939 classic, “Gone With the Wind” – “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” GWTW actually had 3 of the top 59 quotes on the list. “The Wizard of Oz” contained 3 of the top 100 lines, with “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” coming in at #4. But neither of these quote-machine movies could compare with “Casablanca.” Starting with Bogie’s “Here’s looking at you, kid” at #5, the war-time tale produced 6 of the top 67 quotes in U.S. film history.

Interesting, you say, but what has this to do with plastic bags? Bear with me.

Two lines tied for the shortest quote – a single word. The first of these is listed at #17. Even if you have never seen the movie – and I have not – everyone is aware of a single word uttered in “Citizen Kane” – “Rosebud.” The other one-word winner came from the 1967 hit, “The Graduate.” At #42 on the list we have this bit of sage advice – “Plastics.” Ahhh … and now I have your attention.

Wikipedia explains that “A family friend, Mr. McGuire, gives Benjamin Braddock one-word career advice: ‘Plastics.’” Stephen Holden, writing for the New York Times said, “’The Graduate’ didn’t invent the use of the word plastic to signify everything phony and superficial in American life. It merely sealed it in, well, celluloid. To sneer at all things plastic was to offer an instant definition of oneself as among the young, hip, truth-seeking cognoscenti (now THERE is a word for Michelle!) locked in a moral power struggle with an older generation of square, corrupt, greedy, warmongering materialists.”

Wikipedia does not disagree, writing, “Some see this as advice on the key to corporate success – becoming shallow and fake or ‘plastic,’ which Ben struggles with, as a recurring theme in the film.” However, Wikipedia astutely takes it a step further adding, “it was also an amazing foresight: while plastics were in use in 1967, since then they have come to be the predominant type of material used in consumer products, medical equipment, packaging, and even automobiles.” And, something even Mr. McGuire probably could not have foreseen, grocery bags!

But, 41 years after “The Graduate,” it may be that things finally are beginning to change. As you probably know, effective June 1, 2008, China has banned the use of free plastic bags.

So, let me leave you with two more lines. For those of you not familiar with collegiate life, I offer Rocky, at #80 – “Yo, Adrian.” But for those of you who have graced the halls of our nation’s institutions of higher learning, nothing on the list seems more appropriate than the 82nd entry from “Animal House” – Toga! Toga!” Fortunately, regardless of your background, I feel confident that the #1 quote does not apply to you, because if you are reading this blog, I suspect that frankly, you do “give a damn.”

2007-12-27T21:08:00.000-05:00

Ecospot grand prize winner: Sky is Falling

Add to My Profile | More Videos

I like this public service announcement because it addresses an elusive concept that's been on my mind for some time now: carbon emissions. I've read several examples of saving X tons of carbon saved for driving less, using energy-efficient appliances, and so on. But what the heck does a "ton of carbon" mean? What does it look like, smell like, feel like? There's no visceral experience related to that abstract concept. (At least, I've not fathomed it.) So that's why I like this PSA because it provides us a concrete metaphor (i.e., elephants) to raise awareness on climate change. I think this guy is on to something...I like it very much!

A Cute Packaging Alternative

2007-12-26T16:12:00.000-05:00

With the holiday season still underway, I imagine many of us have encountered this: packaging peanuts (and their styrofoam cousins).

One way to reduce the amount of packaging is to simply ask for minimal packaging. I recently blogged about this topic as did Closet Environmentalist. But is there another way to reduce the use of styrofoam packaging?

Yesterday, I celebrated Christmas with my department chair and her family. After brunch and exchanging gifts, my chair showed me one of her latest knitting projects. (In case you didn't know, I like to knit!) I was blown away by her newly discovered project - not only is it NOT a scarf (which is the only thing I currently know how to knit!), but it replaces the use of packaging peanuts altogether!

See the cute dolls in the boy's pouch? They're called 'comfort dolls.' These so-called comfort dolls are used by ICROSS Canada, which is an organization that assists poor children and their families in Africa. These dolls serve two purposes: First, they're used for packaging medical supplies (so no styrofoam peanuts used!), and second, they're gifts for the little kids. What a brilliant and creative idea!

Ok, so maybe it's unreasonable for me to ask amazon.com to package my goodies using comfort dolls, but that's because we're not thinking creatively about our packaging needs and desires! I love this project because it's jammed-packed with meaning and simple innovation. Be creative, make a doll, reduce plastic packaging, comfort a child, provide medical support to the needy. What more could you ask for?!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T17:58:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays! Love to you all, both near and far. Today's post comes from my friend Len, who reads my blog regularly but never comments! So he's making his debut by sharing his holiday travels (and personal journey involving bags, of course!) with us. I hope you enjoy his post! :0) M

Driving home from Louisville, KY on the 22nd of December, it occurs to me that this can be a strange and paradoxical season. It’s the winter solstice and, as if on cue, the temperatures drop and the wind blows icy cold creating a numbing chill. This uncomfortable condition is only exasperated by my somewhat twisted sense of obligation and competition that finds my home thermostat – now at 62 degrees --creeping ever lower. But, at the same time, this is a time of hope. The shortest day of the year means that the sun has turned and the days will now start to get longer. And by design, the early Christians chose this time of the year to celebrate the birth of Jesus. So,what does this all have to do with an environmental blog about plastic bags?

I guess it comes down to a question as to whether you are a “glass half full” or “half empty” kind of person. Or, perhaps more appropriately, are you a “landfill half empty” kind of person. Do the winds of December depress you or does the knowledge that we are now 1 day closer to Spring bring you some comfort? Me, well, I am a dyed-in-the-wool fence-sitting kind of guy.

Last week, I was at Martin’s and I turned down a plastic bag – again. I have not kept track of how many times I have done so, but I know it is more than the number of dates I have had in the past two years. So, that is a good thing. But, at the same time, I feel like I am jousting with windmills, unable to make even a blip of a dent in the number of bags that fly out the door of even this one store. So, to try to make my bag refusal more than an empty gesture, I always tell the checkout person WHY I refuse the bags and remind them that they are the first line of defense against this insidious plague. Usually I get a blank stare or a protest that limiting the number of bags they give out could directly correlate with the time they spend in the unemployment line. But this time, the two people behind me agree and chime in, and even the check out lady says, “You’d be amazed at how many people turn them down.” And, they next day, the bagger, a young man in his late teens, adds to my speech, “Yeah, they are bad for the environment.” So, I am feeling better about life in America. Some people actually do get it.

But then, the next night I am staying at a Holiday Inn Express in Louisville, and all I can see, everywhere I look, is plastic. The wastebaskets and ice buckets are lined with plastic bags. There are two bars of soap, each wrapped in a tiny little plastic bag. The coffee for the coffeemaker is in a plastic bag. And, the plastic cups are wrapped in little plastic bags. I am staying in a plastic hell.

But, every ying has its yang. The next day I go grocery shopping with my son and I am shocked – and elated – to learn that he has purchased 10 reusable shopping bags from Meijers! The bags cost him $1 each, but he gets 5 cents off the contents of every bag he uses. He tells me the bags are also available at Krogers. So, there is some financial incentive for him and grocery shopping suddenly became fun for me, as I proudly bagged and toted his groceries.

So, back in the “Bend” I head off to Martins once again. It is now noon on Christmas Eve and I am still on a little bit of a high from my trip to the Louisville Meijers. The parking lot is packed and I feel fortunate to have found a reasonably close parking. I walk across the lot and see a guy I know vaguely from somewhere. We both are in the Christmas spirit and we exchange a nod, a smile and a quick hello. Then I enter the store and suddenly I experience the strangest sensation. The aisles are packed and patrons are stacked 6 deep at every available checkout counter. I am sure there must have been some music playing and some decorations and Poinsettias, but all I can see – I mean ALL I can see – are plastic bags. Plastic bags bombard my visual senses. I can see NOTHING else. Dozens of full stuffed bags huddled in shopping carts, hundreds of bags pouring out the door, and thousands more lined up like piles of deadly ammunition waiting their turned to be fired off into the world. Baggers are grabbing them and filling them faster than I could ever hope to count. My second thought – right after, “damn you, Michelle!” – is the utter hopelessness of the battle we are waging.

Suddenly, I am depressed. It’s Christmas Eve, and I am depressed. I trudge off and buy three apples, carrying them in my hand rather than using the plastic bags provided. I pick up a jar of peanut butter and head for the express lane. The guy in front of me is a friend of mine. He is an attorney, and one of the most unemotional and stoic people I know. We chat briefly, then it is his turn in line. He has only one item, and he refuses the bag! I congratulate him on his decision and he says to me as he is leaving, “We all do what we can.” !

Finally, I, too, turned and left. As I passed the final checkout lane a lady was paying for her load of groceries. Like so many others, her cart was stuffed with bags. But these bags looked different. I walked over to take a closer look – they were re-usable bags from http://www.papernorplastic.com/. And once again, I was a landfill half empty kind of guy.

Japan, ahead of its time?

2007-12-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

I lived in Japan for a while, but I never saw this: A bra that seconds as a bag! Apparently, the bra can be removed and converted into a reusable bag, for all your shopping needs. The question for the ladies (since I'm a guy and don't know these things) - isn't it a bit awkward at the checkout to take off your bra and use it as a reusable bag? I'd say so, but Japan is known for its quirky inventions and its overpackaging, so maybe this is the soluion.

Two ideas for reducing waste

2007-12-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

I want to propose two ideas that I have had recently based on the fact that I doubt that people's behaviors can change without altering the incentive structure that currently exists, which is that there is little or no incentive to reduce waste or recycle. Given that at least a sizable minority, or more likely a unanimous majority of people are looking out for their own good, and they don't quite see the long term impact of their behaviors on the environment, I believe that institutions need to change what people see they get out of recycling in tangible terms. And the one language that all people speak is money.

1. Bag reduction
At my local store, they give a discount for bring in one's own bag. The reduction is not much - 5 cents. Imagine if the store instead gave a 50 cent discount. Now that's worth bringing bags for! Usually I have 4 bags for my trip, and that's $2.00...that can buy me coffee, while 20 cents doesn't even get me a gumball on the way out the door. But, you say, the store will go broke in no time! Not if the store CHARGED people who did not bring their bags 50 cents per bag. That's a hefty price! The 50 cents can offset the 50 cent discount that the bag reusers get. But, you say, sooner or later, people will realize that they have to bring their own bags, and the problem is that more people will be bringing their bags, and the store will go broke! Not if the store begins reducing the discount to the people who bring their bags to 40 cents. The bag reusers will have less of an incentive to bring their own bags, but still, 40 cents gained is better than 50 cents lost. One could continually adjust the cost of the bags and the discount given until a pareto optimality is reached so that the store neither gains or loses any money from the bag program. Why would a store do this? Because it is better than the status quo where the store pays for the bags - the bag incentive program pays for the bags.

2. Home recycling
In many municipalities such as my own, you place your trash and recyclables out on the curb. I see many people with multiple trash bags but no recyclables. The other trash day, I noticed through the plastic of one of these people's bags that there were numerous cans and bottles that could have been recycled if the person wanted to. How can we make this person want to? Simple: charge people for the weight of their trash, and pay people for the weight of the recyclables. Why not? There is a certain cost to removing trash in terms of creating landfills and the like, and a certain monetary reward for recycling in that it produces raw materials such as aluminum and glass. At the current time, people do not see the economic cost or benefit of either, except that they know that their trash pick up is paid for through their taxes.

The fee system (i.e., how much a pound of trash or a pound of recyclables costs) would have to be determined for the pareto optimization here, and this brings up a number of ethical issues (i.e., people stealing each other's recyclables and leaving trash in front of other people's houses) but I believe it may be possible to resolve these problems (i.e., locked trashcans that are unlocked by the garbage person, just as my mailbox is unlocked by the postal worker. Why would a municipality want to do this? Because once again, it places the cost from the municipality onto the people. Those who want to be wasteful can still be wasteful. They just have to pay more for it. Those who want to conserve can conserve. They will be paid for their efforts.

Unfortunately, I do not believe that environmental education works well. This is not to disparage blogs like this: Environmental education works sometimes. Take me. Sure, I never thought of plastic bags before I encountered this blog, and now I am up to having reduced the number of plastic bags in this world by over 530 bags. Not a drop in an ocean, but it is a start. But to make real change, society needs to get everyone doing it. And to get everyone doing it you need to speak to them in the only language we all speak, which is not the language situated in the brain, but the language situated in the wallet.

Carrots, Underwear, and Plastic Bags

2007-12-20T09:52:00.000-05:00

Today's post comes from my friend Dan. I hope you enjoy his quirky solution to a recently encountered conundrum! :0) M

You’re probably wondering how I’m going to tie all that together aren’t you?

Inspired in part by this blog and by peace blog, I have been trying a little harder to live an environmentally conscious life. This means, among other things an attempt to use fewer plastic bags. The problem is addressable at the check-out counter by bringing one’s own bags or simply refusing to take a bag when buying just a couple of items that can easily be carried without a bag.

It’s a little tougher when dealing with the packaging of the things you are buying. It seems that everyone, everywhere has decided that their precious product must be protected by a hermetically-sealed, sterile barrier. And so the plastic bags still come into the house, and the option that remains is to try to find a way to reuse the bags.

Well, I’m happy to report that Fruit-of-the-Loom has decided to help us along with that little objective. I was in TJMaxx the other day looking to purchase some new underwear (yes, this blog entry is getting a little too personal!), and I noticed that the Fruit-of-the-Loom variety came in a re-sealable plastic bag! Why this would be the case, I could not fathom. Did they think that I would feel the need to return the underwear to the bag after wearing them? Or perhaps they thought I would take out one pair and want to keep the other pair “fresh” until I was ready to wear them?

But then it struck me: they must be trying to make it easier for me to re-use the plastic bag! I couldn’t help but be impressed with the ecological leanings of the company and decided right then and there that FotL was the brand for me!

I wasn’t immediately sure exactly what to put in my new resealable underwear bag, but I just had to give it a try, if for no other reason than to honor the opportunity that the corporate giant had provided for me. I know it would have been more appropriate to use apples or grapes, but I didn’t have any, so I filled up the bag with carrots and put them in the refrigerator. I ate a carrot this morning and I must tell you that I’ve never had a fresher vegetable in all my life!

How Low Can You Go?

2007-12-18T18:20:00.000-05:00

My thermostat has been set to 60 degrees Fahrenheit since November thanks to Crunchy Chicken's latest challenge. At first I was cold, really, really cold. I'd wrap myself up in a blanket and frequently recruited the pups (those hot waterbottles!) for their support. But you know what? I got used to the temperature. It's true: This GA gal got used to the ice cold temps in her apartment!

I've gotten so used to this setting that I've been contemplating on whether I should lower my thermostat even more. A couple of my friends have exclaimed, "you're nuts!," when I spoke of this idea. But last night I did the unthinkable. I lowered my thermostat to 58 degrees before bedtime. And you know what? I slept just fine!

When I woke up this morning I figured I'd be charmed by a sore throat, but no, I didn't suffer any repercussions from this change. So I'm going to amend my participation with respect to this challenge: 60 degrees by day and 58 degrees by night!

Bag Makeovers

2007-12-16T10:01:00.000-05:00

It looks like high-end retailers such as Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue are redesigning their bags for increased durability and aesthetics. Check-out this morning's story in the NY Times. The basic idea is to get people to reuse them while providing these companies with free advertising. And instead of thinking about bags as a liability, these companies are hoping that shoppers will treat these bags as great accessories. Now, if only I could afford to go shopping at these places! :0)

UPS: Changing Colors From Brown to Green

2007-12-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

I enjoy online shopping. With a click of a button, I have access to stores that aren't located in South Bend, which means I don't have to drive to Chicago to go shopping. But here's the rub: Just because I save a trip, doesn't mean that gas was saved. It still takes fuel to transport my favorite sweater from Timbuktu to my doorstep using UPS. Bah humbug!

Well, my friend Dan pointed me to a recent article published in the NY Times. It looks like UPS is changing their colors from brown to green! I was surprised to learn about their new policy to reduce carbon emissions, mileage, and gas costs for their company.

The policy? Don't make left-hand turns.

It sounds too simple, right? Yet, this minor tweak has provided UPS and the planet with great savings. By reducing the number of left-hand turns, UPS trucks have driven 28.5 million fewer miles and saved 3 million gallons of gas. Wowza!

I'm encouraged to know that businesses are adopting sustainable practices - surely, UPS is reaping economic and environmental benefits from this new policy. That's fantastic news, which is just in time for the holiday (shopping) season!

The number at the top of this page is off by 0.0000000001%

2007-12-03T19:18:00.001-05:00

Yes, and that's because today, at Whole Foods this evening I refused my 500th plastic bag since having first stumbled upon this page. That's 500 fewer bags ending up in landfills. I've been counting since I received from Michelle Verges a set of canvas bags that I bring everywhere with me.

This includes small bags, the kind that they give out at gas stations when you buy a can of soda. I hate those little bags the most. What use do I have for a little plastic bag? As if I couldn't hold that 12 ounce can in my own hands?

Because of this general annoyance, the other day, I completed a little observational study and watched bag use at Philadelphia's equivalent to 7-11 (called Wa-Wa), 100 people go through the line. All were offered plastic bags. Seven refused the bag, and 93 accepted the bag. Of the 93 who accepted the bag, 20 threw away the bag at the trash can at the door of the store. So the bag was of use to these individuals for a sum total of less than five seconds.

In psychology, we often speak of the affordances of objects - fuzzy objects have a certain affordance that makes you want to pick them up - sharp objects an affordance that makes you want to handle them carefully. I wonder how much could be changed if just the affordance of the store were changed - if you simply were not offered a bag, but had to ask for one. I doubt that any of those 20 who tossed the bag at the door would have asked for one. For them, in fact, the bag seemed something of an inconvenience - something to get rid of. I admire the seven for simply refusing the bag outright. The problem is to change the 20 into people like me, who have no interest in carting around billions of bags.

But I find the social interaction and reaction of people to be somewhat startled when I refuse bags. Almost as if by refusing a plastic bag, I am violating the store schema we're all used to in which we walk out with our items neatly bagged. An awkward moment of trying to figure out what this means, that I wouldn't take a bag, or that I had my own bag with me. Just the other day, I bought a bottle of cologne, and the clerk made me put a little sticker on it saying "PAID" - as if there was some kind of guard who would have tackled me at the Asian Market and refused to believe the receipt that I had in hand.

Most disappointing in saving 500 bags, that perhaps a dozen or so times, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the clerk throw the unaccepted plastic bag into the trash behind the counter - as if simply because the bag has been pulled from the dispenser that it is in some ways polluted - as if the next person who walked in would be disgusted by a bag not visually pulled from the dispenser thingy. That seems silly, quite frankly.

Hopefully this will change in the future. With blogs like this, it may be possible. I think everyone should start counting the number of bags they refuse!

Why Should We Care About Bees?

2007-12-02T13:32:00.000-05:00

I've been wondering about this question for some time now. Over the past year, there's been several reports concerning a dramatic decline in the bee population. Some folks speculated that this decimation was due to cell-phone transmitters interfering with the bees' navigational system - that claim has since been discomfirmed by reserach scientists in England. However, scientists have continued to investigate possible factors that may explain why the bee population is rapidly declining.

Last month, I read a NY Times review about "Bee Movie" by beekeeper Susan Brackney. Her op-ed piece provided a non-fiction account of how bees really live. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hollywood's version overestimates the males' role and underestimates the females' role in the hive. Brackney ends her piece by doubting whether Bee Movie will inspire people to seriously contemplate the current bee crisis we are facing.

Admittedly, I don't know much about bees. As a cognitive psychologist, what I do know is that people generally have a negative association when they think about this concept. Maybe it's because we're likely to think of bees stinging people, which hurts.

I have a few friends, however, who know a lot about the importance of bees. For instance, I've learned that bees play an important role in almond pollination, and that a declining bee population is closely related to an increase in almond prices.

So this issue has been percolating in the back of my mind for some time now. And just this morning I found a trailer for a documentary called, "The Vanishing of the Bees." If you have a moment, take a look at this trailer. Hopefully, this film will provide critical information as to why we should care about bees.

Eco-Anxious?

2007-11-26T15:52:00.001-05:00

Apparently, a new word is surfacing into our modern language dictionary. It's called "eco-anxiety," and it refers to a negative emotional feeling we get when we're not engaging in environmentally-benign activities. There's an article about this in Time Magazine* - it's a cute article, but it left me with a question: Are there any virtues to living a "green" lifestyle? Maybe if I considered the benefits of adopting these eco-friendly behaviors my eco-anxiety would be dramatically reduced.

*Thanks, Len, for sending me the link to this story! :0)

Flattering, But So Not True!

2007-11-16T16:58:00.000-05:00

I was just reading my friend's blog, and he posted his results from the Blog Readability Test. I figured I'd do the same - I was sure my results would be lower than his (am I detecting a confidence issue here?!?). So you can imagine how shocked I was to find out my results. And now, the cynic in me is convinced there's something fundamentally wrong with this test!! (I say this not to offend any readers, but to question the underlying assumption that one must be a genius to write these posts, which I'm clearly not!)

Denying the Sustainability Zeitgeist

2007-11-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

It seems to me that we are on the verge of a sustainability zeitgeist - you'd almost have live under a rock to avoid hearing current issues on global warming, climate change, and so on. The evidence is surmounting and compelling; I think people are growing more aware of these environmental problems.

Of course, that doesn't mean everyone is going to do something about it.

I remember sometime ago, a friend commented on how she couldn't understand why a person would NOT do something pro-active to save the environment. Yah, sometimes it is difficult to adopt another perspective, but today I found a page that offers some insights into what "others" might be thinking about in regards to this issue.

I've selected a few examples for you to enjoy:

Rhett-Butlerist Features - “Peak Oil? Planetary Collapse? Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Translation: Aggressive denial of information not in keeping with one’s world view.

Y2K features : “They said everything would collapse with 2000, and it didn’t.” Translation: A belief that any prior concern about societal problems that didn’t occur demonstrates the impossibility of any others happening in the future.

Submissive features: You're probably right. [Shrug]" Too hard/scary to think about... Translation: A response that acknowledges the reality of the threat, but is emotionally frozen or unwilling to devote emotional time and energy to the matter.

Magical Thinking : “Don’t worry, we can build a car that can run on air!” Translation: Proposes solutions that are clearly outside the realm of physics.

To read more of these enlightening comments, follow the link to the Energy Bulletin.

A Blogging Malaise

2007-11-14T14:29:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's just "that time of the year" when everyone is swamped with work - I know that's been the case for me recently, as I've been busy advising students, attending many (e.g., Sustainability committee), many (Diversity committee), many (Recycling committee) meetings, teaching three classes, grading statistics HW assignments, writing three grant proposals and student letters of recommendation, and analyzing data in my 'free' time.

Phew...I'm going to have to stop for a moment and catch my breath. :0)

What I can say is that despite being so busy, everyday I think about the environment and try to do my part to be eco-friendly. I also like to use examples that draw upon environmental issues when I teach statistics and cognitive psychology. Just this morning I talked about using a 2-way ANOVA to determine if the rate of ferrets dying in Colorado could be due to both climate change and an increasing flea population. (Yah, it's perfectly OK if you didn't understand that last sentence!! But the story is actually legit - it was first mentioned in the NY Times last Spring.)

Anyway, there's not been much time for reflection, that's for sure. Hopefully, I'll be able to take a breather in the near future! But not right now - I have another student-advising appointment in exactly 1 minute!! :0)

Coming Up: America Recycles Day

2007-11-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

My friend, Diana Mendelsohn, is co-organizing an event for America Recycles Day, which is on Nov. 15. She's asked me to help spread the word about this event, so here's what's happening:

From 10am to 11am at the St. Joseph County Solid Waste District office, Diana will give a short talk entitled, “Want to save or make money? Tips on how to reuse, reduce, restore & recycle everyday & make it work for you!” Displays and information will be available, and there will be a showcase of items made from recycled materials (i.e., garden stepping stones, an "earth-wagon" made from reused plastic, recycled art). There will be light refreshments and door prizes, too.

And if you're interested in signing a pledge to recycle, click here. Based on these pledge entries, six winners will be randomly selected to receive a year's worth of free curbside recycling or a basket filled with recycled goods.

South Bend Rallies for Climate Action!

2007-11-05T14:39:00.000-05:00

So yesterday was the big day when we rallied for governmental leaders to take action to help reduce carbon emissions. Approximately 90-100 students and faculty from Notre Dame, Saint Mary's, and IU South Bend met with community members and local organizations at the Morris Center in downtown South Bend. Although it was a wee-bit nippy, I was encouraged to hear politicians speak about this issue. Congressman Joe Donnelly discussed how grassroots efforts helped sway the votes to prevent BP from polluting Lake Michigan any further. Mayor Steve Luecke talked about South Bend's efforts to reduce pollution in the St. Joseph River and use methane for generating electricity. And several Green candidates asked the audience to vote for them in tomorrow's election.

Click here to watch a news clip from yesterday's rally and click here to read about it in the South Bend Tribune.

P.S. I submitted my NSF grant today (3:07am, to be precise) - Woo hoo! :0)