Return to My Roots

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!

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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?

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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!!

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

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.