When Forbes magazine rated “America’s Greenest States” last fall, Indiana had the distinction of coming in at No. 49 — slightly lower than Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama; slightly higher than West Virginia, which came in last.
To determine a state’s individual “greenness,” Forbes ranked each state in six equally weighted categories: carbon footprint, air quality, water quality, hazardous waste management, policy initiatives and energy consumption.
“Much the same as West Virginia, Indiana received across the board low marks,” said the authors of the report, Brian Wingfield and Miriam Marcus. “It had the sixth highest carbon footprint of any state, and four of its metro areas are listed by the American Lung Association as having bad smog problems, and one [Indianapolis] with an ozone pollution problem. We ranked its water quality worse than only four other states.”
“All [of these states] suffer from a mix of toxic waste, lots of pollution and consumption and no clear plans to do anything about it,” the report concluded. “Expect them to remain that way.”
A rash of press releases last week would seem to counter the presumption that Indiana is ignoring the causes that led to our being the second-least “green” state in the nation.
Upon closer inspection, however, the announcements from Sen. Richard Lugar, Gov. Mitch Daniels, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson, which all heralded environmental initiatives, are actually economic incentives with questionable environmental impact.

Lugar touts carbon credits

Sen. Richard Lugar has been working for several years to help Indiana farmers profit from the pollution of large companies. Just last week, he held a press conference congratulating the 69 farmers who are participants of the Chicago Climate Exchange’s carbon credit program.
Participants of the exchange voluntarily agree to a legally binding contract that requires them to meet certain carbon emission standards. More than 450 companies and organizations, including the National Farmers Union, which represents thousands of individual farmers, are currently part of the program.
Working much like a stock market, those who exceed the emission limits are able to purchase carbon credits from those members who emit less than the limit, offsetting, in theory, their pollution through the efforts of others. Each credit is equal to one metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions and the credit value has ranged from $2 to $7 this year. Currently, the credits are selling for $3.89 each.
On Earth Day in April 2007, Sen. Lugar announced that his 604-acre farm in southern Marion County had joined the Chicago Climate Exchange and urged other Indiana farmers to do the same.
“Trading carbon credits was a good idea then. It’s a great idea now,” Lugar said last week. “We celebrate again today because farmers participating in this market are getting paid for practicing good farming and conservation methods. These will remain sound practices regardless of changes in cap-and-trade policy. Low- and no-till methods cut fuel usage without sacrificing production. Lower carbon output, with higher carbon absorption, improves the global climate balance,” according to the senator.
“The ingenious market intervention of the Chicago Climate Exchange has given farmers some additional income while allowing carbon emitters a way of offsetting their output. It’s always good to get rewarded for doing the right thing.”
The Chicago Climate Exchange estimates that Lugar’s planting of black walnuts and other trees on approximately one-third of his farm will sequester 3,400 tons of carbon by 2010.
Twice a year, the Exchange sends out checks to those whose carbon credits have been bought up by the polluters. Last week, the 69 Indiana farmers received $134,737.13 from credits they have sold so far in 2008, an average of $1,950 each.
Through the first part of this year, those 69 farmers sequestered approximately 35,000 metric tons of carbon emissions through their efforts. In the same time period, power stations and the manufacturing industry in Indiana produced approximately 90 million metric tons of carbon emissions.

IDEM fosters local landfill gas energy projects

Indiana ranks No. 1 in solid-waste garbage creation of all 50 states, with each of us producing approximately 2.1 tons of garbage per year. And while the state has yet to introduce efforts or initiatives to reduce that amount, Gov. Mitch Daniels has come up with a way for Indiana to profit from the waste.
According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, “Methane gas emissions from municipal solid waste landfills have been seen as a nuisance to be reduced or contained, but some ingenuity and financial incentives have resulted in the emissions becoming a valuable commodity.”
The state announced last week that it has entered into a partnership agreement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency to participate in the national Landfill Methane Outreach Program.
“The U.S. EPA has resources available to help states encourage small landfill operators to find progressive ways of converting methane, which is a potent gas, into a wanted consumable,” said IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly. “Our joint venture provides the impetus needed to jump start this effort.”
“Landfill gas is a reliable and environmentally-friendly fuel option so it’s up to IDEM to educate Hoosiers that there’s a real potential to harness the gas,” said Travis Murphy, state coordinator for IDEM’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program. “Using the gas for the beneficial purpose of energy generation rather than emitting it to the atmosphere is a major environmental benefit.”
“Turning landfill gas into a viable product that is cheap, reliable and environmentally-friendly benefits local economies. Energy-recovery projects generate revenue from the sale of the gas while creating jobs associated with their design, construction and operation. And because landfill gases can be recovered and used to generate electricity, property near landfills can become prime real estate with the right partnership,” according to an IDEM press release.
“Natural partnerships can exist between landfills that must manage methane and businesses that can utilize the methane,” Easterly said. “Communities benefit from the increased economic development, so these partnerships are a win-win for everyone involved.”
The state next plans to assemble a task force composed of local, state and business representatives who will “explore funding opportunities, develop permitting standards for landfill projects, identify potential landfill projects, create a state primer defining the state’s policies and hold a statewide workshop,” according to IDEM.

City continues retrofitting of diesel fleets

In its Clean Cities report for 2007, the American Lung Association named Indianapolis the ninth most polluted metro area in the United States and Marion the 11th most polluted county. Nearly a week of consistent Knozone days testify to the city’s increasingly poor air quality.
And while no large-scale efforts or initiatives to address the pollution problem are underway, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works did announce last week that it had received additional federal funding to continue “greening” city vehicles.
The Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township and the communities of Lebanon and Noblesville are next in line to receive installation of diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) on diesel vehicles and equipment in their fleets. The work is part of the city’s Municipal Fleet Diesel Retrofit Initiative, begun in 2004 under the Peterson Administration and continued with Mayor Greg Ballard.
Diesel exhaust is a mixture containing over 450 components, according to DPW, including particulates and air toxins, which has been linked to a number of health concerns including cancer, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
“Air quality is a critical component to building a sustainable community, which is important to keeping Indianapolis competitive in a changing world,” said DPW Director David Sherman. “We continue to work to incorporate more environmentally-friendly elements into city infrastructure plans and to partner with others in the region as we move aggressively forward in our efforts to improve the quality of life for all residents.”
According to a press release about the retrofitting, “Working like a catalytic converter on an automobile, DOCs use a chemical process to break down pollutants into less harmful components, reducing the amount of pollution emitted in vehicle exhaust. Supported by EPA verification, DOCs reduce odor-causing volatile organic compounds by 70 percent, carbon monoxide by 40 percent and particulate matter by 40 percent from each vehicle.
“These pollutants contribute to episodes of poor air quality in Central Indiana and the installation of these devices on vehicles and equipment will not only reduce drivers’ and workers’ exposure to diesel emission, but will contribute to air quality improvements for all Central Indiana residents.”
Upon completion of the Municipal Fleet Diesel Retrofit Initiative, over $600,000 in grant and settlement funds will have been spent allowing for the retrofit of about 564 vehicles from Marion and surrounding counties.

Long Thompson announces Green Jobs Initiative

In what her campaign is calling “a sweeping proposal designed to reinvigorate Indiana by growing a cleaner and greener economy,” gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson unveiled her “Green Jobs Initiative” last week, which contained no concrete plans for improving Indiana’s environment, but focused instead on how Indiana can profit from green manufacturing and offering new businesses tax credits.
The proposal centers on the creation of “new, good-paying jobs through targeted investments and an increased commitment to new environmental and energy standards,” according to the candidate, and is the first in a series of policy proposals she will introduce as a part of her “One Indiana Plan.”
“Hoosiers need a responsible, rational approach to harness our clean energy potential,” Long Thompson said. “By implementing my plan, we will be able to tap into our highly skilled workforce to create thousands of green jobs, which are desperately needed to replace the ones that we have lost. These jobs will reignite our economy and put Indiana on a solid path of economic growth.”
Rather than identify ways in which Indiana could significantly reduce its carbon footprint and reverse the environmental degradation responsible for that ranking, Long Thompson’s new plan focuses on ways in which Indiana can benefit economically from the green industry.
Long Thompson is proposing initiatives to take advantage of manufacturing jobs that could come to Indiana if we produce green products for other states. “Indiana has the potential to create as many as 25,180 new jobs from wind turbine manufacturing and an additional 7,485 new jobs in solar component manufacturing,” according to her campaign.
“Energy improvements save money, reduce consumption and, when done right, can also stimulate the economy and lead to the creation of more jobs,” said her running mate, Dennis Oxley, of the new initiative. “The lack of leadership from [the current] administration has caused Indiana to waste a historic opportunity to not only help address the global energy crisis, but to improve our environment and create thousands of good-paying jobs.”
Long Thompson’s and Oxley’s plan offers companies a one-time $500 tax credit for any new green job created. Businesses that purchase equipment to lessen its environmental impact or energy usage would also be provided with an additional 3 percent tax credit.
Increased funding for research and technology is also included, with more than $17 million in funding from the 21st Century Research & Technology Fund to start-up businesses developing new technology and conducting energy and environmental research and development in Indiana.
Thompson would also like to create a Clean Energy Fund and direct $10 million per year from existing incentive programs to create it, to invest in innovative clean technology and renewable energy projects.
The plan also includes measures for energy efficiency in government. Long Thompson would require that all new state facilities meet Leadership in Energy Efficiency Design (LEED), Green Global or other comparable standards to ensure maximum environmental and efficiency performance; conduct full-scale energy audits of all state government facilities to benchmark energy usage; ensure that new vehicles purchased by the state are capable of running on E-85 gasoline blends or diesel vehicles that can operate on biodiesel; and establish a “Green Purchasing Policy” to ensure state dollars are spent responsibly with minimal environmental impact.
“Not only will this green strategy create jobs and reduce our environmental impact, it has the potential to reshape Indiana’s future,” Long Thompson said. “These are not just goals — this is a clear plan of action for creating new jobs and new opportunities for all Hoosiers.” 



More gray than green

1. Indiana’s rank for production of solid-waste garbage in the United States
2. Number of tons of solid-waste garbage Hoosiers produce per person, per year
3. Indiana’s rank for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in the United States
4. Indiana’s rank for sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions in the United States
5. Indiana’s rank for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States
6. Indiana’s rank for the size of our carbon footprint of all 50 states
7. Ranking of PSI Energy (Vigo County) among America’s worst polluters
8. Number of power companies that make up Indiana’s top 10 polluters
9. Indianapolis’ ranking among “Most Polluted Metropolitan Areas” in the U.S. according to the
American Lung Association
10. Indianapolis Power & Light (Marion County) “Dirtiest Power Stations in America”
ranking based on sulfur dioxide emissions
11. Marion County’s ranking among “Most Polluted Counties” in the U.S. according to the
American Lung Association

Story Update: 8/8/8

The press releases and environmental efforts continue. -- Laura

MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2008


Lt. Governor Becky Skillman to Promote New Statewide Initiatives on Energy Conservation

On Monday, Lt. Governor Becky Skillman will announce the State’s new initiatives to promote energy conservation. The announcement will be made during a press conference at the Our Land Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Hoosiers Care is a collaborative initiative to help Hoosiers make simple changes in their daily lives to conserve energy. The new initiative also has a component that encourages children to make a conscious effort to take steps towards reducing energy waste.

Children who visit the booth are asked to sign a pledge card agreeing to “do their part” to help reduce energy and resource consumption. Actions such as turning water off when brushing their teeth or unplugging their gaming systems when not in use are included as part of the action steps. The children will receive a certificate with the steps they pledge to take, along with a sticker featuring the phrase "I’m Doing My Part… How About You?"