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Zombie Power: The Boondoggle that Won't Die

Zombie Power: The Boondoggle that Won't Die

“It refuses to die. Just when you think you’ve won and daylight’s coming, there’s another wave of zombies,” said Indiana attorney Jerry Polk regarding a New York company’s proposal for a coal gasification plant in Rockport, as reported in Midwest Energy News. “Now that natural gas prices have plunged, many utilities and consumer watchdogs say the coal gasification plants make no sense,” the publication reports. "But the Rockport plant is moving forward with support from Gov. Mitch Daniels and other political leaders. Opponents are fighting back, calling it governmental interference in markets and an injustice for ratepayers.” Read the article here.

Meetings planned on tree trimming practices by utilities

A community meeting to preview Indiana's proposed change in utility vegetation practices is planned for May 19^th, hosted by the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations. Also, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission will hold its final public hearing on their proposed rules regarding tree trimming on May 24th. For more information on these meetings (and how you can assist), see this page.

Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race?

Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race?

The global clean energy race offers insight to the leading indicators of innovation, commercialization, manufacturing and installation of renewable power technologies. The investment and finance data presented in the Pew Clean Energy Program's new report, Who's Winning the Clean Energy Race? 2011 Edition, show that countries are jockeying for a leadership position in this growing and increasingly competitive sector. Countries with clear, consistent and constructive clean energy policies are powering investment forward. Read more here.

Americans Want Clean, Affordable Energy

Americans Want Clean, Affordable Energy

According to a new survey, a majority of Republicans, Independents and Democrats agree they'd like Congress to work on an energy policy that supports renewable energy, protects public health and promotes energy independence. The survey, taken in March, sampled 506 men and 513 women in private households across the country. See the results on the Civil Society Institute website.

People should be green-but not lakes

People should be green-but not lakes!

If you are around Indiana lakes in the summer you may have seen it: the green scum on the surface of the water. At best, the scum is unsightly. At worst, it is unhealthy and even dangerous for people and other animals to be in the water. Nutrients, especially phosphorus, are key causes. The most common source of nutrients is runoff of fertilizer from lawns and agricultural fields. You can help reduce the problem by making sure that any lawn fertilizer you use is free of phosphorus. Learn more in the next issue of the Indiana Sierran, due out later this spring. Click on cartoon to enlarge (and special thanks to artist Paul Sharp).

Two new factsheets about the Hoosier Chapter

Two new factsheets about the Hoosier Chapter

The Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter released two new factsheets recently. "A Brief Look at the Hoosier Chapter" talks about the Sierra Club in Indiana and details recent accomplishments. "Donor Opportunities in 2012" provides a menu of options for contributors who are able to financially assist our work in Indiana. Of course, both of these factsheets will remain works in progress!

A Clean Water Victory in Indiana!

Environmentalists won an important victory for clean water with the adoption of a statewide antidegradation rule yesterday. Industry fought hard against the rule but we prevailed. Thanks to many of you who contacted water board members to urge them to support the rule. Environmentalists have been working since 2002 to get a statewide antidegradation rule passed. While the adopted rule has weaknesses, overall it's very good, as indicated by industry's opposition. But the devil is in the details. The rule allows IDEM a lot of leeway in performing its antidegradation reviews and we will have to stay involved to make sure they are being done properly. Here is an article about the new rule.

Mr. Green's Cool Home Checklist

Mr. Green's Cool Home Checklist

This list may be a helpful handout for you. It gives simple suggestions for saving energy in the home. Take a look!

Keystone Pipeline

Keystone Pipeline distortions featured in Indiana Ads

Hoosiers have been subjected to much misinformation about the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline in recent political ads. We are likely to see more such propaganda. Here is a brief rebuttle.

2012 Conservation Day at the Statehouse

2012 Conservation Day at the Statehouse

We must admit that we do not have incredibly high hopes for this session of the Indiana General Assembly. Nevertheless we will support positive legislation - and defend against the not so good. Tuesday, January 24, 2012 was Conservation Day at the Statehouse. Along with partners in the Indiana Conservation Alliance we met with legislators - and brainstormed with one another. Our efforts will continue throughout the legislative session - and the year. Stay tuned.

Richard C. Smith, Sierra Club Friend

Richard C. Smith, Sierra Club friend, passes away

Rick Smith, Noblesville, passed away a few days after 2012 began. Friends remembered him as a wonderful guy who was passionate about his family, the outdoors, and the environment in general. Rick battled cancer in the last eighteen months of his 64 years. Upon his passing, Rick and his family asked that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Sierra Club. We are grateful for those contributions and for the passion behind them. We will strive to make sure that the work these contributions support is work that would make Rick proud. For information about tribute donations or planned giving, please contact us.

Richard Hill receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Richard Hill receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Richard Hill, a longtime environmental activist in Indiana and an executive committee member of the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter, is winner of the Hoosier Environmental Council's 2011 HEC Lifetime Achievement Award, named in honor of Robert Klawitter. From Madison, Hill's award is in recognition of his many years of dedication to southern Indiana, including leadership of Save the Valley, protecting the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, safeguarding Hoosiers from factory farms and coal ash, successfully fighting the problem-plagued Marble Hill nuclear plant, among other battles. Richard received the award in December 2011 at HEC's 4th Annual Greening the Statehouse Forum. We are very proud of and grateful for Richard.

Prairie Reconstruction at Newport

Prairie Reconstruction at Newport

By Phillip Cox: "Tallgrass prairie reconstruction at the U.S. Army’s Newport Chemical Depot began in 1994. Inspiration for this project was garnered from a 1993 ... flora survey and subsequent 1994 report which stated: “A large acreage of the southwestern portion of Newport Army Ammunition Plant was formerly mesic silt loam prairie..." Learn more about Prairie Reconstruction at Newport.

Sierra Club Supports Utility's Green Energy Program

Sierra Club Supports Utility's Green Energy Program

An Indiana utility that promotes alternative energy? Yes! “This is an exciting moment for northern Indiana with NIPSCO customers, businesses and organizations coming together to support renewable energy,” said Chair of the Hoosier Chapter of the Sierra Club Steve Francis. “The Sierra Club strongly supports NIPSCO’s clean energy initiatives, with the good jobs that go with them, and will continue to collaborate with NIPSCO to move Indiana towards a clean energy future.” Here are several articles:

• Post-Tribune
• Times of NW Indiana
• Inside Indiana Business

Indiana Making Slow Progress on Energy Efficiency

Indiana Making Slow Progress on Energy Efficiency

With the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission’s approval of a new residential building energy code in November 2011, Indiana has taken a great leap forward in promoting energy efficiency. The new code replaces a 1992 version. We are now among more than 20 states that have adopted standards equivalent to the benchmark 2009 International Energy Efficiency Code. But our work is just beginning...

Protecting Indiana's Waters

Protecting Indiana's Waters

Our friends and partners at the Environmental Law & Policy Center have created this excellent website on water issues in Indiana - and how you can make a difference. Take a look by clicking here.

Special Outing: A Gathering of Cranes

POSTPONED: Special Outing: A Gathering of Cranes

Our Winding Waters group, which plans to co-host with HEC A Gathering of Cranes at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge near Seymour, reports the outing is postponed. Warm fall weather has slowed the sandhill cranes’ southern migration, and as a result the birds have not arrived yet at Muscatatuck. We are rescheduling for a new date soon. Please watch the HEC website for updates. See our calendar for other events.

Hearings on Duke's Edwardsport plant are underway

Hearings on Duke's Edwardsport plant are underway

Duke Energy's chairman will be on the hot seat this week as he tries to convince Indiana regulators that his company managed the troubled Edwardsport power plant competently and did not conceal vital information. However, information is certainly being concealed from the public in this scandal-ridden case. Attend the hearings if you can! Here are a few news links from the Indianapolis Star concerning the case:

• Hearings on Duke plant underway
• Documents on Edwardsport plant remain hidden from public
• Too many secrets with Duke (Star editorial)

Shine a light on this rate case!

Shine a light on I&M's rate case!

Are you an I&M ratepayer? You will want to read this opinion piece from the South Bend Tribune (published 10/6/11). It offers thoughts about I&M's proposed 22.7 percent increase in residential rates. The editorial also provides a link where you may comment on the propsed increase to regulators.

Newport: Indiana prairie’s last best chance

Newport: Indiana prairie’s last best chance

Indiana writer Steven Higgs wrote an outstanding piece on the prairie restoration battle taking place at what was once the Newport Chemical Depot. "As federal, state and local officials planned the Newport depot's future, [Phil] Cox, who is a vice president for both the Wabash Valley Audubon Society and Ouabache Land Conservancy, tirelessly campaigned for the prairie's future. But he quickly found the power structure cast jaundiced eyes upon him and his supporters.... Read the article in Nuvo here.

Carmel student wins Jane Goodall award

Carmel student Lauren Gibson wins Jane Goodall award

Carmel High School student Lauren Gibson received a Global Leadership Award from world-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian Dr. Jane Goodall at a ceremony in Hollywood, California on September 24, 2011. The award recognized Lauren for her efforts to empower youth in environmental activism through the Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant program and through Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots youth leadership councils. Read more here. Congratulations, Lauren! We are proud of you.

Faith groups can help save the planet

Faith groups can help save the planet

In Indiana, as well as other states, faith groups are joining the battle to save the earth. As Mark Wolfe said in an Indianapolis Star column, "The call to stewardship is strong, but the environmental degradation of recent years has been even stronger. As we continue to pollute, nature is aggressively striking back." Earlier this year, faith groups launched a new organization to help congregations and followers interested in greening their congregations, homes and planet. Learn more about Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light by clicking the link.

Study ranks air pollution from coal and oil-fired power plants

Study ranks air pollution from coal and oil-fired power plants

“Nearly half of all toxic air pollution reported from industrial sources nationwide comes from coal- and oil-fired power plants, the largest industrial source of toxic air pollution in 28 states and the District of Columbia.” This is a finding of a study released by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Physicians for Social Responsibility. Read more here.

Eagle Program Delights Festival in Decatur

Over 500 students from several Indiana cities were among those to learn about the bald eagle at this year's Kekionga Festival in Decatur. The eagle program was sponsored by the Hoosier Chapter's Conservation Seed Grant program and was organized by Carole Macklin.

Interview with Blue Green Alliance Regional Manager

Interview with Blue Green Alliance Regional Manager

Tom Conway, Program Manager for the Indiana Blue Green Alliance, was recently interviewed by the Post-Tribune. “For years, there was this misnomer that labor unions and environmental organizations were against each other, that the environmentalists were always trying to put everybody out of work, and labor was only interested in jobs and not protecting the environment. That’s not true." Read more here.

Coal ash raises health and environmental concerns

Coal ash raises health and environmental concerns

One inevitable by-product of burning coal is toxic ash. In July, Kentucky Public Radio did a story on dangers of coal ash in Kentucky. The same is true for Indiana - even more so. Coal waste is already poisoning Indiana communities. See (or hear) the Kentucky Public Radio story here. Click the photo for more information from our partners at Valley Watch.

Power demand from US homes is falling

Power demand from US homes is falling

Contrary to forecasts from utility executives and backers of new power plants, demand for electricity is well below what had been expected. Energy efficiency efforts, from better designed products to more efficient buildings, are making a difference. Read more from the Associated Press here.

NE Indiana Sierra Club Group establishes Facebook Page

NE Indiana Sierra Club Group establishes Facebook Page

Prospective leaders are coming forward to help establish a Sierra Club presence in the greater Fort Wayne area. Outdoor and conservation activities are expected to be among the highlights for the new group. Are you from NE Indiana or do you have friends there? Help us out. For time being, we will use a new Facebook page to spread the word.

Court Confirms that the EPA Has Responsibility to Protect Americans from Coal Pollution

Court: EPA Has Responsibility to Protect Americans from Coal Pollution

On June 20th the U.S. Supreme Court strongly reaffirmed its finding that carbon dioxide is an air pollutant subject to control under the Clean Air Act and explained that the task of protecting Americans from power plant pollution falls to the Environmental Protection Agency. In response Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, issued this statement.

Tritium leaks found at many nuke plant

Link Between Climate & Severe Weather?

A link between climate change and Joplin tornadoes? Never!

Interesting column in the Washington Post by Bill McKibbon: “Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week’s shots from Joplin, Mo., you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala., or the enormous outbreak a couple of weeks before that (which, together, comprised the most active April for tornadoes in U.S. history). No, that doesn’t mean a thing. ...” Read it here on the Post's web site.

NIPSCO Feed-In Tariff

Agreement Will Increase Renewable Energy Use in Northern Indiana

In a victory for clean energy in Indiana, Sierra Club and its allies have reached an agreement with Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) that will greatly expand the use of renewable energy sources in the state. "We feel that this will put Indiana on the map as a model for distributed renewable generation in the Midwest while also creating good jobs in the renewable power sector," said Steve Francis, state chairman of the Hoosier chapter of the Sierra Club. Read more here.

Farmers Market Info

Find the nearest farmers market

One of the best places to find fresh produce is a farmers market. You can get fruits and vegetables that have just been picked. It also helps support your local economy and is good for the environment (since goods don't have to be transported from afar). Check out this tool for Farmers Market Search from the USDA.

Sierra Club Supports Labor

Sierra Club Supports Workers in Indiana

Recycling Info Site for Indiana

New Recycling Info Website for Indiana

A new website with comprehensive recycling information for Hoosiers was announced recently by the Indiana Recycling Coalition. The site can be found at indianarecycles.org.

Hoosiers Want Renewable Energy

Hoosiers Want Renewable Energy

A recent poll says that Hoosiers show strong and bipartisan support for increasing wind farm development in the state through the passage of legislation calling for 10 percent of electricity sold in Indiana to come from renewable energy by 2020. Yet each time renewable energy standard legislation is introduced in the General Assembly, legislators cave in to utility lobbyists who insist that "clean" coal an nuclear power should be defined as "renewable." Read more about the poll.

It’s All About the Green Thing

It's All About the Green Thing

"In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing  back in my day.” That’s right, they didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But they didn’t have the green thing back her day...." Read more from the San Leandro Times.

Recent News, Events & Commentary

Recent News, Events, & Commentary... 

There's so much news, events & commentary of interest that we created a page that makes it easier to update you. Take a look at the page here. This page will be updated periodically. Please check back!

2011 Legislative Session

2011 Legislative Session: Issues, Actions & Articles

Take a look at some of the issues we have an eye on in the 2011 session of the Indiana General Assembly. We will update this periodically: 2011 Legislative Issues page. Our volunteers and lobbyists are actively involved in this session - as always.

Purdue Faces the Future

Purdue Cancels Coal Boiler!

Purdue University cancelled plans for a new campus coal boiler, making the project the 150th to be defeated or abandoned since the beginning of the coal rush in 2001. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter, challenged the air permit granted for the new coal boiler and campaigned to get Purdue to use its engineering expertise for cleaner, more modern approaches to producing energy.

"We congratulate them," said Bowden Quinn, Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter's conservation program coordinator. "We feel this is a bridge. There are still problems with natural gas. But this is a decision to move away from coal and find alternatives." For more, see this article in Lafayette's Journal & Courier -- and also this news release from national Sierra Club.

Energy in Indiana

Energy in Indiana: Dirty

The way we produce most of our energy in Indiana, via coal, is dirty. It's dirty to mine, dirty to burn, unhealthy for Hoosiers who live and work downwind of power plants, and it is worsening climate chaos. Now we've learned what we've long suspected: that the politics and regulation of energy in Indiana is also toxic. Utilities, created for the public good, have turned the tables: through cozy relationships with policymakers and regulators, many utilities are showing clearly who they wish to benefit. Guess who? And guess who is paying the cost? You will have a rare chance, however, to make your voice heard. Learn more here.

Hoosier Author Writes on Utility Scandal

Hoosier Author Writes on Utility Scandal

Huffington Post (12/2): Indiana and Duke Energy Officials Bantered While Ratepayers Picked Up the Tab - "Drawing on hundreds of emails, the Indianapolis Star is providing Indiana with the most unsavory political drama it has seen for a while: the romance between Duke Energy officials and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission." Read this article here.

Huffington Post (11/18): Mitch Daniels's Presidential Prospects Could Be Dimmed by Power Plant Scandal - "Anyone who thinks Indiana's Republican Governor Mitch Daniels should run for president hasn't paid much attention to the dark cloud hanging over Duke Energy's new coal gasification plant -- a massive industrial complex rising up at the edge of the tiny town of Edwardsport, Indiana." Read this article here.

Taking heat for utility oversight

Taking heat for utility oversight

The ethics scandal surrounding the unofficial "merger" of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and Duke Energy was the subject of an editorial in the Indianapolis Star on 11/23/10. We recommend taking a look at it here.

Hoosier Chapter Endorses Candidates

Hoosier Chapter Endorses Candidates

For the first time in several years, the Hoosier Chapter made endorsements of candidates in the 2010 general election. To find out more, click here

Coal Waste Issue Crucial to Hoosiers

Coal Waste Issue Crucial to Hoosiers

I-69 Threatens Endangered Species

I-69 Threatens Endangered Species

We are glad to share this Huffington Post article with you, written by Carol Polsgrove, one of our own members: "Of all the obstacles that ought to stop construction of Interstate 69 through southern Indiana, one of the most impressive is the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Wildlife Management Area. A sliver of nature on a north-south flyway for migrating birds, the 16-year-old refuge has become a stopover point for endangered whooping cranes and ...." Read article here

Clean Coal Dream a Costly Nightmare

Clean Coal Dream a Costly Nightmare

Chicago Tribune: "Sold on a promise of cheap, clean electricity, dozens of communities in Illinois and eight other Midwest states instead are facing more expensive utility bills after bankrolling a new coal-fired power plant that will be one of the nation's largest sources of climate-change pollution." Read more about Illinois' nightmare in the Trib. The article might be good background as we hear more and more about the cost overruns at Indiana's Edwardsport plant.

Sierra Club appeals Purdue coal power unit permit

Sierra Club appeals Purdue coal power unit permit

The Sierra Club and the Hoosier Environmental Council challenged Purdue University's air permit Thursday (7/29/10) in an appeal that says regulators failed to fully assess how much pollution the project is expected to emit. "We think it is a travesty for a school with Purdue's reputation of engineering excellence to be putting in old coal technology," said Bowden Quinn, Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter's conservation program coordinator. Read a news report on this here.

Hoosier Chapter Opposes Liberty Green Biomass Plant

Hoosier Chapter Opposes Liberty Green Biomass Plant

The Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter adopted a resolution opposing the Liberty Green proposal to construct woody biomass-to-electricity generating facilities near Milltown and Scottsburg, Indiana – in close proximity to the Hoosier National Forest. The Chapter resolution calls the locations of the proposed facilities “inappropriate” and says that such facilities are “by their very nature unsustainable, extractive, and exploitative of Indiana’s forests and thus are in direct conflict with Sierra Club’s established policies.” The resolution further states that the currently proposed Liberty Green facilities constitute significant threats for pollution of the air, land, and waters…” See the Hoosier Chapter resolution here.

Bloomington & Lafayette Groups on the Rise

Bloomington & Lafayette Groups on the Rise

Local Sierra Club members are planning to organize new groups in the greater Bloomington and Lafayette areas. In addition to local activities, these members can assist efforts by activists, including the Sierra Student Coalition, the Hoosier Chapter and national Sierra Club to make sure that our major universities are as progressive as possible on energy and relatd issues. To get involved in these efforts or for more information, email or call the Chapter office (317-822-3750).

A look back at the 2010 Legislature

Comment Period Ending for Draft Statewide Forest Strategy (6/11/10)

Comment Period Ending for Draft Statewide Forest Strategy (6/11/10)

June 11th is the last day for public comment on the Draft Statewide Forest Strategy. The statewide planning effort coordinated by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry has involved input and contribution from many groups. The documents examine the conditions and threats to Indiana's 5.1 million acres of public, private and urban forestland and also a prioritized plan to address these threats and provide a sustainable forest resource into the future. To learn more and to comment, visit http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/5436.htm. Send your comments to stateassessment@dnr.in.gov by June 11, 2010 by 6:00 P.M.

Hoosier Chapter & Allies Seek EPA Intervention

Hoosier Chapter & allies ask EPA to correct flaws in IDEM Water Programs

The Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter, the Hoosier Environmental Council and the Environmental Law & Policy Center submitted a petition that asks the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to correct serious flaws in the Indiana water pollution control program, which is administered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). Read more here.

Logging Coming to Hoosier State Forest

Logging coming to once protected forest

In 1981, former Indiana Governor Robert Orr set aside a section of Hoosier forest to provide a near-wilderness experience. Orr's vision for future generations is being scrapped by today's leaders who decided to allow logging in the backcountry of Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood state forests. "What will have to happen is the public will have to speak up," said State Representative Matt Pierce. The public better be quick. Read more in the Indianapolis Star.

"The governor didn't want to hear any of it"

"The governor didn't want to hear any of it"

A column By Rich Jackson, Porter County Editor, Post-Tribune

In August 2008, I sat at a table with Gov. Mitch Daniels, who'd come to visit the Post-Tribune Editorial Board.

I'm not always invited to those board meetings, as I have some behavioral issues that mirror Tourette's Syndrome. The only difference is that I can control my actions -- I just chose not to.

We were having a lovely conversation until I spoke up.

"I have some questions about the BP permit," I said.

He'd been holding a notebook but thrust it on to the table when I spoke. Then he pounded his index finger into the table.... [See column here]

Building Codes Campaign

Help us push efficiency through an updated building code

Help us persuade the Daniels Administration to update our residential building energy code. Improving the energy efficiency of our homes is the quickest and most cost-effective way of meeting Indiana’s energy needs while reducing carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. See more information here.

Outrage: Lax Coal Ash Regulations

60 Minutes Examines Coal Ash Dangers

Lesley Stahl and CBS's 60 Minutes take an in-depth look at the problems with the by-products of coal production. As you watch this disturbing video, keep this in mind: Indiana has 13 coal ash ponds.

Advertise in our Newsletter

Advertise in our quarterly newsletter

The Hoosier Chapter's award-winning newsletter, the Indiana Sierran, is now accepting advertising. The newsletter is mailed or emailed to all members and other interested Hoosiers. For those businesses and organizations trying to reach a "green" audience in Indiana, take a look at this page for more information.

Judy O'Bannon on Nature & Climate

Judy O'Bannon on Climate Legislation

"...the nation is moving on without them."

"...the nation is moving on without them."

Journalist Matthew Tully (Indianapolis Star) covered the recent energy summit in downtown Indianapolis, and produced this insightful column, entitled "Energy Summit was an echo chamber." We recommend it to you here in the Indianapolis Star.

New Donation Options

Monthly Contribution Program Begins

In an effort to make it easier for our friends to support the work of the Hoosier Chapter, we are now offering a monthly donation option starting at $5/month. There are more options as well. Please take a look at these on our revised donation page. We appreciate your consideration.

We are now on Facebook

We are now on Facebook

The Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter now has a Facebook group page. With this network we hope to expand our reach, communicate better with our public, and make some new friends and members. Won't you join us?

60 Minutes Looks at "Clean Coal"

60 Minutes Looks at "Clean Coal"

CBS News recently took a look at the question of "clean coal," and interviewed Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers. Take a look at this brief segment examines the dilemma of climate, coal, and our future. Is coal clean? Can it be? When - and at what cost?
Click here to take a look.

"Global Warming Impacts on Indiana" published by PEW

Climate Change: Impact on Indiana

A new one-page guide focusing on the impacts to our state from global warming has been published by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Human health, wildlife and ecosystems, and agriculture & tourism may all be impacted in Indiana. To see the guide, click here.

New Media / Outreach Page

New Media / Outreach Page

We've added a new web page that provides our news releases and additional outreach actions taken by the Hoosier Chapter. Take a look by clicking the "Action" graphic or our new "Media / Outreach" link in the left column.

Clean Coal? (You'll like this)

Clean coal? (You'll like this)

Indiana Tops Another List

Indiana Tops Another List

Rain and snow that fall near a cluster of coal-burning power plants in southeastern Indiana are laced with some of the highest concentrations of atmospheric mercury in the nation, a new federal study has found. Read this Associated Press article in the Courier-Journal.

Indiana Has Coal Ash Ponds Too

Indiana has Coal Sludge Pits too

The coal sludge disaster in Tennessee highlighted another problem with dependence on coal for electricity. Tennessee isn't the only state with coal ash ponds. According to the Associated Press, there are thirteen of them here in Indiana. Here is a list for the nation (including Indiana) as published on KnoxvilleBiz.com.

Is IDEM Going up in Smoke?

Is IDEM Going Up in Smoke?

What is happening to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management? IDEM is closing its enforcement office, unilaterally canceling  air quality contracts with local governments, cutting off funds for recycling and pollution prevention programs, seeking to narrow the definition of “environmental harm,” and more. At a time when Indiana ranks almost as low as it can on environmental quality measures, this administration’s recent steps will take it even lower. Read what others are saying about these matters on our IDEM Watch page.

Madison County Residents Fighting Proposed Medical Waste Incinerator

Anderson-area Folks Fight Proposed Waste Facility

PEAT International is planning to construct a waste incineration facility in Anderson, Indiana. The facility would reportedly process up to 35 tons of waste each day including medical and electronic waste, NiCad batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and other types of toxic materials. There are no incinerators of this kind in the United States.

Concerned residents have organize a group called "Hoosiers for a Safe Environment," and are mounting a petition drive and contacting public officials. To find out more about this proposal and the fight against the waste processing plant, visit HSE's web site.

The Truth Behind Coal

Coal-fired power plants are one of our nation's largest—and dirtiest—sources of energy. 

With new laws to fight global warming expected on the horizon, the coal industry is in a rush to build as many new plants as possible before pollution safeguards are in place.  This is an industry motivated by the bottom line.  Find out more in questions and answers and in the articles below. 

Smart Energy Solutions

Now is the time to move from our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and unsafe nuclear power, to a safer, cleaner energy future.  Each of us can take steps that will reduce global warming pollution. The Sierra Club's network of activists and volunteers are working to bring about a cleaner, smarter energy future.  Join us and be part of the solution!

Energy savings are blowing in Hoosier breezes

While other states approved renewable energy standards to spur investment and minimize greenhouse gas emissions, Indiana legislators and stakeholders quarreled over a 10-percent standard this session. The proposal died in the Commerce, Energy and Utilities committee.

Indiana provides a property tax advantage for investors in renewable energy, but renewable energy supporters say a bigger push would come from implementing a renewable energy standard, which requires a state's utility companies to get a certain proportion of their energy from renewable sources. About 25 states have already passed such standards, including Wisconsin (10 percent by 2015), Illinois and Minnesota (25 percent by 2025).

READ MORE of the article by Gitte Laasby in the Post-Tribune

Why Pollution Permits are Granted

By Lin Kaatz Chary, Post-Tribune guest columnist, May 14, 2008

Why is it that most pollution permits get granted? It turns out that, short of a glaring disregard for the administrative process -- as almost happened when the Indiana Department of Environmental Management tried to shorten the notice period for comment on the BP permit -- there are few bases on which most permits can be successfully challenged....

READ this column in the Post-Tribune at:

http://www.post-trib.com/news/opinion/947122,chary.article

Green Tax Advantages

At tax time, fight global warming and save yourself some green at the same time.

Federal, state, and local governments offer a range of tax incentives, grants, and loans that will help you save energy, fight global warming, reduce your energy bills, and let you keep more green in your wallet after Tax Day comes around.

Best of all, many green tax incentives are not merely tax deductions which simply reduce your taxable income. They are tax credits which directly reduce the size of your tax bill. Some can even be rolled over to the next year!

Visit zoomer.sierraclub.org and click on "energy incentives" for a complete list of both federal tax breaks and incentives and those offered by your own state and local governments. Here are just a few examples of:

• Hybrid vehicle tax credit: this credit varies by make and model, but can up to $3,000.
• Home energy efficiency tax credit: up to $500 for home improvements designed to make your home more energy efficient, such as new windows or a more efficient heating/cooling system.
• Residential solar and fuel cell tax credit: up to $2,000 for installation of a solar electric, solar water heating, or fuel cell system. Any excess credit can be carried forward one additional year.
• Energy subsidy exemption: Any rebates or incentives you receive for energy conservation measures, directly or indirectly, from utilities are not counted as taxable income.

Sierra Club Radio

Sierra Club Radio

Saving the planet starts at home -- so many Americans are looking for ways to make their own lives more "green." That's why we're launching Sierra Club Radio. Our mission is to offer tips and tell stories we all can use as consumers, as citizens, as neighbors, and as parents to make responsible choices, to connect to the growing environmental community.