Sustainability at the University of Michigan-Dearborn: Student Environmental Association

February Science Café: Dispelling the Myth of the Big, Bad Wolf

2012-01-17T17:11:00.001-08:00

Announcing our February Science Café Topic: Wolves!

Date: Thursday, February 9th

Time: 4:30-6:00PM
Place: Environmental Interpretive Center, Room 119 (Map)

Cost: Free

Have you ever wondered about wolves? Do we have wolves in Michigan? Are they harmful or helpful? What is wolf conservation like in our state? Join the Student Environmental Association as we explore questions like these and more at our upcoming Science Café. We hope to discuss the importance of wolves to our ecosystems and dispel the myths associated with these important carnivores.

Guest speakers will include: Dorothy McLeer, Program Coordinator and Interpretive Naturalist for the EIC, and University of Michigan-Dearborn student, Jerry Heath.

Science Cafés are friendly forums where members of the public can engage scientists and experts with questions and become a part of a grand conversation. You don't need a background in science to attend a Science Café -- Science Cafés welcome everybody, especially those who want to learn more! Coffee and light snacks are usually served.

This event is free and open to the public. All ages (including K-12 students) are welcome to attend! We promise it will be a howling good time!

Visit the Facebook Event Page for more info!
P.S. You can read about one of our previous Science Cafés here!

Public meeting on Detroit area transit

2012-01-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

Drat--just missed this announcement for a public meeting that took place today!

http://www.semcog.org/uploadedFiles/Notices/SEMCOG2012PublicMeetingNotice.pdf

Detroiters, take note!
Public comment about proposed highways and other transit revolving around Detroit (details to be posted when available). Written comments will be accepted until February 17, 2012. If you were not able to attend the meeting (like me), please address your comments to one of the following:

Andy Pickard
Federal Highway Administration, Michigan Division
315 West Allegan Street, Room 201
Lansing, MI 48933
E-mail: Andy.Pickard@dot.gov

Stewart McKenzie
Federal Transit Administration
200 West Adams Street, Suite 320
Chicago, IL 60606
E-mail: Stewart.Mckenzie@dot.gov

Arctic Cycle Turning Wheels Close to Home: A Blizzard of Snowy Owls Lands in Great Lakes Region

2012-01-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) from the Quebec Government website

While most of us in Southeast Michigan are still awaiting the arrival winter snow, another kind of "snow" has arrived in the meantime to hold us over -- snowy owls. This bird, which hails from the northernmost reaches of Canada, has been spotted all over the state, including at locations within an hour of Detroit. There is even one unconfirmed report of a sighting downtown.

This event is more than just the arrival of an interesting and beautiful bird of prey -- it is a great chance to understand the workings of nature and how cycles happening far away can affect us close to home.

The appearance of so many snowy owls usually indicates a severe food shortage in the regions of Canada where they are typically found. These daytime hunters, which are impressively sized birds with a wingspan of about five feet, rely on lemmings, voles, and other small mammals to survive in the Arctic. When competition for their food increases (either due to a lack of prey or an overabundance of fellow predators), the snowy owls are forced to go south to find food -- as far down as the Great Lakes and beyond. Here they will hunt for voles, mice, and other small mammals, competing with local birds of prey to survive.

"We haven't had a good Snowy Owl Winter in years," recalls Rick Simek, naturalist at the Environmental Interpretive Center. "I remember a winter a long time ago when I worked at the [Metro Beach] metropark; I think I remember Snowy Owls picking off and eating injured ducks."

(There are no reports yet of snowy owls picking off housepets.)

Scientists usually refer to these dramatic mass migrations as "irruptions". They will stay in the region hunting and resting until March, when they return to the Arctic to breed.

Although this season's blizzard of snowies has been bliss for birders, the long trip south takes a toll on the owls, who must spend an enormous amount of energy to get here. It is usually the youngest and most inexperienced birds that are driven south, and many do not survive. If you go looking for one, try not to disturb it -- every movement it makes wastes calories, and the owl needs every bit of energy it can get. Be respectful and observe them from a distance, or from a blind where they can't see you (like behind some bushes, or inside your car).

If you are interested in knowing where snowy owls have been spotted, or submitting a sighting of your own, check out the Snowy Owl Maps on eBird. While you're there, check out their article, too -- lots of great information about this season's irruption, as well as some commentary on the importance of citizen science.

Let's keep our your eyes to the skies this year! Cheers to 2012!

P.S. A special treat, courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

Public comments for public access to taxpayer research & watching for SOPA

2011-12-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

U.S. friends, some of your tax dollars go towards congressional research. Public access to that research--especially in the sciences (like health)--is important. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is taking insight and recommendations for open access to research. Please participate in making the groundwork for a better informed democracy before January 2nd!

http://www.taxpayeraccess.org/action/action_access/11-1117.shtml

Also, the internet may be viewed as a commons--it's worthwhile to note that the currently proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) will have several ramifications for how we may be able to use the internet, and influence the pacing of innovation worldwide. I'm still trying to grasp the legislation, but the below video and overviews from CNET and International Business Times seem fairly useful and even in addressing the intentions behind the bill. The video clearly persuades toward anti-SOPA advocacy:

(found: http://tech.pnosker.com/2011/12/26/sopa-pip-explained-godaddy-loses-21000-domains-and-stops-supporting-sopa/ which links to http://fightforthefuture.org/ where people can reach their representatives and make their statements).

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/272580/20111225/sopa-bill-2012-things-know-controversial-legislation.htm

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57329001-281/how-sopa-would-affect-you-faq/

Update: SOPA to be voted on January 24th (http://americancensorship.org/)

This week in the civil realm...public meetings in Southfield and Dearborn

2011-12-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

SEA members are watching (and representing) at a few public meetings this week!

Today Sara Cole, a UM-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center employee, is attending the Southfield City Council meeting to testify about the community and educational impact of Environmental Interpretive Centers.

Meanwhile, a handful of SEA members have their eyes and ears open for tomorrow's public meeting on Dearborn's proposed Greenway expansion grant:

Tuesday Dec. 13th at 7:00 pm in Club Room 1 of the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, open to the public!

The city's applying for an MDOT grant to extend part of its Greenway (which runs from Andiamo through UM-Dearborn and HFCC and beyond). This is a good time to follow up on remarks made at last year's recreation master plan meeting. There are many interesting comments emerging from people reading the article too... perhaps we'll see you there?

And the Dearborn Press and Guide: http://bit.ly/PrssNGdDbrnGrnwyXpnd

Residents are especially encouraged to submit comments. If you can't attend, remember that you can submit your comments in writing (it's possibly even more effective if you can do both).

Good Food and Mercury

2011-11-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

Remember the hair tests for mercury from last year? Even if not, the Sierra Club's following up their mercury work with a food drive to highlight the connection between mercury pollution in coal power plant emissions and our health.

Mercury emissions from coal power plants are a major reason for why we're advised not to eat certain fish caught in the Great Lakes region (mercury fish advisory in Michigan: http://1.usa.gov/uprvhR, the U.S. http://1.usa.gov/t2XC1Z, giant document on sources for mercury exposure http://1.usa.gov/rRYX8D), and viable cost competitive renewable alternatives to coal exist (http://bit.ly/w5bzoA, also one of our fellow students who since graduated gave a very thorough capstone project presentation on wind energy concluding the same last year).

The food drive is also timely--the early/mid months of December aren't always covered by charities as thoroughly as the end-of-month holiday season is. Food goes to Cabrini Clinic of Holy Trinity, a free health clinic, which helps subsidize families in need--many of whom are homeless.

Cheers to giving, thanks!

#+#+#

Sierra Club presents

Good Food Food Drive for

St. Frances Cabrini Clinic of the Most Holy Trinity Church

December 05-09, 2011

Drop off non-perishable goods: dry grains, cereals, canned goods

Right now, President Obama is considering safeguards for mercury from coal-fired power plants. Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that causes developmental disorders, and learning disabilities. With 100% of Michigan lakes and rivers under mercury advisory– we’re saying enough is enough.

We’d like to show our support for strong mercury standards, healthy kids, our Great Lakes, and Michigan fisheries with the

Good Food Food Drive.

DONATE NOW!

Drop off locations and times:

Cabrini Clinic, 1234 Porter, Detroit

Monday and Friday, 11-4pm

Wayne State University, Student Center Building, Prayer Room

Monday through Thursday, 9am-9pm

Look for the Good Food Food Box

Bring canned goods to Detroit Sierra Club’s

Season’s Greetings Open House

Thursday, December 8, 5-8pm

2727 2nd Ave, Suite 320 Detroit MI

November Events with the Dearborn Sustainability Coalition

2011-11-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

On behalf of the Dearborn Sustainability Coalition and Student Environmental Association (SEA) at UM-Dearborn, thank you to all who presented or participated in the round table on earth, ethics, and religion!

Ian Tran and Sarai Richter greeting attendees of the Earth Ethics and Religion round table for sustainability. Photo credit to Michelle Martinez.

Your attendance, insight, and the formative consensus that emerges from these events is an affirmation of our ability to make a difference in the world as engaged citizens. The diversity of your perspectives and insight adds to the resilience of the greater Southeast Michigan community, and makes it a better place for all. Approximately 40 people attended this round table, and we look forward to seeing all of you again.

Upcoming November events:

Nov. 15th, 4-5:30pm - Protecting our Health, Protecting the Clean Air Act at UM-Dearborn EIC

Nov 17th, 3:30-5pm - Beans or Bypass Surgery? A scientific discussion about food and well-being at HFCC
Nov. 17th, 7-9pm - Privatization of Public Services Roundtable - LWVDDH, Christ Episcopal Church

Nov. 22nd, 4:30-5:45 - Alberta Tar Sands and Keystone Pipeline Overview and Actions - UM-Dearborn

Below you'll find a brief recap of our October "Earth, Ethics, and Religion" round table, and more details of upcoming November events.

Earth Ethics and Religion (Hosted by the SEA):

We were inspired to hear attendees declare a shared desire to live in a healthy and sustainable environment for all members of the ecological community. Insight came from many religious and secular perspectives: event attendees represented academic, atheist, Buddhist, christian, Jewish, Haudenosaunee, Muslim, pantheistic, and other secular and religious perspectives.

Though the discussion was inconclusive, we hope that you will build on the momentum spurred by this event and sustain commitment to making our communities a better place for all. There were many clever ideas for stewardship that were compatible with many faiths, here’s a few you can pursue right away:

How much energy do you or does your religious institution use? Can you find ways to reduce energy use by 10% so that it can go to others as a tithing for your energy/environmental footprint? You can discover your ecological footprint here: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/

Several participants also remarked that their faith communities commit time to environmental stewardship as they observe each day of Sabbath. Is this something you can do too?

We apologize that the round robin introductions did not take place due to unforeseen time constraints. We will be mindful of this for future events. If you would like to share your name, contact information, interests and organization’s efforts with other round table attendees, we can create a document to facilitate new connections.

Notes from the event will be completed and accessible by the end of this semester (circa mid-December), and recommended readings suggested by the community shall be provided before then. We plan a follow up series to this round table in the forthcoming months and will be in touch.

We hope to explore the dialog in greater depth with the following question posed by one of our attendees:

How can we respectfully overcome traditions that create barriers to achieving sustainability?

Protect the Clean Air Act with the League of Women Voters

"Protecting the Health of our Families through Clean Air policies" is the subject of this event featuring the LWV U.S. President and others advocating for a strong Clean Air Act. http://www.lwvddh.org/cleanairpromise.pdf

Clean air policies are some of the most successful governmental initiatives in our history. They provide strong public health protections that have saved hundreds of thousands of American lives and prevented countless asthma attacks, heart attacks, premature deaths and other pollution-related illnesses. Unfortunately, there are ongoing attempts in Congress to roll back public health protections provided by clean air policies that, in some instances, have been in place for decades. The League initiated a campaign this summer to renew America's promise to support clean air safeguards and protect our families from the dangers of air pollution. The Dearborn event is open to the public and a reception will be held following the program.

TUES. Nov. 15, 4:00–5:30 p.m.
The Environmental Interpretive Center at The University of Michigan-Dearborn
4901 Evergreen Road, 48128 Dearborn, MI
Room 119
Contact: Kris Zawisza, LWVMI Project Director, faircourts (at) lwvmi.org, 517-484-5383

Privatization of Public Services Round Table with the League of Women Voters D/DH:

The League of Women Voters Dearborn, Dearborn Heights is hosting an open community discussion to find a consensus position about the privatization of government services and functions (schools, water, prisons, roads, etc.). Benefits exist, so do costs and compromises. Regardless if it’s a service provided by government or private corporation, what must be protected to ensure citizen well-being?

Links to resources at : http://lwvddh.blogspot.com/2011/10/privatization-study.html

THURS. November 17^th 7:00pm

At Christ Episcopal Church

120 North Military Street, Dearborn, MI 48124
Contact: lwvddh (at) gmail.com or 313-278-6476

Alberta Tar Sands and Keystone Pipeline Overview and Actions with the SEA:

Featured speaker: UM-Dearborn Professor Barry Wauldron
An Overview to the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Alberta Tar Sands

TUES. Nov. 22nd 4:30-5:45
Location TBA at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

The SEA advocates to bar the creation of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which will run from Alberta, Canada down to the Gulf of Mexico while passing over America's Breadbasket states, the Ogallala aquifer, and several rivers that drain into the Mississippi and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico where afflicted communities are still struggling to recover from the Deepwater Horizon spill.

Q&A from the community in addition to discussion findings may be used in a letter to be submitted to the President via the SEA and its allies as they advocate for alternative solutions to the pipeline. The SEA will also take photos for those interested in contributing to a photo petition to President Obama.

Please RSVP to the SEA at studentenvironmentalassoc@gmail.com or on the SEA's facebook page (event page forthcoming).

Science and Conservation Cafes:Would you like to chat with a scientist about their work over bird-friendly coffee or local foods in an informal environment? The SEA is willing to consider a range of topics from physics to biology. For example, UM-Dearborn's mascot, wolves, might be a viable focus for a future science cafe. Is there a topic that interests you? Please let us know!

Procedural and Project comments for the Army Corps of Engineers Rouge River proposal

2011-11-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Army Corps of Engineers... I hope I submitted my project comments in time.

Some comments submitted by Ian Tran to the Army Corps of Engineers (some of which undoubtedly submitted in great haste... pictures from the Army Corps of Engineers taken at Sault Ste Marie added for visual narrative purposes):

Procedural comment to the Army Corps of Engineers and all other relevant federal entities (please share with the EPA as well):

Greetings! My name is Ian Tran. I'm an undergraduate Environmental Science student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and resident of Canton Township who lives within the Rouge River Watershed.

Please disseminate project proposals and public comment/hearings concerning environmental issues on a more thorough watershed stakeholder basis. Reach relevant county commissioners, city officials, and if time permits, local watershed stakeholder organizations so as to ensure better dissemination of announcement in community newspapers and newsletters via other local government units.

It is extremely challenging for individual citizens to keep up with and find out about upcoming public hearings and projects. Delegating announcements and resources to local governments and their community stakeholders is a must—this was realized and expressed vehemently at this summer's (2011) EPA National Environmental Justice Conference in Detroit. An abysmal gap between federal and local communications exists and many people are impacted by this lack of awareness.

Using this Rouge Channelization announcement as an example: The Army Corps of Engineers could have notified Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb (which are constituents of the Rouge Rive Watershed) county commissioners of this project and public comment period with directions to distribute to their respective municipalities for release to the press.

This outreach approach is important to the Rouge Project because upriver citizens in communities like Canton Township can be unaware of their tie-in to down-stream communities and the river. In the interest of promoting awareness for green infrastructure, a decision making event such as a public hearing may be the first time they encounter the topic and the bigger picture goals for regional development. I appreciate that green space is an acknowledged need for the Dearborn/Detroit community. However, as the Corps may be aware, flood alleviation requires upstream coordination and prevention as well.

Public hearings are an outstanding opportunity for local community organizations and educational institutions to provide outreach on complex issues such as watershed education, other environmental, economic, and political implications of potential projects.

Potential project announcements:

Please work with other Federal entities like the EPA to devise an educational phase as part of the plan for projects apart from and in advance of the public comment period and hearings.

With more advance notice about projects or issues under consideration, community organizations and educational institutions can provide authentic, coherent, and credible educational outreach prior to an impending decision. Citizens can decide and comment more incisively after they've been thoroughly educated about the principles of an issue.

Thank you for your consideration!

Project questions and comments (in strange formatting thanks to the magic of cut and paste...):

1. Has coordination with local non-government organizations been considered? Would annual volunteership at the proposed sites by non-profits like The Friends of the Rouge and student organizations such as the Student Environmental Association help

Do stipulations exist for favoring local contractors as groups that would implement the projects?
Despite its Area of Concern Status, do public access sites to proposed green spaces/river exist at this time? Would this breach the conditions for the project's designated goals? Several residents do kayak and canoe the river annually.

4. Can the Army Corps of Engineers stipulate a local purchasing guideline for contractors undertaking the re-vegetation effort? The Lakeplains Cluster Stewardship Network has a directory of native plant nurseries which may be useful for this.

Documentation and educational signage:
In addition to monitoring, I'd like to request that the Army Corps of Engineers provides or helps to coordinate outreach for documenting near-term and long-term project progress (near as in 1,3, 5 years from now, long being 15, 25, or more—at least establish a framework outreach strategy with stakeholders like the University/community college, City, and non-profits like Friends of the Rouge).
Will the Army Corps of Engineers provide updates on project status to the community?

7. Is it possible to allow permission for University, non-profit, and local government to install educational signs about the site and project?
Continued citizen involvement/input:
8. Please provide continued dialog and opportunity for involvement with the project with citizens. What ways can we direct inquiry or contribute further questions?
Also,

We're glad to know that the Army Corps of Engineers is looking at alternatives to concrete.

I second this recommendation:
"Please consider installing bio-engineered materials that can handle
higher near bank velocities along the transition zone downstream of the remaining hard

A real Army Corps Engineer pondering at the Soo Locks (photos from Sault Ste Marie, MI by Ian Tran).

armored structures, such as the CSO outfall." As an alternative, use previous hard-shore engineering (concrete) and arrange small banks akin to log jams that run tangent to a river bank--particularly in areas susceptible to accelerated bank erosion.

SEA Fall Reflections

2011-11-06T05:07:00.001-08:00

Hi there -- SEA here! We've been very busy bees here on campus the past few weeks. We we move from fall to winter, we thought it might be a good idea to reflect on some of the great things we have done, and some of the great things we have to look forward to. Here a few highlights so far from the Fall 2011 Semester.

Sunday-morning seed gathering - what a great day to be outside!

Annual Native Seed Harvest (October 3) - What could be more pleasant than meeting in the rain garden on a Sunday Morning? On that fateful day, we shook, thrashed and picked seeds from native flowering species in the EIC rain garden and collected them in bags. After that, we sorted, dried and packaged the seeds for the SEA's Native Plant Fundraiser.

Campus Ecology Discussion with National Wildlife Federation's Juliana Goodlaw-Morris (October 19) - How do you coordinate sustainability initiatives on college campuses? Julianna Goodlaw-Morris, Campus Field Coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program, was able to shed some light on this topic at UMD just in time for our Sustainability Week. Miss Goodlaw-Morris works throughout the Midwest region assisting college campuses with campus sustainability programs, finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and works with students and faculty to bring sustainability to the forefront of all campus activities.

Soaring Bird, by Sara Cole - A creative work made of materials in the UMD Natural Area

Sense of Wonder Open Art Exhibition (October 19) - This was a sustainability-themed art show co-sponsored by the Student Environmental Association and the Lyceum at the University of Michigan - Dearborn. The SEA was well-represented in the show with a good percentage of the works being submitted by current or past SEA members. Artwork displayed for the day on the University Center stage.

Professor William Seacrest, Professof from Henry Ford Community College, participating in group discussion

Earth, Ethics, and Religion Roundtable Discussion (October 20) - More than forty people showed up to this special event, making it one of our most successful events of the semester. The main goal of this roundtable discussion was to explore the intersections that exist between religion and environmentalism, and the commonalities/differences between different faiths and the ways they regard the Earth. Featured guests included William Seacrest from Henry Ford Community College, UMD Biology Professor Orin Gelderloos, and UMD Professor and Ecotheology Scholar David Skrbina. (Look forward to a "Suggested Reading List" made of titles gleaned from this event -- we should have it compiled by the end of the semester!)

The first SEA Bake Sale of the season was held in the Fairlane Center.

Fall Bake Sale (October 27) - We made over $90! Thank you to all who provided or purchased some of our delicious baked goods. See more photos here. (If you missed our first bake sale, don't worry -- we have another bake sale coming up soon!)

Currently in the works:

Keystone XL Pipeline Photo Petition

Keystone XL Pipeline Research Document (created in partnership with the Student Environmental Group at Fordson High School and the Student Environmental Action Leaders at Wayne State University)

SEA Bioswale Proposal

Did you notice that our blog also has a new look? Let us know what you think.

Cheers to a warm, plentiful, and productive November!

Good News for the Rouge: Removal of Concrete Channel being Considered

2011-10-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

Your feedback is needed!

The Detroit District of the Army Corps of Engineers is currently considering undergoing a restoration of the channelized section of the Rouge River, and the public will have an opportunity to submit comments before November 7th. The removal of the concrete and replacement with a "soft-engineered" shoreline could lead to more riparian and aquatic habitat in that area of the river, may provide opportunities to increase the public's use of the river (imagine kayaking and, rowing off of Michigan Avenue), and would just plain look nicer than concrete!

You can find out more about good practices for governments and the connection between infrastructure, watersheds, and rivers here: http://nemo.udel.edu/manual/Chap2Web.pdf

If you are interested in submitting a comment to the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the restoration of the concrete channel, please see below for more details.

Excerpt:

The Corps of Engineers (COE), Detroit District, has completed the "Detailed Project Report and Environmental Assessment" report for the first phase of restoration of the Rouge concrete channel from Michigan Avenue downstream about 1.4 miles to the vicnity of Rotunda Drive. The COE is in the process of gathering public comments on the proposed Rouge River restoration project. I have attached the public notice. The full report including appendices is available from the COE website at:

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/projectsandstudies/planningstudies/upper_rouge_river_section_1135/index.cfm?

You can also contact Ashley Binion of the COE at 313-226-2657 if you would like a CD of the document mailed to you.

Any comments on the report are due no later than November 7.

This project will restore the riparian and aquatic habitat within a large part of the concrete channel section of the Rouge River, will provide opportunities to increase public use of the river in that area, and is key to our vision for restoring all beneficial uses of the Rouge River. I hope you will join Wayne County in supporting this project. Please send any comments you may have to the address listed in the public notice letter.
Regards, Kelly

Kelly A. Cave, P.E.

Director, Water Quality Management Division
Wayne County Department of Public Services
400 Monroe, Suite 400
Detroit, MI 48226

We hope you consider submitting a letter of support for this restoration project!

Link to the Public Notice Letter: http://scr.bi/t87OXL

Great Lakes [policy]! H2O Now! The International Joint Commission Biennial Meeting

2011-10-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Friends,

The International Joint Commission (IJC) has a meeting for everyone in the Great Lakes region-U.S., Canadian, First Nations--every two years in October. They coordinate with the EPA, Environment Canada, countries, various watershed groups, businesses, academics, and take comments from the public to inform better water policies. It also hosts free workshops for all who wish to attend and is open to comments from the public.

That meeting is happening now! (Oct. 11-14, Tuesday-Friday) You can register here http://meeting.ijc.org/, registration is free! Be aware that parking is $5 though!

Your voice and insight is important! This year the meeting takes place in Detroit at Wayne State University and (again) is free to attend. Please spread the word and attend if you're available to do so.

David Dempsey, a Policy Advisor with the IJC, spoke at the UM-Dearborn Social Science building urged the audience likewise today reiterating the importance of education and vigilant community engagement at events like the IJC Biennial Meeting--"possibly one of the few times the public can deliver remarks in person to major decision makers of the Great Lakes." Having attended the 2009 IJC meeting, I was surprised to find myself as one of the only people in the 30 years and under age bracket attending the comment session.

Dempsey also urged audience members that even though Asian Carp and the condition of Lake Erie will likely be well vocalized issues, don't forget to represent what's going on near you too!

Not ready to submit comments but want to learn?

In addition to public comment sessions, there will be workshops and educational sessions to bring the community up to date on timely developments in science, policy, and perhaps even the economics surrounding the Great Lakes, other inland water bodies and the communities they're integral to.

For those who are looking for things to ponder prior to attending a session, here are some questions for you to consider: Is surface and ground water where you live drinkable, swimmable, fishable (a goal in the EPA Clean Water act on behalf of the citizens who sought a healthy place to live)? Do legal questions about commerce and water access keep you up at night? Does your community's storm water system and sewer drains still discharge into local rivers and tributaries? What are things that citizens can do to make a difference in their community to help improve the condition of the Great Lakes? This is a great time to find out.

We hope to see you there! The SEA is arranging for a few carpools, but to our friends at Wayne State University and those among the greater Detroit community, please be sure to check it out!

UM President Mary Sue Coleman declares University Commitment to Sustainability

2011-09-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

"We will be aggressive and relentless.
As a campus, a community, and a planet,
there is no other approach to take.

I want the message to be clear:
Sustainability defines the
University of Michigan."

- Mary Sue Coleman,
University of Michigan President

Source: http://sustainability.umich.edu/news/going-green-staying-blue-sustainability-michigan

A few observations about her speech:

1) Coleman seems to view sustainability as something specific to environmental programs only. This view ought to be updated--clearly social justice and economic issues are integral to our relationship with the world we live on. Reading "The Death of Environmentalism" might be a good way to start out: http://thebreakthrough.org/PDF/Death_of_Environmentalism.pdf

Comprehensive sustainability in Institutions of Higher Education like the University of Michigan can provide a coherent focus for educational programs to address real world problems on the local and global level, while encouraging people to understand the interconnections between the scales. Advancing sustainability with exclusive focus on environment denies the opportunity for better insight to complex issues--how does one implement solutions justly to all communities concerned (social)? What is the most prudent course of action (economics) for doing so?

2) For those wondering, her hesitation to sign the President's Climate Change Commitment in the past seems to arise solely from legal concerns:

"After seeking expert counsel, we have concluded we cannot set a date by which we will achieve carbon neutrality. There is simply no viable way forward at this time to achieve such a feat, and I will not place an undue burden on the backs of future presidents of this great institution."

It's interesting to see that some of the legal pushback regarding accelerated anthropocentric climate change was carefully considered here. Perhaps I'll have more substantial comment about this later, but I wonder what recent climate change litigation (perhaps the communities bringing suit to major petrol industries?) prompted this statement.

3) A friend said: "Wow! So what does that mean for Dearborn? She talked a lot about Ann Arbor." Maybe she forgot about Dearborn and Flint; more likely, however, I suspect she doesn't have a good feel for what's going on in the way of sustainability at these other campuses.

Either that or she relied almost exclusively on the results from the report for the Ann Arbor campus "integrated assessment" for her speech.

In any case, this is a good opportunity for all of our campuses to take the lead and demonstrate what comprehensive sustainability at a University ought to be about. It would be nice if the three major campuses got together for a meeting of the minds between interested students, faculty, and staff finally.

Juliana Goodlaw-Morris of the National Wildlife Federation offered her support to help coordinate or moderate between the three campuses so we can flesh out a comprehensive framework for sustainability as The University of Michigan, but also so as to inform our particular needs at our specific geographical locations (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint).

We've invited several key individuals from U of M Ann Arbor and U of M Flint to join us at Campus Sustainability Festival and hope that they'll join us there. We'll be as politely relentless and aggressive about getting something coherent going (as aggressive and relentless as civil students can be at least). We just need some reciprocal lovin' to come from them in the form of a "yes, let's do something together".

As an aside, I've got mixed feelings about that "aggressive and relentless" statement from President Coleman--it sounds more like an angry battle cry than anything else. In any case, it certainly was fun to use in this post!

Edit [Nov. 5 2011]: I just found a separate article outlining additional goals for "The University", which brings forth additional questions and suggestions:

How do they define "The University"?

Protect the Huron River through best-in-class storm water control strategies and by applying 40 percent fewer chemicals to campus landscapes, and ensure that at least 30 percent of stormwater runoff does not flow into the Huron River.

Why wasn't the Rouge River watershed considered for better storm water control strategies? The native garden/bioswale project is an excellent fit for meeting or surpassing the goal of a 40% reduction in chemical applications and 30% stormwater runoff reduction.

Promote sustainable foods while supporting more Michigan farmers and producers. From the residence halls to the unions and hospitals, the university is introducing new purchasing guidelines and making a commitment that at least 20 percent of U-M food comes from local and sustainable sources.

How does this affect our campus? Do these policies apply to all UM campuses? Where can we access these purchasing guidelines? When does this take effect, and how does our contract with Aramark get adjusted?

September SEA Events

2011-09-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

September is going to be a busy month for the SEA! See the "Resources" page on SEA's blog for a map of the campus. Come when you can, go when you must.

Tues. 13th 12:00-3:00pm: Student Organization Fair

Thurs. 15th 4:30-6:30pm: SEA Meeting/potluck meet and greet

Fri. 16th 11:30am-1:00pm: Sustainability Fest planning meeting and pot luck with EverGreenTeam

Sun. Sept. 18th 9:00am to 2:00pm: SEA Working Day

Thurs. Sept. 22nd:
10:00 am: City of Dearborn’s Adopt-A-Watt program launch at (RSVP required by Sep. 19)
4:30-6:00PM: SEA Meeting and Officer Elections

Welcome to the new semester! The autumn winds bring a rush of events for The Student Environmental Association here at UM-Dearborn, and you're invited to join us!

Tues. 13th 12:00-3:00pm Student Organization Fair--Can you help us greet incoming students and spread the word about SEA at our table behind the University Center? Please let us know, 15 minutes of your time can make a big difference in recruiting and finding out what's happening on campus!

Thurs. Sept. 15th 4:30-6:00pm Our semester kick-off meeting takes place -- let's make this one a meet-and-greet potluck for sustainability. We'll pick up on the summer's events and talk about the new semester, too.

Fri. 16th 11:30am-1:00pm: Sustainability Fest planning meeting with EverGreenTeam room 1070 Administrative Building (at UM-Dearborn's campus)

Theme for this year: Fresh Water. Join us as we plan and coordinate the events with various campus and community allies for this year's week long October festival on sustainability! (We'll make a better image for this year's festival theme)...

Sun. Sept. 18th 9:00AM to 2:00pm* SEA working day at the Environmental Interpretive Center! Help us out with various projects, make/distribute fliers, learn about native/invasive species, meet and greet friends new and old! We're hoping to finish up around 2:00 or 3:00 pm, but this depends on who will be available, what gets finished, and whether we decide to eat on campus or off.

Thurs. Sept. 22nd: TWO MONUMENTAL EVENTS IN ONE DAY!! (two exclamation points to denote two significant things!!)

City of Dearborn Adopt-A-Watt program launch at 10:00 am on the West Parking Structure on West Village Drive in Dearborn’s west downtown

Launch of the City of Dearborn’s Adopt-A-Watt program at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. This public ribbon-cutting ceremony will recognize Adopt-A-Watt charter sponsors for their efforts to save energy and reduce City expenses through their adoption of new energy-efficient lights in one of our parking structures. The SEA helped the Dearborn Sustainability Coalition promote this program this summer at the Dearborn CARES Festival. Attached is a press release issued earlier this month by the Adopt-A-Watt organization.

Media will be invited, as will suppliers of energy efficient products and the Adopt-A-Watt founder, Thomas A. Wither.

Additional details about the program and organization are available at: http://adopt-a-watt.com/

Kindly confirm your attendance before September 19 by email (bcampbell@ci.dearborn.mi.us) or by calling the City of Dearborn Department of Public Information at 313-943-2285. Parking is free. Please show your invitation at the entrance.

SEA Meeting and Officer Elections at 4:30-6:00PM
The SEA has a meeting once again, elections for officership take place at this time, but you can also vote online (more on that this Thursday). We're looking for individuals interested in any of the officer positions. If you are interested in running for a position please let us know either via facebook or by e-mailing us confidentially at greenwolverines (at) ymail (dot) com .

We have many exciting projects and opportunities in the works for this term and we need some people to step up to the plate for leadership opportunities. If you have any questions please reach us!

Saturday Sept. 24th We will be selling our native plant seeds at the Master Gardeners Association of Wayne County conference here at UM-Dearborn and meeting many of the regions greatest greenthumbs.

As always, we welcome your interest and inquiries--feel free to reach us via facebook or e-mail!

Cheers to a fine new semester!

The Student Environmental Association at The University of Michigan-Dearborn

http://bit.ly/SEAbloghttp://on.fb.me/ SEAFacebookFanpage

Closing notes from the EPA EJ Conference

2011-08-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

More details later [this post will be expanded], brief recap from the EPA Environmental Justice conference's recap as of 27 August 2011:

The EPA conference has adjourned with discussion about the efficacy/inefficacy of human and civil rights legal entities--US, how its applicability is unclear for tribal nations, and recommendations to pursue international human rights jurisdiction as an alternative route since current US environmental health protections are insufficient.

The EPA is currently backlogged with 40 complaints

Title VI (on human/civil rights) has been deemed an outstanding potential resource, but is currently ineffective due to lack of enforcement/ enforcement capacity and conflicting systems between the US EPA and US Department of Justice.

Title VII (on civil rights to employment*) has also been deemed a potentially powerful tool--when afflicted communities contribute to becoming the leadership of major companies and organizations, it follows that closer consideration for human rights and sensitivity to environmental quality will be given (stated by Rhode Island environmental lawyer Stephen Fishbach).

Proof of direct causation for harm is a common legal misconception for those suffering health issues from environmental problems (response from the US Gulf of Mexico Enbridge/BP spill fund continue to use direct causation as a way to deny current claims.

Recap on the conference, and next step/future recommendations were also shared--neat idea from Brazillian delegate: Inform consumers about the products they use with an Environmental Justice label.

Potential locations for the next EPA EJ conference? Coal belt Appalachia, First Nations Territory(/ies), First Nation Territory in coal belt Appalachia, North Carolina. Satellite/web/television broadcasting

As an aside, pictures from Thursday's Science Cafe are coming soon too, thank you to everyone who supported the event in their presence or their works unseen!

*I'll have to look at my notes again from the rush transcript of the panel session for more details when I have freer time.

An EPA afternoon: participatory community learning and education

2011-08-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

First, there's still time to participate in the EPA's Environmental Justice Conference here in Detroit--it's free, they take walk-ins, and your participation is meaningful! Go here to see where it's at and what's going on tomorrow: http://www.cleanairinfo.com/ejconference/agenda.htm

This is a mix of summary and commentary on today's events from the afternoon EPA Federal work group session. I participated in the community organization working group, and later attended the panel for "The Detroit Story".

Interesting news came out of the ongoing EPA Environmental Conference today. This afternoon we realized that people all over the U.S. are striving to organize, but there's a lot of organizational fragmentation.

[More after the page break]

I think one of the biggest future challenges for the EPA will be to answer this question:

How can the EPA help communities lead real sustainable change?

It was clear that we can no longer ask for EPA to be at the rescue at all times. Likely because EPA is overloaded with things to do and is under-resourced (read how EnergyInDepth uses EPA's lack of response to recent research, or consider how many chemicals under ToSCA are still yet to be studied by the EPA decades after the creation of the act!).

But some of the brightest notes come from knowing that many local groups are seeking or doing good work already. People from Alaska, Louisiana, and of course Michigan came forth to provide their comments.

Also, many community members expressed their dislike about how the benefits pf many federal policies and initiatives, tend not to be clear or even make it to the local communities. This is understandable, pretty much everyone hates the idea of imperialistic decision making, or the idea of "cookie cutter" policy. This is what people advocating for government rightsizing/reduced governmental power are probably looking for big changes in.

Tea Party activists and Detroit [or for those non-Detroiters: your community's name goes here] grassroots organizers share a lot more in common than most people would think:
We care about our basic human needs as individuals and as a society, and the things happening on a community level are sometimes too particular or complex for top-down-only government action/inaction. From this conference, many people have recognized that there's a gap in how our democracy functions. Better yet, they also have the drive to make sure--in the words of Grace Lee Boggs--that another future is possible.

However, strong and equitable leadership is something that agencies like the EPA can provide, and part of good leadership is facilitating participation and insight from all the potentially impacted entities.

In some ways, this is being addressed by the EPA, but in other ways, the general community is disadvantaged by not having sufficient scientific and citizen literacy to be well prepared for public hearings. Most of our first real encounter with the science (including economics and ethics) at a public hearing happens before we've had time to do our own research to learn about all the factors at play. By the time the hearing takes place, I believe our obligation as citizens is to provide sound and astute insight that will influence the selection of what typically boils down to a "yes", "no" or "option 1, 2, or 3" scenario.

I commented about the lack of scientific and citizen education/literacy that comes prior to their open hearing sessions and asked what continuing dialog for education and outreach does the EPA have right now. Based on their response, it doesn't seem like the EPA is collaborating with the Department of Education. Based on the response of other commentators, the lack of education, outreach, and awareness for efficient political efficacy is also severely lacking [good news though, EPA just finished a directory of environmental entities--a hand book for who to call about what kind of problems/resources if you will, I'll see if I can post a link for it here].
[as another aside,I was soon referred to as "the young man from Canton" by several other commenters who referenced my remarks, and I even got a complement from someone representing the U.S. Attorney's office!]

An EPA rep (I think from New York based on his accent) recommended I/we check out the community engagement initiative:http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/cei_action_plan_12-09.pdf

From what I've skimmed, the EPA Community Engagement Initiative seems to be designed as a reactionary process to solid waste/pollution rather than educational, but it does address the participatory aspect for community involvement in decision making.

My biggest concern however is that there's nothing said and proactively done about sound community education happening in advance of a problem or decision making event that aligns with environmental issues involving EPA and public decision making.

Though we've been assured that the EPA will step up their education and outreach--and even consider having other language interpreters available at future events-- education and outreach from the EPA is currently lacking.

Also, outreach education is clearly lacking on a local level, in the afternoon community work group for example, some Detroiters questioned the benefits of a light rail system. This was a failure to at least communicate the benefits from economic development and mass transit on whatever government entities were involved with the project. For those wondering what some of these benefits may be (see groups like Transit Riders United for more benefits about light rail, I'm pulling from the top of my head at this time): reduced automobile traffic cuts down on exhaust emissions and dust/other fine particulate matter from getting kicked up, also cuts down on fossil fuel consumption--exhaust emissions are a major contributor to asthma and other respiratory diseases in Michigan, and fossil fuel vapors are known carcinogens (will back up with a source when I have time, but in chemistry, hydrocarbon molecules--the stuff that makes up most of our gas and oil--tend to be carcinogenic). Plus, you can take the train, not have to worry about driving and do things with your time while going somewhere. Ideally, developers want the train destinations to either arrive at vibrant places, or help create existing places more vibrant (the economic development part)--if you own a property, the value of it might go up (the fact that most low income individuals cannot afford to own their own property is an issue that needs to be addressed elsewhere, I'm just stating one of the developmental ideals I've frequently heard). Also, it might interest other people in appreciating Detroit who may have not explored it in the same way if they took a car there.

Another example from the breakout group: The EPA had conducted something called the "Moving Goods" study, a well-invested study (paraphrasing the title from what Omega Wilson of the EPA said, will have to check again when I have time, it's about transit though), and sought to disseminate it to all other agencies. A gentleman in my group from the USDOT had never received this document and found out about it today just by being with the community breakout group. Many non-agency group members commented again about how the trickle down assumption clearly did not work--we certainly didn't know anything about this. Encouraging further participation from the public in the planning and study is ideal in helping to make these initiatives better known, and would help remedy the problem at least in the communities it may have been tested in. However, I must reiterate that sound and in-depth education that happens prior to and during these processes is paramount to making well informed studies and decision making. Right now, the education side is sorely missing--in the EPA, and even in the US Department of Education. Environmental education--at least to the extent that high school graduates would know basic environmental factors for good health like air and water quality, and be able to take efficient and efficate political action on the local, county, state, or federal level is certainly lacking. I went through the public school system stayed very engaged as a citizen, and even took additional college courses in political science and still didn't know what county government does until I met a Wayne County commissioner this summer.

Public hearings aren't always enough either--many communities (Del Ray especially) remarked about how they felt excluded from open public forums for things like the Detroit Works project. Many of us SEA members and other every day citizens can also attest to how schedules sometimes don't line up with what's going on in the public forum (think about the times you had class at night... or work...).

Participatory dialog and planning is almost certainly the way to go, and it looks like this plan addresses that from what I've skimmed on the first page. I'm now trying to briefly blog about some of the happenings.

'Twas good may seem optimistic, there was certainly a fair share of dissenting and afflicted community representatives giving their comments, but most everyone could find a positive note. Also, the Detroit Salt Company--a mining company--was there and participated as part of the panel, that was a welcome surprise! It was unfortunate to see how very few other industries and companies were present. I applaud George Davis for his frank statements and sincere efforts toward making the company "be a good 'corporate citizen' with emphasis on citizen". We'll hold him to his words, and it's certainly a fine time for all of us to re-examine how businesses can be responsible.

Bonus: Mr. Davis is a University of Michigan Alum who believes he must not only be a leader, but also among the best. Go Blue!

Plants to know and a cup of joe...our second science cafe!

2011-08-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
is a native Michigan plant.
Its roots can grow to 8 feet!
Image compilation by Ian Tran,
coffee cup credit to Flickr user BallistikCoffeeBoy

Join us for a cup of bird-friendly coffee and discussion about the role of native plants in our communities!

Ethical and legal concerns about landscaping?

Find out from an individual who navigated them and made it happen in Dearborn Heights!

Curious about what plants can make a great habitat for many to enjoy?

Let's further the dialog!

Thursday, August 25th
6:00 pm
in room 116
UM-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center
4901 Evergreen Road Dearborn, MI 48128

You're invited to join us for this informal discussion on native plants, landscaping, and our connection to it all to make a more vibrant ecosystemic and human community in the Southeast Michigan area via the landscapes we live with.

This science cafe features special guests, among them Steve Ray of the Dearborn Heights Watershed Commission, Martha Gruelle of the Stewardship Network, and of course: YOU! Dearborn's Sustainability Coordinator and esteemed alum of UM-Dearborn David Norwood will also be joining us.

Also, we're hoping to serve Bird Friendly Coffee again, and will have fresh UM-Dearborn made honey.

Please RSVP to the Student Environmental Association at The University of Michigan-Dearborn here on our facebook event or at greenwolverines (at) ymail (dot) com so we can better plan the event.

“UM-Dearborn Natural Area Appreciation” Questionnaire

2011-08-17T10:42:00.001-07:00

Greetings, Friends and Lovers of the University of Michigan - Dearborn Natural Area!

My name is Sara Cole, long-time student staff member at the Environmental Interpretive Center, and I am reaching out to you on behalf of fellow students and staff who regularly use the Natural Area for educational programs and wish it to stay accessible as a place of learning far into the future. In order to do that, we need to hear from you. Our goal is to compile a great collection of feedback which attests to the UMD Natural Area's educational value to those who have participated in a program/class there. If the Rose Garden Pond and Natural Area mean something to you, we want to hear about it!

It would be absolutely wonderful to get responses from the following people:

Students (and Alums) of Field Bio, etc.
SEA Members
Staff at the Environmental Interpretive Center
(current and past)
K-12 students & the General Public

The deadline for responses is September 12 [edit: the deadline is tentatively extended to October 1st].

I'll send everyone reminder email next week, and an update in September.

Bonus: Select responses may be featured on the EIC website. .

I look forward to hearing what the UMD Rose Garden Pond and Natural Area mean to all of you

Thank you,

Sara Cole sscole(at)gmail.com
EIC Staff/Student Naturalist (2008-present)
RRBO Volunteer Bird Bander (Fall 2010)

“What one does is what counts. Not what one had the intention of doing.”- Pablo Picasso

"Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda

If you'd like to download the survey, here's the link: http://scr.bi/UMDbrnNatAreaSrvy

###Survey begins here (click on the jump break)###

The Rose Garden Pond and Natural Area have served as an educational setting for over 40 years. The educational value of natural areas is well documented, but we’d love to know what makes our natural place in Dearborn special to you!

On average, over 10,000 UMD, HFCC, and K-12 students learn in this unique “outdoor classroom” every year. The Natural Area at University of Michigan – Dearborn is a valuable asset for K-12 students, teachers, college students, children, families, and community members. The Natural Area is also ecologically important, too, serving as a home for a wide variety of insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and migrating birds. Plus, being located upstream of the Detroit river, it helps clean the water that we drink from the municipal tap. This makes it valuable for environmental scientists, ecologists, local governments, and sustainability researchers, especially those focused on studying the environment in urban settings.

The purpose of this questionnaire is to help understand what the Rose Garden Pond and Natural Area means to those who have used it. Your responses will help convey why it should be preserved and protected as an educational space.

Select responses will be turned into essays for inclusion in the document presented to the EIC in September. Responses can and may be featured on the EIC website or used in future publications.

(Note: Please use complete sentences, feel free to sketch or include pictures too.)

1. What is your name?

2. What is your affiliation with the UMD Rose Garden Pond/Natural Area? How long have you been affiliated with it?

3. Describe your most meaningful experience that occurred in the Rose Garden Pond or Natural Area, whether it involved you directly or was something that you passively witnessed. (For example: Something you discovered, a program you led, a student you worked with, etc.)

4. In brief, describe why the Rose Garden Pond and Natural Area is important to you as a learner. What kind of concepts did you learn there? What can others learn when they visit the natural area? Be specific. (Tips: If you make a claim, try your best to cite a research study that supports your claim. It will make for a much stronger and more thoughtful statement.)

5. Optional: Attach a picture (e.g.: photo or drawing) that shows that the Rose Garden Pond means to you. Include an informative caption (e.g.: the location of the photo, the circumstances under which the photo was taken, what the picture represents).

Picture description/Caption:

______________________________________________________________

(1) References:

American Institutes for Research & the California Department of Education (2005). Effects of Outdoor Education Programs on
Children. [On-line]. Retrieved (June 18, 2008), from http://www.seer.org/pages/research/AIROutdoorSchool2005.pdf

Barnet, Lord, Strauss, Rosca, Langord, Chavez, Deni (2006). Using the urban environment to
engage youths in Urban Ecology Field Studies. Journal of Environmental Education, 37(2), 15-25.

Chawla, Louise (1999). Life paths into effective environmental action. Journal of Environmental
Education, 31 (1), 15-26.

Louv, Richard (2007). Leave No Child Inside. Orion Magazine. [On-line) Retrieved (June 18,2008), from http://
www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/240

Taylor, Andrea Faber; and Frances E. Kuo. “Is Contact with Nature Important for Healthy Child Development? State of the Evidence.” In Spencer, C. & Blades, M. (Eds.), Children and Their Environments: Learning, Using and Designing Spaces. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. http://www.lhhl.uiuc.edu/documents/Faber2006Iscontactwithnature.pdf (Volume 1)

Moore, R. C., & Cooper Marcus, C. (2008). “Healthy planet, healthy children: Designing nature into the daily spaces of childhood.” In S. Kellert, J. Heerwagen & M. Mador (Eds.), Biophilic design: Theory, science and practice. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This book chapter is available online at: http://www.naturalearning.org/docs/MooreCooperMarcus_Healthy.pdf (Volume 3)

Kellert, Stephen R. “Nature and Childhood Development.” In Building for Life: Designing and Understanding the Human-Nature
Connection. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2005.

Other Resources about Children, Nature & Learning:

Children & Nature Network
http://www.childrenandnature.org
Click on Research & Publications

Children, Nature & Learning: Research Abstracts
http://naturenotebook.wordpress.com

(2) Ecology & Sustainability Research in the UMD Natural Area

Rouge River Bird Observatory (RRBO) - One of the first and only urban bird research sites in North America.
Research is conducted in the UMD Natural Area in Dearborn, MI.
Julie Craves, Supervisor of Avian Research
http://www.rrbo.org

Importance of the UMD Natural Area as an urban migratory stopover site:
http://www.rrbo.org/conservation-science/research/migration-stopover-ecology/

Partial list of research projects affiliated with the UMD Natural Area: http://www.umd.umich.edu/eic/research/activities.html

Detroit Frack Ban Resolution status: unanimously passed!

2011-07-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

The resolution didn't get on Tuesday's agenda, but it has been well represented and
voted on today (Friday the 22nd) during the noon session.

I called Chris Corrigan of the Detroit Food and Water Watch office at about 1:30 today and learned that the Detroit City Council passed the ban by unanimous vote. This is literally a watershed event. Most of the communities upstream in the Rouge River watershed (Westward from Dearborn out to Superior/Salem Townships, and North out to Rochester Hills, Bloomfield/West Bloomfield Townships, and Novi) get their municipal tap (drinking) water from the Detroit river--which the Rouge drains into.

As far as I could reckon, Food and Water Watch, Dearborn/Dearborn Heights League of Women Voters, the SEA, and Akinpelu twins were in attendance on Tuesday. Details forthcoming as we find out what happens next. Those who spoke got their concerns for safety and its regional relevance to Southeast Michigan across--it piqued councilman Brown's interest and he expressed his thanks to all of the youth who came to represent their solidarity in the issue.

Congratulations for your leadership Detroit, it's a major step forward in citizen and environmental protections. Also, please be vigilant in following through--you can propose similar resolutions in your hometown too!

That said, I believe the city of Detroit and groups like Food and Water watch will also need to look in earnest toward something creative and solutions oriented for responsibly meeting energy and employment needs. They've got very bright talents in the area, and it's time to make it known that Detroit's leadership is happening from all directions at all levels of Southeast Michigan.

Meeting July 11th, other news

2011-07-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

We'll be meeting
Monday July 11th 6:00pm
on the second floor of the University Center in the SAOC
to plan for Fall Semester, take care of various projects, lay out some of our collaborative event plans, etc.

We're updating our mailing list too. To better plan how and what we communicate with you, please let us know:
1) if you'd like to be removed from the list
2) do you find the occasional job notices, conferences, internships, and volunteer opportunities valuable?
3) is there anything you'd like to lead or see happen in the future?
You can reach us at greenwolverines (at) ymail.com

Interesting news tidbits:

Ready or not, your city may be very capable of adapting to accelerated climate change--Detroit's ranked in the top 3 (Cleveland got 1st place)! http://t.co/7MDYya8
Check out the 1000 scientists in 1000 schools initiative. This would be a good complement to the NOVA ScienceNOW and Future City programs. http://bit.ly/mRKsjw
Bright ideas by youths of Detroit (and some from Dearborn) gave ideas and some plans at the ESD Future Detroit symposium, the report has been published and one of SEA's members got to facilitate and author with workgroup 4. http://t.co/7UzuDOX Issues of environmental justice and asthma didn't fit the final publication, but you can read the full unedited write up by requesting for a copy from the ESD (http://esd.org).

The Pentagon has announced its energy/environmental strategy, hear parts of it discussed on the Diane Rehm Show: http://bit.ly/p269Qw There'll be a time when the necessity of peaceable education overcomes the present reality of global conflicts soon, but all things considered it's still relatively good news as these perspectives in energy use are being put into action and will likely trickle into other parts of administrative and public attitudes toward sustainability.

For the 4th of July several of us went out to Ann Arbor to help with the last hoop house build for the 20 hoop houses in 20 days project--only to find a neighborhood without people building hoop houses (we probably rsvp'd too late and missed out on important details). We saw a guy with a cello standing on the sidewalk without a shirt, a rockin' community garden in the Waterhill neighborhood, and then all three of us carpooled to visit the Michigan sailing club to partake in their potluck instead discussing bits of democracy and good books on a fine sunny day. Hope you had a great and enriching 4th of July too!

What the Frack!?! Fracking Party: Gasland Screening Wed. April 20th 6:00pm-9:00

2011-04-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

What ~~the~~ [is] frack!?!

Wed. April 20th 6:00pm-9:00 the SEA will be screening Gasland in the Environmental Interpretive Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn:

Gasland is a documentary concerning Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)--a means of natural gas extraction within deep natural gas well drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of potable (drinking) water, along with sand and proprietary chemicals are injected under high pressure into a well. The pressure fractures shale rock and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.

Awareness of this process and issue is especially relevant to us because Michigan and the Great Lakes basin are prime locations for natural gas extraction, and several communities have reported affliction (see USGS/EIA maps below for existing natural gas locations).

Furthermore, it's ongoing at present within our state.

Gasland has been subject to several criticisms. See some from:

1. Energy In Depth--a blog assembled by a collection of U.S. Natural Gas and Oil producers
2. Blogger Kirian Stacey of the Financial Times
3. Ongoing discussion by insightful folks at the Oil Drum (see comments near the end for people who actually worked in the industry and/or watched the film)--some of whom claim that the criticisms from Energy In Depth can be rebuked

We'll try to make sense of them and weigh out its merits with some geology, environmental science, sensibility, and civility.

Join us to examine the topic at hand, as well as the documentary itself--how are the issues communicated? What does it mean to all of us as citizens and consumers of media and energy? Also important to consider: what alternatives can we pursue to minimize our dependence on fossil fuel extraction and consumption altogether?

Trailer:

Please join us at this fracking party, popcorn and beverages will be served at the event, so it's a fine opportunity to stop by and take a break from your studies!! Please RSVP to greenwolverines (at) ymail (dot) com

Science Café #1: The Coffee Connection to Birds and Biodiversity

2011-04-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

Photos and notes from our first Science Café: "The Coffee Connection to Birds and Biodiversity":

Thanks to everyone who came out -- special thanks to everyone who helped set up/tear down, featured guest speaker Sara Yearout for sharing her senior research project and passion for sustainably sourced foods, Julie Craves (head of Avian Research at Rouge River Bird Observatory and shade-grown coffee authority) for sharing her expertise, Sara Cole for sharing the photos, Birds and Beans for their wonderful "Chestnut-Sided Warbler" blend of coffee, and the SEA members who helped make this event happen! Though the books didn't arrive in time for the event, great things happened nonetheless.

In case you missed it, here are some "tasty tidbits" from the discussion:

"triple crown" (fair trade, organic, bird-friendly) coffee is the golden standard at this time.

Look out for the fine print on certified coffee! Some certifications, like those awarded by the Rainforest Alliance, may actually certify only a certain percentage of the coffee to be shade-grown (30% for example) in the fine print.
Some growers and suppliers cannot afford to get certified, but may still label their coffees as "bird-friendly".
Caribou Coffee is working to get all of their coffee Rainforest Alliance Certified by 2012, while Starbucks has internal standards for suppliers that tend more toward fair treatment of the farmers, but may not necessarily be bird-friendly at this time

You can find out about some of the impacts through this blog by our resident celebrity (she was interviewed on PRI's The World not too long ago) Rouge River Bird Observatory researcher and UM-Dearborn alum Julie Craves: http://www.coffeehabitat.com

For some insight on how coffee (and chocolate) tie in with climate change, this rainforest alliance webpage is a fair source: http://my.rainforest-alliance.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=6361.0&dlv_id=10981
Even if you're not a coffee drinker, are there places where you can educate coffee consumers about their connection to coffee, or help them make more sustainable purchases? Local cafes, the workplace or at home might be good places to start.
Since coffee is exported into Michigan, it's worth recognizing that it does have a substantial ecological footprint.

Birds and Beans: http://www.birdsandbeans.com/
Sara's Co-Op, Ypsilanti Food Coop: http://www.ypsifoodcoop.org/
Equal Exchange Coop (Chocolates and other things): http://www.equalexchange.coop/

A pleasant coincidence I forgot to mention: the event was hosted at the Environmental Interpretive Center, a building was designed to look like a bird in flight from above!

Here's to drinking sustainably -- cheers!

The Coffee Connection to Birds and Biodiversity (A Science Cafe!)

2011-03-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Wed. Apr. 6th 5:30-7:00 room 119 of the Environmental Interpretive Center

The Coffee Connection to Birds and Biodiversity science cafe

Even if you're not a coffee drinker, find out how you can:
-Preserve rain forests, birds, and other fauna
-Make a difference in climate change
-Create new economic opportunities for coffee plantation owners and farmers
-Help others drink better quality coffee
Plus, free samples of bird-friendly coffee and a raffle for a hardcover autographed copy of Bridget Stutchbury’s ‘Silence of the Songbirds’ all courtesy of Birds and Beans (Thanks!).

Join us for this informal discussion featuring UM-Dearborn Environmental Studies senior, Sara Yearout!

Please rsvp to greenwolverines (at) ymail (dot) com or on our facebook event page so we can better plan the event.

Footage and Photos from 10/10

2010-11-11T23:22:00.001-08:00

The Cool Cities Dearborn Sierra Club brought together several groups to host events on 10/10 as initiated under 350.org.

Dearborn's Community Television Channel also got footage of some of our activities and interviewed us:

http://dearbornvideo.org/videos/271/dearborn-journal-#243

I'm finally uploading pictures from 10/10! It was a great event with upwards of ~45 people joining us to enjoy the outdoors for the Global Work Party Climate Action Day to walk, learn about the area, put bottled water to the test against tap (LWVDDH report no significant difference in preferences, but tap is 1,000 times cheaper!), paint pumpkins and gourds, and meet other community members.

Jenni Dunn of the Dearborn/Dearborn heights League of Women Voters at the blind tap vs. bottled water taste test table. Find out more about their actions and findings at their blog post on the 10/10 tap water taste test!

Attendees gather for opening remarks on environmentally conscientious recreation, sustainability, and climate action from Ian Tran and Shannon Morrow before touring the Environmental Interpretive Center rain gardens, natural areas, and Rouge River Henry Ford Estate.

Pumpkin! Apple from Apple Charlie's! Cider and donuts also came from Apple Charlies, and we had attendees use compostable cups as planters for wild mountain mint (Pycnathemum pilosum) seeds collected by SEA--it was a leave-no trace event so all other items were composted or taken back for recycling/reuse. The Fordson High School Environmental Club came forth in strong numbers and hosted the pumpkin painting table.

350.org participants gathered in all kinds of shapes, we made an Evergreen 1Sky, and the Sierra Club have signs up.

Several local parents hiked with their children, literally!

Non-partisan voter guides for the general elections

2010-10-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

Friends and fellow citizens,

Tuesday is general election day, please remember to vote as participation is a fundament of our democracy.

Equally important is to cast a well-informed vote as the outcomes of these elections impact generations to come.

Environment is a key part to many candidate platforms, and the following non-partisan guides may help you to better discern what their current positions are.

League of Women Voters:
Part I
http://www.lwvmi.org/documents/LWV2010p17-32REV_001.pdf
Part II
http://www.lwvmi.org/documents/LWV2010p1-16.pdf

League of Conservation Voters:
Brief guide:
http://michiganlcv.org/sites/default/files/Snyder%20&%20Bernero%20Brief%20Chart.pdf
Detailed guide:
http://michiganlcv.org/sites/default/files/MLCV-Full-Gubernatorial-Comparison-Chart-final-jk.pdf

Please also note that the gubernatorial candidates have differing stances on new coal plants, fossil fuel (especially natural gas) exploration, and nuclear energy in Michigan. As many of us have learned through our studies or from experience, these factors do have a legacy of negative environmental, social, and economic consequences which merit careful consideration.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Global+Local=GLOCAL! 10/10 Global Work Party happening in Dearborn!

2010-10-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Dearborn Sierra Club Cool Cities Group, Dearborn/Dearborn Heights League of Women Voters, Student Environmental Association (SEA), and Fordson High School Environmental Club are getting ready for 350.org's international "Global Work Party" day this Sunday 10/10 2:00-4:00 at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center (4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn MI 48128) and you're invited to join us for the event!

You can join us for a low-carbon walk through the Henry Ford Estate Grounds/Natural Area to the community organic gardens, cider and donuts from Apple Charlie's, a discussion on environmentalism, trade tips with other cool citizens on energy conservation, sustainable food options, gourd painting (perfect for Halloween preparations!), you even can plant some wild mountain mint collected by the SEA to take home.

What's even more exciting is that over 7,000 events like this are going to happen world wide on the same day (but none are quite the same as our adventure in the making!). Perhaps "glocal" would be a good way to describe this kind of event. It's a coordinated local activity with global impacts--a conjugation of the phrase "think global, act local"... Global+Local=Glocal.

All of these events revolve around themes of community building, climate change action, and enjoying what you're doing in the process. You can find out more and RSVP at 350.org . Of course, you can just stop by and join us too.

People of all ages are welcome, unfortunately pets are not because the walk goes through a research area at the University.

The Vegan Sub Sandwich Option

2010-09-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

Do you like healthier, affordable, environmentally and ethically responsible food options?

If yes, then we're pleased to inform you that Dr. Skrbina's vegan sub sandwich proposal to the campus Subway as a viable way to make it happen sooner. These arguments are applicable to campuses everywhere, but you may have to check the prices. Our campus subway charges a bit more across the board than most other subways do. Here's a bit from Dr. Skrbina:

At present there is only one way to buy a vegan sub: the Veggie Delight (all fresh vegetables), with vinegar and oil dressing. This sells for $5.29, the same price as if the customer included cheese, egg-product, and dairy
dressing. By comparison, the ham sub is $5.89—just $0.60 more. Subway’s (and Aramark’s) profit margin on such a ‘vegan sub’ is undoubtedly huge—surpassing every other product they sell, given that the ingredients are the lowest-cost. And given that a ‘$5 footlong’ is a viable product, and 3 for $12, we should expect a sub-$5
price on the vegan alternative.

In effect, buyers of a vegan sub are subsidizing the non-vegan and meat subs. Based on the above facts, it should be the other way around: vegan subs should be the cheapest, and the cost burden placed on the meat.

Full paper below:

The Case for an Affordable Vegan Sub

‘Vegan’: any food product that does not contain animal flesh, or any animal product—including milk,
cheese, egg, or other dairy.

Background
The Subway franchise (owned by Aramark) at the University Center offers the usual variety of sub sandwiches, including a Veggie Delight (fresh vegetables + cheese and dressing) that retails for $5.29 (footlong). They also have a Veggie Patty (veggie burger, containing egg) for $6.19.

Meat subs run from $5.89 (ham) to $6.69 (beef and chicken). Nationally, they have been promoting “$5
footlong” subs (meat or veggie), and offering 3 for $12 ($4 each!), since 2008.

There would be significant benefit in offering an explicitly-marketed vegan sub, at a fair price.

Why Vegan?
Three reasons: (1) Health. Vegan food is lowest in cholesterol and saturated fat, and lowest in cancer-causing
food-based chemicals. According to the ADA, vegan foods result in reduced heart disease, lower blood lipid
levels, lower rates of hypertension, reduced risk of diabetes, and less obesity. A vegan diet is “healthful,
nutritionally adequate, [and] is appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including
pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.”

(2) Environment. Meat and other animal-based foods are very taxing on the environment. They consume
large amounts of water and energy, produce huge amounts of waste, and (especially for beef) require vast
areas of land. Cattle production also produces large amounts of global-warming gasses, primarily methane
and nitrous oxide. According to the UN’s FAO, livestock now use, directly or indirectly, 30% of the
Earth’s land surface area; they furthermore account for an astounding 20% of all terrestrial animal biomass.

(3) Animal welfare. Industrial animal production is cruel, painful, unsanitary, and inhumane. Even egg and
dairy (milk) production involve animal confinement, suffering, shortened life spans, and undignified living
conditions.

The Problem
At present there is only one way to buy a vegan sub: the Veggie Delight (all fresh vegetables), with vinegar
and oil dressing. This sells for $5.29, the same price as if the customer included cheese, egg-product, and dairy
dressing. By comparison, the ham sub is $5.89—just $0.60 more. Subway’s (and Aramark’s) profit margin on
such a ‘vegan sub’ is undoubtedly huge—surpassing every other product they sell, given that the ingredients are
the lowest-cost. And given that a ‘$5 footlong’ is a viable product, and 3 for $12, we should expect a sub-$5
price on the vegan alternative.

In effect, buyers of a vegan sub are subsidizing the non-vegan and meat subs. Based on the above facts, it
should be the other way around: vegan subs should be the cheapest, and the cost burden placed on the meat.

Our Request
Subway should place on the menu an explicit ‘vegan sub’ option, using currently-available ingredients. It
should be priced at the lowest profit margin, not the highest. Recommendation: $4.25 footlong, $2.25 for 6”.

Benefits
For all parties: Customers get a healthy, low-fat, low-cost option. Subway further enhances its reputation as
the ‘healthy alternative’ to fast food. The environment is benefited. And animal suffering is reduced.

D. Skrbina (9/14/2010)
Dept of Philosophy

Liveability, walkability, and public hearings that could make it happen sooner!

2010-09-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought "Gee, crossing Evergreen Road and Hubbard as a pedestrian can be mighty dangerous! I wish I could safely walk
from the Main Campus to the Fairlane Centers..." after class ended and the shuttles stopped running?

The following public meetings are opportunities to make the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus more walkable (maybe even less liable!), and the city more livable (which also helps reduce regional vehicular emissions) are coming soon. Also, ask Dr. Bazzi if the public hearings merit ESCI/ENST 385 seminar credit.

9/14 Dearborn Recreation Master Plan public meeting
http://dearbornrecplan.com/about/
7:30 pm, Tuesday, September 14, at the Ford Community and Performing
Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Avenue inside Studio A

9/15 Dearborn by Rail public forum
6:00-8:00 pm Dining Room B Fairlane Center South, University of
Michigan-Dearborn
The state of Michigan suspects there's interest in rail transportation, this hearing (1/15 in the state) is to assess the public's response--expressing interest/support in writing as well as by attending would make a difference in how we can get to where we go, and has potential to make substantial positive environmental impacts in the region.

I'm beginning to realize that a few people can make a huge difference at events like these--especially when the proposals are reasonable and welcomed by the community. Bill McKibben (of 350.org) or Michael Brune (of the Sierra Club) mentioned today on Science Friday that representatives only needed 100,000 "environmentalists" to call them showing support for a climate bill in the Senate. Most local stuff gets even less attention, but we also deal with its outcomes on a day to day basis.

Here are my comments for the recreation master plan, what are yours? In retrospect, I could have reformed and arranged them into pithier arguments instead of nonchalant comments, but for now I'll enlarge the text that boils down most of the ideas presented [edit: I've updated this with the comments submitted to the commission]:

As the 10^th largest city in Michigan Dearborn has outstanding resources and initiatives poised to garner national attention for its merit. Below are four recommendations with explanations, examples, and resources which I believe can help contribute to making an even more vibrant community. In overview:

1. Expand the recreation paradigm, include education, create a long-term interdependent vision and a taskforce for the current plan

2. Create a more sustainable community through recreation and collaboration

3. Utilize and collaborate with existing assets to define and achieve a more comprehensive vision and scope of the recreation plan

4. Sustainable, low impact operations and facilities

In detail:

1. Expand the recreation paradigm, include education, create a long-term interdependent vision and taskforce for the current plan

Rather than looking at specific facilities as destinations for recreation, almost all of the city's outdoor features could be approached as recreation opportunities—from being able to stroll or bike through the city and its downtown areas to visiting various outdoor classrooms, gardens, parks, and natural areas.

Also, include education as part of the Recreation Department’s mission, and create educational opportunities in all appropriate places. For example, provide information on exercise and health at rec centers, nutrition near business districts, native flora/fauna and the River in parks, etc.

Finally, create an interdepartmental taskforce and use the first five years of the recreation to set up and implement a comprehensive interdepartmental city plan (a recommendation by Michelle Martinez of the Sierra Club). Work in collaboration with Dearborn’s Sustainability Coordinator (David Norwood), Dearborn’s Department of Economic Development, (especially Barry Murray), planning and development, and zoning boards too.

The first five years can be a significant stage of a longer-term sustainability plan.

2. Create a more sustainable community through recreation and collaboration

Connect neighborhoods and communities on all scales—educational institutions, health services, etc. should be connected with trails/paths for non-motorized transportation and greenways to major city features like parks and neighborhoods. Key activity areas/recreational opportunities in Dearborn with neighboring cities should also be included in the scope of assessment.

Also, strive to make subtle transition spaces between major areas of recreation and major areas of large vehicular transportation. Include buffers/reflecting walls for sound and light that surpass minimum requirements. Ensure that there is accommodation for bikes at major destinations and travel hubs (like storefronts and train stations), and places for bikes and pedestrians to safely transition between walkable areas and larger vehicular traffic places.

Increase walkability and bikeability between Henry Ford Community College, The University of Michigan-Dearborn campuses, and the mall. Integrate bike lanes into the street system. Many principles outlined here are applicable to recreation—especially biking and pedestrian design: http://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/civil/sustain/designparam/checklist.htm

To quickly assess neighborhood walkability:

http://www.walkscore.com/walkable-neighborhoods.shtml

On economic benefits of walkability/bikeability:

http://www.vtpi.org/walkability.pdf

My personal experience: I’ve crossed Evergreen Road and Hubbard as a pedestrian and found it can be mighty dangerous—there are no pedestrian crosswalks from the Main Campus to the Fairlane Centers (as well as the mall), and the shuttles stop running after certain evening classes. I rarely went to other parts of Dearborn because vehicular transportation and parking are prerequisites for mobility.

Partner with major health and educational institutions (Oakwood Hospital and Henry Ford Health Clinic; the k-12 schools, colleges and universities) to coordinate publicity of health, economic, and environmental impacts and benefits of the existing various recreation opportunities in Dearborn.

Accelerate the remediation and accessibility of the Rouge River so that it can be easily used for boating/rowing. Work the above groups, the general public, neighboring watershed municipalities (especially their riverfront communities), and The Friends of the Rouge to coordinate awareness, education, publicity, and stewardship for water quality. Dr. Orin Gelderloos of the University of Michigan-Dearborn is a luminary in watershed analysis and education—especially in the Metro-Detroit area—be sure to reach him as well.

3. Locate, utilize, and collaborate with existing assets to define and achieve a more comprehensive vision and scope of the recreation plan

Work especially with the Department of Economic Development, and David Norwood, the Sustainability Coordinator. Coordinate and collaborate between departments and organizations, utilize existing research and studies, include other community assets (natural areas, parks etc.) not currently mapped in the Recreation Master Plan.

Utilize the Metro Detroit Green Map to highlight community assets and recreation opportunities. Collaborate with local businesses, community and environmental organizations, institutions of higher learning, k-12 schools, to locate these sites and populate the map.

For more information about the open green map project: http://www.greenmap.org/greenhouse/en/home

To access the Metro Detroit Green map and suggest a site: http://sustainabledetroit.org/?page_id=276

It would be a great project for students learning Geographic Information Systems and cartography--utilize university/college students to help facilitate additional development of the green map. The University of Michigan-Dearborn has a strong GIS program.

Finally, use the maps to increase awareness of resources and opportunities available to all.

4. Sustainable, low impact operations and facilities

The Dearborn Recreation Commission (DRC) should include environmentally sustainable and economically sound practices in the master plan. DRC operations, grounds, and facilities stand to save money—including money from Dearborn taxpayers—in the near and long term via conservation and efficiency efforts as well as investments in training, retrofitting, and construction of facilities that have low/zero environmental impact.

· Convert unused lawn space for outdoor recreation opportunities with native plants, plus save money on care and maintenance. This article includes a table with calculations based on a 1 acre area and adjusts for inflation: http://www.recmanagement.com/200304gc02.php

Invite aspiring students, professors, and landscape architects in designing, an economically feasible, aesthetically pleasing, and ecologically sound strategies for native plantings and signage for outdoor educational opportunities.

For initial consultation, don't forget to invite the local professors like Dr. Orin Gelderloos (of Biology and Environmental Studies) and Dr. David Susko (Biology and Botany) at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, someone in the UM Ann Arbor SNRE landscape architecture program like Bob Grese may also be of valuable consultation too. It would make for outstanding internship/co-op opportunities for the local universities, colleges, and high schools. The implementation would also make for great community volunteer opportunities.

Invest education into any landscapers and city foresters about native species, non-native species, and non-native invasive species to ensure that appropriate selections are used in the parks and public spaces. Furthermore, pesticide use and invasive species can be reduced through the implementation of the above recommendations and by engaging the public in voluntary operations for ecosystem management.

○ Michelle Martinez of the Sierra Club Cool Cities program had several recommendations here as well: the city should invest in energy efficiency training for recreation facility managers to implement energy audits and retrofits of their facilities to reduce wasteful city expenditures on energy inefficiencies and garner savings in the long-term. Grants and funding strategies are available through many organizations, reach Michelle or I for some places to start.

The Recreation Department’s operations (hours for lighting at outdoor parks, in buildings) should be [re?] assessed. A plan for energy conservation should be developed and implemented within the next two years.

· The “Complete Streets” concept should be forefront in the development of all future roads to include non-motorized transit space.

http://www.completestreets.org/

According to Tom Woiwode of the Community Foundation of South East Michigan, federal highway/roadway TIGER funding could be allocated toward these projects.

· Also for roads, trails, parking lots and paths, use pervious pavement—much like the Ford Rouge Factory’s parking lot pavement. It gives additional benefits to water quality, and may even reduce the risk of hydroplaning/slipping in wet/icy weather.

· In support of another commentators' suggestions on the Dearborn Master Plan website, don't forget to include recycling and composting receptacles with the garbage cans—it'd also be neat if Dearborn had a bottle/can arcade like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSiHjMU-MUo I'm sure students with engineering/computer science focuses at UM-Dearborn and HFCC would be able to make something similar.

Earth Day tidbits for any day

2010-08-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

A while back the SEA provided counsel to UM-Dearborn's English Club to develop a small pamphlet for Earth Day. Some of our recommendations made it in, a lot didn't fit on the paper, and some were hastily put together. Earth day also happened near a hectic time of the semester, so we didn't get around to sharing them online until now. Besides, every day is a great day to do things for the earth! Below are my thoughts:

A little bit on environmentalism in America:
There are several prominent figures in recent American environmentalism/conservationism, going back to John Muir (of the Sierra Club), Aldo Leopold (one of his essays, called the Land Ethic, is a major contribution to the foundation of Western ecophilosophy), and Rachel Carson (who wrote Silent Spring). While they are most noted for their considerate contributions to society, don't forget that these are individuals just like you who led lives as considerate members of a social, economic, and ecological community wherever they were. Also, we can also look to many of the cultures preceding our own that shared similar considerations. For example, the First Nations people.

Environmentalism is an activity that every individual engages in. We learn to take care of our own homes be it a room, apartment, house, etc. As a society there are things we can do to take care of ourselves and other people, things, and beings. Some of it we do without thinking, other activities require additional thought and effort. Much of it happens through habits which were developed from our beliefs and education. By acknowledging this greater community, engaging the environment, and developing a sense of wonder about the things around us, you have the ability to make the area a more vibrant place through learning, doing, and educating others to do good things.

There are people who strive to make the world a better place for others every day. You can be among them whenever you make the effort to be informed, educated, and to do something about what you've learned. You have the opportunity to take relevant and significant action within any community you choose to engage.

Environmentalism is really about being considerate of time, proximity, circumstance, people, places, and things (that's right, pretty much everything) and taking considerate actions. Think, learn, and wonder about the natural and built environment. Spend time outside and pay attention to things up close, far away, with whatever senses you can use. Try to discern any relationships between what you're looking at and its surroundings. Do certain plants tend to grow in a certain habitat? Is it warmer on pavement than it is in a field? How do these relate to what's going on with people, or parts of the economy? Wonder, think, and learn about how they can or do affect each other every day. Maybe even discuss it with other people. It's up to you how much or little you want to do, but we'd like to request that you be responsible about it.

Don't rely solely on one news source, they may present facts, but facts are frequently particular perspectives of what is perceived to be true. It may not always be representative of the entire issue. Feel free to visit the Mardigian Library and ask the staff about how one can discern quality research and sources from sub-par information.

Lightening your global footprint--a few easy to implement suggestions:

Here are some easy to implement suggestions that would help lighten each person's global footprint (what's that? find out here: http://www.footprintnetwork.org ) AKA do good for the environment and in turn, for other people and things. We've researched them before but due to time and space constraints, we're only listing them here. Besides, it's more interesting when you can discuss it with someone new (we recommend SEA/Roots and Shoots members and some of the faculty at UM-Dearborn). Ask them why these activities can make a difference and they can explain or point you in a credible direction.

For all food eaters:
-Read the food labels, find out where the food came from, what's in it, [politely] ask questions if you can!

-If you've got food to carry, use a reusable bag (although the food that you eat may have a bigger impact than

-Investigate the actual pros and cons, as well as the definitions for "organic", "all natural", "free range", "wild caught", "farm raised", "grass fed", etc.

-Learn more about the basics of nutrition, variety and moderation is still a golden rule, vegetables are important, but the kinds you eat can make a big difference for yourself (and ecosystems)

-Eat more food that doesn't need a label, and uses minimum packaging (right, as in fresh fruits, veggies, eggs, etc.)

-Remember that it takes water and energy to make food, as well as packaging, and that even if the packaging has been discarded (hopefully after being reused), it requires energy for transportation and space when it goes to landfill or other waste disposal sites

-Purchase locally produced food, organic if possible

-Learn about industrial agriculture, combined animal feeding operations, and check out sustainable agriculture--better yet, try to meet someone who practices sustainable agricultural practices or do it yourself!

Omnivores:
-Purchase locally raised, grass-fed beef

-Find out more about why lots of shrimp, cattle, pigs, and chickens can be a bane to water and the land that they are raised on (try searching "CAFO")

-Try eating a meals without meat regularly (become a part-time vegetarian), start with one vegetarian meal per week, then three

-Yes, we'd respectfully like to encourage you to shift over to full-time vegetarian meals in due time

Vegetarians and vegans:
-Teach everyone how to cook the satisfying, nutritious, and tasty vegetarian and vegan meals

-With all due respect, we'd like to encourage vegetarians to go vegan full-time when appropriate

Other things:

-When brushing your teeth, be sure to turn off the water! Water typically requires energy (electricity) for purification, and it certainly requires energy for transportation (if you pay a water bill to a municipality, much of the money is used by the company to pay for electricity to pump water for delivery to your tap).

-Speaking of transportation, can you find alternative ways to get to where you want/need to go? Public transit, carpool, bike, walk, etc.

Walkability: The Saturn Ion commercial revisited

2010-08-13T16:10:00.001-07:00

WHOA! "Walkpooling" for school children was suggested for Dearborn's comprehensive sustainability plan by a regional activist who frequents our campus, and this great idea reminded me about the early Saturn Ion commercial where all the kids and a bus driver (in addition to all other vehicular traffic) were walking on the street sans the bus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_oWmY_mkCA

Watching it again with a new paradigm for walkability in cities, a better understanding of infrastructure and sustainability, I can't help but think that it's a bit ironic and hope that it's also prophetic about how we approach the way we travel and where we go to do the things that make up our lives.

This commercial captures an intrinsic truth about human travel so well that years later we can look at the commercial as an opportunity to rethink the status quo of transportation, why we drive so much, and reevaluate its necessity in the context of other needs for a balanced local community and global ecosystem. In other words, it's a great clip for prompting discussions on walkability and livable communities even though the car company was trying is no longer in existence.

That's beautiful communication--art if you will-- to me. It maintains its integrity as a piece for what it was meant to be (a commercial advertising the values of a human run car company), but it communicates profound things about the way we perceive and interact with the world around us, the things we do, and inspires us (or at least me) to wonder about what it all means and why we do it.

Some people wouldn't consider things built by humans as positive environmental issues, but they really are, and this commercial makes for an interesting connection to the built environment. What's our impact? Consider emissions (soot, fossil fuel consumption for gas/battery charges, carbon dioxide, etc.) accidents, and the time and space it takes to commute in congested traffic.

(Thanks Daniel for sharing this picture, sourced from http://consumerist.com/2010/06/how-much-street-space-car-vs-bus-vs-bicycle.html ; SEMCOG or EPA has a similar picture somewhere too)

In case you were wondering, this is one of those rare "blew my mind with a new paradigm" moments for me. I guess some people get a similar experience when they discover that they've matured as well. Anyhow, onward into the weekend!

Coincidentally, the Green Cruise takes place in Ferndale this Saturday. I'll see if I can go, but it's a bit of a drive to get there...

Dearborn Sustainability Round Table II

2010-08-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

The next Sustainability Round Table is Wed. August 25th 6:00-8:00 pm at the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Environmental Interpretive Center, hosted by the Sierra Club Cool Cities Dearborn Group.

The immediate objectives of this meeting are:

Envision the benefits from current sustainability initiatives for individuals
Envision the benefits from current initiatives in sustainability for the community as a whole

Longstanding objectives of these round table meetings are to:

Increase sustainability awareness
Organize interest in sustainability
Foster informed coalition building and network development in the city
Cultivate a more vibrant and sustainable community in the Metro Detroit area

Once again:

Come when you can and go when you must.

Feel free to bring informational materials about your organization, its programs and initiatives, as well as a dish to share (it's also a potluck for sustainability).
We hope attendees will have a clear understanding of the local groups
currently at work, as well as the regional initiatives which may
influence events happening within the Dearborn area.

The first round table was focused on organizing interest and
perspectives in sustainability--essentially to establish principles of
sustainability through broad community input. Attendees, interested individuals, and organizations shared their individual initiatives and interests.

Please RSVP to Mary Ann Baier (313) 561-7351 email maturtle (at) gmail (dot) com

Meeting Preview:

The meeting will start with an interpretive walk of the natural area
and mushroom farm led by members of the Student Environmental
Association at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, introductions from
the Sierra Club Cool Cities Group and David Norwood, the
Sustainability Coordinator of the City of Dearborn will be a featured
guest speaker. Round robin introductions of individuals and
organizations will be followed by a break out discussion on how
everyone's initiatives enrich individuals and the community as a
whole.

We intend to document the findings from this discussion, and
there is potential for them to be integrated into future proposals and
plans for the city or University.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you there!
Ian D. Tran
President, The Student Environmental Association at the University of
Michigan-Dearborn

On climate change: A handful of resources and reflections

2010-07-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

I've been relatively quiet about climate change activism for the past two years because there are so many moving parts involved with the issue, and it took time for me to get my head around what was going on. Most everyone involved has good intentions, there are many perspectives, and understanding many of the solutions--not to mention knowing which ones are being considered or included can be a daunting task. Furthermore, there are many groups working toward a similar goal, but I couldn't understand why they didn't work together. I've finally seen, heard, and learned enough to offer some organizations seeking to coordinate efforts that you can take action with, and handful of quality resources for you to investigate as a supplement to the previous letter.

There are four sections below:

Courses+some comments on political efficacy
Cap and Trade in climate legislation and how it could improve
My take on Repower America
Climate change as an issue of sustainability

These draw from my experiences as a student, an attendee at many a conference, and various other ventures in the arena of climate change. Clearly, it's my perspective, but I hope it serves to be a useful starting guide to you if you're about to dive in.

Courses:

First, I recommend the following classes which have proven to be accurate and ahead of the public discussion, as well as an explanation of the cap and trade system currently in the legislation which would benefit from revision.

Concepts of Environmentalism (taught by Dr. Gelderloos)

The content has been taught for 40 years and it's still cutting edge stuff to the public eye. It also provides a strong grounding in the literature for the why of environmentalism (from ecophilosophy to our current paradigms in society). It also inspires a sense of wonder for those who survive the intensive binder keeping and reading/reflection regimine.

Various worldviews on environment, Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic, principles of interconnectivity, and sustainable development (collaboration rather than competition with the environment) are but a few of the things any individual would find beneficial.

Ecological Economics (taught by Dr. Bergeron)

Almost two years after taking this class, the concepts and devices introduced are beginning to catch the public's attention at gatherings like the recent US Social Forum. Ethics in economics, ecological/feminist economics, and the sensibilities of the precautionary principle are outlined below in this article by Julie Nelson (applicable to policy as well):
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/37280/2/07-03EconValClimate.pdf
This article is a required reading in Dr. Bergeron's ecological economics course, it's also a very good article.

Environmental Politics (taught by Dr. Olive)

The course was on top of the cap and trade policies and histories before most of us realized it wasn't clear to the public. It also covered other timely issues about how our history, policies, and worldviews shape where we are and where we're going today.

The political science internship seminar (taught by Dr. Kursman and various guests)

Dr. Kursman invited several state representative in and we got to ask them whatever questions we wished. One question I asked was this: what's the best way for us to get our thoughts through to you? Answer: Phone calls are effective, and when there have been five calls on the same or similar issue, it invariably becomes an agenda item. They also love letters, because they can present them on the floor and cite their own constituents' requests.

While we're on the topic of political efficacy, this remark was mirrored in several activist circles I've been through, except they recommended 10 communications for an issue to become a priority.

The story of stuff; Cap and Trade in climate legislation and how it could improve:

Annie Leonard created "The Story of Stuff Project", which does an excellent job in wrapping up most everything discussed in the environmental courses I listed above into video presentations. Of particular interest right now is the story of cap and trade:
http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/ (for those interested, transcript with citations): http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/_images/pdfs/annie_leonard_footnoted_script.pdf

In this particular video, she discusses the history and weaknesses of cap in trade as it is in the draft legislation, presents some of the solutions, says how you can make a difference, and backs her discussion with credible transdisciplinary research (many of the findings are familiar to students in the UM-Dearborn environmental programs). The concepts and contentions are communicated very well in a video, and you can find her citations in the pdf transcript. That sums up everything I appreciate in good activism: inform, educate, empower, to engage the world by doing good sustainable things right. The world needs more activists like Annie Leonard, except at least one of them should have your name. You can do it!

Solutions and the Legislation (Continued)

I'm not aware of any requirements for education in the senate legislation at this time, but education, leadership, and prevention are currently undervalued tools that must contribute to the solvency of the issue. I've yet to find any educational standards that discuss leadership, and this too becomes an issue for a different day. I also happen to believe that sites on sustainability should be the overarching focus of the piece (discussed a bit further below), but that too would be for a different day or live discussion.

Organization(s)

Repower America

Here's my take (and a few contentions, but I'll discuss this at another time) on Repower America based on two years of observation, several discussions with their organizers, and from reading lots of e-mails from the organization. Contentions aside, it's a well intentioned group that organizes on local, state, and national levels. I just think their platform is a bit looser than it could be.

Repower essentially promotes climate change awareness, urges citizens to get involved and take action, and has a broad stance on climate change legislation. The group would like climate legislation passed within reason so long as it meets the following goals: Cut carbon emissions, reduce our dependence on "dirty energy" (fossil fuels), create green jobs (wind industry, etc.).

Again, some of the finer points of climate change legislation are left to other groups, but it seems like Repower has the broadest reach. As you saw above, there are errors in the cap and trade system in its current form, and there is no one solution to all of climate change. The reach is important though--coordinated action on a large scale is how most big things get done in this country. I happen to take a stance that well-informed and educated action coordinated is what we need, and that requires a little extra effort from people (like me and hopefully you) to step up.

There are more organizations out there, but I've spent a lot of time checking out Repower America (thus am most familiar with seeing what they do as an observer). I have met respected peers who work for them too.

Climate Change is an issue of sustainability, not of carbon emissions or even greenhouse gases.

Clean energy, and green have many meanings and assumptions behind each definition. Some are abysmally shallow, and ignorant to the contexts to which they are being used in. We must also not forget the other aspects to climate change which have taken up so much of the public's attention. These are probably just as important as the big-picture issue of climate change.

National/Global economy, interpersonal/political relations, the public's understanding and trust in science, the scientific community's transparency and accessibility, the livelihood and survival of people in areas most threatened by climate change, measuring and modeling atmospheric composition and its effects, vehement to violent protests, issues of intergenerational equity and biodiversity--the list goes on

In some ways, they're even more important and make climate change a subset of the bigger-picture: sustainability. The point of this list is that climate change is an issue involving people in a societal capacity, as well as economic, and regard for the biotic environmental issues, while rightfully and possibly prominent, often stay at the bench when it comes to the reporting (Copenhagen was mostly about people and countries trying to seal a deal right?). Why are we counting carbon dioxide molecules? To model projections of what the earth will look like in the future, and show what it looked like in the past. Why are most of the people making these models doing this? Supposedly so that economic and policy decisions can accurately be made. It's an issue of sustainability in the triple bottom line: we're (mostly) looking to meet the social, economic, and environmental needs of current and future generations.

We must realize that our fundamental intentions for being involved with climate change as individuals and as a society is not about carbon, but rather issue about sustainability in all the dimensions of our existence: as people, on a planet, trying to take prudent action for the good of whatever we can appreciate for current and future generations.

Climate Change: Our democracy, everyone's planet, a call to action

2010-07-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

Green wolverines, wolves, and friends of the SEA:

Harry Reid recently announced that the climate bill will not be addressed this year. The ethical implications and research beckons us to promptly take prudent action on climate change.

Embracing the issue as civil individuals and acting as a society is among humanity's greatest of challenges. Respected peers at the Sierra Club and Repower America are looking for volunteers, and you can help unite the voices of Michigan's communities to bring and keep a good bill back onto the national agenda until it has become law.

As informed citizens, we can charge our representatives to hold the national legislation accountable to its people and the well being of our global community--biotic and abiotic.

Furthermore, we can also demand that the legislation includes appropriate solutions to meet the challenges of climate change. We are the people, this is our democracy. We are all members of the UM community, we are the leaders and the best.

Sincerely,
Ian D. Tran
-
President, The Student Environmental Association at The University of Michigan-Dearborn
p.s.
I'd feel irresponsible if I urged you to action without providing some credible resources and thoughtful analysis, here's a link to a sustainability project called "The Story of Stuff" by a thoughtful and articulate activist named Annie Leonard. She nicely communicates the cap and trade system and things we can do to strengthen the bill in a video, and the transcript has citations for her sources: http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/

You can view some of my thoughts and supplements here on the blog concerning some of the organizations listed above, metrics for political efficacy, and recommendations for useful classes offered at UM-Dearborn.

The Volunteer Schedule

Date: Tuesday, July 27
Time: 5:45-8:30pm
Location: 333 West 7th Street, Royal Oak, MI‎ 48067
2nd Floor - Parking in the rear
Contact: Ashley Dowser (248) 494-1504

Time: 6-8pm
Location: 5820 Gratiot Road, Saginaw 48638 (entrance at back)
Contact: Aaron Brown (989) 252-1031

Time: 5-9pm (please join us for part or all of this time!)
Location: Repower Dearborn Office, 4917 Schaefer, Dearborn 48126
Parking/entrance is in the rear. Office on the second floor.
Contact: Trevor Tutro-Anderson - (716) 816-6389

Date: Wednesday July 28

Time: 5-7pm
Location: 5820 Gratiot Road, Saginaw 48638 (entrance at back)
Contact: Aaron Brown (989) 252-1031

Time: 6-8pm
Location: 161 Ottawa Ave. NW Suite. 206, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Contact: Zane Corriveau (616) 706-7904

Time: 6-7:30pm
Location: UFCW Hall, 876 Horace Brown Dr, Madison Heights 48071
Front Conference Room
Contact: August Gitschlag (586) 360-7854

Time: 6-8:30pm
Location: Michigan Land Use Institute, 148 E. Front Street, Suite 301, Traverse
City 49684
Contact: Kevin Numerick (517) 974-6580

Date: Thursday, July 29

Time: 5:45-8:30pm
Location: 333 West 7th Street, Royal Oak, 48067
2nd Floor - Parking in the rear
Contact: Ashley Dowser (248) 494-1504

Time: 6-8pm
Location: 161 Ottawa Ave. NW Suite. 206, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Contact: Zane Corriveau (616) 706-7904

Time: 5-9pm (please join us for part or all of this time!)
Location: Repower Dearborn Office, 4917 Schaefer, Dearborn 48126
Parking/entrance is in the rear. Office on the second floor.
Contact: Trevor Tutro-Anderson - (716) 816-6389

Time: 6-8:30pm
Location: Michigan Land Use Institute, 148 E. Front Street, Suite 301, Traverse
City 49684
Contact: Kevin Numerick (517) 974-6580

Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Location: AFL-CIO 419 S. Washington Square, Lansing 48933
Contact: Aaron Quinney (517) 402-6523

Time: 6:30-8pm
Location: Whiskey In The Jar, 2741 Yemans St, Hamtramck 48212
Contact: August Gitschlag (586) 360-7854

Date: Friday, July 30

Time: 6-8pm
Location: AFL-CIO 419 S. Washington Square, Lansing 48933
Contact: Aaron Quinney (517) 402-6523

Campus Sustainability Integrated Assessment Public Forum

2010-07-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

(Sigh)

Some day notice of other U of M sustainability events will trickle over to UM-Dearborn and UM Flint more than a week before the event happens, and people from all campuses will rejoice...

I just found out UM Ann Arbor's holding a Campus Sustainability Integrated Assessment Public Forum at the Ross School of Business Monday, July 26th 3:30-5:00 pm in the Ross Building.

http://www.graham.umich.edu/outreach/event.php?nid=418

You may want to see if this counts for ESCI/ENST 395 credit. The deadline to register is the 23rd (this Friday), and if you're unable to attend, you can submit ideas and suggestions online. It should be a substantial event for that campus, it'd be interesting to see what you can take back to apply in Dearborn. Also, if anyone attending can help build relations between campuses I'm certain it would be a benefit to all.

Time to subscribe to their mailing list...

Public meeting for offshore wind energy development--in Dearborn!

2010-07-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

I just found out that the Michigan Great Lakes Offshore Wind Council has a public meeting for offshore wind energy development at UM-Dearborn next week!

July 21: Fairlane Development Center, UM Dearborn Campus, Dearborn. (www.umd.umich.edu/maps_directions/)

There's also one at GVSU the day before:
July 20: Eberhard Center, GVSU, Grand Rapids (www.gvsu.edu/meetatgvsu/)

(Source: http://www.michiganglowcouncil.org/coastal_community_meetings_spring2010.html Kudos to whoever updates the UM-Dearborn facebook page for posting this announcement yesterday--but why so late?)

I recommend doing some research on offshore wind and zoning before attending if you have the time. I'm also wondering if the Nearshore Framework has anything to implications on offshore wind development. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a ready document from the International Joint Commission that speaks directly to offshore wind. If you're wondering what the nearshore framework is about you read about it here:

http://www.ijc.org/en/priorities/2009/reports/2009-nearshore-framework.pdf
The document is about 1/2 as long as it looks--they alternate pages with note space.

Does anyone know of research on offshore zoning? I thought the International Joint Commission did a piece on it but it seems like I was mistaken.

Good to know environmental hotlines

2010-07-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Found/knew some useful numbers and am starting to compile them here. Many of these are 24 hour (I won't say all as I haven't used all of them). Sometimes you see something and wonder who to call (aside from the Ghostbusters), perhaps these might help.

Hopefully you won't have to use all of them, but I found the 211 fantastically useful and you might too.

Emergency (America)
911
Fire, police, ambulance, etc.

Basic needs:
211
"2-1-1 is the health and human service equivalent of 9-1-1 to give or get help spearheaded by United Way."

They can refer you to a huge network of community groups and non-profits. From food banks, shelters, living assistance, the list goes on...

It's pretty great, I used it recently to ask about food banks for donating food and they said they'd be willing to link campus food services with various food banks and other services in the areas to take care of excess food (which would otherwise be thrown away). Something about Geographic Information Systems services is also listed too, I'd be interested to find out what they have to offer for that.

Poison hotline ( American Association of Poison Control Centers http://www.aapcc.org/DNN/ ):
1-800-222-1222

Air Pollution
You have the right to breathe clean air. Report all strong odors, dark smoke, excessive dust, and other suspected air pollution to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
(313) 456-4700

Lead Poisoning Prevention
Preventing lead poisoning via information from CLEARCorps Detroit:
(313) 924-4000

[below pulled from Friends of the Rouge's web page]

###

Illicit and Illegal discharges

Oakland County (248) 858-0931

Wayne County (888) 223-2363

Washtenaw County (734) 222-3880

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (800) 292-4706

An illicit discharge is the introduction of polluting materials into a pipe that drains to surface water or the dumping of polluting material that can impact surface water. Examples found in the Rouge River watershed include toilets connected to storm sewers, laundry waste discharging to a drain, swimming pool backwash water discharging to a storm sewer or situations where polluting material can move over land to a storm sewer.

Illegal discharges may also take place, such as the one responsible for the large oil spill on the Rouge and Detroit Rivers in 2002. Careless and intentional acts of illicit and illegal dumping are not only expensive to remedy, but they can also have long term affects on the health of the river.

If you see an illicit or illegal discharge, please report it immediately.

###

Let me know if there's anything else that should be here.

FAA Notice of Public Meeting: Proposed modification of Detroit, MI, Class B Airspace Area

2010-07-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

FYI
To whom it may concern,

It looks like the FAA's looking for info about an area around Detroit Metro Airport to revise the airspace. I got this letter in the mail, presumably because I live in Wayne County beneath the flight path of a major airport. You might too, and they'd like to know your perspectives about what it's like, and any other facts which may be relevant to their revision of the airspace (re-zoning for the sky?).

The letter's contents were pasted from govpulse, which has an online transcription of the FAA Air Trafic Organization (ATO) notice of public meetings: http://govpulse.us/entries/2010/05/13/2010-11496/proposed-modification-of-the-detroit-mi-class-b-airspace-area-public-meetings

[This site looks like it's a heaven send for US citizens, I'll investigate it more later, but so far I found that they use open source software, they gather together public statements and other things happening at the local level, and they also have decent web design]

Summary:

This notice announces three fact-finding informal airspace meetings to solicit information from airspace users and others concerning a proposal to revise the Class B airspace area at Detroit, MI. The purpose of these meetings is to provide interested parties an opportunity to present views, recommendations, and comments on the proposal. All comments received during these meetings will be considered prior to any revision or issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking.

Dates:

The informal airspace meetings will be held on Tuesday, July 20, 2010, at 1:30 p.m.; Wednesday, July 21, 2010, at 5 p.m.; and Thursday, July 22, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. Comments must be received on or before September 6, 2010.

Addresses:

(1) The meeting on Tuesday, July 20, 2010, will be held at Troy Holiday Inn, 2537 Rochester Court, Troy, MI 48083. (2) The meeting on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, will be held at Eastern Michigan University, Student Event Center, Ballroom B, 2nd Floor, 900 Oakwood Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. (3) The meeting on Thursday, July 22, 2010, will be held at Monroe Holiday Inn Express, 1225 North Dixie Highway, Monroe, MI 48162.

Comments: Send comments on the proposal, in triplicate, to: Anthony D. Roetzel, Manager, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, Air Traffic Organization, Federal Aviation Administration, 2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76137, or by fax to (817) 321-7649.

For further information contact:

Tim Funari, FAA Detroit Metro (DTW) ATCT, Building 801, Detroit Metro Airport, Detroit, MI 48242; (734) 955-5000.

Supplementary information:

Meeting Procedures

(a) Doors open 30 minutes prior to the beginning of each meeting. The meetings will be informal in nature and will be conducted by one or more representatives of the FAA Central Service Center. A representative from the FAA will present a briefing on the planned modification to the Class B airspace at Detroit, MI. Each participant will be given an opportunity to deliver comments or make a presentation, although a time limit may be imposed. Only comments concerning the plan to modify the Class B airspace area at Detroit, MI, will be accepted.

(b) The meetings will be open to all persons on a space-available basis. There will be no admission fee or other charge to attend and participate.

(c) Any person wishing to make a presentation to the FAA panel will be asked to sign in and estimate the amount of time needed for such presentation. This will permit the panel to allocate an appropriate amount of time for each presenter. These meetings will not be adjourned until everyone on the list has had an opportunity to address the panel.

(d) Position papers or other handout material relating to the substance of these meetings will be accepted. Participants wishing to submit handout material should present an original and two copies (3 copies total) to the presiding officer. There should be additional copies of each handout available for other attendees.

(e) These meetings will not be formally recorded. However, a summary of comments made at the meeting will be filed in the docket.

Agenda for the Meetings

—Sign-in.

—Presentation of meeting procedures.

—FAA explanation of the planned Class B airspace area modifications.

—Solicitation of public comments.

—Closing comments.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2010. Edith V. Parish,

Manager, Airspace and Rules Group.

Invitation: Dearborn Sustainability Round Table June 16th

2010-06-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

To whom it may concern,

I've been working closely with the Dearborn Sierra Club Cool Cities Group to bring institutional, not-for-profit, corporate, academic, governmental, and community leaders together for comprehensive sustainability efforts in the Dearborn area.

We cordially invite you to join us for a moderated round table discussion in room 1225 of the University Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn on Wednesday June 16^th, 2010 from 6:00-8:00 pm.

This event is open to all, please RSVP to Mary Ann Baier: maturtle (at) gmail.com

Come when you can, go when you must. If you believe this invitation may be suited for other individuals or organizations, please share it with them.

Our immediate objectives for this meeting is to increase sustainability awareness and foster informed coalition building and network development in the city. We hope attendees will have a clear understanding of the local groups currently at work, as well as the regional initiatives which may influence events happening within the Dearborn area.

Among our longer-term goals, we aim to organize interest in establishing a sustainability panel for the city and formalize the University of Michigan-Dearborn's task force to coordinate efforts in sustainability to increase meaningful impact locally and globally through the community.

Feel free to bring a dish to share (it's also a potluck for sustainability) as well.

Below is the agenda overview:

-Greetings
-Introduction and objectives
-Organizational introductions, activities, accomplishments, goals
-Local event opportunities
-Mingle, network, etc.

-Next steps and meeting closure

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to meting you,

Ian D. Tran

President, The Student Environmental Association at The University of Michigan-Dearborn

http://sustainableum-d.blogspot.com/

http://www.rcampus.com/Clubhomeshellc.cfm?xsite=sealeader

What's up at the University thusfar in sustainability...

2010-05-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of stuff going on under the radar, so I thought I'd let you all know about some of it here as it pertains to the SEA and UM-Dearborn:

Campus food reform

In response to Provost Davy's Urban Farming summit, a food panel was formed to examine and guide action on changing our campus food system and impacts.

One agreed upon goal was to offer healthier food options, and to ensure ethical/responsible/sustainable food system practices. This has also on Student Government's platform of agenda items, but both the panel and vice versa didn't know that they were working on the same thing.

Two visible action items are growing out of this:
-a comprehensive sustainability policy (I think I'm the only one looking into it right now, feel free to prove me wrong)
-a proposal for a cheap vegan sub sandwich to offset environmental and health impacts (a brilliant brainchild of Dr. Skrbina's)

After unsuccessful attempts to reach and join the United Students or Fair Trade via SEA (I'm guessing spotty internet connection when I pressed submit--I'd try again, but it was a detailed form to fill out so maybe later), we have reached out to food justice groups like the Coalition of Imokalee Workers to see what's going on with our current food contracts and food service's operations. Aramark is at the table with the CIW and recently made an agreement to pay more for tomatoes as of January, so we can move on to watch for Kroger (the grocery store) some time on the horizon.

Through a very helpful person named Meghan from the Student Farworkers Alliance/CIW, I recently came across the Real Food Challenge's resources and was delighted to find a plethora of useful things: We can find out about all of UM-Dearborn's contracts via FOIA requests (here's a useful guide for food services) and add them to the contract database! Plus, there were examples for Sustainable University Policy (Huzzah!!!), which brings us to the next point...

University Sustainability Policy

We've joined the University of Michigan Student Sustainability Initiative and are waiting to catch up by phone with what's going on at the big campus in A^2.

To strengthen our actions in the food initiatives and other activities in the community, we're proposing that the University passes a sustainable charter that would be used to hold all future contractors to the University's standards of ethical operations within sensible time frames.

The great news is that we don't have to reinvent the wheel--The University of California and Brown University already passed comprehensive Sustainable University Policies and Student Government resolutions!

Eventually, things like sustainability and civic minded curriculum will be at the forefront of the agenda for the University, but one thing at a time...

Community outreach and engagement

As part of the University sustainability policy and per the discussion at the "End of Suburbia" screening this past month, dissemination of credible education (aka science, and ways to civilly discern and communicate credible information) are key to enriching the community at and around campus.

The Sierra Club Dearborn Cool Cities group is looking to ask the mayor to formalize a sustainability panel for the city (in accordance with the city's proposal for comprehensive sustainable education and outreach) and at the same time, UM-Dearborn's EverGreen Team have been waiting to do the same with the university. The Detroit Regional Chapter U.S. Green Building Council Green Schools committee is also checking out Dearborn to offer educational consulting services... might I add that the word "coalition" is under discussion?

In other things, SEA's being promoted in several places: you can find us on the Engineering Society of Detroit's Affiliate Council (we're an affiliate society, which has really nice benefits like meeting lots of non-profit groups in the region, tasty discounts, and other stuff), at idealist.org under the affinity groups, at greeningdetroit.com next to MSU's sustainability group, and the blogs page of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
I've also found a few articles in The Reporter mentioning our events and activities (Thanks Jennifer Thelen!).

Habitat restoration/preservation (invasive species removal right now, native plantings June 5th--assuming we have a landscape plan in place)

The past two weeks were all about Garlic Mustard removal, and it's an ongoing challenge. Six people have removed over 300 pounds of the invasive plant in a beautiful nature preserve nestled inside of Livonia MI--ferns, trillium, spicbush, jack in the pulpit, and some very old elm trees are a mere smattering of the wonders to be found there. We've been reporting our "harvests" to the Stewardship Network's Garlic Mustard Removal Challenge.

Henry Ford Estate (yes, the one on our campus) is also looking for help--and it's not too late! They plan to remove more Garlic Mustard this Friday, and are.

JUNE 5th: SEA and Volunteer Dearborn are hosting UM-Dearborn's Rouge Rescue Day (and all are invited to join!). Before then, we're figuring out how we could squeeze in some bioswale site surveying and are looking for some landscape architects who'd be willing to contribute some time in coaching us on how to make a viable remediation plan so that we can propose the bioswale to campus Facilities Planning and Management.

That's all for now I think...

Henry Ford Estate and Grounds transfer approved by Board of Regents

2010-05-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have known, the Henry Ford Estate and its grounds have been given to the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House (tax exempt non-profit private ownership). You can view the official press release here: http://www.umd.umich.edu/fullstory/article/University_unites_with_Ford_House/

The University will retain much of the land surrounding the Estate, but it looks like everything from the Rose Garden and Jensen's Meadow Southward will be part of the new ownership (see the University Action Request to the regents here ), with exception to the forested areas.

I honestly didn't know what to do with the news as there was very little information in all publications that would clarify how the grounds would be used and apportioned. I found it contentious, not so much because of the sale, but because very few people knew about it until after the deal was made. Several students and I would have at least appreciated knowing what it would be used for, and what the terms of agreement would be as we've been regular visitors to the forest--it's open to the public and the field biology class regularly uses it as their classroom. That's why the grasses in Jensen's Meadow grow out every summer, it makes a great example for early ecological succession. It's also a fair example of how you can get a lawn space to look good without intensive treatment.

But there's some great news! I just realized that we can at least find out what went into the terms by requesting to see the contract via the Freedom of Information Act. (I'll tell you how this crossed my mind in another post)

However, it doesn't make the University's procedures any different from before unless new policies are adopted to inform faculty, staff, and students about major exchanges like this. All organizations benefit from engaged membership, and UM-Dearborn especially stands to do so. Having short or late notice of these events minimizes the opportunity for participation, and many if not most students don't know how to engage the process even if they are interested and available to do so.

I guess I'd be aiming for something akin to shareholder's rights... we pay the school every semester, and it would seem reasonable that we should be allowed the opportunity to have a say in what happens to the educational assets of the community (campus and beyond--the estate and forest are open to the public). Also, we'll bear the institution's name for the rest of our lives as attendees and graduates so we certainly do have some kind of stake in its future as its representatives.

The second thing I'd like to see is a comprehensive guide to the University Administration and their general roles online and in print issued to every student at orientation or as part of the student handbook. Most students don't understand what the Provost, Deans, Vice Chancellors and Chancellor do. However, some do know when there are gaps in their educational experience, and can concisely articulate their insights given the appropriate point of contact. It might even save Ombuds services some time.

First things first, anyone else interested in reading up on the contract with me?

You can view all Board of Regents meeting minutes here: http://www.regents.umich.edu/meetings/04-10/index.html

[edit 12 July 2010] There will be a Board of Regents meeting this Thursday the 15th at 3:00 pm.

Thanks to Ken Kettenbeil, UM-Dearborn Director of Communications, for his clarification, sharing the Regent's minutes, and link to the press release. Anyone interested in the status of the Henry Ford Estate are encouraged to reach the Office of University Relations:

PHONE: 313-593-5518
The Office of University Relations
Room 1040, Administration Building
University of Michigan-Dearborn

The Suburban Expedition

2010-04-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

With the conclusion of UM-Dearborn's 2010 winter semester drawing near, members of the SEA decided it would be an appropriate time for a suburban expedition to a wetland in Livonia.

I'll reiterate: SUBURBAN EXPEDITION! Livonia wetland!

Tentatively this will happen on the weekend of the 8th/9th of May (hopefully the 9th as I'll be in Chicago or Detroit the day before).

The idea is to go into the field, get in touch with the great outdoors, do an on-site study where we all take some samples/do some scientific monitoring, explore, meet new people and have fun.

It's a good opportunity for everyone to learn new/swap field research techniques too.

Ideally, we'd as a group have some metathesis type (like, if members of the SEA and OES visit ____ area, then an awesome assessment of overall wetland health for that day will be found) study going on, and as individuals we'd break out into assessing individual parts.

So far here's what I can think of:

-Wetland compliance to regulations pointed out by Mr. Schubert and papers/presentation
-Vegetative ______ness (Mr. Cable)
-Something biodiversity indexness, like bird countage, or maybe sedge/rush count (Ian)
-Active mosquito bite index (everyone-geeky suggestion: we can plot bite frequencies to person/proximity to habitat type and stuff)

I'm sure there's more out there, I've invited OES to see if they've got interest in doing earthly studies and explorations with us. If there's anything else, let me know and I can add it to the list.

I'm not sure what else to expect, but I think there were bald eagles, sandhill cranes, invasive species, and emergent wetland vegetation to check out at least. I'll also try to dig up my geology notes from Dr. Murray as there are a few livonia features to check out that bridge us to an interesting history of groundwater, industry, and Livonia's current ordinances. No offense intended to Rob and other Livonia natives, but Livonia is notorious for the legacy of its many leaking underground storage tanks (L.U.S.T.s--a mix of fluids from gas stations and dry cleaners have leaked many a time in the not-to distant past), just ask Dr. Murray professor of Geology at UM-D.

If you're interested in joining us (if I may say so, some of UM-Dearborn's finest in the environmental studies/science programs), e-mail greenwolverines (at) ymail.com with "suburban expedition" in the subject header.

New registrars to be interviewed

2010-04-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

FYI I just found out via e-mail and thought you should know too. I personally don't know a lot about this end of University Administration, but I can safely say that this is a good opportunity to express your desire for administrative/academic transparency and accessibility (you know, like how it's near impossible to find out what lab fees are used for what class, or to see an itemized credit by credit cost estimate by class).

I also found it interesting to read their resumes as the backgrounds and approaches to Registrarial (yes, I probably made that word up) activities. For a personal observation and opinion, I found Ms. Reynolds' to be most action oriented and full of measurable achievements.

As Levar Burton (of Reading Rainbow and Star Trek fame) would say: "You don't have to take my word for it" read into them yourself! Below is the e-mail passed on from the Student Activities Office:

As you may know, the University is in the final stages of interviewing for a new Registrar. Below are the upcoming times the candidates will be available to meet with students. Please try to attend, and encourage your members to attend as well.

The Registrar is responsible for all of the course registration, policies regarding registration and enrollment, and many other important duties related to students' academic and personal success. Here is a link to the Office of Registration and Records, which the Registrar oversees: http://www.umd.umich.edu/registration/

The Registrar is a member of the Enrollment Management and Student Life team and they report to Vice Chancellor Henderson. The previous Registrar was Dr. Linda Brown, who retired in December.

The three finalists' resumes can be viewed at:
http://www.umd.umich.edu/registrar_search/

Kris Day
Director of Student Activities
(313) 593-5390

I'm training with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
for the Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage, AK!
Will you help us find a cure for cancer?
http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/anchor10/kdayln

Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 8:27:08 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Meetings w/Registrar candidates

Hi Kris and Amy-

Beverages and snacks will be provided.

Gayle Reynolds
Thursday, April 29
11:15 - 11:45 a.m.
Kochoff C

Janice Lewis-Boyd
Thursday, May 6
11:15 - 11:45 a.m.
Kochoff B

Adrienne Kellum McDay
Monday, May 10
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
1227 UC

Logo Progress!

2010-04-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

These are preliminary sketches for SEA's new logo and t-shirt. It's a collaborative adventure between Alanna Punch and I.

Alanna's sketches are excellent, the ginkgo leaf one is a little reminiscent of a sand dollar too (which might be appropriate for an organization whose acronym spells out SEA)! The bottom one is where we started agreeing.

Mine are sketchy at best, drawn on 100% recycled paper, with a bic pen I found in the computer lab. It includes supplemental text to suggest that the viewer see what I meant rather than what I did...

At the bottom is our banner logo, unabashedly Michigan wetland and bird biased. I've yet to decide the first bird, it'll probably be a heron of sorts because of the neck, but I haven't ruled out old "Galunk! Galunk!"--better known as the American Bittern (which is often seen with beak skyward). Anyhow, I hope I can get a mix of these designs on a t-shirt soon in combination with the other logos from SEA's history.

Each leaf is to be shaded/filled a little differently (for monocolor printing purposes), with a dark leaf on the bottom left, a veined leaf on the bottom right, and a light leaf on top. We've settled on (but haven't yet drawn) using three leaves with a Celtic knot (as roots like in Mary Fastiggi's [edit: Sharianne Ziola's] Celtic Knot Tree) inside of a ring to include Roots and Shoots. Alanna describes it poetically:

"Ordinary roots would be needlessly complex and distracting, but what about symbolically representing the inter-connectivity of the triple bottom line with interwoven loops, like those of Celtic calligraphy? I'll draw up a sketch, but we could scrap the ring and split the leaf-stems, in a way having the stems themselves form the ring and loops for the symbols you speak."

She also assured me that "Describing it makes it sound complicated, but the design itself is quite simple." I believe it. Later on, we'll add letters on top of the leaves to spell out SEA.

What are your thoughts?

Hooray, Sustainable Seeds Microloan recouped!

2010-04-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

FYI, as of last month at the EIC's Ice Cream Social SEA has earned a total of $57 for its Native Seeds Project. That mean's we made a $6.50 profit (now $9.50 as of 12 IV 2010--3 packets were sold to the USGBC's Detroit Regional Chapter Green Schools committee chair!) on top of the grant (which we've yet to really put to use)!

We've got more prairie plant seed packets remaining:
Wild nodding onion (yes it's edible)
Black Eyed Susan (member of the Echinacea)
Wild Bergamot/Bee Balm
Rough Blazing Star

If you'd like to help out, we've got the following seeds which would be happy to find a package (and soon a habitat):

Lots of aster and golden rod spiecies (to be a mix)
Wild Mountain Mint
Thimbleweed (the seed's papus is really fluffy!)
Wild Nodding Onion (a little bit left, most were given away during the Urban Farming Summit or sold at the EIC ice cream social--I'm calling dibs on at least one packet)

Thanks for all of your help so far, especially to Rob Schubert, Dana Wloch, Mike Perrin, and Dr. Susko.

Putting the earth in OES with free trees

2010-04-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

For Earth Day, UM-Dearborn's Organization for Earth Studies will be giving away free 1-2 foot saplings of Black Walnut, Tulip Tree, and White Pine (all Michigan natives). I'm especially excited about the Tulip Tree (DIBS!), but also that address information will be collected from each person who takes a tree so they can map the spatial distribution of trees handed out. It looks like a substantial way to follow up with what and where the trees are going.

Keep an eye out for details (time tba) from the oes.

Our food system: Aramark and the Imokalee FL issue

2010-04-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Finally catching up with the old posts!

The University sent out a food services survey under momentum of the Provost's Urban Farming Summit. Aramark is our Campus' contracted food service provider.

After almost a year of on and off searching, I finally found the news I've been looking for:
http://www.ciw-online.org/
What's this place have to do with Aramark?

Aramark's buying practices drives legal slave-like conditions for farmworkers in Imokalee Florida (where most of the tomatoes in America are grown).

[edit 14 Apr. 2010] Having read relatively recent news, the question now is whether Aramark's agreement to increase pay for tomato farmworkers is sufficient to put the issue at rest.

My response to the survey (was long...):

What specific changes would you like to see made to McKinley Cafe ? Please be specific.

Outline of comments:
1)Hotline to Forgotten Harvest for extra food; Ethics (ultimate solution)
2)Local food, Benefits; Ethics (ultimate solution)
3)Hot Breakfast—want less salty variety and quality
4)Meal value in terms of nutrition, proportion, price, and…Ethics
5)Please stay open Mon-Thurs until 6:10 (we’re just hungry before class)
6)This survey needs a “don’t know” or “n/a” radio button

Disclaimer: I’ve been a customer or a consumer (because of free/left over on-campus event food). These suggestions are carefully considered (some even researched just for you!), not extreme, and I provide reasonable and sustainable alternatives which can be beneficial to the company’s bottom line. I’d prefer to see a change in the company’s practices rather than have the school look elsewhere as the issues discussed below really can make the world a better place if they are done sincerely.

Also, I’m assuming there’s one person reading this response at a time, so I may say “you” or “Aramark” (assuming that’s our primary food service), or the Company (similar assumption as before) no personal offenses were intended.

With exception to #5, the following comments about food, sourcing location, ingredients, nutrition, proportion, organic foods, vegetarian, and vegan options were also strongly expressed by attendees of the Urban Farming Summit, the EverGreen Team, the membership of the Student Environmental Association, and the participants of the Roots and Shoots program.

Please take note, momentum is gathering and quickly organizing:

1.
Hotline to Forgotten Harvest for extra food, Ethics

Hotline to the Forgotten Harvest posted in many visible places AND USED whenever there's extra food at the end of the day (in the café and for catered events). There's no reason to waste food when homeless and hungry people live so close to our campus.

Here’s how you can set it up with them: http://www.forgottenharvest.org/

Other students and I have heard from Aramark staff that the left over food (including whole pizzas) get thrown into the trash at the end of the day. We’ve witnessed it too.

This is not a responsible policy for the company, and campus student organizations like the Student Environmental Association and Students for Ethical Investments take note and advocate against it. Also, the faculty and staff have acknowledged these issues concerning food operations; the campus EverGreen Team has held active discussion about the issue.

2.
Local food, Benefits, Ethics

Find better suppliers, get fresh ingredients/foods from local places, try to serve a lot of organic foods too. Eastern Market (which has year-round indoor farmer markets) of Detroit is only 11 miles away (I measured via google earth) and is second in agricultural diversity only to California! It's basically one of the top two in the nation for food.

What’s the reasoning behind locally sourced food?
Reduced packaging waste (which means less garbage going to be dumped—someone might also save money on garbage disposal costs), less energy wasted by distributors (someone saves money on gas), and reduced pollution. There are also ethical considerations for environmental and social justice:

OXFAM, the Coalition for Immigrant Workers, and the Student Farmworker’s Alliance (non-profit non governmental organizations) have identified and explicitly named Subway and Aramark for perpetuating modern day slavery through its purchases. How?
Some tomatoes used by these two organizations originate from farms (in Immokalee Florida) which do not honor basic human rights for its workers by subjecting them to slave-like conditions. It’s still an issue (I spoke to a worker from the Student Farmworker’s Alliance last year), and the following are excerpts from a document published in 2009:

“Role of the Corporate Food Industry in Farmworker Poverty – Retail food industry leaders such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Aramark and Sodexo play an active role in creating the unconscionable conditions in Florida’s fields. These massive corporations are able to leverage unprecedented purchasing power to demand ever-lower prices from their tomato suppliers. This in turn puts a strong downward pressure on farmworker wages and working conditions, as tomato suppliers squeeze their diminishing profits from their workers in order to meet the volume discounts demanded by their corporate clients. As such, farmworker poverty feeds retail food industry profits.” http://www.sfalliance.org/resources/09CampaignAnalysis.pdf

‘2001 report to Congress entitled The Agricultural Labor Market
- Status and Recommendations, the US Department of Labor called
farmworkers ‘a labor force in significant economic distress.’ The report cited
farmworkers’ “low wages, sub-poverty annual earnings, (and) significant
periods of un- and underemployment” to support its conclusion, adding that
‘agricultural worker earnings and working conditions are either stagnant or in
decline.’ In its Profile of Hired Farmworkers, A 2008 Update, the US
Department of Labor found the level of ‘poverty among farmworkers is more
than double that of all wage and salary employees.’
Tomato pickers in Florida’s fields labor in sweatshop conditions every day, including:
• Sub-poverty wages – Tomato pickers make, on average, $10,000/year;
• No raise in nearly 30 years – Pickers are paid virtually the same per-bucket piece rate (roughly 45 cents per 32-lb. bucket) today as they were in 1980. As a result, workers must harvest over twice the number of buckets per hour today to earn minimum wage as they did in 1980. At today's rate, workers have to pick over 2 ½ TONS of tomatoes just to earn the equivalent of Florida minimum wage for a 10-hour workday;
• Denial of fundamental labor rights – Farmworkers in Florida have no right to overtime pay, even when working 60-70 hour weeks, and no right to organize or bargain collectively.” http://www.sfalliance.org/resources/09CampaignAnalysis.pdf

http://www.ciw-online.org/101.html

How can this be prevented or solved? One solution is to buy locally, but really, it’s to be considerate about who does what and where it all happens. The same practices could happen nearby. What makes a local distributor and grower better than one from a different area? Maybe it’s because you know how to get in touch with them, and hopefully it’s because you’ve developed trust with them.

3.
Better breakfasts: Most of the hot breakfast items are too salty, have very limited options, and there's a frightening list of many artificial ingredients in the breakfast items (like the sausage egg biscuit-a 3x4 inch list of ingredients in size 7 font). I would have purchased the sausage egg biscuit sandwiches (I tried it a few times) but I couldn't handle something in it, either I'm really sensitive to MSG, or the grease is too strong. Can the food service serve people other things for a warm breakfast? I’d be up for eggs on the grill, toast, or even pancakes/waffles (bonus if the pancakes, toast, and waffles are made from something like unbleached whole grain flour, or there’s a gluten free option [some people on our campus are allergic to gluten but would love to eat bready things]).

4.
Meal value in terms of nutrition, proportion, and price

If a food service calls something a meal, I expect that they use nutritional guidelines to define that meal. This is also why I responded with very few meal purchases in the survey-- a single slice of pizza (at $2-3) doesn't count as a meal, and it costs too much to get it with a salad and other things to satiate. Instead, I try to exploit the topping system at Subway.

Anyhow, here’s the latest and greatest—probably with better explanations, details, and research than what I provide: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid-full-story/index.html

BUT, I do offer some simple switches, alternatives, and suggestions for you:

Again, get and use whole grain buns/bread for everything (burgers, etc.)--it tends to be more nutritious and (for me at least) can taste better.

A nutritious meal should have complex carbohydrates (found in whole grain unbleached bread, brown rice, whole grain cous cous), quality protein (dairy like solid cheddar, feta cheese, etc. or meat, or beans/snap peas/legumes/nuts), and mostly (some nutritionists would argue 2/3rds to 3/4ths) fresh vegetables.

Potatoes are starchy plant roots. They don't provide the kind of roughage and nutrients found in fresh greens (like spinach, broccoli, etc.).

Substantial and satisfying vegetarian foods at reasonable prices--if an omnivore wouldn't eat it because it doesn't hold them over after 1 1/2 hours, it's not suitable for most people to eat and call a "meal".

EX. a salad should not be $4-$5 and be made of strictly lettuce for greens. Include spinach, fruits, and other greens in substantial portions (they also provide simple sugars for the body to use quickly), and don't forget the complex carbs (body's main source of long-term energy) and proteins (muscle and brain uses this stuff--important for students).

Oh, and vegetarian or plain cheese pizzas disappeared for several weeks which even further limits the choices for vegetarians (luckily, I'm better described as part-time vegetarian, and probably didn’t carry enough money to buy lunch from campus anyhow).

Some plant oils (like olive oil) are also recommended. Want to know what makes a meal instantly classier than it already was? Have quality olive oil (I know, probably not local—up to you to find something else) and some fresh herbs participating in a serving.—wow, makes me think of almost using silverware! Drizzle some on the fresh vegetables above, or on pasta or pizza, and it makes for a fine enhancement. Also, please try to refrain from using the plant oil solely for frying.

Also, there are many vegans who would (or do purchase) food from the cafe, but only rarely as vegan options are almost never present.

Aramark’s outstanding performance at the Urban Farming Summit demonstrates that it can meet a minimum of 50% organic and local foods which are nutritious, satisfying, and flavorful. Plus, there was a viable menu for vegans. We’re holding the company to that standard now.

5. Finally, hours: Please remain open until 6:10 pm Mon-Thursday! It makes a difference for many hungry students in late-night classes.

Thanks for reading!
A Hungry Student

P.S. This survey needs a “don’t know” or “n/a” radio button, for example, nutrition transparency at the campus is poor and I don’t really know what I’m eating, so I refrain from eating from campus when feasible. Would it be fair for me to rate it as the worst when clearly some of the foods I did eat (like some sandwiches and tabbouleh) weren’t junk?

What specific changes would you like to see made to your campus meal program that would increase your likelihood to purchase it? Please be specific.
Proof that it's a better value than bringing food from home or eating elsewhere.

A flier would suffice, thanks!

Bioswale project: Department of brainstorm

2010-04-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

I spoke with our friends at the Friends of the Rouge the other day to invite them to visit the SEA to re-introduce themselves and share some sage advice with us about putting in bioswales and reclaiming Phragmites-covered(conquered? FYI, Fragmites are tall, densely growing invasive plants that look like major league flowering grasses on steroids) vernal ponds with landscaped native plants.

Please let us know if there's anyone interested in helping SEA lead the educational, conservation, or coordination of the project.

Hopefully, the SEA and others can recruit volunteer landscape architects, graduate students, project managers, and anyone else who'd be interested in sharing their expertise by teaching us useful things to do for our campus starting with the 'swale.

Also, be sure to sign up for Rouge River Rescue day June 5th at your local site or maybe even UM-Dearborn (SEA will be working there on the swale at that time, as well as several other sites in conjunction with Volunteer Dearborn)!

Currently, a group of students (including myself) enrolled in Dr. Riebesell's Environmental Science lab plan to lay out a landscaping plan as part of our lab project. I'd like invite you to call us "Team Land Plan". Also, you're welcome to join us for that too!

Posted career opportunitities

2010-03-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you looking for internships or summer placement, there are several resources I've seen so far. Don't forget to ask your concentration advisor, and be sure to investigate the resources available on campus too. Career services (in the UC), the co-op office (in CASL for environmental science/studies majors), and several department offices can direct you to people to ask about internships and other placement opportunities.

Here are a few more that might be worthy of investigation:

The Student PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups) are always on the move and work to help the general public from many angles. They're very receptive to inquiring people, and likely have several internship opportunities: http://www.studentpirgs.org/

Michigan DNRE hiring for 1,200-plus summer jobs (found out from Crain's, article might not be accessible unless you have a subscription)--you'll need to poke around the DNRE site, click on the button in the left column and fill out a general application form:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10366_11866---,00.html
http://www.michigan.gov/mdcs

Greatest internship on the earth? Deadline is March 31st! Sierra Club:
http://www.sierraclub.org/bestinternship/
* Travel around the country camping, rafting, hiking, contributing to environmental service projects, and enjoying the outdoors with the Sierra Club's youth programs.
* Create an awesome video blog that documents the experience.
* Be based in beautiful San Francisco at the Sierra Club's headquarters.
* Earn a $2,500 stipend for the 8-week internship, plus all expenses paid for travel.
* Be outfitted with $2,000 worth of gear from The North Face and Planet Explore.

Also, watch for the WWF's site on internship opportunities, there were a bunch posted with applications to be due around this time of year (April 15) last I heard.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/careers/index.html

Again, there's far more out there than what's on this list, but perhaps it can get you started.

Michigan Reptiles, Amphibians, and citizens?

2010-03-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, Jim McGrath and his son Glenn of Nature Discover returned to our campus to present their Michigan Reptiles and Amphibians exhibit at Global Fest.

Having heard some of his comments about environment and citizenship (which he articulates very well), I'm writing them here along with some observations:

-K-12 students (and as we saw Thursday, College Students-Professionals) are more than willing to learn about Michigan wildlife, and that the content is accessible and engaging--especially when bringing live animals to the class, or bringing the class to the live animals (outdoors). Furthermore, it is something engaging to people of many learning styles (visual, kinesthetic, aural, etc.) and that it should have standing for our mainstream curriculum.

-What can 44 species of native reptiles and amphibians have to do with Michigan citizenship?

First
They live in the same State with us and are part of our ecological community.

Second
Many reptiles and amphibians with populations that are diminishing are threatened by human activity--but not on purpose!

Take Michigan turtles for example.

One of the primary causes of turtle kills comes from vehicular traffic.
Between late May and into July, female turtles will leave ponds to lay eggs on drier ground. They often cross roads to do so (but slowly), and motorists don't always realize that the little round lump on the road is a turtle until it's too late. Jim says simply informing Michigan drivers about this would make a difference in the turtle population. What can we do about it? Jim says to reach our government representatives (and maybe even the Secretary of State) and ask that a "Michigan Wildlife" section be included in the driver's handbook (Michigan's is called "What Every Driver Should Know"). It would be a great place to mention deer and the times that they're active too (having hit one in the past month on Ford Road, I can tell you it's around twilight).

-Another source for the decline in our turtle population comes from poaching.
Often, turtles are collected out of the wild by poachers.

For example, the Spotted turtle is listed as Threatened by the Michigan DNR poaching and habitat loss (wetlands). While the MI DNR says not to collect wild turtles as pets, many people (including the former owners of several animals in Jim's exhibit) don't know where their pets really came from. If animal and ecosystem conservation is of concern to you, ask pet store owners, and let them know that supply chain transparency and responsibility is something you value as a potential customer and pet owner of a pet store. Also, there are opportunities to attend public hearings and meetings (like your local zoning board of appeals meeting), which may have an impact on existing wetland/aquatic ecosystems.

Don't forget to look for win/win solutions such as green infrastructure. (drawing from the recent Rouge River Outfall hearing proposal...)

Of course, you're welcome to learn more about reptiles and amphibians elsewhere, the campus EIC and the DNR's website might be some good places to start.

The SEA presents: A Global Citizenship Initiative in birief

2010-03-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

The Global Citizenship Campus Initiative

This is a half baked description (definition is ongoing) of the Initiative:

In a nutshell, it's like most compelling educational events on campus. Participants are really encouraged to participate in engaging real-world issues (like by watching, critiquing/roasting a movie in the company of some professors). But just when we've seen what the issue at hand is and why it's important, the SEA plans to follow up with answers to what we can do.

In other words, it's all about informing, educating, and empowering people to take sustainable action. I should mention that fun will likely be involved too as soon as cleverness graces our scheme.

For a more formal (but still baking) description:

In collaboration with other departments and student organizations, we plan to address topics of global citizenship to re-establish and foster a comprehensively sustainable community.

Through interactive and engaging events, students are invited to analyze, discuss, and evaluate various topics which share similar strategies and solutions in the way we approach and communicate the world.

In specific, students, faculty, and staff are invited to join one another in objectively and critically examining every day items (like food or roads), events, media (such as common news sources, art, etc.), and issues on topics of nationalism, gender inequality, homophobia, classism, racism, extremism, and specieism. In doing so, we hope to share and establish actionable strategies for non-violent dispute resolution through compassion and persuasive argumentation.

Care to join us?

Here's the current line up:
At UM-Dearborn's Global Fest March 18th
Kochoff Hall Room 1225

Jim McGrath & Nature Discovery Reptiles and Amphibians Exhibit
Jim will also speak on issues of Environmental Citizenship, and share with participants how to sustainably engage the environment from wherever you may be.

Earth Day April 22

? In ponderance
English Club would like to work with us, and we'd like to work with a few others too...
Have any ideas? Let us know! greenwolverines@ymail.com

The Bioswale Project READ: FREE RESEARCH IDEAS!

2010-03-06T10:33:00.001-08:00

Bioswale project: We hope that the bioswale project will illustrate how native plants can be used as traditional garden plantings at the bridge between the ScienceBuilding and the Mardigian Library. Using similar principles described in the Native Seeds Project, we hope to provide signage that encourages students to interact more intimately with the ecosystems found on accessible areas of the campus. We aim to establish and increase inter-organizational coalition strength, leadership, and demonstrate interdisciplinary place-based project learning.

Here are some experiments I came up with that others might be interested in trying (fair warning to UM-Dearborn, I'll offer this to you guys first, but don't be surprised if I put up research projects on Craigslist and open it up to the rest of Michigan academia):

For the microbiologists (Ahem. Microbio club):
Microbial community analysis--sample the soil and water before and after we remove the phragmites--there's scientific literature (like novel weapons theory) which discusses how some plants alter the soil or even have special symbiotic relationships with certain kinds of fungi (endophytes?), plants, and bacteria.

For geologists (that's you OES):
The site is some kind of vernal pond/wet ecosystem type place. Water collects, but also flows from a patch of woods, to the site of the proposed bioswale, under a couple bridges and pavestones of cement, and out to another (likely once the same pond) vernal pond. I've personally seen a current flowing on the other side.

A collaborative opportunity for chemists and geologists:
What about the soil/mineral content? Any changes from before and after we remove the phragmites?

Get any of these projects rolling and I guarantee you that the campus will have an indefinitely sustainable project for future students and student orgs. Nice legacy huh?

Native Seeds project in brief, and a challenge to the community

2010-03-06T09:06:00.001-08:00

I'd argue that most plants are an ultimate example of sustainability (but maybe not in this post). Instead, I think it's time that we officially start answering ongoing questions:

What is the Native Seeds Project?
Also, why might it matter to you and I?
How can planting some seeds make a difference in the world around us?

It's one of our ways to illustrate different aspects of sustainability in a tangible product: native plant seeds plus the packaging and an educational insert.

Social sustainability, examples for what tools of economic sustainability look like in action (such as spending locally, and revolving door loans), and of course environmental sustainability are all interwoven with a sense of place and maybe even a little wonder. Oh, and we fit in some research and applied learnings.

The Native Seeds Project gathers native Michigan plants from the Environmental Interpretive Center, packages, and sells them to the general public.
Educational inserts and information on the packets illustrate perspectives of sustainability in social, economic, and ecological contexts. These are used to educate the public on how native plants improve water quality and conservation, reduce the use of pesticides, and benefit to Michigan’s infrastructure by increasing rainwater retention. It also promotes habitat restoration. At the same time, we believe that their natural history and intrinsic beauty can inspire those who interact with the plants.

That's it in a nutshell. I'll post a link to the actual documents we use in the packaging and inserts for you to read at another time.

By the way, here's a challenge for you community builders that would make land use planners, everyday citizens, and habitat conservationists really happy:

Get your neighbors involved in planting native plant seeds with you!

Get two packets or share some of the seeds in yours with neighbors who live in plots adjacent to your own. Try to coordinate your plantings on both sides of the property line. By doing so, you're making a habitat migration corridor out of your gardens.

Next week: 3 Public meetings and events; ESCI/ENST 395 approved

2010-02-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

FYI

There are three ESCI/ENST 395 approved events, including the rescheduled Dearborn waste water treatment public hearing, this coming week.

Tuesday (thank Angela for letting us know about this one):
Postdoctoral research on pollutant emissions impact of changes in electricity supply (due to renewable electricity) and demand (due to plugin hybrid electric vehicles)
Ann Arbor School of Natural Resources and Environment on Tuesday (2/20) from 4-5pm. The link is here: http://www.snre.umich.edu/events/2010-02-23/public_lecture_and_digital_exhibit_by_jarod_kelly

Wednesday:
The Rouge River Outfall/Green Infrastructure Waste Water Treatment public hearing has been rescheduled for Wednesday Feb. 24th at 7:00 pm in the EIC due to the campus snow day. They plan to build the waste water treatment plant further upstream--which is arguably a good thing as a lot of drinking water in the area is processed further downstream of the river.

MDNRE Public Notice of Meeting

Thursday:
ESDI/WWJ Michigan's Future in Renewable Energy
Lawrence Tech University
7:30am-9:30am Southfield
UTLC Gallery

Flannel Day--Maple Syruping

2010-02-19T21:13:00.001-08:00

How exciting! It was great to see so many other SEA members at the event (and wearing flannel too!), there were a few unexpected turns too.

Our slated "Flannel Day" (for having a lumberjack-like breakfast) was the first day for UM-Dearborn to start tapping the maple trees (not to boil sap, make syrup, or pancakes--ah well).

However, we had the opportunity to lead or shadow a maple syruping seasonal walk. What's that? Imagine an episode of David Attenborough, the Jeff Corwin Experience, David Suzuki's Nature of Things,or Steve Irwin's Crocodile Hunter devoted to sugar maples in Michigan--LIVE! Mixed in with some DIY maple tree tapping.

Our group little D shaped marks on the trunk of our tree which is indicative of a certain woodpecker known as the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker too...

Anyhow, keep an eye out for the UM-Dearborn syrup bottles.

EPA et al. Public Meeting on Asian Carp this Wednesday

2010-02-15T11:51:00.001-08:00

You can earn credit for ESCI 395 by attending:

Public meeting on Asian carp control efforts Feb. 17 in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Release date: 02/08/2010

Contact Information: (EPA) Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov (EPA) Mick Hans, 312-353-5050, hans.mick@epa.gov (IJC) Frank Bevacqua, 202-412-1017, bevacquaf@washington.ijc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 10-OPA011

CHICAGO (Feb. 8, 2010) - The International Joint Commission, in cooperation with the participating agencies listed below, is hosting a public meeting in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Feb. 17 to discuss plans and get recommendations on Asian carp control efforts. This will be the second public meeting in the Great Lakes region.

Who: Senior representatives from

* International Joint Commission;
* U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
* U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
* U.S. Coast Guard;
* Great Lakes states, provinces, municipalities and tribes (invited);
* White House Council on Environmental Quality; and
* Scientific experts

When: 3:00 - 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17

Where: Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest
1275 S. Huron
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

The meeting also will be available via live web stream at: http://epa.gov/greatlakes/live
Those who cannot attend the meeting in person can submit questions on the Web site.

When available, the framework and a transcript of the meeting will be posted on http://www.asiancarp.org/regionalcoordination
Comments on the framework may also be submitted online at the above Web site.
# # #

SEC Issues Corporate Climate Change Disclosure Standards

2010-02-14T13:58:00.000-08:00

Sunday 31Jan2010
SEC Issues Corporate Climate Change Disclosure Standards
From the Environmental Law Blog igreenlaw:

On January 27, 2010 the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved guidelines requiring companies to consider and disclose the impact that business or legal development related to climate change may have on its business. Federal securities laws and SEC regulations require companies to disclose material information or information that an investor should possess in order to decide whether to buy a company’s stock. The interpretive guidance was issued in response to investors who said companies aren’t providing enough data on the potential risks to their profits and operations from environmental protection laws and climate change risks.

A couple weeks old for news, but it's certainly news to me! I wonder what UM-Dearborn's Students for Socially Responsible Investing (SSRI) are doing. We should at least talk more often SSRI, care to be our Valentine?

Public Hearing at EIC Feb. 10th: Our Say for the Rouge River

2010-02-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday the 10th of Feb. at 7:00 pm, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment is holding a public meeting at the UM-Dearborn's Environmental Interpretive Center concerning modifications to our water treatment system. Public comments will be accepted through February 12, 2010.

This is a fine opportunity for all students to engage our greater community and consider our impacts on the social, economic, and ecological environment of Southeastern Michigan. Even if you're not yet ready to join the discussion concerning the science and policy, it is a great opportunity to observe and learn how what we do is affected by past actions and influences our future conduct as a region through a local civic event. Also, students in the Environmental Science and Studies program can receive ESCI 395 credit for attending this meeting (be sure to take notes and ask good questions!).

As I understand it from the attached document, a proposed Rouge River water treatment facility will treat stormwater runoff and primary effluent (physically strained waste water/sewage with basic treatment) with provisions to disinfect and dechlorinate any storm water runoff (water collected from storm drains off streets, etc.) that combines with the treated sewage and overflows and goes into the river. Discussion for alternatives to how we currently approach the waste water infrastructure is another focus of the meeting.

Among the alternative recommendations, investment in "green infrastructure", which I'd explain as preventative storm water treatment that creates natural spaces and other natural rain retention features, and let them do their job in trapping storm water. The Great Lakes Report blog has detailed financial coverage and some more history behind the Rouge River Outflow project, and there's also this link that explains the project.

As you may be aware, our Campus and much of Southeast Michigan is part of and is influenced by the status of the Rouge River--tap water for many people in the area is collected downstream of the Rouge River in Detroit and will be downstream of the proposed treatment site.

Author and historian Ginger Strand notes the following about infrastructure:
"Most of us take infrastructure for granted but we shouldn't; it tells us a lot about ourselves. The massive investment in designing, building and maintaining infrastructure is one of a society's most utopian actions: through it we seek to remake the world. Hydroinfrastructure, for example, shows our conviction that the perfect world has easy access to cold drinks and hot showers. It also links country and city through the flow of one of earth's most elemental substances, demonstrating that the worlds of 'nature' and 'culture' are not as separate as we often believe."

Similarly, the responsibility inherent to our belief in access to a healthy place for all to live is vested in events like these.

Here's to the River!

10 Feb. 2010 Update:
There's a snow day at the campus. The following information may be useful to all interested persons:

All interested parties are invited to present comments on the proposed NPDES permit. Persons unable to attend the public meeting and hearing may submit comments through February 12, 2010. This information will be considered prior to taking action on the permit. For additional information contact Thomas Knueve, Permits Section, Water Bureau, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, P.O. Box 30273, Lansing, Michigan 48909, telephone: 517-241-9535; e-mail: knuevet@michigan.gov.

USGS Release: Contaminated House Dust Linked to Parking Lots with Coal Tar Sealant (1/12/2010 1:38:37 PM)

2010-01-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

Hmm! Some of the black tar gunk that's used for sealing cracks in pavement turns out to be made from coal dust byproduct too. It also potentially contains carcinogenic particles:

"Coal-tar-based sealcoat—the black, shiny substance sprayed or painted on many parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds—has been linked to elevated concentrations of the contaminants polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in house dust."
...
"PAHs are an environmental health issue because several are probable human carcinogens and they are toxic to fish and other aquatic life."
...
"Two kinds of sealcoat products are widely used: coal-tar-emulsion based products and asphalt-emulsion based products. National use numbers are not available; however, previous research suggests that asphalt-based sealcoat is more commonly used on the West Coast, and coal-tar based sealcoat is more commonly used in the Midwest, the South, and on the East Coast."

--US Geological Survey
Here are my questions:

1) Which sealcoat does UM-Dearborn use?

If it is one of sufficient concern, then
2) What quantifies a PAH concentration significant enough for fish and other aquatic life?
3) How much carcinogenic PAH does one find in every day places like the air, water, and soil on campus in comparison to the parking lots?

Given UM-Dearborn's high traffic and close proximity to the Rouge River (which runs through campus), I wonder what alternatives are available to use in its stead.

Link to today's full USGS media release:
USGS Release: Contaminated House Dust Linked to Parking Lots with Coal Tar Sealant (1/12/2010 1:38:37 PM)

Keeping it sustainable...

2010-01-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

There are so many neat events and happenings that I figured it would be a good idea to make a new post and retool the blog for ongoing discussion about sustainability. As usual, you're invited to participate!

Contents may vary.

Sustainable Visions Art Exhibition Prospectus

2009-10-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

FYI a Prospectus for the Sustainable Visions Art Exhibition has been created and mailed out to inquiring individuals. Contact greenwolverines(at)ymail.com if you'd like to receive an electronic copy of the form.

Eligibility & Presentation Requirements
Anything can be submitted, we're confident that everything relates to topics of people, planet, and profit. However, there are three conditions we encourage artists to consider for their pieces:

1) Its subject creatively communicates to the audience without malicious intent
2) The piece is ready for presentation
3) The piece is easily set up or removed by one person within reasonable time

We welcome large pieces or unorthodox mediums, but special installation needs must be discussed in advance. Contact the Student Environmental Association at: greenwolverines (at) ymail.com

Liability
The University of Michigan-Dearborn, Student Environmental Association, and Art History Association at the University of Michigan-Dearborn cannot be held liable for damage or missing works.

We'll do our best to handle your works with the greatest of care in a professional manner. Please know that your works will be displayed in a public place, and that we have a limited number of volunteers and space to help all of the artists participating in this event.

During the registration period until the day of the showing, limited overnight storage space is available. Works left after October 21st are at the artist’s risk.

Agreement
Submission of your work constitutes compliances with all the conditions stated above.

Publication
The Student Environmental Association and Art History Association at the University of Michigan-Dearborn reserve the right to photograph and reproduce all entries accepted into the exhibition regardless of copyright. Such reproductions will be used for promotional and/or educational purposes only and given due credit where appropriate.

Registration and Delivery
Please deliver works in the rear of the University Center, the Student Environmental Association will have a table set up for registration and delivery by the rear stairwell:
Monday, October 19, 2009 2:30–5:00pm
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 2:30-5:00pm
OR
Please submit attached form to:
greenwolverines (at) ymail.com

Exhibition schedule
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
11:00am Final Delivery of Works, Set Up in the University Center Kochoff commons area
12:00-3:00pm Exhibition
3:00-4:00pm Exhibition Tear Down
4:00pm Live performance at the U.C. Stage. Please sign up to perform at this time. We cannot provide amplification or other equipment for performers.

The Student Environmental Association (SEA)
seeks to make the social, economic, and ecological environment accessible and relevant to current and future students through quality events, recreational activities, and ultimately cultivating a more vibrant, sustainable community on and around campus.

Monday in Detail

2009-10-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Lots of events to kick off the week. Have questions about sustainability for Professor Lore, or maybe the Chancellor? Post them here! Even if you cannot attend, we'll be sure to find answers.

Monday

*Sustainable Food: 50 Mile Meal and a Movie (King Corn screening)
When: October 19, 2009, 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Monday
Where: Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) Auditorium
Contact E-Mail: kpepin@umd.umich.edu

When the average North American sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically traveled at least 1500 miles from farm to plate. Our meal will include ONLY foods grown within a 50 mile radius of UM-D.
Join the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the EverGreen Team for a strolling dinner - a 50 mile meal, and the "King Corn" the first movie in a series of films focused on our sustainable
food supply.

Students $10.00
Faculty and Staff: $15.00
Donations Accepted

All profits will be added to the Sustainable Seeds micro-loan fund!

*Sustainable Seeds (Microloan award)
When: October 19, 2009, 05:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Monday
Where: Environmental Interpretive Center Exhibit Area
Contact E-Mail: kpepin@umd.umich.edu

Students have the opportunity to apply for a micro loan to develop and apply a sustainable
initiative on UM-D's campus. These micro-loans are very small loans (Under $500) designed to spur entrepreneurship in a sustainable manner. How can you make a difference in your campus
environment?

What is sustainability? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability
It covers a wide range of topics, but essentially, we honor the triple bottom line of sustainability: people, planet, and profit.

*Sustainable Food Talk "The Environmental Crisis on your plate"
When: October 19, 2009, 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM
Monday
Where: Kochoff Hall B in the University Center
Contact E-mail: tnbrowni@umd.umich.edu

A talk on sustainable food presented by Professor Lordes Lore of Henry Ford Community College brought to you by the Environmental Interpretive Center and the Student Environmental Association.

This event may be considered for extra credit by your professor.

Synopsis:

Look at food from a viewpoint that you might not have considered before: Not in terms of calories or grams of carbs but how what we eat, not only affects our health in surprising ways, but the world as we now know it, and future generations. Did you know that our food choices unwittingly support certain food production practices and multibillion [yes, Billion] dollar corporations ?

The Environmental Crisis on Your Plate will provide an overview of how our food system contributes to global warming, discuss how this food system affects us personally, and what we can do to provoke change & improve it.