Waste

Garbage-to-ethanol plant would change town

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(IN) The Post-Tribune – Yellowed photos and a school yearbook tell the story of a rural town of 300 people whose lives may never be the same again if a $285 million, first-of-its-kind garbage-to-ethanol plant becomes a reality. The vast majority of Schneider’s populace hopes it will. Businesses come and go, struggle to stay alive in and around this burg that hugs the Kankakee River and, while most residents work outside of town, many are unemployed, they say. More

Echo

Danish secrets of renewable energy

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(MI) The Mudpuppy – We’ve been introduced to a whole new world in Copenhagen. Green energy is the norm. People “believe” in climate change. Words sound funny. On Monday, we rode in a bus called Turisfart. Those last four letters mean fast, or speed.

Echo

Long-forgotten water cistern adds to Dominican’s sustainability effort

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(IL) Chicago Tribune – Through a dim hallway, past a huge chamber filled with chugging generators and wheezing boilers, the jewel in Dominican University’s green crown sits quietly in a dank antechamber dappled with sunlight. It’s an ancient concrete water cistern, and for more than 90 years it has studiously collected rainwater runoff from nearby buildings. Overlooked and forgotten for decades in the basement of one of the oldest buildings on campus, the old reservoir is now the centerpiece of the River Forest-based university’s green initiative. The story of how the ancient cistern was put back into use at Dominican is a combination of fortuitous discovery and sensible sustainability. More

Echo

Energy plants to fuel big jobs rally

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(MI) Detroit Free Press – Aggressive lobbying for and against two proposed coal-fired power plants in Michigan is to begin today with a rally at the state Capitol expected to draw up to 2,000 hard hat-wearing construction workers eager for work. The “Put Us to Work” rally at 3 p.m. today was organized to show support for the power plants sought for Rogers City and Hampton Township near Bay City. More

Waste

Michigan Tailgate Tries for Zero Waste

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(MI) The Ann Arbor Chronicle – At a pre-game tailgate hosted by the UM Alumni Association, a team of  Student Sustainability Initiative SSI) volunteers came up at least three coffee creamer containers shy of their goal: a “zero waste” tailgate. Those three coffee creamer containers came from Edward J. Vander Velde — from the 50th reunion class of 1959 — who kidded the volunteers who were staffing one of the waste stations inside Oosterbaan Fieldhouse, saying, “We’re still short of perfect!” More

Waste

Ann Arbor City Council to consider single-stream recycling system

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(MI) AnnArbor.com – A proposal to convert Ann Arbor’s recycling facility so residents wouldn’t have to sort their recycled papers from their plastics is being sent over to the City Council next week. The specifics of the proposal won’t be available until council members get their first look at the Oct. 12 work session. The proposal could be considered at a council meeting as soon as Nov. 5.

Echo

Zeeland approves ordinance regulating wind energy turbines

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(MI) Grand Rapids Press – The measure allows small structure-mounted turbines in all zoning districts, including residential, as permitted uses. It limits turbines mounted on the roofs of residences to no more than 10 feet higher than the roof’s peak and limits the noise levels to 55 decibels. Special land use approvals are needed for medium-size turbines in agricultural, industrial and public-use districts, and for large-scale turbines in heavy industrial areas. More

Echo

Wyoming plans to install LED streetlights to save money, energy

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(MI) Grand Rapids Press – Federal stimulus money earmarked for energy efficiency will help Kent County’s second-largest city go more green while nudging finances nearer the black. Looking to curb spending as revenue declines, Wyoming will install light-emitting diode, or LED, technology in as many as 533 streetlights. More

Echo

Shoreline ownership ruling locks out public’s interests

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(OH) Cleveland Plain Dealer – An overarching imperative for Ohio and its citizens leaps out from a bizarre appellate court ruling denying the state’s attorney general the right to represent Ohioans and depriving those same 11 million citizens of centuries-old public trust rights to waterways: Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray must work hard to overturn this ill-founded decision by the 11th Ohio District Court of Appeals in Lake County. Fortunately, Cordray said on Friday that he intends to appeal this rather mystifying Aug. 21 ruling by this Thursday’s deadline. It’s a smart call.  More

Echo

Stop Hinsdale’s land grab

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(IL) Chicago Tribune – Cook County officials are discussing an indefensible land deal that would permit the village of Hinsdale to clear forest preserve land for its own use. The proposed agreement would violate the law that protects preserves for future generations. If board members cut this deal with Hinsdale, expect many municipalities to attempt similar land grabs of their own. More