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Environment 76 results
Ann Barlow stands on the porch of her house in Needmore, an intentional community in Brown County, in May 2017. Known in the 1960s and ’70s as communes, places like May Creek and Needmore have had to “bend with the times” to survive, says writer John Mikulenka. And now, as the founding members continue to age, their biggest concern might be finding and keeping the next generation of community members. | Courtesy photo

Intentional Communities Must ‘Bend with the Times’
John Mikulenka
Southern Indiana has a long tradition of utopian communities, also known as communes. A few of the ones formed in the 1960s and ’70s — places like May Creek Farm and Needmore — have had to “bend with the times” to survive, says writer John Mikulenka in this detailed and expansive feature. But as the founding members age, he asks, who will take their place? Click here to read the full story.
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The plight of bees could also be the plight of the human race. When writer Erin Hollinden decided to start her own beehive, and save the world, she found plenty of support from a community of experts and other beekeepers. Here, Hollinden's bees cover one of the frames lifted from the hive. | Photo by Marla Bitzer

Plight of the Honeybee — Beekeepers Save Bees for Us All
Erin Hollinden
The plight of bees could also be the plight of the human race. When writer Erin Hollinden decided to start her own beehive, and save the world, she found plenty of support from a community of experts and other beekeepers. Read about how she got her hive humming here.
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Single city blocks all over Bloomington generate more rooftop solar energy than the entirety of Indiana University’s Bloomington campus, says writer Matt Flaherty. IU's energy comes overwhelmingly from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and fuel oil). The Indiana Memorial Union (pictured here) is one of only four buildings on the IUB campus with a solar photovoltaic system installed and on the grid. | Limestone Post

Guest Column: IU’s Solar Strategy ‘Shortsighted’
Matt Flaherty
Single city blocks all over Bloomington generate more rooftop solar energy than the entirety of Indiana University’s Bloomington campus, says writer Matt Flaherty in this guest column. What’s most troubling, he says, is that IU’s “dollars-and-cents analysis of solar power is the fundamentally wrong approach for IU to take.” Click here to read the full story.
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A bill passed by the Indiana House in February aimed to limit a local government’s authority, but not the state’s, over the right to harvest resources, such as timber, on personal property. The bill died in a Senate committee, but balancing personal property rights with the rights of others who might be affected is an ongoing battle. | Limestone Post

Property Rights, Public Good, Campaign Contributions: Will Bill to Limit Local Government Be Revived?
Susan M. Brackney
A bill introduced in the Indiana House this year would have limited local governments’ ability to regulate such things as logging on private property, even if, for example, the logging threatened to damage Lake Monroe. But it isn’t just about private property vs. public good, writes Susan M. Brackney. Special interest groups and campaign finance play a role, too. Click here to read the full story.
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A group of 850 local scientists and allies have submitted a public comment to oppose the EPA’s proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan. The EPA’s case for repeal, they say, is based on “unconvincing legal arguments, without appropriate consideration of the scientific evidence for human-induced climate change.” This repeal would affect facilities such as the Miami Port Power Station near the borders of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio along the Ohio River. | Photo by FunksBrother, Creative Commons

850 Hoosier Scientists and Allies Oppose EPA Proposal
Limestone Post
Concerned Scientists @ IU, a group of 850 local scientists and allies, has submitted a public comment to oppose the EPA’s proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan. The EPA’s case for repeal, the scientists say, is based on “unconvincing legal arguments, without appropriate consideration of the scientific evidence for human-induced climate change.” Read their comment, as well as the proposed repeal, here.
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They’re a centuries-old assault on our environment, but eradicating invasive plants, such as the Callery pear tree (pictured here along the streets of Columbus, Indiana) requires more than pulling them out by the roots — especially since big box stores still sell them and red tape in the governor’s office still allows those sales. | Photo by Larry Brackney

Invasive Plants Are Still For Sale in Indiana, How You Can Help
Susan M. Brackney
They’re a centuries-old assault on our environment, but eradicating invasive plants requires more than pulling them out by the roots — especially since big box stores still sell them and red tape in the governor’s office still allows those sales. Writer Susan M. Brackney explains this weedy predicament, and how people can help. Click here to read the full story.
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Knowing where your food comes from is more important than ever. With the first Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market of the season on Saturday, getting to know the farmers who produce it is easier than ever. Photographer Chaz Mottinger visited three farms to give us a closer look as they prepare for the spring market season: Barnhouse Farms, Linnea's Greenhouse, and Living Roots Farm and Sustainable Living Center (pictured here). | Photo by Chaz Mottinger

Local Farmers Prepare for Spring Market Season
Chaz Mottinger
Knowing where your food comes from is more important than ever. With the first Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market of the season on Saturday (and markets in Ellettsville and Smithville starting soon), getting to know the farmers who produce it is easier than ever. Photographer Chaz Mottinger visited three farms to give us a closer look as they prepare for market. Click here to see her photos.
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Every spring and fall, Indiana is at the heart of the eastern sandhill crane migration. Witness it once and you’ll mark their return on your calendar every year, writes LP contributor Jared Posey. | Photo by Katie Posey

The Mesmerizing Sandhill Cranes, ‘Calling Us Home’
Jared Posey
Every spring and fall, Indiana is at the heart of the eastern sandhill crane migration. Witness it once and you’ll mark their return on your calendar every year, writes LP contributor Jared Posey. “Flocks of sandhill cranes are a potent symbol of wildness,” he says, their loud, rolling chatter “calling us home.” Click here to read the full story.
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Writer Jared Posey says there are many ways to get kids interested in gardening. One is to make it look less like an adult activity — by using a toy as the garden, for example. | Photo by Katie Posey

Winter Gardening: Turning Little Thumbs Green
Jared Posey
Winter gardening isn’t just for people who want to get a jump on their tomato starts. In his first LP contribution, Jared Posey shows how it can be a great way to educate and engage younger people. It’s the journey, he writes, “not the size of our cucumbers” that provides them with the lifelong learning. Click here to read the full story.
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Where once there was a trailhead near Crooked Creek Road on the Tecumseh Trail, Matt Flaherty encountered logging equipment and a trail in ruin. | Courtesy photo

Resistance to the DNR’s Logging of Yellowwood
Limestone Post
Several diverse groups have mobilized in recent months to oppose logging in Yellowwood State Forest. The resistance comes to a head this week, as forest advocates, including hundreds of scientists, are asking Gov. Eric Holcomb to call off the plan to cut down trees in Yellowwood’s backcountry and old-growth forest areas. Click here for the full story and how to get involved.
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The Lake Monroe watershed — the land and creeks that drain into the lake — includes parts of five counties. Friends of Lake Monroe are safeguarding the lake — along with our drinking water and the plants, fish, and wildlife — from the effects of runoff and logging. | Photo by Lynae Sowinski

Logging, Runoff in 5 Counties Threaten Health of Lake Monroe
Susan M. Brackney
The Lake Monroe watershed — the land and creeks that drain into the lake — includes parts of five counties. Writer Susan M. Brackney looks at a group of “friends” who are safeguarding the lake — along with our drinking water and the plants, fish, and wildlife of Lake Monroe — from the effects of runoff and logging. Click here to read the full story.
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Since the 2016 election, few people concerned about climate change thought they could have meaningful discussions with climate-science deniers. But members of Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL) believe their efforts have even encouraged some congressional Republicans to consider a solution to the issue. | Photo by Lynae Sowinski

Guest Column: Changing Minds on Climate Change Is Possible
Erin Hollinden
Since the 2016 election, few people concerned about climate change thought they could have meaningful discussions with climate-science deniers. But members of Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL) believe their efforts have even encouraged some congressional Republicans to consider a solution to the issue. In this guest column, writer and CCL activist Erin Hollinden explains how. Click here to read the full story.
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