Submitted photo

Many of you know Green BEAN Delivery as the company that delivers fresh produce from area farmers right to your door. As of just a couple of weeks ago, GBD has extended that service to the workplace.

Green BEAN Delivery just launched this new service to its first client – The Finish Line, Inc. – an athletic footwear, apparel and accessories retailer in Indianapolis. Their goal is to encourage a community-based approach to corporate wellness by allowing small farms to reach a larger customer base.

“Finish Line cares about the well-being of our employees and has implemented many wellness initiatives that encourage employees to live a healthy lifestyle,” Kim Kurtz, benefits manager for Finish Line, said in a press release.

Their goal is to make every employees’ healthy eating initiatives a success, by providing free tools for guidance; like Q&A sessions to introduce staff to the service, recipes, tips and resources that enable lasting diet changes, access to a nutritionist for advice and programming; and reporting to track participation in the program.

“When we found out about Green BEAN Delivery’s services, we knew it was a perfect addition to our wellness program. Green BEAN Delivery makes it convenient for our employees to eat healthy by providing at-work delivery of organic produce and natural groceries,” said Kurtz.

Submitted photo

The corporate health and wellness service has drawn the importance of lifelong health to the attention of 12,000 regional customers.

“Making it convenient, making it affordable and making it accessible is a key component to people eating healthy,” Matt Ewer, Green BEAN Delivery CEO, said in the press release.

Green BEAN Delivery members have had successful experiences in improving their health by switching their diets to whole vegetables and fruits through this delivery service. For instance, customers have experienced health benefits, like losing 35 pounds, blood pressure dropping 20 points or cholesterol levels dropping 55 points.

Fortunately, businesses of all sizes can partner with Green BEAN Delivery, and the service is provided without start-up costs, additional management fees or contracts.

Additionally, for companies that want to ensure employees have access to healthy snacks while at work, Green BEAN Delivery’s Break Room Bins program is now available to businesses throughout Greater Indianapolis. Through this service, Green BEAN Delivery provides fresh fruits, coffee and other healthy snacks to office break rooms via weekly deliveries.

This delivery business doesn’t only provide incredible service, but also gives back to companies by having a portion of sales returned to businesses on a monthly basis to use toward healthy snacks for the break room, a discount on future employees orders or a donation to the businesses’ favorite charity.

“Many business owners are willing to take an extra step to help their employees live happier, healthier lives, and our new platform provides that opportunity,” said Ewer.

Jennifer

Jennifer,

A week ago I attended a Greendrinks garden party in the backyard of a Spotts Garden employee. It was beautiful and I learned more about native plants and garden care in a 20-minute tour than I have in hours of scouring the interwebs for tips.

Spotts not only beautifies some of my favorite public spaces, like along Mass Ave, they also sponsor local community activities like the Irvington Green Initiative. Their specialties include environmentally friendly garden design, maintenance, and installation, as well as edible landscapes.

In your search for the right service provider, I recommend that you call several businesses and ask questions about sustainability – the only way to get businesses to offer these services is to let them know we want them! You might use the qualifications of the Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat program of the National Wildlife Federation to set goals for your landscape. And if you choose to certify your yard, a portion of your application supports the Indiana Wildlife Federation.

Piece out,

Renee

Thanks!

Jenn

Hi Jenn,

You sent this question in last fall and it keeps popping up in my inbox like a… (you guessed it) weed. (wow, I’m even rolling my eyes at that one.)

I’ve got a bad case of Prickly Sow-Thistle in my front yard flower beds. Since they’re a pain to pull, I keep a bottle of white vinegar around and pour it directly on the spine of the weed. It’s usually dried up and dead the next day.

Do keep in mind that white vinegar is not selective about what it kills. It can harm plants and grass that you want to keep, so be careful when applying around other greenery. You can use a bottle or pump sprayer to apply – or if you’re trying to avoid other plants, it can be painted on the individual leaves of the weed.

I’ve also read that you can add a small amount of dish liquid and/or salt to vinegar for particularly tough weeds.

Piece out,

Renee

One of the most useful sources of info for Hoosier gardeners is Purdue’s Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar publication, www.hort.purdue.edu/hort/ext/pubs/ho/ho_186.pdf. Their well-respected HO publications are available online; it’s like having a green thumb expert on call. Besides their County Extension Service and Consumer Horticulture information, Purdue offers the widely acclaimed Master Gardener program. Having taken the course over 25 years ago, I can attest to its strength.

I am sad but honored to bid farewell to Boone Co. Extension Director Doug Akers who is retiring this summer after having trained my daughter this year in his last class and me in one of the earlier groups, as well as many other gardeners over 30 years in Boone Co.

To learn more about the Master Gardener program, visit www.hort.purdue.edu/mg/basic_training.html or contact your local Purdue Extension office.

Although Purdue never really held to organic methods for backyard gardeners, they have come a long way from my early days of training when it was a lot of “spray, dust, pour.” Now they encourage IPM (Integrated Pest Management) which allows for a “least use” method of chemicals. For me personally, I still follow organic methods and allow nature time to find her balance.

It was also from a Purdue entomologist, the late Bob O’Neill that I learned about beneficial insects. He delighted in describing the sucking, chewing and speed of the many good garden bugs. As many as 95% of the insects in your backyard are beneficial! With that stat, we don’t really need any chemicals. Let nature take her course with birds since even the seedeaters feed their nestlings high-protein, soft-bodied insects, provided in abundance in spring. Perfect timing.

Got a comment, question or a tip to share? Contact Lynn at Lynn@IndianaLivingGreen.com

Are the bags that mulch and potting soil come in recyclable? I don’t see the recycle icon but I know other plastic bag items are. I hate having to just trash these!

Thanks, Jennifer

Jennifer,

With all the gardens being planted and flower beds being mulched, your question is quite timely. It also reminded me of a question from last September about water softener salt bags. Since mulch and potting soil bags fit in the same category, I’m going to refer you to my old post while I go play in my garden!

If you’re looking to get rid of the bags altogether, consider buying your soil and mulch in bulk. I’ve used Dammann’s and Greencycle and would recommend both. Both offer pick-up at their various locations or deliver right to your door (or driveway or yard) for a fee (Dammann’s starts at $50, Greencycle starts at $45). If you live outside of Indianapolis or surrounding areas, contact your local nursery to see if they offer soil and mulch in bulk.

Piece out,

Renee

Renee,

As a green conscience family, we try not to buy extra paper products. However, there are some that we just can’t live without. We buy them in bulk at Sam’s Club, and it really annoys me when I cut all that plastic wrap off of them. I have looked for a recycle symbol on the package, but have never found one. Are these plastics recyclable?

Thank you, Susan

Susan,

Your plastic also fits in the same category!

Renee

I really love reading the Ask Renee emails. I feel like I know a celebrity! In fact, the next time I see you I want your autograph! 

My question for you – do you have suggestions for facilities that would be good field trip-type destinations for classes or scout troops? Or suggestions for good projects for kids with an environmental basis? 

Thanks!
Carrie

Hi Carrie! Flattery gets you everywhere, like advanced in the queue of AR questions.

Remember the field trips we took in elementary school? (for those who are wondering, Carrie and I went to school together a few short years ago – Avon, ’93) Just the other day, I was thinking about when my class went to the Hostess factory.

Republic Services allows field trips to their 96^th Street Transfer/Material Recovery Facility.  This is a great opportunity for children and adults to find out what happens after Republic picks up recycling bins. Contact Dana Bishop at dbishop@republicservices.com.

Is there a badge about local food and the environment? Your troop could visit a local farmer’s market where the kids can meet and talk to the farmers. You could lead a discussion about how far food travels to get from farm to plate and what that does to the environment.

Trader’s Point Creamery, an organic dairy farm in Zionsville, offers private and self-guided tours and you can end with an ice cream tasting.

I’m a little torn on my final suggestion: Covanta. The South Harding Street facility is where Marion county garbage is incinerated and turned into energy. While I’m not in love with the idea of teaching youth that burning trash to create energy is a good thing, it is a fascinating tour where you’ll get to see the biggest mound of trash imaginable.

See ya at the reunion!

Renee

In a report called Burning Our Rivers — The Water Footprint of Electricity, River Network found that if an average household uses about 1,000 kWh of electricity each month, that household indirectly consumes 39,829 gallons of water. This is five times more than the direct residential water use of that same household, which would use 7,336 gallons on average each month for sinks, toilets, dishwashers, washing machines, faucets and hoses combined.

Producing energy from coal requires a lot of water, and we are facing many factors that threaten water availability, making decisions to support retrofitting water guzzling coal plants all the more puzzling. In 2011, the National Energy Technology Laboratory released a report analyzing water-related risks to coal-fired generation and identifying over 350 coal plants vulnerable to potential water demand or supply conflicts over the next 20 years. Eighteen of the most vulnerable plants are located here in Indiana.

There’s also the imminent EPA rule, Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act, which requires that cooling water intake structures used by coal plants and other facilities use the best technology available to minimize harmful impacts on the environment. This could require the construction of cooling towers at coal-fired power plants. These new cooling towers would fortunately decrease the amount of water withdrawn, but unfortunately increase the amount of water consumed. Why should we invest in prolonging coal plants when they might not even have enough water to continue to operate?

We must move on to renewable sources that would not only provide us with cleaner air, but also increased water quality and quantity! Wind and PV solar technologies have by far the lowest water-use factors (from zero to 231 gallons used/MWh produced) while hydropower, coal and nuclear have the largest water use factors (ranging from 14,811 to 440,000 gallons/MWh).

River Network found that eliminating ‘once-through’ cooling at thermoelectric plants and increasing wind and PV solar energy to 40 percent of the grid together would reduce consumptive water use by 27 percent and reduce thermoelectricity’s water footprint by 82 percent.

What should we do? End our reliance on thermoelectric power plants. Integrate water and energy planning. Promote greater access to the electric grid for low-water renewables such as wind and PV solar. Lower energy demand with energy efficient measures.

Jennifer Washburn is Assistant Counsel for Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Inc.

A new schedule for the program has now been announced: Beginning on Sat., June 1, residents of Marion County can drop off their waste the first three Saturdays of each month at the following locations:

7550 North Lafayette Rd. – Open the first Saturday of each month from 9am – 2pm.

4925 South Shelby St. – Open the second Saturday of each month from 9am – 2pm.

9049 East 10^th St. – Open the third Saturday of each month from 9am – 2pm.

DPW makes the line clear: it is illegal to dispose of debris in public right-of-ways, private property, of City property. Illegal dumping occurs most often in alleys, vacant lots, riverbanks, and heavily wooded areas, and the illegally dumped debris can include everything from tree limbs and full garbage bags to appliances. This crime is punishable by fines of up to $2,500.

Find additional information about ToxDrop online.

Many components designed for or refined on the racetrack have become standard features on our daily drivers. Safety features such as rear view mirrors, disc brakes and traction control/antilock braking systems are familiar, as are performance-enhancing elements like engine air intakes, dual overhead camshafts, aerodynamic design, spoilers and lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum. Now the focus also encompasses fuel efficiency, from turbochargers and superchargers to flywheels – kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS).

Ben Bowlby, creator of DeltaWing race car. Submitted photo.

Ben Bowlby, head of Ben Bowlby Racing LLC in Zionsville, took ground-breaking ideas to the limit when he designed the DeltaWing while still technical director for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. “There are few shortcuts to developing technology,” he says. “Motorsports is one.”

Concept

Originally designed as a 2012 concept car to present as an option for IndyCar’s future after eight years with the series’ car designed by Dallara, the DeltaWing project generated the ICONIC committee – IndyCar’s technical team that chose the series’ next chassis.

Bowlby’s concept was born from input regarding the state of the series: attendance and TV ratings were down, partly due to lack of interest in the car that all IndyCar teams had used since 2003. “Our hypothesis was that the lack of innovation resulted in no drama. IndyCar was built on radical, new, innovative ideas.”

Thus, he prepared a concept for “more interesting contemporary auto technology” in which form follows function.

“We wanted to make a car that is twice as efficient in every way,” Bowlby says. “It should use half the fuel, cost half as much, use half the engine power and weigh half as much, yet still go as fast or even faster than a current Indy car and get twice the fuel mileage.”

That, he believes, would re-engage fans. Unlike today’s IndyCar culture, which redirected the focus from the cars to a battle between drivers, motor racing was founded on automotive technology. “The car was the star,” Bowlby says. “Cars made heroes of the drivers.”

At the end of the day, he believes, it’s called motor racing for a reason: “That’s what’s interesting.”

Plan B

The unique DeltaWing car, constructed by Dan Gurney’s All American Racers, made its debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. Delivering all Bowlby promised – including reduced drag and superior handling – it attracted attention.

The DeltaWing is about innovation – changing the status quo. “Humans have an affinity for toys, gadgets and jewelry,” Bowlby explains. “Technology is desirable; rejecting it is a mistake.”

Ironically, the ICONIC committee did reject it. Despite inviting innovative ideas (the first “i” in ICONIC stands for innovation), the committee had “no format for a radical, new, different car to compete,” Bowlby surmises. Fearful of the DeltaWing’s reliability and insisting on an “all or nothing” choice for the series’ new car, the committee said no.

Conceding that the committee made the right decision at the time, Bowlby acknowledges that people either love the DeltaWing or hate it. “There is no middle ground.”

Many did hate it. Criticism challenged every element of the car, derisively nicknamed the Batmobile. An unusually long, narrow nose and small front tires caused concern about how the car would corner. Bowlby says he’s grateful for the criticism, which he evaluated to make the car “a lot better.”

Luckily for its designer, the DeltaWing was seemingly “made” for Garage 56 at Le Mans. The 56th entry in the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance sports car race is a slot reserved for experimental vehicles. Thanks to Don Panoz, owner of International Motor Sports Association, an invitation was extended for the 2012 race after drivers Alex Gurney and Marino Franchitti tested the DeltaWing at Buttonwillow Raceway in

DeltaWing Nissan Concept Team. Submitted photo.

California.

The DeltaWing, driven by Franchitti, Michael Krumm and Satoshi Motoyama, qualified 29^th at Le Mans with a time slightly more than 18 seconds behind the fastest car. Its best race lap time over the 8.469-mile road course was 3 minutes, 45.737 seconds, an average speed of about 135 mph and rivaled some of the LMP2 cars, the second-fastest classification of cars at Le Mans. Unfortunately, it lasted only 75 laps before an accident took it out.

Similarly, a crash relegated it to a 43^rd starting position in its North American debut at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta last year, but the car rallied to a fifth-place finish.

Undaunted by the crashes, Bowlby remained impressed by the car’s performance and by the attention it drew. “I think we created the best-performing car. No one has gone as fast at Le Mans on the amount of fuel we consumed: 3:45 on 3.65 liters.”  Fuel wasn’t the only savings. The DeltaWing used only one set of tires during its entire first test session at Le Mans.

The DeltaWing became the test case of concepts, proving that newness attracts and innovation matters. “These pioneering steps, unseen on the track for 50 years, created a level of excitement. It gained attention.”

Mad design skills

Bowlby intended the radical design to be noticed, hoping to lure manufacturers back to motorsports to explore ideas for improving fuel efficiency that can be integrated into road cars.

When designing the visually striking car, he insisted on incorporating technology the auto industry uses. “It’s what I’ve done all my career: make cars more efficient from a mass standpoint and from an aerodynamic standpoint.”

Throwing away the rule book and testing “wild and wacky things” in a virtual wind tunnel on the computer with engineering firm CRP Technology, Bowlby was able to achieve a reduction of drag by a factor of two. “DeltaWing is a story of halves,” he summarizes: “half the drag, half the power, half the weight, half the fuel. And yet, it can go just as fast.”

Speed comes, in part, from a cleaner aerodynamic shape that can be changed to make aero improvements because, Bowlby points out, it’s not a spec car. By reducing aerodynamic drag, it produces faster straight-line and corner speeds with half as much weight, engine power and fuel consumption.

If it weighs half, you only need half as much downforce to gain an advantage, explains the designer. Instead of creating downforce, or aero grip, by incorporating front and rear wings in the design as Indy cars currently do, Bowlby devised two tunnels underneath the car that use airflow to help the car “stick” to the track. An advantage of the twin-vortex underbody downforce system is that it isn’t susceptible to turbulence from the cars in front, which disrupt the downforce on a traditional front wing of the following car, compromising its steering ability. By adding stability, Bowlby’s design introduces more passing opportunities. “The following car doesn’t suffer a loss of performance due to the wings. It’s a savings in turbulence, drag and the cost of the wing.”

It wasn’t the only area that saw savings. Saving weight was key to the formula. “We downsized the turbocharger and added a lightweight engine with direct injection,” Bowlby says.  Nissan provided the initial 1.6 liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine.

The DeltaWing race car is nearly twice as efficient as the cars it competes against. Submitted photo.

Bowlby also wanted a “seriously light” gearbox, which he considers one of the essential elements of the car design. The EMCO transmission weighs less than half its IndyCar counterpart; including only five gears plus reverse keeps the gearbox small and saves weight.

The weight and size of the gearbox match the amount of torque needed. Bowlby didn’t want lots of torque at low revs, so he capped the torque from the engine. The transmission produces a flat torque curve. “We kept the torque constant to avoid beefy gears. It’s good for fuel efficiency.” Torque vectoring isn’t necessary for handling.

Next, Bowlby considered how to get traction. Four-wheel drive burns fuel, so he put weight in the driven tires. The weight on the front wheels is only 28 percent of the total weight of the car. This increased stability, even though the Michelin tires maintain half the contact patch.

It also added to the car’s efficiency and performance. The smaller front tires see the same load whether they’re cornering or not, he explains. “Cornering force doesn’t transfer load. We leveraged the front tires for consistent, efficient turning.” And because the car’s narrow nose has low drag, the DeltaWing is nimble at changing direction and easy on tires.

“Once we realized that it drives from the rear, we stumbled onto the fact that braking is enhanced,” Bowlby explains. Carbon disc brakes and forged aluminum monoblock ZR43 and ZR41 Zero Drag Calipers are light, precise and efficient. Because the load between front and rear is shared more evenly, stability is greatly enhanced: The car is less likely to spin.

Green flag

Defining it as “the most green event in racing that’s ever happened” and “the biggest technological change,” Panoz says, “It has all the function of a hybrid, but doesn’t need batteries or electric motors. It uses aerodynamics and physics instead.”

Although low drag and downforce were the buzzwords of the DeltaWing design, aerodynamic advantage was not the only goal. Bowlby calculated cost, performance and ecological factors into the efficiency equation.

If you save weight, you save money. It’s just that simple. Less material means less cost. For example, the brakes cost half as much as brakes for LMP1 cars, the fastest category racing at Le Mans. Because the weight of the car and the spares is reduced by as much as half, costs are lowered not only for materials, but also for shipping. That includes transportation of materials to the manufacturers and from them to the teams.

One way he kept costs in line was to choose the same materials as those already being used. “We didn’t use exotic materials.” It’s a point of pride that the DeltaWing is not a new invention. Bowlby merely applied existing technology in a new way. “We took state-of-the-art technology and applied it in a new concept for racing.”

Other important aspects of the project included ensuring that components are made in Indiana and that his design didn’t take away from local suppliers. “We sourced the capability to make everything here. No profit margins were hurt,” he insists.

But it reaches beyond cost. “The sustainable impact is amplified when you reduce everything by half,” Bowlby says. “The gearbox weighs half. You’re using half the mass of tire material.” Cutting the amount of material used also means less material to dispose of later, reducing the carbon footprint of this race car.

Another step toward conservation was achieved with downsized powertrains. “The reduction of horsepower and consumption was an important challenge,” Bowlby says, adding his concern of the risk of unforeseen consequences resulting from our actions with fossil fuels.

Racing to the future

Although regulations shape each series, Bowlby believes that being carefully aligned with the needs of the customer is important – and by customer, he means the auto industry.

Getting the auto industry involved is critical and has proven successful over the decades. “There are multiple examples of technology developed through racing,” Bowlby says. “Fuel injection, developed by Audi, saved millions of gallons in road cars.”

Typically, improvement in efficiency in the automotive world is gradual, but the DeltaWing shows steps in efficiency that can be taken immediately without a change of technology, Bowlby says.

The next step is to look at the technology itself. “We can explore other ways to improve efficiency, such as hybrid, bio-fuel or electric.” He says Ford, Daimler and Nissan are developing hydrogen fuel cell technology and Swift is working on an all-electric drive. Look for a zero emissions race car in “Garage 56” at Le Mans this year.

Motorsports has the ability to change the perception of technology. “It’s not rocket science,” Bowlby says. “Make it interesting.” There are many ways to create an interesting technology story by promoting the image of bold, successful, risk-taking innovation – because innovation sells.

“The most important feature of auto shows is innovation,” Bowlby says. “It’s the reason people go. The car is the star. We just proved it, but too often, we forget that.”

Dead

These are the bills that were not approved by the legislature and will not be sent on to the Governor for final approval before becoming law. While they are “dead” for this legislative session they be reintroduced next session.

SB373 (Ag-Gag Bill)

Legal Language: Unlawful to film or photograph on private property without the express permission of the owner.

Consequences: Severely limit the ability of private investigators to document abuses at factory farms and allow for Big Ag to continue covering up their operations.

Died: 4/24/13 after House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indy) removed the conference committee report prior to the vote in the House. Furthermore, the Senate rejected the House changes effectively killing the bill for the session.

HB1194

Legal Language: Legalize the practice of hunting captive-raised deer in fenced enclosures.

Consequences: Violates the ethics of hunting and poses a health risk to wild deer. Additionally, it could harm businesses that depend on a healthy deer population.

Sent to Committee: 1/10/13; House Committee on Natural Resources.

Died: 4/17/13; After the bill was stranded in the House Committee on Natural Resources in January, Representative Matt Ubelhor (R-Bloomfield) tacked onto SB 487 a provision to legalize 5 existing deer preserves. However, Senate Leader David Long (R-Ft. Wayne) refused to accept this provision and the bill died.

Stranded in Committee

These are the bills that received a hearing and were assigned to a committee. For one reason or another they were never discussed or scheduled for their next hearing and ultimately “died” in committee. Like the dead bill above they could be reintroduced next session.

SB157

Legal Language: A CAFO may not be created or expanded without prior approval from the Department of Environmental Management.

Consequences: CAFOs could be constrained if IDEM’s regulations are strict enough.

Committee: Senate Environmental Affairs.

Sent to Committee: 1/7/13

SB513

Legal Language: A producer of raw milk may sell the product if requirements set by the Board of Animal Health are met. It still may not be sold or distributed to restaurants, schools, and daycare facilities.

Consequences: More readily available access to raw milk.

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Sent to Committee: 2/7/13

SB571

Legal Language: Agriculture operation will not be classified as a public or private nuisance if they adhere to standards established by the Board of Animal Health.

Consequences: If CAFOs meet the standards of the Board of Animal Health they will not be classified as a nuisances and complaints will be harder to legally document.

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Sent to Committee: 1/15/13

SB610

Legal Language: An individual may be in possession of raw milk if the milk is obtained from an animal either partially or fully owned by that individual. The raw milk may be distributed to family members, friends, and non-paying guests only.

Consequences: Public access to raw milk would be severely limited and it would become a crime to be in possession of it if you do not follow the terms of acquisition stated above.

Committee: Senate Health and Provider Services.

Sent to Committee: 1/17/13

HB1202

Legal Language: All lawn care service providers would be required to make information available to customers on fertilizers they use that contain phosphorus. Furthermore, they would be required to offer phosphorus-free options.

Consequences: Phosphorus-free lawn care options would be more readily available to the public.

Committee: House Natural Resources.

Sent to Committee: 2/4/13

HB1209

Legal Language: Owners and operators of wells for oil and gas would be required to submit an environmental compliance plan to the Department of Natural Resources for review before starting a drill with hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a., fracking). Including in the plan must be a pollution risk analysis. The Department of Natural Resources would be required to post on their website their approval process and standards and any plans that have been previously approved.

Consequences: Fracking would still be legal if it meets standards set by Department of Natural Resources. Approvals will be announced to the public via the website but the DNR would not be required to post plans that have been submitted (and not yet approved) leaving a gap in public knowledge and less time to react against proposed plans.

Committee: House Natural Resources.

Sent to Committee: 1/10/13

HB1475

Legal Language: The Indiana Government may not implement or adopt any environmental regulations or standards if they are more strict than corresponding federal laws.

Consequences: Indiana will not be able to create or implement any environmental regulations that are customizable to the state if it is more strict than the current federal regulations.

Committee: House Environmental Affairs.

Sent to Committee: 1/22/13

HB1489

Legal Language: Creates a green jobs training program that will cultivate a skilled workforce specifically honed for a “green” economy and will offer grants and funds to eligible employers who implement green work training programs.

Consequences: More funds and resources will be dedicated to preparing the workforce for a green economy.

Committee: House Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development.

Sent to Committee: 1/22/13

SJR7

Legal Language: No laws or regulations can be created or implemented if they infringe on the rights of Indiana citizens to hunt or fish. Also may not be implemented if it infringements on the rights of citizens to produce fish, poultry, meat, or dairy.

Consequences: Big Ag and other businesses could use this bill to produce animal products unsustainably or unethically by arguing that restriction of their actions infringes on their rights to hunt, fish, and produce animal products.

Committee: Passed Senate; sent to House Judiciary Affairs.

Sent to Committee: 2/26/13

SJR21/HJR5 

Legal Language: No law or regulation may be created or implemented that interferes with the rights of Indiana citizens to farm using traditional or modern methods.

Consequences: Big Ag and other businesses could use this bill to farm unsustainably by arguing that regulations infringe upon their rights to farm.

Committee:  Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and House Committee on Judiciary.

Sent to Committee: Senate 1/10/13; House 1/10/13.

Sent to Conference Committee

Rather than outright killing this bill, it’s being sent to a conference committee for consideration. Conference committees consist of 2 members from both the House and the Senate (with no more than 2 Democrats or 2 Republicans on the committee) to resolve disagreements between the chambers. If an agreement can’t be reached by the 4 members, the bill dies. If an agreement is reached, the bill will return back to both chambers for consideration.

HB 1011

Legal Language: A voting referendum would be implemented to allow voters an opportunity to decide whether or not to pay a local income tax to fund mass transit initiatives.

Consequences: Residents of Central Indiana will have an opportunity to vote on an increased income tax to fund an expanded mass transit system following the proposed Indy Connect plans. If voters agree to the tax increase Central Indiana could see expanded IndyGo bus services and even a light-rail system between Marion and Hamilton counties.

Committee: Summer Conference Committee

Sent to Committee: 4/26/13; committee has until 12/15/13 to meet and produce a report.