Thinking green
Tips for reducing negative impact on the environment:
  • Reduce driving in half
  • Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs
  • Motion sensors to activate, deactivate lights in rooms
  • More bike paths to promote alternative transportation methods
  • Keep cities compact to reduce driving distances
  • Incentives to businesses and developers to build environmentally friendly structures.

    - Source: Energy Matters Community Coalition
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    By Kirk Johannesen, The Republic senior reporter

    At a forum that discussed the importance of creating renewable energy, Mayor Fred Armstrong urged attendees to listen and think of ideas that could make Columbus a better place to live, work and play.

    "Most of us, me included, have been guilty of not looking into this. It's time for us as a country, state and city to look into this," said Armstrong, who will deliver his state of the city address at 5:30 p.m. today at Yes Cinema.

    "This is the future for our children and grandchildren."

    Armstrong is one of 367 mayors across the country who signed a "cool city" agreement. They are committed to reducing greenhouse emissions and increasing energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in their cities.

    Members of the Energy Matters Community Coalition, a local organization, shared on Monday ways people and communities can reduce their impact on the environment.

    Barry Kastner of EMCC said the organization has a particular interest in a revamped sewage system that captures methane gas as energy and creates more electricity for the city.

    Methane also can be produced from dairy and swine waste, a way to produce biopower from biogas, said Klein Ileleji, an assistant professor and extension engineer at Purdue University.

    Biogas can be used for electricity and heat. That makes sense in Indiana, Ileleji said, because agriculture is a significant part of the state's economy.

    Economic incentives should be motivation for states to embrace an aggressive environmental agenda, said Les Zimmerman of Indiana Coalition for Renewable Energy and Economic Development.

    Manufacturing facilities follow renewable electricity sources into states that have renewable electricity standards.

    He noted three wind farms in northern Illinois that produce energy.

    Jobs would be created because of the manufacturing necessary to produce blades, turbines and generators for the windmills. Zimmerman said there is a potential investment of $6 billion to 9 billion by 2017 in Indiana.

    ICREED is trying to get the state Legislature to pass a renewable electric standard in the session.

    Twenty-one states have enacted minimum renewable electricity standards.

    Zimmerman said a standard is a way to push the creation of renewable energy sources.

    ICREED wants 10 percent of the state's energy to be supplied by renewable electricity by 2017.

    "We feel this is a realistic and achievable goal," Zimmerman said.

    He applauded Gov. Mitch Daniels' 25 by 25 Initiative which states that 25 percent of Indiana's energy should come from renewable sources by 2025.

    However, Zimmerman noted that the goal can't be met just with biofuels, such as ethanol. He said a diversity of renewable sources must be used to meet the goal.

    Kastner said Columbus could serve as a model for other communities.

    "While the problem is global, the solutions are in many ways local," Kastner said.
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