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GoGreen April 2016 US Environmental Protection Agency Newsletter

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WHAT YOU CAN DO, WHAT YOU CAN USE

How do you #EarthDay? April is Earth Month. Find things you can do online or wherever you are.

Reduce food waste. About 95 percent of the food we throw away ends up in landfills or combustion facilities. Once in landfills, food breaks down to produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change. Every little bit helps – find ways you can reduce food waste.
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wasted-food-home

Get ideas for projects or lesson plans. Help students learn about Earth Day at home or at school.
https://www.epa.gov/earthday

Volunteer opportunities.  Check for events or ways to help out near you.
https://www.epa.gov/earthday/earth-day-events

Share your thoughts.  Join us online all month. Use hashtag #EarthDay or #EarthDayEveryDay
https://www.facebook.com/epa
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23howdoyouearthday

National Sustainable Design Expo (April 16-17). If you’re in Washington, DC just before Earth Day, don’t miss seeing fascinating student and science projects about innovative ways to protect the environment. Free admission, April 16 & 17, the Walter Washington Convention Center, in DC.
https://www.epa.gov/P3

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

Make the Safer Choice.  Time for spring cleaning? Remember to look for the Safer Choice label on cleaning products when shopping. The Safer Choice label means the ingredients meet EPA’s criteria for the program.  Look for the label — springtime and all year ’round.
https://go.usa.gov/cs3mA

Be a Leak Detective. Household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide. If you’re shopping for new fixtures or plumbing, look for the WaterSense label.
https://www.epa.gov/watersense/our_water/fix_a_leak.html
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFUr__lDERo

EPA Using Citizen Science. Citizen science efforts help connect community volunteers with EPA scientists to collect data to better understand their environment. Using smart phones, wireless connectivity, and cheap, accurate, radio-equipped sensors, people collect data about their local air or water quality. Federal News Radio recently featured six EPA employees who shared insights about how EPA is using citizen science. Listen to their interviews to learn more. Links go to Federal News Radio, a web site outside of EPA.

Nominate Environmental Educators (due May 16). Know a teacher using innovative teaching methods for environmental education? Applications are now being accepted for the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, recognizing innovative educators to teach about the environment.
https://go.usa.gov/cAx5d

Let Us Know What You Think. Are you working to improve the environment in your community? Last year we launched the Communities website designed help community members and local officials find important resources. We want to hear from you! Help us improve the website by taking a short survey.
Take the Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EPAresources
Go to the Communities website: https://www.epa.gov/communities

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SOCIAL MEDIA, MULTIMEDIA & MORE

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS:

EPA Taking Steps to Cut Methane Emissions from Existing Oil and Gas Sources
https://blog.epa.gov/blog/2016/03/epa-taking-steps-to-cut-methane-emissions-from-existing-oil-and-gas-sources/

Location is important, especially when it comes to household products
https://blog.epa.gov/blog/2016/03/location-is-important/

More blog posts: https://blog.epa.gov/blog

VIDEOS – MARCH RELEASES:

Fix a Leak with WaterSense! – steps you can take to Check, Twist, and Replace as you save water for yourself and your community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFUr__lDERo

Green Streets: The Road to Clean Water – a technique for managing stormwater and providing other economic and community benefits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxqxEqnHIKw

Children’s Environmental Health Curriculum – developed by EPA and the Boys and Girls Clubs to help engage children aged 10 to 13.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDfk15cl0Vc

Making a Visible Difference in Helena, MT: Brownfields Redevelopment – how a site was cleaned up and restored to residential use standards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8re3a9oXi2U

EPA SmartWay: Anyway you ship it. Move it the SmartWay.  EPA and its SmartWay partners are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving millions in fuel and operational costs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7viQ9bArQtU

More EPA videos: https://youtube.com/usepagov

PODCASTS

EPA’s Science Bite is a podcast series that describes EPA’s role in science research. These podcasts highlight how we use science to protect human health and the environment.

The Future of Breathing: Connecting Air Quality and Climate Change
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/sciencebite_futurebreath.mp3

Science Bite podcasts and transcripts: https://www.epa.gov/research/science-bite-podcasts

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UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

April

Month
National Gardening Month

Week
16-24, National Park Week

Day
7, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas born
22, Earth Day

A Libertarian Perspective by Rex Bell

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A Libertarian Perspective by Rex Bell

Mom and Dad brought 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls, into the world in a span of 14 years. We spent most of those years, and several afterwards, in an old farmhouse that was pretty big, but not always big enough for 8 kids. It seemed that quite often there was some reason, real or imagined, for someone to be mad at one or all of their siblings, or for the boys to mad at the girls, or for the girls to be mad at the boys.

Dad, who turned out to be the default referee for most of those disagreements, would listen to both sides of the complaint if he had time, or shush us if he didn’t, and then simply explain, “Well, you have two choices. You can either stay mad, or you can get over it.” As it turned out, Dad was right as usual, and for the most part, whatever we were upset about passed in a day or two, and we moved on to being mad about, and getting over, something else.

There were a few times when one of us decided to stay mad, but after a while, we forgot what we were mad about, and realized that nobody else remembered or cared what we were mad about, so we eventually got over it whether we wanted to or not.

People all over the country seem to be a lot madder than they used to be, especially when they start discussing politics and the upcoming election. Some people got mad 8 years ago and haven’t gotten over it yet. Those same people might get over it if their party wins in November, but then all the people who were mad 16 years ago and got over it 8 years ago will get mad again and not get over it for a while.

I was thinking about the reasons why my siblings and I were more apt to get over being mad than people than people today, and I believe a lot of it comes down to power and force. I might have been terribly upset with one of my brothers  because he wouldn’t help build a straw fort in the hay mow, but in the end I knew I couldn’t force him to help, and I also knew he couldn’t force me to help him on one of his projects if I chose not to.

We don’t enjoy those options after the elections when the winners get to make the rules, and then use the government to force the losers to comply. Every law or program the government adopts is backed up with force, or the threat of force. The choices others make voluntarily as individuals might tend to upset us for a while, but as long as they can’t force us to make the same choices, we stand a chance of getting over it fairly quickly. When the government gets involved, our options and choices become very limited.

It’s one of the things that attracted me to the libertarian philosophy. If a law doesn’t serve to protect everybody from the initiation of force or fraud, it really isn’t any of the government’s business. Anything beyond that is a matter for individuals to handle privately, and if people decide they want the government to regulate and manage some aspect of their lives, they need to submit to that regulation voluntarily.

A lot of people get mad when Libertarians push for a smaller, limited government, but I’m convinced if we would give it a try, they would get over it.

 

Posted without bias, opinion or editing

Broker Sues After Colts Cancel Season-Ticket Renewal

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Broker Sues After Colts Cancel Season-Ticket Renewal

for www.theindianalawyer.com

A Pennsylvania ticket broker is suing the Indianapolis Colts over their revocation of his season tickets—a legal skirmish other brokers say appears to be fallout from efforts by the team to gain greater control over the secondary market and thin the ranks of resellers.

In the suit filed March 21 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, Yehuda Frager claims the Colts declined to let him renew the same 94 tickets he bought in 2015 for the upcoming season. Frager said he paid more than $75,000 for the tickets.

Frager’s lawyer, Chicago attorney Matthew Topic, said season tickets are the property of the season-ticket holder, and that the team has no legal right to withhold them.

“This is a dispute the Colts should be able to work out with my client,” Topic told IBJ. “I would hope the Colts could come to an amicable resolution with my client.”

Sources close to the team said the Colts are taking a hard line with out-of-town ticket brokers and an amicable resolution is unlikely.

Colts officials declined to comment on the dispute or their ticket-sales policies.

Some local brokers said they heard Frager’s tickets were redistributed to another broker and that this might be the team’s first step in trying to more tightly control the secondary market by allowing fewer—and possibly just one—ticket broker to handle secondary sales.

“The Colts are in the process of revoking tickets from resellers, especially those out of town,” said Renny Harrison, owner of Carmel-based Fanfare Tickets. “They’re in the process of consolidating accounts.”

It’s not uncommon for sports teams and leagues to try to exert control over the secondary market. Every major U.S. sports league—including the NFL—has a league-sanctioned ticket exchange. The NFL’s ticket exchange is run by Ticketmaster.

Many teams also have an exchange. The Colts set up theirs in 2008.

“Teams want to control the floor,” Harrison said. “They don’t want to see a glut of tickets selling for $5 or $10.”

He questioned the logic of the Colts’ move.

“Just putting the tickets in the hands of two or three guys doesn’t mean they’ve become more valuable,” he said. “That’s determined by the play on the field.”

Sports marketers said putting a limit on how low a preferred ticket broker can sell tickets might help the team sell more through the box office.

In the long run, the Colts’ changes are bad for fans, said Mike Peduto, president of locally based Circle City Tickets.

“Ticket brokers add liquidity to the market,” said Peduto, whose firm started in 1985.

“We’re a marketplace people can trust, and it’s an efficiency issue for a lot of Colts fans to use us,” he added. “I think any move to cut out ticket resellers could really be bad for public relations for the team.”

Harrison said he’s even heard that some Colts fans who often sell their tickets have had their tickets revoked by the team.

“The one thing I would have an issue with would be the Colts soliciting everyone to resell their tickets through their platform or the league’s platform, then they’re taking that data and using it against you,” Harrison said.

“There’s some threshold that gets your tickets taken away based on data they get through their own exchange. And they never tell you what the threshold is.

“The Colts exchange is a good, safe platform, but I’m guessing I’m never going to sell another ticket on it again.”

Harrison said Frager’s lawsuit has “potential,” but he called it a “long shot” that Frager will win.

Daniel B. Fitzgerald, a Connecticut-based attorney specializing in sports law, said unhappy ticket brokers cut out by the Colts have little hope of getting tickets back.

“A ticket to a sporting event constitutes a revocable license,” he said.

A revocable license provides the license holder with a limited spectrum of rights such as the right to attend the game, sit in the assigned seat, and use the stadium facilities made available to the public, he said.

“Those rights can essentially be revoked by the team at any time and for any reason,” Fitzgerald said.

The terms of the license—usually found on the back of the ticket—are intentionally broad, “providing the team with the power to take any action it deems necessary to promote the intended atmosphere,” Fitzgerald said.

“Are the terms overly broad and unfair? Possibly,” he said. “But by purchasing a ticket, the fan agrees to adhere to these terms.”

Riecken’s Dreams To Encourage Family Savings Becoming Reality

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Riecken’s Dreams To Encourage Family Savings Becoming Reality

INDIANAPOLIS – Efforts by State Rep. Gail Riecken (D-Evansville) to encourage more Hoosiers to save money began to bear fruit on April 1, when a group of Indiana credit unions started offering a new program that encourages savings and offers prizes.

Spurred by a state law (House Enrolled Act 1235) that Riecken authored in 2014, the Indiana Credit Union League and 12 credit unions across the state have joined forces on a program called Save to Win. By making a $25 deposit, members at these credit unions will be entered into drawings that will enable them to win cash prizes throughout the year.

Among those participating in the program are three Evansville-area institutions: the Evansville Federal Credit Union, the Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union, and the Sterling United Federal Credit Union.

“This legislation started with discussions that I had with constituents about their concerns that they don’t have the chance to save money like they should,” Riecken said. “In many cases, people must pursue high-interest loans to pay for everyday emergencies like plumbing problems at home or fixing your car.

“The key was trying to find a way that encourages people to get savings accounts that can help them when they must face unexpected expenses or have a sudden drop in their income,” she continued. “The effort to find an answer drew support from a large bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in both the Indiana House and Senate. The result was HEA 1235, and now people across Indiana will have the chance to take part in this program.”

Riecken said one of the key benefits to the program is that once people open a savings account, they can never lose their account balances or the interest they accrue, and they can have a chance to win more money while they learn to save.

“What I like the most about this is that it helps encourage people to save money, and learn to budget,” Riecken said. “Even better, you learn there are benefits for saving. It is always a delight to see an idea that started with constituents become reality, with major benefits coming as a result.”

 

Combating illicit drug abuse

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Unfortunately, Indiana has led the nation in meth lab seizures for three consecutive years, with more than 1,500 incidents in 2015 alone.

In order to combat meth production in our state, it is crucial we find ways to restrict meth cooks from accessing pseudoephedrine (PSE), a key ingredient used in manufacturing meth. PSE is often found in cold, flu and allergy medications. To better monitor PSE purchases, these medications are placed behind the counter, and there are limits on the amount an individual can purchase. Consumers are also required to sign a registry each time they purchase PSE medications. A computer-based monitoring system, NPLEx, is currently being used in every Hoosier pharmacy to track the purchase of PSE. These efforts are a step in the right direction, but criminals are still finding ways to sidestep the legal system.

House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1157 builds upon the efforts of dispensing PSE according to daily, monthly and yearly purchasing limits. HEA 1157 will keep PSE accessible to law-abiding consumers while prohibiting individuals convicted of a meth-related felony from purchasing these medications without a prescription. The already established NPLEx system will issue stop-sale alerts in real time when meth-related felons attempt to purchase PSE without a prescription. These alerts will be issued for persons who have been convicted of any specific meth-related felony within the last seven years. This law will not affect law-abiding Hoosiers who do not have a meth-related conviction on their record.

Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 80 helps to further these efforts by allowing Hoosiers who have an established patient relationship with a pharmacy to continue to purchase medications containing PSE without a prescription. If an individual does not have a patient relationship with a pharmacy, the pharmacist would be able to sell them an extraction-resistant product or a package of a smaller dose of PSE. Individuals who refuse these options and request regular PSE would be required to obtain a prescription.

In addition to meth, Indiana is facing a heroin problem. SEA 187 works to reduce fatal overdoses in Indiana, by allowing family members, concerned friends or other loved ones to purchase Narcan, a life-saving medicine, without a prescription. This safe and non-addictive overdose prevention drug reverses the effects of overdoses and helps keep individuals breathing normally. Narcan will be sold over the counter at pharmacies across the state, permitting Hoosiers to act quickly in the event of an emergency.

All of these newly enacted laws will take effect July 1, 2016, in an effort to save lives and curb the illegal drug problem that is flooding the Hoosier state. If you have any questions or input, please contact me at h75@iga.in.gov or by calling (317) 232-9833.

Egidijus Mockevicius helps West win All-Star Game

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Mockevicius finished with 12 points in the win

All-time University of Evansville rebounding leader Egidijus Mockevicius represented the Purple Aces on Friday at the College All-Star game at the Final Four in Houston.

The senior helped lead the West team to an 89-85 win over the East.  Mockevicius saw 24 minutes of action and took full advantage of his time in the game.  He knocked down five of his six shots in front of 19,270 fans at the event.

Despite having four fouls, Mockevicius was able to give his squad strong minutes, hauling in six rebounds while blocking a shot.  He also did something in that game that he did not do in his career at UE – hit a 3-pointer!

His triple came at an opportune time for the West as the team was trailing the East by a 25-20 margin midway through the first half.  Trey Freeman of Old Dominion found him open from outside and he knocked down the triple to cut their deficit to two points.  From that point on, his squad never trailed by more than a possession before taking the 89-85 win.

Mockevicius finished the season as the national leader in rebounds and double-doubles.  His tally of 14.0 per game finishes the season a full rebound ahead of Hofstra’s Rokas Gustys.  His final tally of 27 double-doubles finished tied for the national lead with Pascal Siakam of New Mexico State.

Rodney Carrington and Colt Ford

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CONCERT

ANNOUNCEMENT
SMG Evansville
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TICKET ON-SALE

Thursday, April 7 at 10:00am.

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster online or

by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or in the Old National Events Plaza’s Box Office.

Ticket Prices $49.50, $39.50 and $29.50

plus applicable online purchase fees.

Suggested age of 18 to attend this show.

    Thursday, May 12 at 7:00pm

RODNEY CARRINGTON

AND COLT FORD

On Tour Together!

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Keep Me Posted Club Members will receive Pre-Sale passcode soon!
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UE Syrian Stories: Humanizing The Syrian Conflict To Be Topic Of Lecture

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Yasser Alhenawi, a Syrian professor of finance at the University of Evansville, will be the speaker at UE’s Scholars for Syria Lecture Series on Thursday, April 14 at 6:00 p.m. in Room 162, Schroeder School of Business Building. The event will include an open discussion with Evansville’s Syrian students. The topic will be “UE Syrian Stories: Humanizing the Syrian conflict.” A reception will follow in Dunigan Lounge in the Schroeder School of Business Building. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.

Alhenawi is the founding director of the Institute for Banking and Finance. He earned both his PhD and his Master of Science degree in financial economics from the University of New Orleans. He earned his master’s degree in business administration and his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Damascus University.

Alhenawi received a Doctoral Crescent City Scholarship from the University of New Orleans and Toussaint Hocevar Outstanding Doctoral Student Award from the Business School at University of New Orleans. He was the recipient of the 2013 Dean’s Teaching Award from the Schroeder School of Business, and received a Summer Research Grant from UE in 2014.

He has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in finance since 2005, and has also been active in academic research and professional consulting activities. His current research interests are mergers and acquisitions, asset pricing models, and personal finance. Alhenawi has presented his research at major finance conferences and his papers have been published in distinguished finance journals such as the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, the Journal of Investing, the Review of Financial Services, and the Review of Financial Economies.

Scholars for Syria includes members from UE and the surrounding community. It was created to help support UE’s large number of Syrian students. UE is part of a consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to providing scholarship and aid to Syrian students.

Veterans Peer Support Outreach PSA-Public Service Announcement 

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Who We Are: The Veterans Peer Support Outreach (PSO) Peer Support Outreach

Established: November 2015,

Mission: We do not leave anyone behind, but we help each other adjust to coming back home. 

Location: Veterans Peer Support Outreach (PSO) meeting are located at: Indiana National Guard Armory.

Off the Lloyd Expressway 3300 E. Division Street Evansville IN

Group Meets: Every Tuesday Night from 5:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. or 1700 hours until 1930 hours

Service Support: Each Thanksgiving season the Veterans Peer Support Outreach will continue to provide a full course Thanksgiving

Home Cooked meal for the men and women at the Riverwalk Communities that so faithfully feel free to join us at the table, door to door delivery is available if they’re unable to attend.

Yearly Supporter: We also will continue to support the Riverwalk Communities Antique Car’s and Sock Hop Event and more,

while providing volunteer cooking participation each year.

Upcoming Special Event: Veterans Peer Support Outreach will be hosting its second PTSD Awareness Family Training Conference’ 

Free: To all veterans, families and communities.

Date: April 30, 2016, 

Time: 1:30 PM until 5:30 PM

Extend To: All Veterans Group Supporters, National Guard, American Legions, 

VFW’s, Army Reserves, Military Retirees, and Veterans Community Involvement Organization.

Final Note: PTSD is not a disease, it is a disorder. A disease can be cured, but a disorder cannot.    

Aces hit the road for Western Kentucky

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 After picking up another sweep at Charles H. Braun Stadium over the weekend, the University of Evansville will be looking to extend its four-game winning streak on Tuesday as the Aces will set out for Bowling Green, Ky., to take on Western Kentucky at 6 p.m.

The Aces (15-11) have had the luxury of playing each of the last four games in Evansville, but if last week is any indicator, the high-scoring UE line-up can travel as the team put up 15 runs in just five innings at Indiana before the game was washed out due to storms in Bloomington.

Overall, UE has averaged better than seven runs per game, but that total has been even higher in the six midweek contests this season, with the Aces touching home 12.3 times per game while hitting .356 with 12 home runs. Josh Jyawook, who is slugging 1.000 in midweek games, leads the charge with a .550 average.

For the season, Trey Hair has starred at the plate, putting up a .408 average with 22 runs batted in and 21 scores, and Eric McKibban leads the team in runs with 28 to go along with his .330 batting average. Six UE hitters own .300-or-better averages on the season, and 11 different hitters have logged home runs, which stands as the best total for an Aces team since 13 players left the park in 2001.

On the mound, Austin Allinger will get the nod, and he’s slated to make his sixth start of the season. The freshman right-hander is 3-1 on the year with a 5.52 earned run average over 29.1 innings.

Meanwhile, WKU enters the contest with a 16-11 record. The Hilltoppers have already started conference play this season, sweeping past Middle Tennessee two weeks ago and taking two out of three at UAB this past weekend.

First pitch from Nick Denes Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.

NOTES: Tuesday marks the 44th meeting between UE and Western Kentucky since 1978 … The Aces are 20-22-1 vs. the Hilltoppers over that timespan … Last season, UE took home two victories in a three-game set that was played in Emerson, Ga. … Tuesday will mark UE’s first trip back to Bowling Green since dropping an 8-5 decision on March 27, 2013 … The two teams have met in three of the last four seasons … UE’s 26 homers this season represent the most since 2011 … Since 1978, the Aces are 112-85-2 vs. teams that hail from the state of Kentucky … UE is 2-1 this season after a series at Eastern Kentucky last mo

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