WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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In this edition of Eco Report, Environmental Correspondent Zyro Roze gets updates from Steven Stewart of Indiana Forest Alliance about plans to log and burn in Hoosier National Forest and free events this weekend for the total solar eclipse visible from Bloomington this coming Monday. 
Over the past two weeks we have been sharing with you information about the different types of plastic and how they are used. Today, we’ll review several more of the different types of plastics and their common uses.
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) which is clear, strong and lightweight and is commonly used in beverage bottles, food containers and polyester fibers for textiles.
- Polyurethane (PU) is a versatile material used in foam insulation, upholstery, adhesives, coatings and elastomers.
- Polycarbonate (PC0) which is clear and impact-resistant and is used in eyeglass lenses, safety goggles, medical devices and elctronic components.
- Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) which is tough and heat resistant, and used in automotive parts, electronic housings, toys and appliances.
- Polyvinylidene Flouride (PVDF) which is chemically resistant and used in chemical processing equipment, piping and coatings.
- Nylon Polymide which is strong, durable and heat-resistant and is used in textiles, ropes, automotive parts and engineering plastics.
From this list that we have shared with you, which included four from last week, you can see how intrusive plastic has become part of our everyday lives in every way. You use it, you eat it, and you wear it. There is no way to not have it in your homes or lives. So, what can you do to make your life more green and protect our Mother Earth? Next week, we will share with you some ways you can have less plastic in your life.
Indiana Business Journal reprts Boone County officials are considering a two-year moratorium on new solar power and wind energy projects while the county updates its comprehensive plan. The move would come as Virginia-based Hexagon Energy develops plans for a 3,000-acre solar farm north of Jamestown in western Boone County and Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources renews interest in building a solar farm near Zionsville.
In 2021, the Zionsville Board of Zoning Appeals and the Boone County Area Plan Commission blocked NextEra’s plan for a $210 million, 1,660-acre solar farm in Union and Marion townships. The proposed Brickyard Solar project would have brought approximately 675,000 solar panels to various tracts of land along U.S. 421. Boone County Area Plan Commission Executive Director Stephen Elkins told IBJ he is not aware of any wind energy projects that have been submitted or discussed for unincorporated Boone County. He said wind projects were discussed about 15 years ago but never went forward.
Earlier this month, the Boone County Area Plan Commission delivered a letter to the Boone County Commissioners recommending a moratorium on solar power and wind energy projects. Supporters and opponents of the solar projects spoke at Monday’s meeting. Jeff Jacob, an attorney with Indianapolis-based Hackman Hulett LLP who is representing Hexagon Energy, called the potential moratorium “fundamentally unfair” for Hexagon, which he said has 3,000 acres under contract in Boone County.
Don’t take this extreme measure of suggesting that you’re protecting your comprehensive plan, Jacob said. If you’re protecting your comprehensive plan, let’s stop all development for two years. But don’t focus on one business that has actively been discussing with the community on how to develop. Jordan Burke, a project developer for Hexagon, said the company understands and respects that western Boone County is historically focused on agriculture. Burke said farming can occur within a solar facility and that soil can be farmed after solar panels are removed.
“The reason farmers are interested in working with us, and we’re working with a lot of old farmers in western Boone, is they don’t believe this will permanently affect or erase their farm ground,” Burke said. Jack Bowen, a farmer who has leased land to Hexagon, asked the commissioners to not approve a moratorium. He said his family has lived on his 100-acre farm since 1902, and he believes that solar farms in western Boone County would be a buffer against housing and commercial developers from building subdivisions and warehouses near his land.
IndyStar reports that work will begin soon in Tippecanoe County on the first segment of highway in the U.S. that will wirelessly charge electric vehicles as they travel, a project that could help define the future of EV charging. The Indiana Department of Transportation is teaming up with Purdue University and Cummins, Inc. to install the technology on a state highway in West Lafayette as part of a pilot project, according to a draft press release obtained by IndyStar.
The first segment of the project will cover about a quarter of a mile along U.S. Highway 52 / U.S. Highway 231 between Lindberg Road and Cumberland Avenue, the release said. Indiana’s pilot segment comes after multiple years of testing and research. In the future, the goal is to expand the research by electrifying a section of an Indiana interstate. The ability to charge on the go would reduce the need for charging breaks and extend the range of electric vehicles, which currently is one of their major drawbacks.
AccuWeather meteorologists are forecasting 20-25 named storms across the Atlantic basin in 2024, including 8-12 hurricanes, four to seven major hurricanes and four to six direct U.S. impacts. This is all above the 30-year historical average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, three major hurricanes and four direct U.S. impacts. The temperatures of waters of the Atlantic along our coast are already at July levels.
In this week’s Eco Report feature, Zyro Roze and Steven Stewart to learn about recent developments in forest protection, legislation to expand the DEAM Wilderness and educational nature hikes, other upcoming IFA events and the Totality Ceremony at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center.
- The Indiana Forest Alliance is hosting a FREE 2-day 2024 Solar Eclipse viewing event in Yellowwood State Forest and the Bloomington Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center on Sunday, April 7th and Monday, April 8th. Guided hikes will be held at Yellowwood Lake on the 7th. Beginning at 11 am, on April 8th, the monks will perform a medicine Buddha Puja with more activities throughout the day.
- Enjoy a Griffy Lake Total Eclipse Paddle at Griffy Lake Nature Preserve on Monday, April 8th from 2 to 4 pm. You must register in advance at bloomington.IN.gov/parks. Canoes and paddles will be provided.
- There will be a Snake Meet and Greet at Brown County State Park on Friday, April 12th from 4 to 4:30 pm in the Nature Center. Get a personal look at Indiana’s native snakes. Learn about their unique traits and how they affect your life.
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Take a Lake Ogle Hike at Brown County State Park on Saturday, April 13th from 2 to 3:30 pm. Enjoy a guided hike on Trail 7 and hear the history of the lake and learn about the flora and fauna around the lake.
Credits:
Headlines were written by Norm Holy and Julianna Dailey
News feature was produced by Zyro Roze and edited by Kade Young
Julianna Dailey assembled the script and compiled the events calendar
Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider produce Eco Report
Branden Blewett engineers Eco Report
Julianna Dailey and Robert Shull hosted the show
Are you looking for a way to make a difference on environmental issues? Eco Report is looking for reporters, engineers, and segment producers who are passionate about reporting facts on how we’re all affected by global climate disruption and the ongoing assaults on our air, land and water. We also celebrate ecologists, tree huggers, soil builders and an assortment of champions who actively protect and restore our natural world, particularly those who are active in south central Indiana. All levels of experience and all ages are welcome, and we provide the training you’ll need. WFHB also offers internships. To volunteer for Eco Report, give us a call at (812) 323-1200, or e-mail us at: [email protected].
Are you one of those people who believes our Mother Earth is getting dirtier and dirtier from all our trash? Here are a few tips to help keep the Earth cleaner.- Stop buying Styrofoam items. Styrofoam is forever. It is not biodegradable, so instead invest in some reusable mugs that you can take with you.
- Do you like to eat salmon? Several studies have found that PCB’s, which is a class of toxic chemicals, and other environmental toxins are present at higher levels in farm raised salmon than wild salmon. Look for safe seafood when shopping for salmon.
- What about those coffee filters? Are you a coffee drinker? Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer. Start buying unbleached paper filters or use reusable filters.
- We all love to go to picnics, especially when the weather is nice. The next time you host or attend a picnic, bring your own utensils and food containers. Plastic forks, spoons, straws, and all that plastic stuff you see at a picnic are not biodegradable and not recyclable.
- One more thing you might want to stop using is paper towels. Regular paper towels are bleached, and waste forest resources and landfill space. Look for recycled, non-bleached paper towels or better yet, buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse.
