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This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, April 20th, 2022.
Later in the program, we have Strike Mic – Voices from the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition in light of their strike against Indiana University. More in today’s feature report.
Also coming up in the next half hour, Solar Scams on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB.
But first, your Environmental News Brief
Nathaniel Weinzapfel
Hoosiers have begun to head out into the woods to hunt for the morel mushrooms found throughout the forests of the state in the springtime. These mushrooms typically bloom from April to May, and have attracted a sizable number of Hoosiers excited to eat the forest treat. The Indiana Morel Mushroom Progression Facebook group has organized yearly hunts for the mushrooms and have combined the events with environmental cleanups to improve the quality of Indiana’s forests. Hunters are encouraged to carry two bags with them while they are in the forest: one for mushrooms and another for trash. Many woods in the state have sizable amounts of trash, so cleaning up while searching for the fungi is a great way to help the environment. Mushroom hunters love this time of year as it gets them outside after winter and the feast afterwards brings Hoosiers together.
This week, the Biden Administration reversed a move by the Trump administration that removed regulations found in the National Environmental Policy Act. This new rule will require federal agencies to take into account the environmental impacts that could be related to their actions, including climate change factors. The previous administration removed the regulations because they required a lot of time and limited some projects from being created due to environmental concerns. However, critics of the Trump Administration’s move believed that this would allow federal agencies to downplay the environmental justice concerns. The change by the Biden Administration will reinstate these environmental justice decision making factors. This represents a significant step in the Biden Administration environmental agenda.
Recently there has been a major win in the world of wildlife conservation. An endangered Sumatran rhino gave birth to a new baby in an Indonesian sanctuary last month. This species of rhino is extremely endangered due to habitat destruction and poaching for their horns. The World Wildlife Fund has stated that there are only 80 Sumatran rhinos left in the world. This new baby has increased the rhino population at the Indonsenisan sanctuary to eight, and represents the potential that the species may recover in the future.
Monroe County Commissioners
Noelle Herhusky-Schneider
During public comment at the Monroe County Commissioners meeting on April 13th, county resident Ron Thompson said that he thinks more people should know about the Smart 9-1-1 service that is available to residents.
Executive Director of Area 10 Agency on Aging, Chris Myers asked the commissioners to approve a grant for public rural transportation. Myers shared that the grant would help fund new buses.
Myers said that they are also short on bus drivers.
The commissioners approved the grant unanimously. The next meeting will be held on April 20th.
Air Quality in Schools
Bode Hoover
Have you ever been stuck behind a bus or truck with a big plume of smoke coming out the tailpipe? If so, then you can probably imagine that horrible smell right now. Now imagine there are 30 buses doing the same thing. That’s what thousands of students and faculty in Indiana schools face every day.
A 2013 study found that air pollution outside schools is often much greater than in nearby communities. The culprit was attributed to idling school buses and cars. Addressing outdoor sources of air pollutants is crucial for improving indoor air quality because these pollutants enter schools through ventilation systems, windows, and doors. Transportation and nearby activities such as campus maintenance are important factors that can impact indoor air quality. The outdoor air is easily able to transport indoors through open doors and windows, and ventilation systems. Once these pollutants are indoors, they are able to linger for extended periods of time. Improved air quality has been shown to dramatically increase verbal and math test scores. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports it is also associated with reduced influenza rates, fewer asthma attacks, and higher attendance. With people spending approximately 90% of their time indoors, understanding indoor air quality is vital for human health.
Argonne National Laboratory developed the publicly accessible Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) Tool to help people estimate the impact of various vehicles utilizing different fuels including air pollutant emissions and cost of ownership. According to AFLEET, a diesel school bus will emit about 25 tons of greenhouse gasses each year, not including the dozens of other air pollutants affecting human health.
The COVID-19 pandemic helped raise much needed awareness about air quality and proper ventilation. The public was surrounded by information about the virus and how it spreads: via atmospheric aerosols that are capable of staying suspended in air for hours. DIY air filtration systems have become increasingly popular, despite their limited success. While COVID has made ventilation and filtration indoors a more urgent issue, it is not new. For decades, outdated buildings have lacked the proper systems needed to maintain good air quality.
The 2020 report from the Government Accountability Office showed that most school districts in the United States need some form of infrastructure update. In addition to one-third needing air conditioning (HVAC) system updates, 41% need to update heating, ventilation, and plumbing systems.
The American Rescue Plan Act provided a one time investment of roughly $122 billion for schools to address pandemic-related costs including ventilation upgrades. The only live air quality monitoring station available through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) started on March 27, 2009 at Binford Elementary School.
The Indiana Department of Education offers guidance for schools to limit idling by establishing “No Idling Zones”. The EPA website provides Tools for Schools Action Kits and strategies to improve indoor air quality in schools.
Feature Reports:
Up next, we have Strike Mic – Voices from the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition in light of their strike against Indiana University. We turn now to the latest edition of Strike Mic.
Up next, Solar Scams on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB. Solar energy panels are appearing more and more, and get more attractive as energy costs rise. But it’s not a simple matter, and there are scammers out there rushing homeowners into some expensive ripoffs. Here are some important facts about the whole subject. We turn to host and producer Richard Fish for more.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Nathaniel Weinzapfel, Bode Hoover and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Hugh Farrell and Kade Young.
Better Beware is produced by Richard Fish.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
