Winter 2012 - Ohio Environmental Council

Winter 2012
Asian Carp are Coming
page 3
Fracking: Windfall or Pitfall?
page 4
Verdict in—Sort of—for
Lake Erie Shoreline Case
page 5
Recovered Energy
Can Fuel Business
page 6
Springtime Means
Vernal Pool Workshops
page 7
Board of Directors
John Marshall, J.D., President
Eileen Shanbrom, Vice President
Alan Lapp, J.D., Secretary
William Martin, J.D., Treasurer
Lesley Avery, J.D.
Kate Bartter
Daniel Carey, D.V.M.
Babette Gorman
Peter Griesinger
William M. Ondrey Gruber, J.D.
Vincent Hand, Ph.D.
Willie Katzin, M.D., Ph.D.
Krista Magaw
Graham Mitchell
Irene Probasco
Janet Reeves
David Schmitt, J.D.
Eric Schreiber, M.D.
Rich Shank, Ph.D.
Michele Simmons, Ph.D.
Christopher P. Thorman, J.D.
Tom Winston
Sandra Woy-Hazleton, Ph.D.
Staff
David R. Celebrezze
Director of Air & Water Special Projects
Keith Dimoff
Executive Director
Dawn Dixon
Senior Director of Administration
Jennifer Doron, M.F.A.
Director of Marketing & Communication
Trent A. Dougherty, J.D.
Staff Attorney, Director of Legal Affairs
Lisa Estrella
Administrative Assistant
Melanie Houston, M.S.
Director of Water Policy &
Environmental Health
Brian Kaiser
Director of Green Jobs & Innovation,
Legislative Affairs Associate
Kristen Kubitza
Director of Water Policy & Outreach
Conservation
Meets
Preservation
The first “remnant prairie” I ever saw was in
a pioneer cemetery, with towering flowers
and buzzing bees under a hot Ohio sun.
That crisp image was in my mind as I spoke
recently to the Ohio Local History Alliance.
Although my talk centered on a discussion of
what local history museums could do to be
green, countless examples came to mind of
the intersection between environmentalism
and historic preservation.
After all, our core missions overlap, leading
to an alliance of philosophies—let us
treasure what we have and guard against
senseless loss.
But beyond a common philosophy, I have
been fortunate to have been a part of many
practical alliances between the preservation
community and the conservation community.
Recently, our common desire to see
sustainable funding for important programs
has led to the Protecting Ohio’s Heritage
Coalition, looking for long-term funding
for the arts, history, and natural resources
protection.
Trish Lanahan
Director of Clean Energy Campaigns,
Legislative Affairs Associate
Rae Liebtag
Administrative Associate
Travel and tourism interests also align, as
we build an Ohio economy that values parks,
preserves, farmland, and Lake Erie.
Joe Logan
Director of Agricultural Programs
Cathryn Loucas, J.D.
Staff Attorney
Grant Maki, J.D.
Law Fellow
Kristy Meyer, M.S.
Director of Agricultural &
Clean Water Programs
Nolan Moser, J.D.
Staff Attorney, Director of Energy &
Clean Air Programs
Raenell Nagel, J.D.
Senior Director of Policy &
Strategic Planning
Jodi Segal
Senior Director of Advancement
Jack Shaner
Deputy Director, Senior Director of
Legislative & Public Affairs
Dena Sico
Associate Director of Development
printed on recycled paper
Ohio Environmental Council
1207 Grandview Avenue • Suite 201
Columbus, OH 43212 • (614) 487-7506
[email protected] • www.theOEC.org
Healthy rivers can be good for all, as
proposals to remove dams on the Cuyahoga
River demonstrate—imagine whitewater
rafting through rapids, now concealed, that
drew awe from Native Americans and early
settlers!
The OEC’s Lake Erie shoreline case, which
we’ve taken through the Ohio Supreme
Court to preserve the “public trust,” harkens
back to the early days of statehood, when
the Northwest Ordinance and other founding
documents made sure that our Great Lake
would be in the hands of Ohio’s citizens
forever.
So amidst our great discussion on ideas for
local green museums (motion sensors for
exhibit lighting is a natural!), a larger theme
emerged.
It is up to us, the guardians of our
past and of our natural heritage, to be
vigilant, dedicated and unrelenting in our
commitment to a greater Ohio, one which we
inherited, and one which we must preserve
together!
Sincerely,
Keith Dimoff
Executive Director Asian Carp are Coming:
No More Time to Delay
Imagine being in a boat, enjoying a
quiet day fishing on Lake Erie, when
suddenly a 40-pound fish smacks you
in the head. Now imagine it happening
to a small child, who could be seriously
injured.
It’s not an unlikely scenario.
“Anyone who enjoys Ohio’s
waterways needs this
law passed now. We can’t
wait another four years.
We know the carp won’t.”
Kristy Meyer
Director of Agricultural &
Clean Water Programs
Asian carp—also known
as silver or bighead carp
—are known to leap up
to 10 feet in the air when
disturbed by the sound of
a boat motor.
This is just one danger
posed by the invasion of
Asian carp in the Great
Lakes.
We Must Act Now!
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is
studying how to separate the Great
Lakes from the Mississippi River (and
potentially the Maumee River) to stop the
carp invasion.
Unfortunately, the study is not scheduled
for completion until 2015. By then, the
carp may have worked their way into the
Great Lakes.
The “Stop Asian Carp Act,” introduced by
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan)
and Representative Dave Camp
(R-Michigan), is under consideration in
the United States Senate (SB 471) and
House of Representatives (HR 892).
The Act would force the Corps to finish
the study in 18 months from the date the
Act is signed into law. Furthermore, it
would direct the Corps to study ways to
prevent the spread of invasive species,
rather than just reduce the risk of
contamination.
These voracious fish can
weigh up to 40 lbs, about the size of
a five-year-old child. Some even grow
to 100 lbs, eating huge amounts of
plankton each day. Juvenile game fish
such as trout, walleye, and salmon
depend on this plankton, and when
“Anyone who enjoys Ohio’s waterways
these carp move in, the native game fish
needs this law passed now,” says Kristy
die out.
Meyer, OEC’s Director of Agricultural &
Clean Water Programs. “Not only that, the
If Asian carp establish a foothold, the
economic base of the entire Great Lakes
Great Lakes could suffer the same fate
region depends on it.”
as parts of the Missouri river, where
more than 90% of all fish are Asian carp.
Attorney Generals from 17 states,
including Ohio, and environmentalconservation organizations from across
the country are urging congressional
members to get this Act passed now.
Lake Erie’s $10 billion in revenue from
fishing, boating, and tourism industries
all benefit from a great diversity of
native fish species. A diversity that
would be decimated by this invasive
We can’t wait four more years. We know
carp—not to mention the destruction to the carp won’t.
our natural heritage.
Contact your congressional leaders by
But the carp won’t keep themselves
phone at (202) 224-3121 or send an email
out of Lake Erie, the Maumee River, or
at www.theOEC.org/TakeAction.htm.
Ohio’s other waterways.
more news & info at www.theOEC.org
WINTER 2012
3
Fracking: Windfall or Pitfall?
OEC & ALLIES CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR MORATORIUM UNTIL ALL RISKS ARE KNOWN
In 2011, the Ohio Environmental Council and 50 fellow
environmental and community organizations sent a letter to
Ohio state legislators urging them to issue a moratorium on
horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) until its impacts on
the environment and public health are thoroughly studied
and effective, science-based regulations are put in place.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently
conducting a study on the impacts from fracking for deepshale natural gas. At a minimum, the OEC and partners
argue, the study should be completed and safeguards
adopted before drilling proceeds.
These efforts led to two moratorium bills currently before
the Ohio General Assembly. Despite these concerns, deepshale drilling has already begun at 20 sites around the
state, and 65 more drilling sites are in the works.
So while we push for a moratorium, the OEC is also working
to ensure that regulations in place today are as strong as
possible. These efforts ran on all cylinders in November, as
OEC and its allies submitted comments to the U.S. EPA on
proposed air pollution standards to control emissions from
natural gas drilling.
The U.S. EPA proposed a broad set of rules aimed at the
entire oil and natural gas sector. Our major priority was
to defend the proposed requirement that all new natural
gas wells be constructed using a method called “reduced
emissions completions.”
Shale gas wells are drilled primarily by forcing special fluids
into shale rock formations at high pressure, which fractures
the shale (hence the terms ‘hydrofracturing’ and ‘fracking’).
After fracturing, operators release the water pressure,
causing large amounts of fluid to flow back to the surface.
This flowback fluid contains a significant amount of natural
gas, in addition to other potential pollutants. Standard gas
collection equipment can’t handle the flowback fluid, so it
often sits in storage tanks for days while the gas is either
vented into the atmosphere or burned off with a flare—
either option causes significant air pollution.
“Reduced emissions completion” uses separator equipment
to handle the flowback fluid and capture the gas that
otherwise would be vented or flared.
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WINTER 2012
The OEC defended the U.S. EPA’s proposal to require
“reduced emissions completion” against arguments from
industry that it was too expensive or unduly burdensome.
At the same time that federal regulations were coming
down, Ohio EPA proposed a general permit that would allow
companies to start drilling whenever they meet certain
qualifying criteria and agree to abide by certain emissions
and operational standards, with or without community
input.
We pushed the agency to give the public an opportunity to
be heard when the oil and gas industry proposes large-scale
drilling operations and/or drilling near “urbanized areas.”
OEC insisted, among other things, that the state also
regulate produced water storage tanks. “Produced water”
is the salty and, at times, chemically laden fluid that flows
to the surface during fracking. Since these storage tanks
produce significant emissions, they can’t be overlooked.
Despite the challenges from the oil and gas industry, the
OEC continues to lead the charge to secure scientifically
sound regulations to protect Ohio’s air and water quality.
Sign on to the OEC’s petition calling for a moratorium on
fracking at www.theOEC.org/Fracking.htm.
Lake Erie Shoreline Case Ends - Almost
STATE SUPREME COURT ALSO UPHOLDS ATTORNEY GENERAL’S ROLE TO REPRESENT OHIOANS
Have you ever taken a stroll along the shore of Lake Erie?
It is a truly awesome experience and a cherished right that
nearly vanished from Ohio law.
Some seven years ago, a group of lake-side property
owners sued the State of Ohio, arguing that their property
extended to the water’s edge and into the Lake’s water.
“the ordinary high water mark” as the Lake’s public trust
boundary.
Finally in September, the OEC’s vigilance paid off. Mostly.
In a 7-0 decision authored by Justice Terrence O’Donnell,
the Ohio Supreme Court reversed a ruling by the appeals
court and reiterated the Ohio Supreme Court’s 1878 finding
that private upland owners have no ownership beyond the
“natural shoreline.”
Ignoring more than a hundred years of legal precedent, the
trial court and Ohio’s 11th District Court of Appeals ruled
that the private property boundary was
actually the waters’ edge. That’s right
After seven years of
—the waters’ edge, which moves from
legal wrangling, the
wave to wave, and from year to year.
OEC’s vigilance paid
Those two rulings were a clear and
present danger to the right of families
off. Mostly.
and anglers to walk and fish from the
dry Ohio shore of Lake Erie, as well as a threat to the
authority of the State of Ohio to protect the unique habitat
and natural features of our North Coast from haphazard
commercial development.
For seven years, a legal team from government and
environmental groups—including the administrations of
both Republican and Democrat governors, the National
Wildlife Federation, and the Ohio Environmental Council—
drew a legal line in the sand and kept up the good fight for
The problem is, while it is clear that the
public’s right to the shore is not a moving
boundary, the Court did not define where
that “natural shoreline” begins.
Rather, the Supreme Court handed that
question back to the trial court in Lake
County for more consideration. Stay turned for the answer
to this critical question.
In the same decision, the Supreme Court gave Ohio their
lawyer back. While the appeals court ruled that the Ohio
Attorney General had no authority to represent the citizens
of the state in the shoreline case, the Ohio Supreme Court
unequivocally denounced the lower court’s assertion, and
gave the 11 million citizens of Ohio their legal counsel back.
Read more at www.OhioEnviroLawCenter.org.
Clearing the Air, One Construction Site at a Time
Ever wonder what that smell is around construction sites?
Chances are it is the exhaust from large diesel construction
equipment. That exhaust is a toxic stew of dangerous
pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, particulate matter,
and more than 40 other pollutants.
This pollution has been linked to asthma attacks, heart and
lung disease, cancer, and preventable death.
According to the Clean Air Task Force, the health impacts in
Ohio from diesel soot are estimated to cost $3.6 billion a
year and account for more than 400 deaths.
The Ohio Environmental Council is battling to reduce
harmful diesel emissions with its latest Clean Air Solutions
Campaign: Clean Construction Provisions.
Through this campaign, the OEC encourages government
agencies and local institutions including hospitals and
universities to adopt clean construction standards to
require the use of diesel equipment with modern emission
controls at construction sites. These modern controls enable
economic growth without sacrificing the public’s health.
Contact David R. Celebrezze at [email protected] to
learn how you can urge your local officials, hospitals, and
universities to adopt policies and protections for cleaner air.
more news & info at www.theOEC.org
WINTER 2012
5
Recovered Energy Can Fuel Business
GREAT POTENTIAL FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT TURN WASTED HEAT INTO USABLE ENERGY
Admit it. When looking at a manufacturing plant, you never
wonder how the steam from its smokestacks could be used
to produce clean energy. Luckily, a group of environmental
and energy leaders are thinking about it for all of us.
The OEC and our environmental partners support CHP/WER
because it is cleaner and less expensive than traditionally
generated electricity, which produces large levels of
emissions that harm public health.
The Ohio Coalition for Combined Heat and Power was
recently formed to promote the process of turning waste
heat—what is normally released through that smokestack—
into efficient, economical, and eco-friendly energy.
And because of the enormous potential in Ohio to tap
into our manufacturing base and generate thousands of
megawatts of electricity, these new technologies can offset
the need for constructing new coal and nuclear plants.
Under the OEC’s leadership, the Coalition is working to
promote two clean energy technologies in Ohio that do just
that: combined heat and power (CHP) and waste energy
recovery (WER).
Ohio’s Potential
What are CHP & WER?
Due to Ohio’s many large manufacturing facilities, we rank
5th in the nation for the amount of energy that could be
harnessed through CHP /WER. The
most current U.S. Department of
Energy estimate for Ohio’s technical
potential is that we could produce
nearly 80% of the state’s electricity
needs each year through CHP/WER.
Large industrial facilities, like steel mills, paper mills,
and glass manufacturers, use
massive amounts of energy
for melting and forging raw
materials. Similarly, commercial
facilities, like big box retail
stores or warehouses, need
electricity for lighting and air
conditioning and need fuel for
heating their facilities.
The conventional way in which
these facilities meet their
electricity and heat (or thermal)
energy needs is to purchase electricity from their utility
provider and their fuel stock separately.
However, because the electricity they use may come from
hundreds of miles away—having been produced at large
central power plants using coal or nuclear power—this
method is terribly inefficient.
Combined heat and power and waste energy recovery
technologies provide cleaner, more efficient ways for
businesses and manufacturers to meet their electricity and
heat energy needs.
Manufacturers are adopting CHP/WER because these
technologies stabilize what is often one of the largest, and
often most unpredictable expenses for them: the cost of
fuel. And because the produced electricity is more efficient,
manufacturers can reduce their cost-per-unit-produced and
therefore gain an edge over their competitors.
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WINTER 2012
The gap between Ohio’s potential and its adoption of CHP/
WER was the primary driver for creating the Ohio Coalition
for Combined Heat and Power.
But Ohio is missing out.
In 2011, only 50 sites in Ohio were
operating CHP systems, putting Ohio
43rd in the nation for adoption of
these technologies.
Coalition Policy Goals
The goals of the Coalition are to first—through research,
workshops, and meetings—investigate why more CHP/WER
projects aren’t being developed in Ohio.
Second, the Coalition will draw on the expertise of its
membership, including manufacturers, policy experts,
project developers, and vendors, to develop potential policy
solutions to these barriers.
The ultimate goal is to garner stronger support among Ohio
regulators, policymakers, and public utilities to effectively
promote CHP/WER technologies as a benefit for Ohio’s
manufacturers and commercial enterprises as well as our
environment.
To learn more, contact Trish Lanahan, Director of Clean
Energy Campaigns, at [email protected].
2011 Clean Water Conference
CLEAN WATER ADVOCATES FROM ACROSS STATE GATHER AT MAUMEE BAY
At the 2011 OEC Clean Water Conference, the Ohio Environmental
Council brought together clean water advocates from across Ohio to
learn and strategize about current threats to healthy and safe water
supplies.
Sessions and trainings included citizen participation in watershed
protection, effective engagement of public officials, and instruction on
credible water data monitoring.
In addition, officials from Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources
presented the latest information on horizontal hydraulic fracturing
(fracking) for deep-shale natural gas.
The conference keynote speaker was Lynn Henning (pictured with
her husband, Dean). In 2010, Lynn won the world’s top environmental
award, the Goldman Prize, for her work founding and leading the
Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan and
its effort to hold industrialized livestock facilities accountable for
environmental risks.
Presentations from the 2011 conference are viewable at
www.slideshare.net/OhioEnvironmentalCouncil.
The next OEC Clean Water Conference will be held in 2013.
Take a Dip: Vernal Pool Workshops
Join the OEC and the Ohio Vernal Pool Partnership for two
Vernal Pool Workshops. These workshops offer backyard
scientists, nature lovers, and landowners a closer look at
local vernal pools and the benefits they provide.
At the Workshops
• Enjoy a guided trip to a vernal pool
• Learn the threats facing these seasonal wetlands
and how you can help protect them
• Identify salamanders, frogs, and frog calls
• Learn how and why to collect vernal pool data
• Receive a free copy of “Ohio’s Hidden Wonders: A Guide
to the Plants & Animals of Vernal Pools.”
Dates & Times
March 24, 2012. 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Oak Openings Lodge Metroparks of Toledo Area
5230 Wilkins Road, Whitehouse, OH 43571
March 31, 2012. 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Stratford Ecological Center
3083 Liberty Road, Delaware, OH 43215
Registration is $15 per workshop for OEC members; $20 for
non-members, which includes a one-year OEC membership.
For more information
and to register, visit
www.theOEC.org.
The workshops are
made possible by the
Joyce Foundation and
the Columbus Zoo &
Aquarium.
more news & info at www.theOEC.org
Thom Ruf
You know it’s spring when the spring peepers begin their
annual chorus. That’s your signal to explore Ohio’s vernal
pools, unique seasonal wetlands that form in late winter
and early spring, and disappear by fall. Vernal pools are
home to a diverse collection of amphibians, insects, and
crustaceans, including the dynamic fairy shrimp (in photo).
WINTER 2012
7
At the Statehouse
Jack Shaner, OEC Deputy Director,
Senior Director of Legislative & Public Affairs
Energy. It can never be created nor destroyed. It can only
be transformed from one form to another, or transferred
from one place to another. It’s the law of conservation of
energy.
The utilities still reap a profit, and consumers are protected
by a cost cap that protects them from green rate spikes.
Hopefully, the Kasich team will be reassured by this fact and
will not weaken the standard.
There’s another set of laws governing energy. It is Chapter
49 of the Ohio Revised Code. And Gov. John Kasich’s
administration is combing through the law, ramping up to
propose new energy policies for our state.
Gov. Kasich really likes energy efficiency.
The world got a sneak preview of some of Gov. Kasich’s
priorities this fall, when more than a thousand leaders
from industry, government, and the environment gathered
in Columbus for The Ohio Governor’s 2011 Energy and
Economic Summit. Here’s a quick glimpse of likely
“coming attractions” for the Kasich energy policy in 2012
and the Ohio Environmental Council’s take on them.
Gov. Kasich likes energy. All forms of energy.
During his concluding remarks at the summit, Gov. Kasich
said, “Let me tell you a little secret. In 1977, I formed a
little group called the Citizens Committee on Energy. I had
experts who talked about geothermal, solar, wind, clean
coal, nuclear—all of it.”
Most Ohioans probably know Gov. Kasich as Ohio’s
cheerleader-in-residence for tapping the estimated
mother lode of oil and gas trapped in Ohio’s Utica and
Marcellus shale formations. But give Gov. Kasich his due.
To his credit, the governor’s summit included discussion
of various forms of energy, including wind, solar, energy
efficiency, and cogeneration (read related article on
combined heat and power on page 6).
Gov. Kasich likes renewable energy (as long as it doesn’t
cost too much).
Gov. Kasich on renewables: “We need ‘em. Have to have
them. They’re now going to create jobs in this state in
wind and solar. This law we have [Ohio’s renewable energy
standard], it’s good, but I think it can be improved. We will
look at renewables. We will promote renewables. I believe
in this. But we also have to take into account the costs.”
Ohio law requires the state’s utility giants to supply
increasing amounts of solar and wind and other green
energy. So far, utilities and consumers alike have accepted
the law, and with good reason.
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WINTER 2012
Again, Gov. Kasich: “This is a slam dunk. There has been
some good work done on energy efficiency in Ohio by the
previous administration. They focused on it. But we’re going
to go back at it. And if the state of Ohio can’t be a leader in
terms of driving efficiency, how do we expect anybody else
to follow? So we’re going to look aggressively at energy
efficiency.”
Energy efficiency is the cheapest, cleanest, and easiest way
to meet energy needs on planet Earth. But it takes creative
leadership to get the right policy in place to spur a massive
retrofit of aging homes and businesses with cost- and
energy-saving insulation, lighting, ventilations systems,
etc. The OEC gives Gov. Kasich credit for making energy
efficiency a top priority.
Gov. Kasich wants to give a jolt to cogeneration.
Gov. Kasich: “Why are we not giving [manufacturers] the
tools to capture their waste heat and to get cogeneration?
We have great potential. Now, this rattles the renewable
folks. Maybe this won’t fit here [in Ohio’s renewable energy
standard], but it’s got to fit somewhere. It’s a bottom line
benefit for companies. And it improves the environment. We
have to get people to believe there’s a win-win.”
Gov. Kasich is right. Cogeneration is a win-win. It enables
factory owners to capture waste heat escaping up the
smokestack and harness it, instead, to create electric
power. This enables manufacturers to reduce electric power
purchases and reduces demand for dirty coal power, to boot.
But it would be unfair to force wind and solar energy to
compete head on with this cheap energy source. Gov. Kasich
can achieve the big win-win by grafting cogeneration onto
Ohio’s dormant Advanced Energy Standard, where it could
easily outcompete so-called “clean” coal and “advanced”
nuclear power.
Learn more about the OEC’s work at the Ohio Statehouse.
Visit www.theOEC.org and click on “Legislation.”
Follow Jack Shaner at www.twitter.com/StatehouseJack.
Your State. Your Voice.
Environmental Lobby Day
Your voice can change a mind.
Together, our voices can change Ohio.
Have you ever wanted to meet one-on-one with your lawmakers
and government agency officials to share ideas about how to
make Ohio a cleaner, greener place to live, work, and play?
Environmental Lobby Day is your chance to voice your concerns
directly to government leaders, network with other citizenleaders, and help create a stronger and greener Ohio.
There are big issues facing our state and the nation. It’s up to us,
together, to make the change we want to see.
Be part of Ohio’s green voice at the Statehouse!
Date: Thursday, March 22, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Sheraton Hotel on Capitol Square
75 E. State Street, Columbus
Details and registration available soon
at www.theOEC.org/LobbyDay2012.htm.
New Video Showcases OEC
Now you can read about the Ohio
Environmental Council AND see us, too!
As we harness the power of the web, the
OEC has begun to use video as another tool
to educate Ohioans about the environmental
issues facing our state and how to take
action, as well as put faces to the OEC staff
working behind the scenes.
Susequent videos will be released in 2012.
Below, Kristy Meyer, OEC’s Director of
Agricultural & Clean Water Programs,
discusses the importance of Ohio’s
waterways to our way of life in the state.
Visit www.YouTube.com/OECOhio to watch.
Milthanthal-DelGrasso, a communications
and production firm in Columbus, offered
their extraordinary services pro bono to help
the OEC produce a series of short videos.
Upcoming
Events
Join us for these exciting
and informative events
throughout Ohio.
Visit www.theOEC.org
and click on “Events” for
details and to register.
January 27
OEC’s Legislative Summit.
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sheraton Hotel
on Capitol Square. 75 E. State
Street, Columbus. Call the OEC at
(614) 487-7506 for details or visit
www.theOEC.org.
The initial video, focusing on Ohio’s green
economy and a brighter future, debuted at
the OEC’s Green Gala in October.
February 10
Green Jobs & Innovation News Roundup
Get the latest and greatest news on Ohio’s emerging
green economy!
Sign up to receive our new weekly email, “Ohio
Green Jobs & Innovation News Roundup,” produced
by Brian Kaiser, the OEC’s Director of Green Jobs &
Innovation.
Each week, right in your inbox, you get one email
with links to the hottest green industry news in
wind, solar, energy efficiency, and more. You’ll also
get green job listings and upcoming events.
March 22
OEC’s Environmental Lobby Day.
8:30 a.m - 4 p.m. Sheraton Hotel
on Capitol Square. 75 E. State
Street, Columbus. See page 9.
Sign up at www.theOEC.org/GetConnected.htm.
In photo: Brian Kaiser and representatives from the
wind industry take in Lincoln Electric’s new wind
turbine during the Global Wind Network Conference
in Cleveland.
March 24
What are you thinking? Let us know!
Follow us on TWITTER
www.twitter.com/OhioEnviro
Connect with us on LINKEDIN
www.linkedin.com/company/OhioEnviromental-Council
Like us on FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/OhioEnvironmentalCouncil
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WINTER 2012
Field & Screen Film Series.
“Force of Nature: The David
Suzuki Story.” 7 p.m. followed
at 8:30 by a panel discussion.
Wexner Center for the Arts,
1871 N. High Street, Columbus.
Presented by the OEC and the
Wexner Center for the Arts
with funding from Puffin West
Foundation.
OEC Vernal Pool Workshop.
10 - 4:30 p.m. Oak Openings
Lodge in the Metroparks of
Toledo. 5230 Wilkins Road,
Whitehouse. See page 7.
March 31
OEC Vernal Pool Workshop.
10 - 4:30 p.m. Stratford Ecological
Center, 3083 Liberty Road,
Delaware. See page 7.
Green Gala 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS INSPIRE CROWD
More than once, the crowd of 400 guests at this year’s Green Gala were brought
to their feet by the evening’s speakers. While all the Environmental Achievement
Awards winners were inspiring for their commitment to Ohio’s environment, two
winners in particular captured the hearts and minds of the audience.
11-year-old Erek Hansen won the Youth & Education Award for his work collecting
old blue jeans to recycle into home insulation—enough so far for 13 homes.
Shanelle Smith, from Ohio BlueGreen Alliance, won the One to Watch Award and
her fiery yet eloquent speech showed why.
Congratulations to all of the 2011 Environmental Achievement Award winners.
Thank you for all you have done and will do for Ohio!
Lifetime Achievement
Ellen Tripp, Columbus
Environmental Watchdog
Lisa Frye, Middletown
Public Servant
Representative Dennis Murray, Sandusky
Excellence in Environmental Journalism
Chris Evans, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Sarah J. Mielke Youth & Education
Erek Hansen, Toledo
Legal Achievement
Office of the Ohio Attorney General,
Pete Precario, and Neil Kagan
One to Watch
Shanelle Smith, Cleveland
Green Jobs & Innovation
Melink Corporation, Milford
Oberlin Municipal Light & Power System
Conservation Achievement
Barbara Martin, Berea
Vinton Furnace State Experimental
Forest, McArthur
Far right (from top): Erek Hansen
with Eileen Shanbrom, OEC Board
Member; Shanelle Smith and the
OEC’s Brian Kaiser; Ellen Tripp;
Bill Gruber, OEC Board Member and
State Representative Dennis Murray.
Right: Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy
with Tyler and Jen Steele.
Below: Happy guests.
Middle: MerryBeth Mckee and
Matt Troken, Sierra Club, with the
OEC’s Nolan Moser.
Photos: Fulcrum Creatives
more news & info at www.theOEC.org
WINTER 2012
11
Water Champion Honored with New Fund
GEORGE RICHARDS AND HIS DAUGHTERS START FAMILY FUND TO SUPPORT OEC’S WATER WORK
Rivers run throughout Ohio, and love for them runs deep in
the Richards family.
George and Jan raised their two daughters, Sarah and
Jessica, along the Olentangy River in Columbus and were
long-time supporters of the Ohio Environmental Council.
In fact, George served on the OEC’s
Board of Directors for many years
during the 1980s as well as serving
on the Olentangy Scenic River
Commission. He is also a member of
the OEC’s Legacy Club (see next page).
Protecting Ohio’s waterway, especially
the Olentangy State Scenic River, were
very important to the Richards family.
In George’s own words:
“The girls and I were motivated to start this endowment
because Jan, along with Sarah, Jessica, and myself, so
enjoyed living along the beautiful Olentangy River.”
12
WINTER 2012
“As a family we all became interested in helping to
preserve the Olentangy River and all scenic rivers. The
girls and I started the Endowed Fund with
family the Ohio Environmental Council in memory
of Jan who passed in 2010.”
The Richards
has been, and
continues to be, one
of Ohio’s greatest
champions for
clean water.
After Jan passed away in 2010, George and their daughters
decided to honor her by establishing a fund with the Ohio
Environmental Council dedicated to water protection.
(left to right)
John Marshall, OEC Board President,
Sarah Richards, George Richards,
Jessica Hosgood, and Keith Dimoff,
OEC Executive Director, on the banks
of the Olentangy River in Columbus.
“This interest soon developed into helping with river
cleanup projects and water quality monitoring projects
conducted by Ohio’s Scenic Rivers Program.”
George’s initial investment was $15,000
and he recently donated additional funds
through the Big Give (see next page).
The Richards Family Fund will be used to
hire staff and pay stipends to interns to
work on water quality and protection issues.
The OEC and our partners are grateful to George and his
family for this lovely and lasting tribute to Jan. With her
legacy, we will be able to further water restoration and
protection projects in central Ohio and throughout the state.
George invites you to donate to his family fund. Learn more
by contacting us at [email protected] or (614) 487-7506.
OEC at the Wexner: Field & Screen
FEBRUARY FILM SERIES IN COLUMBUS FOCUSES ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Food. Landscape. Light pollution. Urban farming. Deforestation.
Now in its third year, the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus explores a bounty
of environmental issues through their winter film series Field & Screen.
We invite you to join us on February 10, as the Ohio Environmental Council partners
with the Wexner Center and the Puffin Foundation West to present the film “Force of
Nature: The David Suzuki Movie.”
“Force of Nature” follows the iconic Canadian environmentalist as he reveals what
events in his life caused him to become perhaps the most eloquent and passionate
voice for environmental sanity in the world.
Following the film, a panel of local environmental advocates will share their
personal stories of their inspiration and activism. The panel will include:
•
•
•
•
•
Shelly Casto, Director of Education at the Wexner and environmental
education advocate
Keith Dimoff, Executive Director of the Ohio Environmental Council
Kai Landis, who leads sustainability projects through OSU’s Office of Student Life
Mike Minnix, Owner and President of Eartha Limited, which promotes and facilitates food service sustainability
Doug Morgan, attorney and bicycling advocate
Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie
February 10, 2012
7 p.m., followed at 8:30 p.m. by the panel discussion
Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 North High Street, Columbus
Check the OEC website at www.theOEC.org and the Wexner Center website at www.wexarts.org/fv for more details.
The Big Give
OEC’s Legacy Club
The Columbus Foundation’s 24-hour giving marathon in
November, “The Big Give,” matched more than $1 million
for central Ohio-based non-profit organizations.
A donation to the Ohio Environmental Council in your
will or estate plan, also known as “planned giving,” is a
wonderful way to ensure your environmental legacy.
Thanks to supporters like you, the Ohio Environmental
Council raised $52,000 for our work to protect Ohio air,
land, and water.
Our Legacy Club members are vital to the Ohio
Environmental Council—their support helps us with
important long-term financial planning for the health of
the organization.
Thank you to all who participated for your generous
support!
If you missed out in November, you can donate yearround at www.theOEC.org/Donate.asp.
There are many ways to plan your gift—including a
bequest to the OEC in your will or naming the OEC as a
beneficiary of an insurance policy or IRA.
Talk to your financial advisor to determine all of your
options. For more information, contact us at (614) 4877506 or [email protected].
Thank you to our supporters
CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BETWEEN JANUARY 1 AND DECEMBER 1, 2011
Heroes
$100,000 & above
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
The Cleveland Foundation
Edwards Mother Earth Foundation
The George Gund Foundation
The John Merck Fund
The Joyce Foundation
The Kresge Foundation
Ohio Board of Regents
Rockefeller Family Fund/REAMP
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
Sages
$50,000 to $99,999
The Energy Foundation
National Institute for Environmental
Health Sciences
Leaders
$10,000 to $49,999
Clean Air Task Force
Clean Ohio Fuels
The Columbus Foundation
The Crown Family
Healing Our Waters Coalition
Illinois PIRG Education Fund
Lange Family Foundation II
Meshewa Farm Foundation
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning
Commission
Normandie Foundation
Oberlin College
Park Foundation
Pew Charitable Trusts
Anne Powell Riley
The Richards Family
State Environmental Leadership
Program
Wallace Genetic Foundation
The Warren & Zoann Little Dusenbury
Charitable Trust
President’s Club
$5,000 to $9,999
Meridith Beck
Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
Beth Crane and Richard McKee
Jerome & Margaret Cunningham
Environmental Health Fund
Willie Katzin & Katie Solender
Kismet Foundation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Ohio Environmental Education Fund
Ohio State Bar Foundation
Andy & Sandy Ross
Sears-Swetland Family Foundation
Chris Thorman
Champions
$1,000 to $4,999
Stanley & Hope Adelstein
American Rivers
Susan Ashbrook
John Bender & Sue Neiding
Carol & Robert Bertrand
BFK Foundation
Mrs. Robert Black
Arthur V.N. Brooks
E. Marianne Gabel & Donald Lateiner
Babette Gorman
Peter & Joanne Griesinger
Bill & Lynn Ondrey Gruber
Vincent Hand & Ann Hagerman
Andrea Jones
John & Rosemary Joyce
Maryann & Roger Kafer
Paul & Jane King
Melodee Siegel Kornacker &
Al Moore
Alan & Susan Lapp
Heather & Irwin Lowenstein
Annette McCormick
Minnesota Environmental
Partnership/REAMP
Dedee & Rory O’Neil
C.W. Eliot & Linda Paine
Pete Precario & Cheri Brown
Iren & Jack Probasco
Puffin Foundation West, Ltd.
Janet & William Reeves
Richards County Foundation
Lynn Schreiber
Kent & Penny Scott
Rich & Kathy Shank
Michele Simmons & Josh Asbury
Charles & Ann Wellman
Dave & Joanne Woodyard
Sandra Woy-Hazleton &
Will Hazleton
Protectors
$500 to $999
Anonymous
Lesley Avery
Kate Bartter Arnold & Art Arnold
Jane Beathard
Julie Clayman & Jay Ankeney
Kevin Ellison
Jill & Brandon Evans
Portia Flewellen
Carol Goland
Jim Gottfried & Luann Brenner
Gloria Green & Walter Hales
Josh Grossman
Chris Haines
Ardith & Sidney Jordan
Abram Kaplan
Darren Keil
Java & Mark Kitrick
Calvin & Ilene Kunin
Aggie & Bill Martin
Annette McCormick
Stephen & Amanda Morris
Michael & Christine Moser
David Pagnard
Dale & Phyllis Perdue
Nick Popovich
Trella Romine
Nate Rosenstein & Anne Jewel
Brendan Ross
Stephen Sedam & Virginia Weiss
Ronald & Eileen Shanbrom
Eric Shapiro & Jane Buder Shapiro
Harry & Nancy Shepherd
Michele Simmons & Josh Asbury
Joe Sommer
David Voyles
Jeffery Watt
Jim and Kathy Watterson
Jerome Weiss
Gene & Margaret Wright
Capitol Club
$250 to $499
Anonymous
Virginia Aveni
Daniel & Sherry Barringer
Linda Bernhard & Michelle Walsh
Jamie & Ellen Black
Brent Blackwelder
Lauren Bonfield & Steve Keyes
John & Phoebe Borman
Frances Buchholzer
Kareen & Michael Caputo
Robin Cotton
Jay & Meredith Crane
Mike & Paige Crane
Rob & Shannon Crane
Neile Edens & Carol Bohumolski
Lynn & Avner Friedman
Sherri Geldin
Melissa Geracitano
Paul Gledhill & Elena Lazarevska
John Gordon
David & Yvette Hanselmann
Sally Hoffman
William & Susan Hutras
Robert & Anne Jeffrey
Joelle Khouzam
Cathy Levine
Tony Logan & Mary Duffey
Maureen Lynch
Martha & Gerard Marcom
Barbara & Ken Martin
Patrick McLean
Daniel Medalie & Diana Prufer
Eric & Debby Miller
Terry & Sara Miller
Bob Miltner
Christine & Jim Murakami
Susan Norton
Thomas & Ella Quintrell
Craige Roberts
Richard & Jan Segal
Jack Shaner
Marilyn Sim
Mark Skinner
Sam & Sharon Speck
William Spires
Scott & Laurie Stansley
Greg & Joyce Studen
Mrs. Robert Weinstock
Brian Westwater
Elizabeth White
Keith Wilkowski
Keith & Marty Winget
Amanda Woodrum
Lucille Worcester
Partners
$150 to $249
Mary Lou Aufmann
Gisela Bahr
Kenneth & Judith Bailey
Dorothea Barker
John Behal & James Elliott
Jean Bell
George Boas & Nancy McCargish
Kathleen & William Bruns
Richard Bryan
Tom Bullock
Albert Calderon
Margaret Christian
Laurie Coyle
Michael & Karen Craig
Margo de Camp & David Marietta
Pete Dimoff
Rosemary Duffy
Janis Dugle
Connie Dwyer
Paulette & Scott Felker
Mary Anne Flournoy
Marjorie Gebhart
DeeDee & Herb Glimcher
Kathryn Hanratty & Mike Nolan
Gary & Carolyn Harpel
Al & Sara Harris
Susan Marie Hartmann
Frank Hassebrock & Cheri Mitchell
Corey Hawkey
George & Meredith Kauffman
George Keeney
Carol Koethe
Nina & Mick Lalich
Jill Levy & Steve Price
Pamela Margulies
Dixie & Mike Mickelson
Janine Migden-Ostrander &
Stephen Ostrander
Meredith Morgan & Dave Herbster
Juliana Mulroy
George O’Donnel
Helen & John O’Meara
Eileen Pappalardo
Linda Paul & Paul Bingle
JD & Lynn Poffenberger
Anne Randolph
Matthew & Heather Raymond
Jeff & Kara Reinhardt
Corde Robinson & Grant Morrow
Elizabeth Roseberry
Randall & Sandra Rowe
Pari Sabety & Mark Shanahan
Sue Sahli
Jane Ann Scott
James Sigrist
Carolyn Sommerich
Steve Spackey
Julianne Spreng
Margaret Sproul
Gina Stevenson
Susan Studer King & Jeremy King
Ron & Amy Sylvester
Peter & Elizabeth Ujvagi
Ellen & Dave Walker
Kurt & Jody Waltzer
Robert & Sara Ward
Robert & Patricia Way
Gene & Pat Willeke
Roger & Sandra Wise
Group Members
Akron Garden Club
Akron Zoological Park
All Aboard Ohio
American Motorcyclist Association
Appalachia Ohio Alliance
Audubon Society - Canton
Audubon Society - Cininnati
Audubon Society - Miami Valley
Aullwood Audubon Center
Bexley Natural Market
Black Swamp Conservancy
BlueGreen Alliance
Buckeye Forest Council
B-W Greenway Community Land
Trust
Chagrin River Watershed Partners
Italicized names are members of the OEC’s Green Giving Club. These members support the OEC through automatic, electronic monthly or
quarterly donations. These regular gifts provide the OEC with steady support for our ongoing work. To sign up, visit www.theOEC.org/Donate.asp.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Clark County Audubon Society
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
Community Shares of Mid-Ohio
COSI
Cowan Lake Sailing Association
The Dawes Arboretum
Dayton Society of Natural History
Delaware County Community Market
Earth Day Coalition
Earth Share Ohio
EarthTouch
EcoWatch
Environment Ohio
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Flora-Quest
Franklin Park Conservatory
Friends for the Preservation of
Ohio State Parks Association
Friends of Arcola Creek
Friends of Big Creek
Friends of Big Walnut Creek
& Tributaries
Friends of Euclid Creek
Friends of Old Woman Creek
Friends of the Crooked River
Friends of the Hocking River
Friends of the Scioto River
Friends of Wetlands
Garden Club of America
Graham Expeditionary Middle School
Grand Lake St. Marys Lake
Improvement Association
Grange Insurance Audubon Center
Great Lakes United
Green Columbus
Green Environmental Coalition
Green Sanctuary Committee
Heidelberg University Water Quality
Labs
Hocking College, International
Field Studies
Izaak Walton League of America:
Anthony Wayne
Buckeye All-State
Buckeye State Youth
Capitol City
Cincinnati
Delta Chapter
Fairfield
Fremont
Hamilton
Headwaters
Hocking
Lawrence
Medina
Monroeville-Huron
Mount Healthy
Northwest Ohio Yikes
Ohio Division
Seven Mile
Tallawanda
Tiffin-Seneca
Wadsworth
Wayne County
Western Reserve
JH Barrow Field Station
Kent Environmental Council
League of Women Voters - Ohio
League of Women Voters Perrysburg Area
Little Cuyahoga River Conservancy
Little Miami Inc.
Local Matters
Mentor Marsh Carol H. Sweet
Nature Center
MORPC Center for Energy &
Environment
Moxahala Watershed Restoration
Commission
Muskingum Watershed Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy in Ohio
New Albany Community Nature
Preserve
New Harvest Café & Urban Arts Center
North Market
Oberlin By Design
Ohio Archaeological Council
Ohio Bass Federation
Ohio Blue Green Apollo Alliance
Ohio Ecological Food & Farm
Association
Ohio Farmers Union
Ohio Federation of Soil &
Water Conservation Districts
Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association
Ohio League of Conservation Voters
Ohio Odonata Society
Ohio Sea Grant
Ohio State Parks Legacy Foundation
Ohio Travel Association
Otterbein College
Progress Ohio
Raccoon Creek Partnership
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Raven Rocks
The River Institute
Rural Action Sustainable Forestry
Sierra Club - Ohio Chapter
Slow Food Columbus
Stratford Ecological Center
Three Valley Conservation Trust
Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners
Toledo Community Development Corp.
Tri-Moraine Audubon Society
Trust for Public Land
Turner Farm
Universal Health Care Action
Network of Ohio
Waste Not Center
West Creek Preservation Committee
Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper
Association
Western Reserve Land Conservancy
The Wilds
Yellow Creek Watershed
Community Supporters
Advance Printing & Graphics
Alpha State Life Yoga & Pilates Studio
American Legion - Ohio
Baer Wheels
BalletMet Columbus
Bates Home Beautifications
Bear Run Inn, Cabins & Cottages
Better Earth
Big Red Rooster
Bink Davies
Bradford Renaissance Portraits
Brews Café
Byers Auto Group
Cabot Cheese
CAPA
CATCO
Cherubs Blanket
The Clay Café
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Play House
Clintonville Outfitters
Coleman
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Children’s Theatre
Columbus Crew
Columbus Guitar Society
Columbus Symphony
CSX Transportation
Eartha Limited
EcoMaids
Edible Columbus
Enviroscapes Landscape Design
Firefly Play Café
Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort
Frito Lay
Gallery 202, Partners in Art
Giant Eagle
Gina’s Hair Salon
The Gittes Law Group
Good Nature Organic Lawn Care
Grandview Avenue Physical Therapy
Green B.E.A.N. Delivery
Green Marketing, LLC
Greenway Connections
Hocking Valley Canoe Livery
Honest Beverages
The Japanese Steak House
The Kroger Company
Lake Metroparks
Long & Baker Framing
MAR Systems
Marion County Recycling & Litter
Prevention
McDonald & Woodward Publishing
McMaster-Carr Supply Company
The Melting Pot
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
Miami Conservancy District
Miami University
Milenthal-DelGrosso
Naturepedic
Neat Streak
Newhouse, Prophater, Letcher & Moots
North Market Spices
Northstar Café
Nurtured Seeds
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
The Ohio State University Experiment
Fund
Owens-Illinois, Inc.
Pattycake Bakery
Perfect Seedbed Company
PERU Local 5
Phia Salon/HCX
Photo Kitchen
Renewable Concepts & Design
Riverview Farms
Schottenstein Zox & Dunn
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
SegAway Tours of Columbus
Snowville Creamery
SolarVision
Southwest Airlines
St. Henry Gutter & Supply
Stauf’s/Cup o’ Joe
Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails
Two Caterers Contemporary Cuisine
Vincent Nobel Photography
WCBE
Wholly Craft
Windy Hills Farm
The OEC restricts contributions from individual businesses to less than 5% of our total operating
budget and limits total business donations to less than 15%. The OEC requires all business donors to
acknowledge that acceptance of a gift does not hinder or place limits on the OEC’s ability to comment
on, litigate, or participate in processes related to any permit, legislatiion, policy, or related decision.
Yoga on High
Volunteers & Interns
Rob Armstrong
Anna Beach
Amanda Cotleur
Dan Doron
Susan Downhower
Kathy Hanratty
Brian Jaffee
Javed Jasani
Elem Miranda
Catherine Murray
Stephen Riester
Jim Ryan
Tanya Salyers
Liz Samuelson
Jan Segal
Nick Sico
Kristy Smeltzer
Mat Sniscak
Jim Taylor
Jillian Wetzel
Julianna White
Legacy Club
We extend an extra measure of
gratitude to our members who
have included the OEC in their
estate plans.
Anonymous (3)
Kathleen L. Barber
Richard C. Behymer *
Beth Crane & Richard McKee
Ruth Ellen & Gerald W. Butler*
Babette Gorman
Patricia Hammel
Vincent Hand & Ann Hagerman
Paul & Jane King
Calvin & Ilene Kunin
John Marshall & Angela Plummer
George & Jan* Richards
Lynn Schreiber*
Richard & Jan Segal
Jack Shaner
Michele Simmons & Josh Asbury
Jeanne C. Smith
Joe Sommer
Chris Thorman
Ellen Weston
* Deceased
To learn more about the Legacy
Club, contact us at (614) 487-7506
or [email protected].
Charity Navigator has awarded the OEC the
top, four-star rating for the 5th year in a row.
This rating places us in the top 5% of nonprofits in the U.S. for fiscal responsibility.
The OEC is a member of Earth Share of Ohio,
Community Shares of Mid Ohio, and has met
all standards of the Better Business Bureau.
We work very hard to ensure all donors
are listed correctly; however, we do make
mistakes. Please e-mail [email protected]
with any questions or corrections.
WINTER 2012
15
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
P A I D
COLUMBUS, OH
PERMIT NO. 1404
1207 Grandview Avenue, Suite 201
Columbus, Ohio 43212
Address service requested
3rd Annual Nature Photo Contest Winners
Winner: What Green Means to Me
Surrounded by Yellow, Lauren Broshious
Winner: My Ohio
Small Wonder, Cheryl Stambaugh
Runner Up: My Ohio
Snow Birds, Jennie Lambert
(Cover) Runner Up: My Ohio
Winter Trail, Dan Umberger
Runner Up: What Green Means to Me
Fern at Conkles Hollow, Cheryl Bach
See more photos at www.theOEC.org/PhotoContest_Winners2011.htm
Runner Up: What Green Means to Me
Blue Dasher, Cheryl Bach
printed on recycled paper