GARDENING
DOOM & BLOOM with Jim Poyser
WITH NATURE by Lynn Jenkins
Get kids in the garden As gardeners, we understand better than most how linked to nature we humans are. We do not— and cannot—live in a bubble disconnected from her forces. To live well, children too, must connect with nature. In his book, The Nature Principle, Richard Louv emphasizes the significance of bringing children to nature. He worries that our culture has become more connected to technology than nature. Kids, he says, develop self-confidence, awareness, empathy and responsibility when given regular opportunities to be in nature. Concrete playgrounds and organized sports on manicured playing fields aren’t enough. Children need to be in a natural environment, whether led or on their own, in order to learn, discover and grasp the awesomeness of the natural world. Tending a garden, whether vegetable or flower, is an easy way to bring kids into nature. And insects are an intriguing attraction. Insects are abundant in organic gardens, and according to entomologists at Purdue, over 97 percent of the insect species in our yards are either beneficial or do no harm. Insects are also the baseline of the food chain, so the more bugs in your yard, the more birds and other critters you will enjoy. We can’t cherish just white tail deer, chickadees and box turtles; we need to develop an appreciation of the entire food chain and web of life. Unfortunately most of us are raised with the “EEK, a bug!” mind-set. Challenging children to find a value in each insect is a fun way to revamp that thinking. In his fascinating and awardwinning book, Insects and Gardens, Eric Grissell enlightens us as to the many virtues of backyard insects. Written with wit and humor in a non-scientific style, the book also features amazing photography of alien-like insects capturing and devouring their enemies—clashes that will bring a “Wow!” from most of us—young and old. Invite a kid into your garden with a jar, a magnifying glass, a bug book and a “catch and release” approach. You and your young friend will be amazed at the fascinating world that is in your own backyard. Got a comment, question or a tip to share? Contact Lynn at Lynn@IndianaLivingGreen.com 4
INDIANALIVINGGREEN.COM
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IT’S TIME
WANTED: A FEW GOOD KIDS Join the movement to demand our government take action now to protect us from fossil fuel emissions and climate change so that our future includes a safe environment. BROUGHT TO YOU BY EARTH CHARTER INDIANA
info@earthcharterindiana.org ^ ^ illustration by shelby kelley
According to an Indiana statute — a statute that governs our environment — “The purpose … is to preserve, protect, and enhance the quality of the environment so that, to the extent possible, future generations will be ensured clean air, clean water, and a healthful environment.” (See Ind. Code 13-12-3-1(3).) That is a powerful message — and it’s consistently ignored
JULY 2013
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ILG
by our state leaders especially when it comes to coal. Case in point: Governor Pence’s recent opinion that Obama should reject EPA’s CO2 emission standards. The EPA standards would require new coal-fired plants to achieve carbon emissions levels at a rate almost 50 percent lower than current technology can provide. As reported by Indiana Public Media in late May, Pence said: “Given the importance of low-cost energy to Hoosier jobs and economic
growth, we’re going to continue to provide a very strong voice on behalf of common sense at the EPA and at the federal level,” he says. Coal, however, is harming Indiana in many ways, including particulate pollution in the form of mercury and other contaminants. For example, the link between coal-fired plant emissions and asthma has been documented numerous times. And coal is one of our most powerful greenhouse gases, creating a gradual warming of the atmosphere that is already creating extreme weather events all over the planet. I guess we can plan on plenty of jobs and economic growth when it comes to our health sector, as we become sick from coal’s impact. Then there was the discovery earlier this year that two Indiana lawmakers, Sen. Jim Merritt and Rep. Matt Ubelhor, have deep ties to coal. As David Hoppe wrote for ILG: “Merritt is a Vice president for Corporate Affairs with the Indiana Rail Road Co., a freight-hauling business that carries coal from mines to places that burn it; and Ubelhor is an operations manager for Peabody Energy, Indiana’s biggest coal mining company. Both men have been responsible for amending Rockport-related legislation in order to compromise regulations affecting the new plant in the hopes that this will make it easier (make that cheaper) to get the plant built.” Enter the kids. A newly formed organization by Earth Charter Indiana will be comprised of kids from all over Indiana, and they will rise up to meet this challenge, engaging in a formal legal process that will result in a state-wide Climate Action Plan for Indiana. They will be successful if we support them as they demand that our politicians respect the earth, put people over profits and ensure them a safe environment.