NEWS
4 Tribune
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Going for the gold ... in green Bringing turkeys to empty tables recommendations. At that time, Milwaukee had made progress on about 85 percent of the issues. The new Green Task Force will create strategic plans for how the city can improve on the rest of those recommendations and continue to improve Milwaukee’s sustainability. “This is different from the first task force because this group will be finding more concrete solutions to sustainability problems in Milwaukee,” Howard said. “The first group was created more to identify problems and goals.” Rana Altenburg, vice president of public affairs at Marquette, said she approached those leading the project to express Marquette’s interest in the sustainability effort. Altenburg said the university is optimistic about the mayor’s efforts and wants to be involved in the Green Task Force’s plans is in the early stages of devel- to make Milwaukee more opment, specifics about its size energy efficient. “We know students and the uniand structure have not yet been determined. However, he added versity as a whole are very interthat the group will have members ested in issues surrounding susof Milwaukee’s academic and tainability,” she said. “We thought business communities like the that this was a great step for Milwaukee and we hope that students Green Team did. “While we don’t yet know ex- will want to get involved.” Howard assured students in actly what the group will look like, we would like to get things Milwaukee will be encouraged to participate in the moving by the first initiative. of the year,” Howard “We definitely hope “We definitely hope said. Milwaukee’s push to have students and to have students and Marquette involved toward sustainabil- Marquette involved in the process,” he ity began in 2005 in the process. ” said. “We just aren’t when Barrett implemented the Green Matt Howard sure how yet.” Mike Whittow, asTeam, which was City of Milwaukee sistant to the vice comprised of approxpresident in the Office imately 75 individuals from Milwaukee academic of Administration, has worked on institutions, the private sector and several sustainability initiatives at Marquette. Whittow said because local businesses. This first group researched sus- the structure of the group is still tainability and energy issues in unclear, the way Marquette will Milwaukee and came up with a contribute is yet to be determined. “We’ll definitely keep up on list of about 30 recommendations what’s going on with the task for how the city could improve. Barrett called the original group force,” he said. “It’s too early to together 5 years later in 2010 to tell yet how exactly Marquette discuss its findings and how the will get involved.” city had improved on the 2005
MILWAUKEE GOING GREEN Office of Environmental Sustainability aims to reduce city energy use by 15%. Milwaukee has thus far reduced natural gas usage by 8%. Milwaukee has met 85% of its sustainability goals. Milwaukee storm runoff produced 14.5 billion gallons of waste water in 2004. Tree canopy cover of the city of Milwaukee is estimated at 16%.
Source: Milwaukee Office of Sustainability Graphic by Zach Hubbard/ zachary.hubbard@marquette.edu
City committee to seek sustainability, energy efficiency By Allison Kruschke allison.kruschke@marquette.edu
In order to support continued efforts to go green, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett recently proposed a “Green Task Force” to make Milwaukee government and businesses more sustainable and energy efficient. According to Matt Howard, Environmental Sustainability Director for the City of Milwaukee, the group intends to create a formalized plan to solve the city’s sustainability problems. This plan will be based on recommendations made by a similar preliminary group, called the “Green Team,” in 2005. Recommendations from the first group included creating new ways to manage storm water runoff, smarter usage of the city’s energy and promoting a “green” economy. Howard said because the group
HAVE A FUN AND SAFE
THANKSGIVING The Marquette Tribune
Photo by Allison Kruschke/allison.kruschke@marquette.edu
Volunteers pack one meal out of more than 500 made up of community donations to go to Milwaukee households and families in need.
Charities give low-income families holiday dinners
kind of the families’ choosing. Volunteers gathered at the House of Peace last Saturday to create each package so they would be ready to be distributed. The packages will be distributed to needy families through By Allison Kruschke this Sunday. allison.kruschke@marquette.edu In order to collect one of the House of Peace’s holiday packThis Thanksgiving, thousands ages, families must register for of families around Milwaukee a self-improvement class offered will sit down and enjoy a holi- by the organization. Classes inday meal together. How each clude topics like financial literameal gets on the table, how- cy, parenting and job searching. “We want to ensure that famiever, will not be the same in lies who will be collecting food every household. For those who are unable to are taking a step to better thempurchase the necessary elements selves first,” Sheets-Howard said. Volunteers who helped crefor a Thanksgiving meal, help will be provided in the form ate the packages this past of a box filled with food they weekend said the event was a can make and eat, thanks to the rewarding experience. Nicole Fastabend, director of House of Peace. Each holiday season, the House Christian Formation for the parof Peace, a Capuchin organiza- ish of St. Catherine of Alexantion serving low-income fami- dria, brought a group of 15 vollies in Milwaukee, organizes a unteers to help package the food. food drive for Thanksgiving meal She said that the volunteers, who items. The organization serves as were mostly high school students, enjoyed their experia community center and also implements “When you sit down ences at the House of Peace. clothing and food to a meal together, “We volunteered drives and education it’s a really special here a couple of years initiatives. With the food bonding moment for ago and (the volunteers) loved it so drive, the House of that family,” Peace creates more Gerri Sheets-Howard much they wanted to Executive Director, come back,” Fastathan 500 packages House of Peace bend said. “It’s really for families around remarkable.” Milwaukee who may Fastabend added not be able to afford such items. According to Gerri Sheets- that the experience of packaging Howard, executive director of the food appeals greatly to the the House of Peace, the goal of students she brings to volunteer. “It’s the time of year where the holiday food drive and distribution is to allow disadvantaged people are really busy but also infamilies in Milwaukee to be able terested in giving back,” she said. to experience the closeness and “The kids really like it because they get to do something handsintimacy of a holiday meal. “When you sit down to a meal on and know that they made together, it’s a really special a difference.” Jack Walliseh, a high school bonding moment for that family,” student with the volunteer group, Sheets-Howard said. The box includes all the the fix- returned to the House of Peace ings for a Thanksgiving meal, in- after volunteering for the same cluding instant mashed potatoes, event two years ago. “It’s fun and I like competing stuffing, vegetables like corn and green beans, corn bread and cran- with my friends to see who can berry sauce. The package also make a package fastest,” he said. includes a gift card to purchase “Mostly, I just want to know that meat for the meal, whether that be I made a difference for those less the traditional turkey or another fortunate than me.”
Check Marquette Tribune online for a peek inside Marquette’s Cash Cab LIMO courtesy of SMI reporter Alex Busbee