Ecolink Archive
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S A P R I L 2 0 0 8
N E W S
Take Action to Protect Children!
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>>> TAKE ACTION! Please take action to support HB 4569, which would help control use of lindane, a pesticide that is banned for use in more than 50 countries. |
Lindane is a toxic pesticide that has been banned for use in more than 50 countries and the state of California, and is no longer used on pets, in agriculture or in the military anywhere in the US. But you can still put lindane on children’s heads or whole bodies as part of a treatment for head lice or scabies. Even with proper use, this pesticide can be absorbed through the skin, and misuse can result in serious side effects. Lindane has been labeled a “Bioaccumulative Chemical of Concern” in the Great Lakes.
We need your help to pass HB 4569 to establish commonsense measures in Michigan to require use of lindane only under a doctor’s direct supervision. Health professional organizations like Michigan’s Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics support the legislation, noting the potential toxic effects of lindane and the availability of safer, effective alternatives.
Michigan’s House Committee on Great Lakes and the Environment is taking testimony on HB 4569 on Wednesday, April 30th and Wednesday, May 7th. So, please act today by sending an email to your state Representative urging support of HB 4569!
For more information about lindane, visit the Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health website.
Ecology Center Helps Ann Arbor
Celebrate the Earth!
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Leslie Science & Nature Center raptor volunteers provided close-up introductions to their live birds of prey, such as this American Kestrel. |
Around 3,000 people took advantage of the beautiful weather on Sunday, April 27 to celebrate the earth at Ann Arbor's annual Earth Day Festival, organized in part by the Ecology Center. This year's festival was held on the scenic grounds of the Leslie Science & Nature Center (LSNC). Entertainment highlights included "Bubbleman" Ron Lloyd, music by Jeanne Mackey & Dale Petty, dynamic storytelling by Darryl Mickens, and nature songs with musician Joe Reilly. Kids and adults alike dressed up to march in the "All Species Parade," which wound around the festival grounds at 3pm. And visitors had plenty of opportunities to meet live animals -- Brian Cressman presented a variety of reptiles, Peter Schriemer of TV's Beyond your Doorstep brought some exciting creatures as well, and LSNC volunteers provided visitors with the chance to meet some of LSNC's resident birds of prey.
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Making creative sculptures out of natural materials. |
More than 50 exhibitors were there to represent local environmental, non-profit,
and governmental organizations. A large number of them provided hands-on activities
and crafts for families to enjoy, and kids could earn stamps towards free prizes
by participating in the exhibitors' activities. All in all, it was an action-packed
day that gave thousands of people the chance to practice how to celebrate Earth
Day every day!
This year's festival was organized by representatives from the Ecology Center,
The Leslie Science & Nature Center, National Wildlife Federation, the Clean
Energy Coalition, The City of Ann Arbor, The Scrap Box, Washtenaw Community
College, The University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols
Arboretum, and the Environmental Education Network of Washtenaw (EENOW).
The Ecology Center also staffed educational tables at several other Earth Day events in the Ann Arbor area including the Washtenaw Community College Earth Day Celebration and the Chelsea Earth Day Celebration.
Support the Ecology Center
- and get something in return!
There are several ways in which you can support the Ecology Center, but what if we told you there are incentives to your good will? Check out the following ways you can show support while getting a little something in return.
The annual Ecology Center’s annual EcoRide takes place
on Sunday, June 29, 2008. There are no rider fees this year. Instead we are
asking all adult riders to raise (or donate!) a minimum of $50 in tax-deductible
pledges. Kids can still ride for only $5. Start raising money now by building
your own online fundraising page at www.firstgiving.com/ecocenter. In
return you will receive an incredible day of riding at Hudson Mills Metropark
near Dexter, Michigan, and a special gift of a cool EcoRide bag made from 100%
recycled material for all pre-registered riders who turn in the minimum donation.
Day of ride registrants will receive the bag on a first come, first serve basis.
Learn more by visiting our EcoRide event page.
Each time you reuse your grocery bag at Whole Foods Market in Ann Arbor during the month of May, you can request that your ten-cent refund be donated to the Ecology Center. So not only are you reducing waste and keeping clutter out of your pantry, but you are also making a contribution to your neighborhood environmental organization!
Need a book? Looking for a new movie? We're extremely happy
to direct your green shopping impulses to our cyber store, the Amazon.com® Ecology
Center Bookstore, where you'll find a great selection of books, movies,
clothing, and accessories. The products you will find there are not only eco-friendly,
from organic cotton clothing to fair-trade items, but a portion of the proceeds
from your purchase will support the eco-friendly work of the Ecology Center.
What a great way to support a local nonprofit!
The shopping doesn't stop at Amazon. Through GoodShop, every time you click over to one of our partner merchants from the GoodShop site and then make a purchase, the Ecology Center earns money. The more you shop, the more we make! Add up the money generated from all of your shopping and the shopping done by all of the other people who use GoodShop, and it can make a real difference! Here's how it works: simply go to www.goodshop.com, and add the Ecology Center in the "Who do you GoodSearch for" box. Next, choose from over 500 online retailers and start shopping! Up to 30% of your purchase goes to the Ecology Center. And don't forget to use GoodSearch as your main search engine. Search the Internet just like you normally would — the site is powered by Yahoo!, so you'll get high-quality search results — and make money for the Ecology Center with every click!
Coming soon: The Detroit chapter of AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts), the most celebrated organization for design professionals, is proud to announce The Urban Forest Project is coming to Ann Arbor. This unique design exhibition will feature the work of over 30 designers and students from all over Michigan. The project is an installation of specially designed banners that will be hung on Main Street in Ann Arbor to raise awareness about sustainability issues in urban areas. Once the installation is taken down, the banners will be converted into mailbags and auctioned off to raise money for the Ecology Center. Learn more about the Urban Forest Project by visiting www.urbanforestproject.org.
Just in time for Earth Month -
Stabenow Fights for Green Collar Jobs
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Read Senator Stabenow's |
On March 14, Senator Debbie Stabenow successfully included a $2.7 billion Green Collar Jobs package in the Senate's 2009 Budget Resolution.
"Any budget is about values and priorities and the nation's budget is no exception," said Stabenow. "This budget focuses on what is most important for families across Michigan and across our country - creating good paying jobs here at home. We are creating those jobs by rebuilding our nation's aging roads and other infrastructure, promoting education and job training and investing in the future of our energy economy through my Green Collar Jobs Initiative."
The House and Senate will now work to iron out differences in their respective budget bills. While many of the activities contained within the Green Collar Jobs Initiative were authorized in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), full funding is essential to making these efforts a reality.
Key provisions of the Green Collar Jobs Initiative include:
- Energy efficiency and conservation block grants for cities, counties and states ($1.15 billion)Increased research and production of advanced battery technologies, including lithium ion batteries and hybrid electrical systems ($250 million)Green Jobs Worker Training Program funding ($100 million)Loans to retool factories for the production of advanced technology vehicles (i.e. hybrids, plug-ins hybrids and fuel cells) ($1 billion)
- Investment to encourage production and build infrastructure for advanced biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel ($100 million)
Some funding for new energy technologies that reduce global warming emissions (including advanced automotive technologies), may also become available through the Department of Energy loan guarantee program.
Additional Sources:
Stabenow: Senate Budget Creates Jobs, Invests in the Middle Class
The Bay City Times: Stabenow Gets It
DOE Plans $38.5B in Loan Guarantees for Reduction of Criteria and GHG Emissions
Thanks for Supporting
Dance for the Earth!
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Ecology Center Director Mike Garfield getting his groove on at Dance for the Earth. |
Thanks to everyone who made Dance for the Earth a huge success this year! Together we raised nearly $7,000 for the Mary Beth Doyle Environmental Health Fund through ticket sales, t-shirt sales, donations, and an extensive list of silent auction items ranging from a gorgeous hand knit throw made by a local sewing group to an exotic carved wooden dragon donated by a downtown merchant. Local band FUBAR kicked off this fun community event with live music, which led to dancing and singing for our full house of guests.
Visit our MySpace profile to view more pictures from this event.
EcoLink — April 2008
An online publication of the Ecology Center
Editor: Ted Sylvester
Layout & Production: Melissa Sutton
Comments and questions are welcome.
Please send to EcoLink Editor
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117 N. Division St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1580 USA • phone 734·761·3186 • fax 734·663·2414 •