October 2017
Be Sure that December 2nd -- Greening the Statehouse -- is on your Calendar!
Indiana's largest annual gathering of environmentally-minded Hoosiers is on Saturday, December 2nd, less than two months away!

This is your best opportunity all year to:
  • Meet fellow Hoosiers who care about the environment from all parts of the state, of all backgrounds.
  • Get empowered with the tools to help shape policy pertaining to clean energy, sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, and more.
  • Be inspired by dynamic speakers, including our 2017 keynote Mitch Hescox, who has made it his mission to bridge the political divide in America, as one of our country's most prominent conservative climate advocates.

Build on the Momentum of Last Weekend's "Ride for the Mounds" by Contacting the Governor
More than 130 biking and greenway enthusiasts took part in the third annual Ride for the Mounds this past weekend, enjoying a wonderful fall day along the roads and trails of the upper White River valley. But there’s a lot more going on with the Mounds Greenway – a proposed linear park and trail network along the river from Muncie to Anderson and eventually to Indianapolis. Fifty local, regional and statewide groups and businesses, along with 4 mayors, have endorsed the Greenway. HEC and our partners are visiting with landowners, meeting with town officials in Chesterfield, Daleville and Yorktown, and with the Indiana DNR. We are working to get a section of the greenway started soon near Mounds State Park.  

The Mounds Greenway aims to combine land and water conservation with outdoor recreation, producing a variety of economic benefits including a richer quality of life for residents of east central Indiana. Help us make the Mounds Greenway a centerpiece of the region’s road back to prosperity. Email Governor Holcomb at  GovHolcomb@gov.in.gov and ask him to support the Mounds Greenway.  And watch our Mounds Greenway video and learn more here .
Join HEC for a Workshop on Factory Farm Pollution in Your Region
Residents of both Northeast and Central Indiana who are interested in taking action to protect the air, land, and water in their communities from the damaging impacts of factory farms (i.e., concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs) are encouraged to attend one of two upcoming educational workshops that HEC is hosting in your region.

Saturday, October 21 st
10 am – 2 pm
South Whitley Community Public Library

Saturday, November 4 th
10 am – 2 pm
Ivy Tech Noblesville

At each workshop, learn about:
  • Industrial animal agriculture's impact on Indiana’s environment & economy, and on our health.
  • Ways to effectively advocate for your community before zoning boards, plan commissions, and the legislature
  • The role that food choice plays in ensuring a healthy environment – and livable climate -- for all.
  • What you can do to become part of the movement for a more sustainable food production system both locally and statewide.

For more information or to RSVP for the Northeast Indiana event, please click here . For the Central Indiana event, please click here
pig farm
Help Advance Indiana's Clean Energy Economy
Did you know that Indiana jobs in solar have surpassed those in coal mining?  Indiana's clean energy economy promises to be a major source of jobs in manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, and R & D. And it's already happening: Indiana has nearly 50,000 jobs in clean energy as of this year, surpassing those in machine manufacturing. But for Indiana to realize its potential, HEC and our allies need to keep advancing good public policies that make Indiana more of a magnet for such jobs; right now, Indiana is trailing all but one of our Industrial Midwestern peers in the number of clean energy jobs per person.

TAKE ACTION:
  • Learn more about Indiana's clean energy economy by watching our presentation at the recent Indiana Climate Leadership Summit.  
  • If you're a customer of Indiana-Michigan Power (AEP), be sure to attend public hearings on October 10th (in Ft. Wayne) and October 3oth (in Muncie) to express your concerns about the proposed more than doubling of fixed, monthly charges, which would seriously disincent renewable energy and energy efficiency. For more background, see here.
  • Get involved in the clean energy cause by volunteering!
Support HEC Green Businesses
We want to give a big shout-out to our new and renewing HEC Green Businesses listed below! They are on the forefront of making Indiana a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable place. Consider their services and thank them for supporting our work!

emPowering Progress
Ambre Blends - Indianapolis

Keeping Afloat
Persimmon Inn - Bloomington
Hoosier Environmental Council | 317-685-8800 | comments@hecweb.org | hecweb.org