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2 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.

com

What’s in this issue ...


Get the lead out
4 Because renovation work releases
dust and chips, the EPA has adopted
new requirements for contractors

The green thing Bait and switch?


8 Coca-Cola’s bottling
16 Some companies with
plant makes concerted eco-credibility are
effort to cut waste pulling a fast one

Epoxy in cans may be harmful


19 Most food cans are coated with epoxy
that may include BPA and other dangers

Get an inexpensive
17 “green” degree
20 Cheap, easy
window cleaner

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!


Going Green is a special online publication of
The Commercial Appeal. We welcome your comments
and suggestions. Follow Going Green on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphis.
Editor: Roland Klose, 529-2776,
goinggreen@commercialappeal.com
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 3

THE GREEN PAGE


Events by Whole Foods Market. ’cept in the garden.”
Temple Israel, 1376 Going Green and Admission is $3 for MBG
E. Massey Rd., hosts Eco Memphis Botanic Garden members, $5 for
Expo II, an environmental are bringing Felder nonmembers. Proceeds
fair, today from 11 a.m. Rushing to Memphis this will go to the care and
until 3 p.m. See exhibits Wednesday, April 21. preservation of the more
on environmental art, Rushing will talk about than 150 species of trees
hybrid cars, composting, using green practices in that make up Memphis
planting a “waterless” the garden at 7 p.m. at Botanic Garden’s
garden,” green home the botanic garden. The Certified Level IV
additions and informal session, aimed Arboretum. For
renovations, energy- at novice and veteran information, call 529-
saving products, and gardeners, is titled: “It 2372. For reservations,
much more. Sponsored ain’t easy going green, call 636-4111.

Groups
Citizens to Preserve Overton
Park: Organized to preserve and
defend the Old Forest of Overton
Park. overtonparkforever.org or
(901) 278-2396.
Coalition for Livable
Communities: The organization
advocates healthy, vibrant and
economically sustainable communities. The Commercial Appeal file photo
livablememphis.org or (901) 725-8390.
Friends for Our Riverfront: The Citizens to Preserve Overton Park
group advocates improvement of the promotes preservation of the
public space along the Mississippi, as Midtown park’s Old Forest.
well as a clean and vibrant harbor.
friendsforourriverfront.org or
(901) 496-0736. overview or (901) 767-7322 ext. 100.
Greater Memphis Greenline: Mid-South Peace and Justice
Promotes the development of the Center: Works with low-income
Greenline and other unused railway communities in Memphis to plan and
rights-of-way and easements into plant community gardens, providing
hiking and biking trails. area residents with access to fresh
Lichterman Nature Center: A produce. midsouthpeace.org or (901)
65-acre natural preserve in the city, 725-4990.
with a lake, meadow, and forest. To submit items, e-mail
memphismuseums.org/lichterman- goinggreen@commercialappeal.com.
4 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Get the lead out


New rule toughens standards for contractors
By Natalie Higdon Because common renovation
Special to Going Green
activities — scraping, sanding,
cutting and demolition — will
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
release lead dust and chips, the U.S.
BANNED lead-based paint more
Environmental Protection Agency
than 30 years ago, but many
has set tough new requirements for
buildings, especially in older
contractors that go into effect this
neighborhoods, are still covered
week.
with it.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 5

The EPA’s Lead


Renovation, Repair and
Painting rule adopted two
years ago requires that
any compensated
professionals working on
homes and child-occupied
facilities built before 1978
must be certified by April
22, and must comply with
lead-safe work practices.
“The purpose of the
RRP Rule is to stop the
generation of hazardous
lead dust and chips ...
because these can put
children at risk,” said
Adrianne White, toxic
substances program
manager for the
Tennessee Department of
Environment and
Conservation.
Homeowners working
on their own homes are
exempt from the rule, but
are encouraged to follow
the EPA guidelines.
Minor maintenance
projects or repairs that
disturb less than 6 square Tennessee Community to vacuum each other.”
feet of interior or 20 College by Mississippi Specializing in the
square feet of exterior State University’s restoration of older and
lead-based paint are Continuing Education historic homes, Quinn is
exempt. So are homes department. The course no stranger to the ease
that a certified lead-based covered a wide variety of with which dust — the
paint inspector has found topics, including “how to most common way for
to be lead-free. properly put up plastic lead to get into the body
Kevin Quinn, owner of and cordon off an area, — can travel.
Bartlett Home and where to put the “Every little thing you
Improvement, recently warning signs,” Quinn do in an old house —
completed an eight-hour said. “They also covered replacing windows, doors,
RRP certification course how to put a protective things that you think are
offered at Southwest suit on and off, and how really simple — they can
6 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

“Inhaling lead dust can affect children mentally and


physically for the rest of their life. I can’t think of anything
more important than protecting a child.”
KEVIN QUINN, Bartlett Home Improvement owner

stir up a lot of lead dust,”


Quinn said.
The RRP rule applies
to a wide range of
renovation professionals,
including plumbers,
electricians and even
window installers.
The cost for the course
is about $250 and a five-
year license is expected to
cost $300 to $550 when
the state finalizes the fee
schedule. Additionally,
the new work practices
will require new
equipment for most
companies, including full-
body suits, HEPA (high
efficiency particulate
absorbing) vacuum
cleaners, and power tools
with HEPA filter- Professionals working on exterior areas that contain
equipped vacuum lead-based paint will have to set up a 20-foot
attachments. perimeter using caution tape and warning signs.
There are other labor
costs to consider, as caution tape and warning for this,” Quinn said. “I
contractors will have to signs, and inform wouldn’t be surprised if a
add cleaning procedures neighbors of the dangers lot of them started to
to the end of each job. of lead paint before the avoid working on pre-
Professionals working on work can begin. 1978 homes, just so they
exterior areas that “This is going to be won’t have to get into
contain lead-based paint hard on a lot of these complications.”
will also have to set up a companies, because Skipping the
20-foot perimeter using they’re just not geared up certification to avoid
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 7

those expenses, however, is a big risk. lead dust could have been affecting all
The EPA will enforce a statutory penalty these years, when people aren’t cautious
of $37,500 per day per violation of the to begin with. It’s horrifying to look
new rule. back at the past and think of all the
“Compliance is required on the fully people that could have been affected.”
effective day of the rule and the EPA will Despite the known risks, Quinn
be monitoring compliance and taking worries that many people are going to
enforcement action where warranted,” take chances, including homeowners
said Dawn Harris Young, an EPA “who don’t want to pay the extra couple
representative. hundred dollars that this will probably
According to Young, “most childhood add to the cost of a renovation.”
lead poisoning is caused by lead-based “There’s a concern that people who
paint in the home.” won’t go through this certification could
“Childhood lead poisoning is a take business away from those of us who
completely preventable, irreversible have,” Quinn said.
tragic condition. It permanently “The guys with a truck and a toolbox are
decreases IQ scores, and causes competition for all of us in a way, because a
permanent learning and emotional lot of homeowners are trying to cut
disabilities,” Young said. “It is linked to corners, so they’ll get unlicensed and
impassivity and violence. It has severe uninsured people to work on their homes.”
costs for society.” For Quinn, the benefits of the new
Considering the effects of lead rule far outweigh any additional costs.
exposure not only on children and “Inhaling lead dust can affect children
families — but entire communities — is mentally and physically for the rest of
startling to Quinn. their life,” he said. “I can’t think of
“I look at Memphis — even though we anything more important than
think of a lot of new construction, protecting a child.”
especially out East — but if you look Since December 2008, remodelers
especially at Whitehaven and Raleigh- have been required by law to supply a
brochure to customers outlining the
Frayser, you have a huge amount of older dangers of lead poisoning and EPA’s
homes and older apartments,” he said. new rules. For more information, go to
“There’s just no telling how many people epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm.

Just one thing


Get rid of the antiquated fax machine. Instead, choose a paperless online
“fax” service such as eFax (efax.com) to receive faxes. Not only will it save trees
and cut down on paper waste, but you’ll be able to file and manage faxes
electronically. No more digging around for that important memo.
8 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Photos by Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal


Kevin Curry recycles damaged or out-of-date product at the Coca-Cola bottling
plant in Memphis after returning from his route.

It’s the green thing


By Suzanne Thompson Coca-Cola’s break room.
Special to The Commercial Appeal The facility has only one
Memphis industrial garbage Dumpster. It
It’s difficult to find a trash bottling plant is under lock and key and a
can at Coca-Cola Bottling makes a manager is required to get into it.
Co.’s plant on South Coke’s philosophy on
Hollywood, but it’s easy to concerted recycling is as basic as “if you
find recycling bins. There are push to cut build it, they will come.”
several recycling stations waste “If you provide the containers
located throughout the for recycling, people will do it,”
building in the bottling area, said Larry Krebs, director of
in the hallways and in the employee corporate responsibility and
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 9

sustainability for Coca- “If you provide the containers for


Cola.
The company has recycling, people will do it.”
spread this philosophy
LARRY KREBS
throughout the
Coca-Cola director of corporate responsibility and sustainability
community by
providing recycling
containers — made
from shipping barrels
for syrup — at no
charge to its customers
with large public
venues, such as the
Delta Fair, the Liberty
Bowl tailgate party
area, and most
recently, the Ole Miss
campus.
Also to that end,
Coca-Cola is piloting a
new project installing
recycling vending
machines in high-
volume parking lots. The Coca-Cola
Consumers feed in bottling plant
their used aluminum puts recycling
cans, and the machine receptacles
dispenses money for (above) at
the cans. locations with
Dallas, pilot city for large crowds
the machines, has 12, or other places
and depending on where a vendor
their success, they will requests them.
be installed in cities The plant
throughout the recycles its
country. entire
Evidence of the reclaimed out-
company’s of-date or
commitment to damaged
conservation and product.
sustainability can be
found throughout the
10 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Memphis facility, from animal food producer to place that are recycling,
the motion sensors used sell the excess syrup for reducing or reusing
to control lighting to the use in sweetening a much- almost everything used in
state-of-the-art can and used “sweet feed.” production and
bottle crusher. The crushing machine operations.
The crusher is so high- processes cans into 270- For instance, the pallets
tech that Coca-Cola pound bales. With used in moving the
facilities from around the aluminum selling for $1 a products throughout the
region ship their damaged pound, recycling is a win- warehouse are rebuilt on-
products to the Memphis win situation for Coke. site, and the boards that
plant. The machine not “It’s the right thing to cannot be used again for
only can crush and bundle do, and it’s the right new pallets are shipped
the containers, but also business decision. We put out for use in mulch.
can capture every drop of the money from the When trucks return to
the excess syrup. recycling back into the the plant each day, they are
The company recently company,” Krebs said. stopped at the gate, and
entered into an At Coca-Cola, drivers must separate any
agreement with a local processes already are in material that comes back

Alan Spearman/The Commercial Appeal


Reginald Leakes recycles reclaimed product at the Coca-Cola bottling
plant in Memphis.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 11

to the plant and deposit it in PEPSI ALSO TAKES


the appropriate industrial- THE GREEN CHALLENGE
size recycling bin before they
are allowed onto the Coke isn’t the only soft-drink company pushing
property. a green message.
Coke’s dedication to Its No. 1 rival, PepsiCo, also is taking steps to
corporate conservation and reduce waste and energy use.
recycling extends far beyond “Overall, PepsiCo’s sustainability vision is that
the borders of its facilities. stewardship is a core part of this vision in our
The company has carbon responsibility as a corporate citizen,” said Robin
dioxide coolers, which are Enck, planner at Pepsi Beverages Co.’s Mid-South
computerized and detect unit.
periods of inactivity so they “We are constantly reviewing our practices and
can turn off the compressors we’re encouraging conservation of natural
during lulls in usage. resources, source reduction, pollution control — all
The company is also those things that go hand-in-hand with
developing a hybrid electric environmental conservation,” she said.
fleet of delivery vehicles. Company-wide, Pepsi has put together resource
Some of the electric trucks conservation teams, or recon teams, as they call
are scheduled to be them, to assess ways in which the company can
operating in Memphis operate on a more eco-friendly basis.
before the end of the year.
The team at the Pepsi facility in Collierville consists
Also, Coke has begun
of about 12 people, and they are not all executives.
manufacturing Dasani water
bottles that are 30 percent The company wants to get input from employees
biodegradable corn product. at all levels of the organization, Enck said.
“When we talk about “We meet every other week to talk about the
sustainable packaging and ways that we are trying to make a difference in our
recycling, our goal is to be organization here locally,” she said.
100 percent,” said John Some changes they have made include installing
Zermeno, director of motion detectors in the lighting equipment, the
manufacturing for Coca- ballasts of which have all been replaced, and
Cola’s south business unit. replacing old boiler equipment with new models
“Our goal is everything, that use less energy.
whether it’s a plastic bottle, “An overall perspective from our recon initiative
corrugated or aluminum, we is that reducing the amount of water, electricity
want 100 percent of what and fuel are some broad goals that we have set.
we purchase in raw Overall we want to reduce water usage by 20
materials to go back into percent, electricity by 20 percent and fuel by 25
the recycling process, so percent.”
nothing goes to a landfill,”
The goal is that by 2015, those aggregate goals
he said. “That’s what
will be met, Enck said.
sustainable packaging and
recycling means to us.” — Suzanne Thompson
12 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal


Eddie Kircher of Kircher-Belz Builders is in a show house being built to
EcoBUILD standards, which use various techniques to prevent energy loss.

By Jonathan Devin

Efficient Special to The Commercial Appeal

Increasing the energy efficiency of homes and

housing businesses is a new trend for the public, but


Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division has been
pushing the idea for quite some time. In some cases,
though, the utility’s programs are largely lying

still in fallow, awaiting a surge in consumer demand.


Becky Williamson, MLGW’s strategic marketing
coordinator, said that the utility’s interest in
building more efficient homes predates the

infancy recession and the dramatic rise in fuel costs, but


there’s just one problem.
“There’s a certain market (in the public) that’s
MLGW EcoBUILD really interested in it and another that doesn’t
think about it all,” Williamson said.
program has been In 2004, MLGW established its EcoBUILD
slow to catch on program, a voluntary set of construction standards
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 13

for energy efficiency. The standards Some struggled at first to make systems
were developed with the help of that produced less than 20 percent
consultants from Texas-based Austin leakage, but now, she said, most are going
Energy, with local input from builders, well below the required 8 percent.
developers and code enforcement. Still, only 530 homes have been
“The theory was to come up with a certified in the Memphis area since 2004.
prescriptive checklist of things you need Another MLGW green program has
to do to achieve 30-percent energy fared much the same in terms of
savings,” Williamson said. popularity.
Developers Jack Belz and Henry The Green Power Switch allows
Turley, who built Memphians to
Uptown, were among the “It’s not as large as voluntarily pay extra on
first to sign on. we would like it to be their utility bills to
“They require any new support the generation of
single-family in terms of local green energy by TVA.
construction in Uptown participants, but The program is aimed
to be EcoBUILD- at households and
certified so they wrote we’re fortunate to businesses that can’t
that into the covenants have 928 supporters afford to install their own
for development,” solar panels but would
Williamson said. because that $4 can like more energy to be
Specifically, generated from renewable
certification requires a be a big impact.” sources like East
minimum air- Tennessee’s wind farm,
BECKY WILLIAMSON
conditioning efficiency Shelby County’s methane
MLGW’s strategic marketing
level of 14 in the Seasonal coordinator co-generation site and
Energy Efficiency Ratio. some 15 solar farms
The typical market house across the state.
SEER is 13. The cost is $4 per unit
EcoBUILD also requires no more than of green energy with no minimum
8 percent of conditioned air leakage purchase for homes.
from ducts in the attic; most homes lose Only 928 MLGW customers have
30 to 50 percent. enrolled, including just 18 businesses.
To meet the duct standards, About 12,000 customers across the
contractors had to switch from all Tennessee Valley have signed on.
flexible ducts to sheet-metal ducts with “It’s not as large as we would like it to be
no more than 3 feet of flexible ducts in in terms of local participants, but we’re
the system. And the ducts must be sealed fortunate to have 928 supporters because
with a liquid adhesive rather than tape. that $4 can be a big impact,” Williamson
“We had contractors who were not used said.
to working with sheet-metal ducts and Only a handful have invested in
they weren’t accustomed to somebody MLGW’s Generation Partners program
actually checking to see how well the unit in which homes and businesses actually
had been installed,” Williamson said. invest serious cash in a solar panel
14 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

system that generates


energy for TVA.
Among those are Sharp
Manufacturing and six
die-hard green residents.
The cost in equipment
is roughly $8,000-$10,000
per kilowatt of generation
capacity, and the output is
1,450 kilowatts for each
unit system.
“It takes a pretty sizable
capital investment on the
front end, and produces a
fairly small amount of
Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal
power because the average
MLGW household uses a Eddie Kircher of Kircher-Belz Builders shows a panel
little less than that a of Ecobatt insulation, which helps prevent
month,” Williamson said. unnecessary energy loss in homes.
“You really have to have an
environmental an eco-house and the it.”
commitment because of price is a little higher, they Belz said it takes know-
the cost.” average out, except you how, not just better
The cost vs. efficiency get a better sealed house.” materials, to build an
debate leaves many Forrester has been energy-efficient house.
builders and contractors working on EcoBUILD “You can have insulated
scratching their heads. homes for the last five glass in your house and
Most say they like years. still not meet the
building EcoBUILD “A lot of builders, requirements,” Belz said.
homes, but the market is especially in market Kircher-Belz is building
driven toward low costs. houses, don’t want to do its first EcoBUILD home
Even taking into account that because they have to for the upcoming Vesta
that energy efficiency get MLGW out there and Home Show and a second
saves money over time, it go through the process,” home is in the works.
can be difficult to sell a Forrester said. “Builders Kircher-Belz is a custom
more expensive product want to get in and get out.” builder and Belz said
on the front end. “A lot of builders are not builders are much more
“If you take an eco- really knowledgeable likely to get interest in
house, you’ve got less about it,” said Marc Belz, EcoBUILD standards
(HVAC) tonnage than you vice president of Kircher- from a family building
do with a normal house,” Belz Builders LLC. “It’s their own home.
said Bobbie Forrester Sr. good that MLGW is Williamson agreed that
of B and W Heating and helping. Even I have been developers like Turley-
Air. “If you save a ton on learning some things from Belz who get on board
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 15

with the program can


really fuel the market
with efficiency.
Actor Ed Begley says $10 of
So why hasn’t that
happened?
insulation halved utility bills
Williamson said other
states like California are By Thomas Content maybe there are a few
in the midst of a “perfect Milwaukee Journal Sentinel little things here and
storm” of energy demand. there that I didn’t catch,”
There are rolling Actor Ed Begley Jr. Begley said.
blackouts when energy has been an In came the auditors,
consumption exceeds environmentalist since armed with an infrared
production. Utilities there the late 1960s, when camera and a blower-
have public commissions Cuyahoga River at door — techniques used
to set their standards. Cleveland, Ohio, caught to measure the flow of
And of course, energy fire and Los Angeles was air through what may
costs are through the roof. choking on its seem like unlikely
Belz said he can see smog. spots in the
that happening here, But the host of a house.
though much more slowly. green-living reality To Begley’s
“Years ago people TV show and surprise, the
weren’t as concerned author of “Living auditors found
about utility bills as they Like Ed: A Guide what amounted
are today,” Belz said. to the Eco- to an open
“Now the price has gone Friendly Life” told Ed fireplace flue
up, whatever we can save hundreds of Begley Jr. leaking air from
is a good thing.” students and the house.
One MLGW program business people at A $10 piece of
that has become popular Milwaukee’s recent insulation solved the
— perhaps more due to Green Energy Summit problem, and a few other
convenience than energy- that he got his own fixes later, Begley says his
efficiency — is the comeuppance, thanks to monthly electric and
paperless billing program modern technology. natural gas costs were cut
in which some 145,000 A couple asked to do in half.
customers go online to an energy audit of “Twenty years of an
receive their utility Begley’s house, where open fireplace flue in my
statements and pay bills. the actor had worked for house. Think of that.
That’s roughly one-third decades to go green, Think of what would
of all MLGW customers. using recycled-denim happen if everyone does
Energy efficiency, it insulation and injecting this,” he said.
seems, catches on when other insulation into the He advised
saving becomes easier air cavities in the walls, homeowners thinking
and quicker than among other moves. about going green to
wasting. “I said come on in, start small.
16 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Bait and switch? Companies with


eco-credibility may not be so green
By Jeffrey Davis there was no correlation reality. Discovery
Mother Nature Network between the Earthsense Communications —
and Trucost scores, whose lineup includes
Does the eco-image of a suggesting that U.S. Animal Planet and
company sway you toward consumers have little idea TreeHugger.com — are
their products over about companies’ overwhelmingly given
others? You may think environmental serious green credibility.
you’re spending your performance relative to But according to the data,
“green dollars” each other. And looking their environmental
responsibly, but a story impact per dollar is almost
from New Scientist says Greenwashing: identical to Viacom.
that might not be the case. The food and beverage
New Scientist teamed A term used to industry is where
up with Earthsense label a company consumers are most
(earthsense.com) and confused about the eco-
Trucost (trucost.com) to that wants to be friendly facts. New
find out if consumers’ Scientist analyzed 115
environmental perceptions seen as firms and found that
of various companies lined environmentally producers of food and
up with reality. In many drink have the highest
cases they did not. responsible environmental impact.
Earthsense has polled without actually Out of 22 food and
U.S. consumers on the beverage companies in
perceived “greenness” of taking the steps the Earthsense survey,
many companies, and to do so. consumers picked Coca-
Trucost has compiled a Cola as the 16th in terms
quantitative assessment of environmental impact.
of companies’ global Their actual rank is
environmental impact. A second, bested by Green
fusion of these two sets of within industrial sectors, Mountain Coffee (a
information reveals just the only hint of accurate company that consumers
how confused the average consumer awareness perceived to be at the top
consumer is about came for technology spot).
companies’ green companies.” Whole Foods Market is
credentials. In some scenarios there a purveyor of “natural and
The New Scientist were drastic differences organic produce” and is
article says, “Overall, between perception and generally thought of as the
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 17

most environmentally
responsible place to
shop. Sure, they’ve taken
some great steps toward
Earn an eco-degree
sustainability, but
Trucost’s modeling rates
them no better than
without ending up
other conventional
supermarkets.
In Whole Foods’ case,
drowning in debt
the data may not be an
accurate representation By Jenn Savedge
of their environmental Mother Nature Network
commitment. The
company doesn’t disclose Where can you get a green degree without
all its key environmental breaking the bank? Here are 10 colleges and
data, which forces universities that offer solid environmental degree
Trucost to model its programs for under $10,000 a year:
impact from an analysis
of its overall operations.
1. Arizona State University
Amy Hebard, co- Located in Tempe,
founder of Earthsense, Ariz., ASU offers a
suspects that companies good honors college
like Whole Foods Market with annual in-
aren’t disclosing all of state tuition
their environmental data running about
for fear of being seen as $6,000, and
“greenwashing.” out-of-state
Greenwashing is a term tuition close to
used to label a company $18,500. Eco-
that wants to be seen as majors include
environmentally conservation
responsible without biology and ecological stability, ecology and
actually taking the steps evolution, Earth and space exploration, and wildlife
to do so. and restoration ecology.
Efforts to encourage
companies to release 2. Brigham Young University
their environmental You don’t have to be a Mormon to attend BYU and
impact data are gaining it’s a good deal when it comes to private-school
momentum, but value. In addition to their environmental majors of
consumers may have to conservation biology, wildlife and wildlands
remain in the dark until conservation, and Earth and space sciences
that reporting is education, many students also take advantage of
required. BYU’s excellent international studies program.
18 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Tuition for members of The Church of ideal for those interested in civil service,
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is about international studies and nonprofit
$4,500 per year; it is twice that for non- work. In-state residents pay about
LDS students. $7,000 annually for tuition, and out-of-
state students pay $18,500.
3. College of the Ozarks
Whether you’re from in state or out, 7. Texas A&M University
tuition is free at this Missouri school. Annual tuition at “Aggie U” runs
But there is a good reason that it is about $8,000 for residents and about
known as “Hard Work U.” Every student $22,000 for out-of-state students. The
is expected to work for 15 hours a week school offers majors in environmental
in an on-campus work program, and studies, forestry and renewable natural
receive a scholarship. It would be well resources, as well as minors in
worth it to graduate with a major in environmental soil science and parks
conservation and wildlife management and natural resources.
completely debt-free.
8. University of Colorado at
4. Iowa State University Boulder:
Iowa State offers a solid educational Well-ranked in terms of sponsored
value with in-state tuition close to research, the university offers an eco-
$6,000 a year, and out-of-state tuition major in environmental studies. In-state
around $17,000. ISU offers several eco- tuition is in the neighborhood of $8,000
degree programs such as natural a year, while out-of-state tuition is about
resource ecology and management, $28,000.
ecology, evolution and organismal
biology, environmental science and 9. University of Oklahoma
environmental studies. In-state tuition is about $8,000 a year
while out-of-state tuition runs close to
5. Hunter College $18,000, making this an excellent school
Hunter College is part of the City to pick up a green degree in
University of New York system, offering environmental science.
a good education in the heart of New
York City. You can get an environmental 10. University of Utah
studies degree here for about $5,000 a Located in Salt Lake City, in the heart
year for in-state students and $10,000 if of the Rocky Mountain range, the
you live out of state. university offers lots of activities for
outdoor enthusiasts. In-state tuition for
6. James Madison University an eco-major in environmental studies
JMU, located in Virginia’s rural or earth sciences teaching is close to
Shenandoah Valley, has several green $4,000 a year, and nonresident tuition is
majors including environmental studies about $9,000.
and environmental science. The school’s Jenn Savedge writes a green parenting blog
proximity to Washington, D.C., makes it at mnn.com/featured-blogs/greenparenting.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, April 18, 2010 | GOING GREEN 19

EARTH TALK

Epoxy found in most cans


contains harmful chemicals
Dear Earth Talk: I’ve
often cooked canned foods
in their own can, things
like condensed milk and
mushroom soup. I put the
can without opening in
the pressure cooker, cover
it with water and let it
cook for 30 minutes. The
results are amazing. Is it
safe to do that? Can
metals leach into my food?

Can makers don’t Nic McPhee/Flickr


recommend using their
products for anything but The insides of most cans on grocery shelves today
storing food unopened are coated with food-grade epoxy, which contains
until it’s ready to eat. Bisphenol-A (BPA) and other potentially harmful
“Cans are reliable, chemicals.
recyclable, durable
packages that keep maker. process. “But that isn’t all
beverages and foods Proponents of can- cans or all foods, and it is
fresh and allow them to cooking cite the fact that a carefully controlled and
be transported safely for many canned goods are monitored process done
thousands of miles, even already heated up in in an environment that is
into remote regions — their cans to kill bacteria made to do it.”
but they were not made during the canning As for what metals may
to be used as cooking process, so what harm be leaching into your
containers,” said Scott could a little more canned food, it depends.
McCarty of Colorado- heating do? In the U.S., most food
based Ball Corp., a McCarty conceded that cans are made of steel
leading U.S. food and some cans are indeed while beverage cans are
beverage packaging heated during the packing usually made of
20 GOING GREEN | Sunday, April 18, 2010 commercialappeal.com

aluminum. Chromium and nickel can Administration is reviewing whether to


find their way out of steel, but the allow BPA to come into contact with
amounts would be minuscule at most. food items at all. In the meantime, some
Slightly more troubling is the fact that forward-thinking companies aren’t
aluminum — large amounts of which waiting around for an FDA ruling.
have been linked to nervous system Eden Foods, which prides itself on
disorders and other health problems — the wholesomeness of its products,
could in theory leach out of cans into worked with its packaging
their food or drink contents. manufacturer, Ball Corp., back in 1999
To prevent any such leaching — to switch out traditional epoxy-based
which is bad for the food and eater but liners with a baked-on, BPA-free enamel
also for the can (as it can cause lining derived from plant oils and resins.
corrosion) — the insides of most cans This technology is nothing new; in
on grocery shelves today are coated fact, Eden stumbled upon it by asking
with food-grade epoxy. But these liners Ball what it used before epoxy liners
have been shown to contain Bisphenol- became standard some three decades
A (BPA) and other potentially harmful earlier. While the custom-made cans
chemicals. cost 14 percent more than industry-
BPA is a synthetic plastic hardener standard cans would, Eden maintains
that has been linked to human it’s worth the expense (which amounts
reproductive problems and an increased to some $300,000 extra per year). “It
risk of cancer and diabetes. A 2009 was the right thing to do,” says Michael
analysis of common canned foods by Potter, Eden’s president. “I didn’t want
the nonprofit organization Consumers BPA in food I was serving to my kids,
Union found measurable levels of BPA my grandkids or my customers.”
in a wide range of items, including Send questions to Earth Talk, Box 5098,
some bearing a “BPA Free” label. Westport, CT 06881 or e-mail
The U.S. Food and Drug earthtalk@emagazine.com.

EASY RECIPE FOR WINDOW CLEANER


It’s cheap, it’s easy and it keeps plastic
bottles out of the landfill.

1. Use an old spray bottle.


2. Mix 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of white
vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap.
3. Tape the recipe to the bottle,
covering it completely so it won’t smudge
if the bottle gets wet.
4. Clean, clean, clean. Refill when empty.
— Dallas Morning News

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