Reporting Season

January through June every year is reporting season for environmental compliance people like myself. As annual reports go, the first is due on January 10th (a Michigan requirement), and the last is due July 1, with a bunch in between. So basically from January 2nd through the end of June most of industry's environmental peons are collecting, sorting, compiling, calculating, wading through, and sinking up to their chins in data. Different agencies and different states require pretty much the same data in different formats or for different purposes. I for example, report the amount of emissions generated from casting xx tons of iron in a given year. Some agencies want to know how many materials we have on site over 10,000 lbs, for emergency response purposes. Some agencies want to know how much air pollution was generated while we made xx tons of iron. Others want to know how much of all types of pollution was generated. Still others want to know only how much waste was generated. And others want to know how much water we sucked from the ground and how much we put back in. I also report that we're doing what our permits say we're supposed to be doing, or that we're not. I also have to create reports for nobody at all - files that sit in the file cabinets on the chance that an inspector will come by the facility and want to read them over, which does sometimes happen.

I generate a LOT of paper and I hate it. It is quite ironic that the environmental people at businesses create such incredible amounts of paper. Luckily, more and more agencies are converting to electronic or online report preparation and submission. In that case, the only paper actually required is usually just one signature page. That covers reports, but doesn't always cover your a$$. When an inspector shows up to view a report, we have to be able to show how we arrived at the numbers we've reported, and show backup documentation that supports them. Yep, more paper. Then, the electronic programs often don't let you copy last year's report and just change the production index, you actually have to enter all or most of the information again, which means you have to have a hard copy of last year's report. Yep, more paper.

Our environmental agencies, while getting better, are just as bureaucratic as any other government entity. They have an increasingly important job to do, so we should be fighting to streamline and improve the functioning of those agencies so more of the money can be channeled to the efforts that really matter.

A Local Story

This is a guest-written post by a friend in northern Michigan, about the local environmental council and their efforts and problems.

The local council is apparently divided;

the good news: several (mostly young) leaders actively seek locally sustained renewable resources (ranging from intelligent forestry, recycled animal and human waste, fresh produce, meat, milk, in a rather old-fashioned cycle which can (allegedly) be linked to the four seasons via production on the land round about -- but outside the vertical (one way) system of chemically polluting agribusiness (from chem loaded orchard to table). Their claim: this, when in place, will produce profit. I find the details fascinating. In the local business community support is growing.

The bad news: I see no evidence they can compete with Meijers or Walmart. I shop at both since on Soc Sec I have no choice. Gas prices restrict me to one trip a week, but I save more on produce imported from Chile and S. Cal.

The other bad news, if I read the literature correctly: many who appear to support these renewable alternatives actively crave a hippy-like return to the land, as if we can all survive only if we all become anti-tech like the Amish. Do these folks drive to the meetings?

He goes on to mention a well-intentioned art show about once a year from which the proceeds are donated to an environmental organization, but there are never any bikes among the gas guzzlers. On the other hand, he knows at least two locals that ride their bikes year round. Whether they do it for exercise or for the environmental benefits is beside the point.

The writer offers good examples of the challenges faced by, in my guess, a large majority of our population. Being green is not easy or cheap in many areas, and therefore is often not an option.

---------------

There are a few topics mentioned here that I'll hit on in later posts: local products (edible or not) and how competitive they are, and the 'holier-than-thou' attitude of some of the more vocal environmentalists.

Kill 2 Evils with 1 Bike

My wife just called, which forced me over to my cellphonetalking position at my office window. I looked out at the long wintery shadow of the foundry on the nonwintery green grass. We've been talking a lot about the weather 'round here lately - especially since we spent 4 days up at Houghton Lake (Northern Lower Michigan) at my parents' house and there was no snow (it wasn't even cold enough to make snow - we tried!). Tip Up Town is scheduled for a few weeks from now and the lake isn't frozen. I guess the west and plains got the snow normally allocated for all of us this season.

We're going to try to get by with just 1 vehicle starting Friday - a nice treehuggerish thing to do. I actually don't think it will reduce our footprint any since we'll probably do the same or maybe just slightly less driving. We have talked a lot about getting me a good road bike so I can pedal the 18 miles to work. I figure it will take about an hour once I'm in shape for it. Well, the bike isn't in the budget for the near term, but the weather got me thinking (uh oh).

As you might have guessed, treehuggers are rightfully BIG on biking. Not only does our environment need a rest, but most of us rest way too much. Why don't more of us bike to work? I'm not kidding. I am confident that at least 30 people at my office live 5 or fewer miles from work, where there are showers and changing areas. So, if they could get to work in 20 minutes, take a quick shower, and have their workout done for the day, why not kill two evils with one bike?

Green Travel

You've probably heard about the growing business of "eco-tourism". Well, for those regular Joe's who still enjoy their Holiday Inn Express (and are then able prevent nuclear melt downs), you might be happy to learn that many hotels are taking steps to be more environmentally responsible. You've probably seen the little card (usually glossy plasticy paper = bad for the environment) hanging on the towel rack in your hotel room that says you can hang up your towel if you're willing to reuse it, or throw it on the floor if you want it washed. That minor step, done at thousands of hotels, surely makes a difference. Obviously, there's a lot more they can do.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the state regulators that businesses generally don't like, is encouraging more hotels to adopt more green practices. On this site, they offer quite a few decent resources for hoteliers to learn how to improve. Then, here they list the facilities that have received recognition of successful practices. Only 6 facilities are listed so far, with a few more applicants.

I, for one, will look to this list the next time I travel in Michigan.