Just recently, Tom spoke at the Chicago Center for Green Technology. His topic “Constructing Rain Gardens and Bioswales: New Tools for Sustainable Site Development” was received warmly, and visitors to the conference had very positive feedback. Below are some of the reviews of Tom’s presentation, submitted anonymously.

My favorite aspects of Tom’s presentation were the amount of statistics and numbers, the slides, the organization of the presentation, the energy and efficiency, and subject knowledge of presenter, the overview of design concepts for rain gardens, going outside to see the project firsthand, and putting a positive spin on a serious issue.

I took several great lessons away from Tom’s presentation. Some of these lessons were techniques to use in new projects, new knowledge of plant types, incorporation of new ideas into research on historical approaches to managing stormwater, designing landscapes for functionality, and the importance of managing stormwater.

I feel as though several things positively contributed to the “Rain Gardens and Bioswales” seminar. The calculation handouts and powerpoint, the tour of the CCGT landscape,  the availability of the presentation online, the energy of the speaker, and several relatable examples all enhanced the overall presentation.

Tom will continue to speak at sustainability conferences throughout the country. For inquiries into Tom’s speaking availability, please call (317) 674-3494.

Barrett’s presentation, “Developing a Resource Efficient Landscape Irrigation System,” is a hands-on field session where contractors will learn to conduct a water audit. Attendees will even be able to learn about the equipment needed to run a water audit first hand in a working test area.

“An irrigation audit is one of the best ways to ensure that water is being used efficiently,” said Barrett. “Most irrigation systems use more water than they really need to maintain a healthy landscape. The savings in water is well worth the time and effort of an audit.”

About Indiana Irrigation Contractor Council

The primary goal of the Indiana Irrigation Contractors Council (IICC) is to promote professionalism throughout the landscape irrigation industry. The Indiana Irrigation Contractor Council provides legislative advocacy, educational sessions, and networking opportunities in order to advance the success of the professional irrigation community. The Indiana Irrigation Contractor Council (IICC) is a section of the of the Indiana Professional Lawn & Landscape Association.

For more information or to register, please call 317-575-9010.

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…more than water

charity:water does more than “provide” water to the over 1 billion people who go without clean drinking water on a daily basis. Most Americans cannot fathom going a few hours without running water or a clean shower, when most of the world would be happy with less than one thirtieth of what we use ON A GIVEN DAY.  According to the many statistics available on the charity:water website (www.charitywater.org), unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren’t strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses. Ninety percent of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are to children under five years old. While the statistics are staggering, the photographs of victims of unclean water are beyond what many of us in the Western World could ever imagine or feel comfortable seeing.  

…brilliance

The brilliance of this charity is both in its acquisition of money and its use of those funds. Private donations provide 100% of the cost to run the organization.  Everything from plane fares to paper clips are donated or paid for by private donors.  That frees up 100% of all public donations to actually go to the source.  The water source. As if that weren’t phenomenal enough, once at the source, men and women are taught how to create their own well systems, install them, implement their usage, and govern the rights to them, empowering many (most significantly women), to find themselves for the first time in their lives in a place of significance in the community.  

Everyone — rich or poor, happy or sad, regardless of where or how you live, if you are a living thing, you need water. This hits home very quickly. Water is the great connector of human life. Knowing that, everyone can help. There is no donation too small, because even a penny, nickel, dime, or $20 bill is more than nothing, and relatively insignificant compared to saving a human life. Want to know exactly where your money goes? No problem. When you raise enough money to purchase a well, ($5,000 to be exact), your well will be mapped online, and you can actually see where in the world your money went to help not just one human, but an entire community. Add to that the most cutting edge marketing strategies and technical social networks available, stir in some personal challenges to make a difference, and create ownership with donors by encouraging creativity and stewardship, and you have a real success story.

The old saying goes, give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime. Give a community the opportunity to help themselves discover their value and help them survive and thrive through the ability to access clean water and a healthier lifestyle, you’ll change the world.

Did you take a shower today?  Did you brush your teeth?  If you enjoyed the benefit of clean water today please help…

Why did I go to DC?

I went to represent green businesses in Indiana, and I felt so strongly about going because I want Indiana to step up to the plate. Currently, we’re 49^th in the nation in green initiatives. I want our representatives to know that green development is environmentally crucial, but also that it is an economically viable form of investment that strengthens the whole nation.

Why is it so urgent to have Clean Energy Now?

The US currently has the largest per capita carbon footprint of any country in the world. We’re even behind such emerging powerhouses at India, China, and Brazil. We just can’t go on like this. We have to do something different and make a change.

What is the main opposition to Clean Energy?

Cap and Trade suffers from a misconception that it will cost jobs. But I believe that it will actually create new jobs—just in different sectors. The green industry creates the most sustainable jobs for the least amount of money of any other industry.

While there is still a long road to travel as we work to improve and renew our environment, it became abundantly clear that regardless of any partisanship, we seem to want the same thing: a cleaner, healthier environment.   It was important for the delegation to hear that green development is not only environmentally crucial, but that it is also an economically viable form of investment that strengthens the whole nation.

Initially we discussed the importance of pushing a “Cap and Trade” concept forward; it became evident that we needed to address the most immediate pressing environmental issues with lifestyle modifications and alternative energy strategies.  The US currently has the largest per capita carbon footprint of any country in the world putting us behind such emerging powerhouses at India, China, and Brazil. Deciding how to overcome that issue is tantamount, but we must also keep in mind the need to re-emerge as a leader by example as we begin to develop and utilize a more responsible awareness of the by-products of our social conveniences.

Through sweltering heat and suffocating humidity, a diverse group of over 250 business and community leaders  from 25 states descended on Washington, D.C. this past week advocating support for a Clean Energy Bill eager to make its way through the Senate before the August recess in a mere two weeks. The bill, which never made it off the ground, was to be an amalgamation of policies and regulations that would reduce carbon emissions from the atmosphere, prevent oil spills, clean up the environment, and address a plethora of other needs to band-aid our ever deteriorating environment.

The Democratic catch phrase of the week was “Cap and Trade,” a term that sends oil companies, auto companies, coal conglomerates and farmers alike running for cover. The idea is that companies emitting pollutants would be responsible for their unhealthy emissions by paying a fee for any percentage of emissions that rose above a government regulated standard. If companies were unable to reduce their emissions by a certain percentage, they could also “buy” more emission” legroom” from companies that were able to produce less poisonous byproduct and therefore have percentages to trade or sell.

Unfortunately, on a per capita basis, the United States has established itself as the largest producer of carbon emissions. The world needs the United States to reduce her carbon emissions if there is any chance of reducing global warming. If this is the best we can do as a country to clean up our act, we may as well embrace the quagmire of biohazard that our children will inherit because if they make it to adulthood, it is hard to predict what they will recognize as an environmental inheritance.

I will be traveling with the Indiana Businesses for a Clean Energy Economy.  The IBCEE will be focused on building support for comprehensive climate and energy legislation on the federal level during their time in Washington D.C.

I’m quite excited to sit down with some of the brightest minds in the sustainability movement. Here is the agenda for our trip:

Wednesday:

10:30 am – Emily Hayden (Ellsworth)

12:30 pm – Nathan Bennett (Carson)

2:00 pm – David Bond (Hill)

3:00 pm – Senator Richard Lugar (himself)

3:15 pm – Rep. Pete Visclosky (himself)

Thursday:

11:00 am – Neil Brown (Lugar)

1:00 pm – Scott Morrison (Bayh)

3:00 pm – Andy Boland (Donnelly)

Westfield, IN – Local environmental expert Tom Barrett has been selected to join a group of Hoosiers traveling to Washington D.C. next week (July 20-22) to talk with Indiana’s Congressional delegation about the importance of federal climate and energy legislation.

Barrett is traveling with the Indiana Businesses for a Clean Energy Economy. The IBCEE will be focused on building support for comprehensive climate and energy legislation on the federal level during their time in Washington D.C.

“I am honored the IBCEE has invited me to meet with Indiana’s Congressional leaders,” says Barrett. “Environmental issues are an important topic in Washington D.C. right now and I am looking forward to working with everyone.”