Prisons recycle to save energy, money
November 5, 2008
Of all the things convicted murderer Robert Knowles has been called during his 13 years behind bars, recycler hasn’t been one of them.
But there he was one morning, pitchfork in hand, composting food scraps from the main chow line and coffee grounds from prison headquarters — doing his part to "green" the prison.
"It’s nice to be out in the elements," said Knowles, 42, stirring dark, rich compost that will amend the soil at the small farm where he and fellow inmates of the Cedar Creek Corrections Center grew 8,000 pounds of organic vegetables this year.
Inmates of the minimum-security facility, 25 miles from Olympia, the state capital, raise bees, grow organic tomatoes and lettuce, compost 100 percent of food waste and even recycle shoe scraps that are made into playground turf.
"It reduces cost, reduces our damaging impact on the environment, engages inmates as students," said Eldon Vail, secretary of the Washington Department of Corrections, which oversees 15 prisons and 18,000 offenders. "It’s good security."
As around-the-clock operations, prisons are voracious resource hogs, and administrators are under increasing pressure to reduce waste and conserve energy and water.
In 2007, states spent more than $49 billion to feed, house, clothe, treat and supervise 2.3 million offenders, the Pew Center on the States reported this year.
As the prison population has grown this decade, up 76 percent from 1.3 million in 2000, the number of prisons and jails has risen with it. The latest U.S. Bureau of Justice data show 1,821 facilities in 2005, up from 1,668 in 2000.
To keep costs down, the Indiana Department of Corrections installed water boilers that run on waste wood chips, and built a wind turbine at one prison that generates about 10 kilowatts an hour and saves $2,280 a year.
At Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, Calif., 6,200 solar panels send energy back to the grid, enough to power 4,100 homes a year. The prison was trying to meet an executive order requiring state agencies to reduce energy use by 20 percent by 2015, said a spokeswoman, Lt. Sue Smith.
North Carolina’s Department of Corrections switched to chemical-free cleaners and vegetable-based inks. This summer, because of a water shortage, inmates converted 50-gallon pickle barrels into small cisterns that capture rainwater.
Under a state mandate to reduce energy use, the Oregon Department of Corrections replaced old appliances with energy-efficient ones, installed solar water heaters and used a geothermal well to heat water. It also modified washing machines so they could reuse rinse-water to wash about a million pounds of clothes a month.
At Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, Ore., inmates recycle scraps from old prison blues to make diaper bags for women’s shelters and dog beds for animal shelters.
"We try to model prosocial behavior," said Vern Rowan, business manager for the Oregon Department of Corrections. Being sustainable "is something that everybody should be doing, regardless of where they’re at."
Cedar Creek, in the heart of a forest, feels more like an outdoor retreat than institutional lockup.
Most of the 400 inmates are in a work program, and put in between six and eight hours a day.
The responsibility of caring for the prison’s three hives of Italian honey bees falls mostly to Daniel Travatte, 36, a soft-spoken former drug addict who is serving 10 years for attempted armed robbery.
Under the supervision of prison counselor Vicki Briggs, Travatte has learned to harvest honey — which inmates occasionally eat with breakfast biscuits — and use beeswax to make lotions. He’s become an expert on their habits.
"I’m trying to change myself," said Travatte. "A lot of people go through prison with no intention of changing. I love working with the bees. It keeps me busy. I have a lot of responsibility to take care of."
While there isn’t scientific evidence that such activities are helping inmates, Nalini Nadkarni, an environmental studies professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., notes anecdotal evidence that it’s working.
"They were stimulating their minds and having conversations that were different than ‘How much more time we have left’?" said Nadkarni.
One inmate went beyond conversations, enrolling in a doctoral program when he got out and co-authoring a research paper with Nadkarni on a moss-growing project she started to help reduce the impact of wild moss harvesting on forests.
While Cedar Creek went green out of economic necessity — it had to conserve because it didn’t have the wastewater capacity to expand four years ago — it is now embracing other benefits, said Dan Pacholke, a state prison administrator who helped implement many of the practices.
Cedar Creek uses 250,000 fewer gallons of water a year, saves $6,000 to $8,400 annually on garbage bills and avoided a $1.4 million sewage treatment plant upgrade.
A large "Con-Post" marks the prison’s composting station, made of recycled concrete blocks and reclaimed wood, where Knowles spends about six hours a day, making sure the compost gets enough heat, moisture and air to break down food scraps.
"They trust me to do all this with no supervision," said Knowles, who is serving time for the hit-and-run death of an off-duty police officer.
"I like growing the vegetables," Knowles said. "My mom had a garden. I can see having my own garden."
Community Action Service pegs Jeff Mikulina for Award
November 5, 2008
The League of Women Voters of Honolulu is honoring Jeff Mikulina, Executive Director of Blue Planet Foundation, in a first-time award for community service. The Donald and Astrid Monson Community Action award will be given annually to an organization or individual who has made the year’s outstanding contributions toward or involving public interest planning, housing, or environmental issues.
"Jeff’s outstanding contributions during the past decade to responsibly manage and conserve Hawaii ’s environment have made our state a better place to live for years to come. The League is proud to sponsor this event and present the first Donald and Astrid Monson Community Action award to him," said Piilani Kaopuiki, President of the League of Women Voters of Honolulu.
A reception honoring the late Donald and Astrid Monson and first time recipient Jeff Mikulina, who until recently served as Executive Director of The Sierra Club of Hawaii will be held on November 13, 2008, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Honolulu Elks Club in Waikiki. Reservations are $50 per person and include pupus, one cocktail, live music, and valet parking.
As the Director of The Sierra Club of Hawaii for ten years, where he was the organization’s lobbyist and spokesperson, Mikulina was instrumental in the passing of legislation setting caps on Hawaii ’s greenhouse gas emissions, making solar water heating a standard feature on new homes, and increasing the funding of natural resource conservation and management through tourism taxes. He has previously served as vice chair of both the Honolulu Planning Commission and Honolulu Charter Commission and was awarded the EPA Region 9 Environmental Hero Award in 2003.
Interested persons may call the League of Women Voters of Honolulu at 531-7448 or email Voters@LWV-Hawaii.com. RSVP by Nov. 10th.
The League of Women Voters of Honolulu was founded in 1948. As part of its mission to encourage citizens to play an active role in elections and promote government oversight, members of the League of Women Voters of Honolulu have been actively involved in issues such as education, planning and zoning, transportation, environmental quality, campaign finance reform, prevention of domestic violence. The League of Women Voters of Honolulu has also provided voter services to the community by registering voters, assisting in vote counts, arranging and moderating campaign debates and forums, holding meetings and conferences on various public issues of the day and serving on State and City and County commissions and advisory committees.
Oahu’s Only Phone Book and Newspaper Recycling Plant
November 5, 2008
Island Shell LLC, an Aiea-based environmental manufacturing firm, recently completed installation of a $750,000 recycling mill. The mill is designed to process phone books, newspaper, and cardboard into environmentally sound products sold throughout the state. Bernie Boltz, owner, says, "Our plant is able to process up to 10 tons of waste paper per day".
At present the company produces two product lines: Green Lava Hydro-mulch™ and two brands of oil change Boxes. Hydro-mulch, made from 95% recycled paper, helps seed large areas inexpensively; it is also used for erosion and dust control. Oil change boxes, sold in most automotive stores state-wide, promote responsible waste oil disposal.
In addition Boltz states, "In a couple months our product line will also include InCide Pest Control Cellulose Insulation™." This product is made from 80% recycled paper designed to keep homes cool, quiet, and pest-free. Boltz also reports that Island Shell is actively working on expanding the product line to include a variety of environmentally-friendly pet products.
Island Shell Environmental Manufacturing is protecting Hawaii’s environment by using resources already in Hawaii, by producing goods that have a positive impact on the environment, and by reducing the need for export of recyclable materials . Says Boltz, "This plant is a great step in the right direction for Hawaii". He emphasized both residents and local corporations need to have an active interest in reducing waste to preserve the character and resources of our island home.
For more information about the company or to find out more about phone book / newspaper recycling, email Bernie at bernie@islandshell.com
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