Did you read the informed and depressing article appearing in the December 12 issue of Nuvo written by Broad Ripple author and business owner Tom Healy entitled; "The Toxic State of Indiana"? If you missed it, you can read it online at http://nuvo.net/articles/the_toxic_state_of_indiana/. In the article, Tom skillfully elucidates all the reasons why Indiana was ranked 49th on Forbes magazine's published list of America's Greenest States. 49th - only West Virginia was lower. As a city, Indianapolis does not fare much better and is ranked 45th of the 50 largest US cities by Sustainlane.com while our big sister to the north, Chicago, is #4. How can we be so close and yet so far apart?

Below is the Highlights portion (only a small part of the web page) of the Department of Environment (DOE) to be found on the City of Chicago web site. On the right is the local counterpart to be found on the IndyGov website and is all that appears on the web page. "Locate a Recycling Site" and "Mayor's Action Center" are links that no longer work and "Keep Indianapolis Beautiful" is a private sector not-for-profit, not a government agency. The contrast is striking, don't you think?

It is most hopeful that given the obvious lack of initiative on the part of our state and city governments in leading our communities toward a more healthful sustainable way of living, the Green idea is being embraced by an ever increasing number of Hoosiers who are taking the time to inform themselves on the issues. Increasingly, they are joining Green advocacy groups, attending "Carbon Diet" workshops, starting Green Ministries at their place of worship, signing up for Sustainability Seminars, looking for ways to recycle and conserve and incorporating Green ideas in their daily lives. The remarkable spread and coalescing of the Green idea at this grass roots level is facilitated by a phenomenal access to information, especially through the internet and it is this feature of our culture that holds the promise for the change so urgently needed yet so strongly resisted. Hoosiers must continue this effort and take a step further. They must hold governing officials responsible for their actions or inactions. They must review government action with a critical eye and have the courage to speak openly, loudly and in a forthright manner on these the most critical issues of our day - bravo Tom.

The dismal environmental record of our past Mayor does have a bright note. One year ago, he established the Green Commission and the Indy Greenprint initiative and, while a whole decade later than Chicago, it is beginning to bear first fruit. The Commission recently released its first report. Among language apparently intended to reassure the established business interests in our community that no drastic change will be forthcoming, it does contain many important and valuable ideas that, if implemented, could only lead to drastic change. Is this contrast or is this paradox? You can judge for yourself by accessing the 43 page report at http://chapters.usgbc.org/indiana/documents/GreenPrintActionAgendafinal.pdf.

To me, it looks like paradox. Yet life's lessons have compelled me to accept that paradox is unavoidable and often irresolvable. Thus, I have no difficulty in delving deeper into this document in subsequent articles to see if I might gain and share insight, however speculative, as to how this document might actually change our daily lives.