Attendees watch performers at the 2011 Nelsonville Music Festival. Photo by Jason Bash.

By Mayuri Mei Lin, CG News

The Hocking College campus will come alive this weekend with music performances, food and local art during the three-day Nelsonville Music Festival (NMF), but with as less waste as possible.

A recent  press release stated that a partnership with the Appalachia Ohio Zero Waste Initiative (AOZWI) will help the NMF in its efforts to become a zero waste event with the goal of doubling last year’s 45% waste diversion rate.

“It’s a big goal,” said AOZWI Coordinator Kyle O’Keefe, “but we think we can definitely out-do last year’s recycling and compost rates.”

Zero Waste Initiative is a Rural Action program that partners with communities in Southeastern Ohio to foster social, economic and environmental justice.

Last year, the partnership between Zero Waste and NMF saw over 1,630 pounds of recycled materials.

This year, efforts are being double with the addition of post-consumer compost bins.  Attendees can compost food waste and certain service ware right on the fest site. Campers will also have easier access to campground recycling stations.

Waste reduction efforts from last year such as reusable beer cups, free filtered water fill-up stations and educational signs are also being implemented again.

Additionally, on-site vendors have committed to reducing the amount of packaging they bring into the festival. Food vendors that will be present during this year’s fest include Ali Baba’s Kitchen, Blue Moon Catering, Butch’s BBQ, The Burrito Buggy and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.

With the festivals location at the entrance of the Hocking Adena Bikeway, organizers are also encouraging fest goers to ride their bikes to and from the event.

This year’s fest is made possible by Stuart’s Opera House, a non-profit historic theater, and attendees can expect to see performances by Iron & Wine, Andrew Bird, M. Ward, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Roky Erickson and Todd Snider, just to name a few.

“I’m excited to attend the fest cause it’ll be my first time,” James Choong, an Ohio University student studying business said. “I think it’s great how it’s going green like that. It’ll be interesting to see that in action too.”

Cycle Path offers a number of bicycle options to fit the needs of all patrons. Photo by CG Photographer Brenna Hettler.

By Katie Foglia, CG Lifestyles & People

Across the world, bikes have become a dominant part of culture. For many, learning how to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage, and the old cliché, “you never forget how to ride a bike,” has become a euphemism for revisiting past experiences. Now, biking has become more than just a cultural statement: it is an eco-friendly way of life.

Whether for recreational or functional purposes, the benefits of riding a bike can be expressed in many ways. Biking can improve environmental and personal health, reduces traffic jamming and has economic rewards, among incentives. In Athens, people have recognized its importance.

Athens resident David West bought his first cycling bike when he was 13, and competed in his first race at age 41. He has since competed in races in Athens and Nelsonville. “Biking gives you the freedom of being a kid again,” West said. “For me, it’s like being at church.”

But not all Athens residents have been as keen about biking as West. In fact, many were scared to trade in the security of their cars for a more open form of transportation. But with the creation of the HockHocking Adena Bikeway, more people have begun embracing the cyclist lifestyle.

“Before the bike path came to Athens, people were afraid to ride,” said Maxine Rantane, owner of Cycle Path Bicycles. “They didn’t think it was safe. Now, not just rich college kids ride bikes, families are biking together.”

Bikes line the sidewalk outside of Cycle Path on Union Street. Photo by CG Photographer Brenna Hettler.

Cycle Path Bicycles has been at its current location, 104 W. Union St., since 1983. They sell new and used bikes, bike baskets, bike locks, bike seats, bike apparel, bike literature, bike helmets, gloves – basically any cycling accessory imaginable. Their bike specialists also perform maintenance and offer a variety of different service packages.

“We do free estimates for people too,” Rantane said. “Sometimes the cost of repairs is more then the bike itself, but if the bike has sentimental value, sometimes people chose to make the repairs.”

Rantane is involved in bike advocacy efforts locally as well as nationally. She knows that riders form deep bonds with their bikes, and offers test rides to possible customers.

“You don’t know what a bike feels like until you ride it. If you give us your ID, you can take one of the bikes for a ride,” she said.

Cycle Path Bicycles offers maintenance on everything from Wal-Mart bikes to antiques that have been sitting in someone’s barn for 40 years. But Rantane and her crew aren’t the only people in Athens who are passionate about cycling.

For Eric Cornwell, biking started off as a hobby. While he was at college in New Mexico, he got into the mountain bike scene. After a semester and a half, he decided to come back to Athens. Here, Cornwell began volunteering and building bikes at the Athens Bike Co-operative. Now, the co-op is split into two groups: ShadeTree Bike Works and Cornwell’s solo endeavor, UpCycle Bike Garage.

“Bikes can be just as practical and efficient for distance and comfort as cars,” Cornwell said. “I’ve taken long trips and carried a tent, cooking supplies, a sleeping bag and everything else on my bike.”

Cornwell spoke passionately about self-sufficient bike touring, which requires the rider to carry virtually everything needed on their bike. This weighs the bike – and biker – down, but it is by far the cheapest, most exciting and challenging type of cycling possible.

A real-life bike connoisseur, Cornwell has ridden from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., and has made trips from Louisville to Athens, cutting through Cincinnati. He described the ride from Pittsburgh to D.C. as “very pretty and very smooth.”

UpCycle has been very successful so far. “There are so many college students here, so of course there is a good bike market,” Cornwell said. He built his own pedicabs and started a business called Bikes Bring It, which has gained him some notoriety among Athens residents.

It is easy to see that Cornwell is passionate about what he does. At his garage on 18 Euclid Dr. he reclaims, reconfigures and reanimates bikes. He has also been involved with other aspects of Athens cycling culture, such as bike polo.

Cornwell also designs and builds many different types of bikes, including hybrid models like “freak bikes,” a bike-lawnmower combination. He hopes to one day build a bike RV.

Rantane and Cornwell both have high hopes for the future of bicycles. “There are lots of ways to push the envelope,” Cornwell said. “I think OU should have a bike program and a bike rental shop. People need greater access to bikes.”

For more information on biking opportunities nearby, snag a copy of the 2012 Ohio Bicycle Events Calendar from Rantane’s shop or view the online schedule.

Google Inc. wind power project works toward approval 

On Monday, the United States Department of the Interior declared there was “no overlapping competitive interest” in the proposal for the Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC) line, clearing the way for environmental review. The project is planned to cost$5 billion in costs but will generate  7,000 megawatts of power.  The environmental review, which  is estimated to take up to 18 to 24 months, will consider factors such as the line’s impact on fishing . The AWC is supported by Google, Good Energies and Japan’s Marubeni Corp.

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Water-diversion deal may endanger California’s Salton Sea 

Environmentalists are concerned about a new water diversion system  designed to transfer local farmers’ water to San Diego County for the city to use. They fear it will ultimately cause the Salton Sea to dramatically shrink, which would cause agricultural runoff, exposing chemicals such as arsenic and selenium in the dry lake bed to surrounding wildlife and people. The water transfer plan, officially known as the Quantification Settlement Agreement, was approved last month by the California Supreme Court. It is intended to reduce statewide dependence on water from the Colorado River, from which the Salton Sea was created via flooding in 1905.

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Space report shows rise in consumption, decline in earth’s health

Astronauts with the European Space Agency recently journeyed to the International Space Station to record findings for the Living Planet Report for 2012.  The report concluded that the world is still consuming more natural resources than the planet can replenish as well as  an increasingly dramatic gap between the ecological footprints of rich and poor nations.  The report also includes a list of the top ten polluting countries based on consumption of renewable resources compared to biocapacity, with Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates as the top 3 and the U.S. ranking as sixth.

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New honeysuckle blossoms bloom white then fade to yellow. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

By Elizabeth Cychosz, CG Science Staff

With the onset of spring, the honeysuckles are now in bloom across Athens. For those lucky enough to have had one growing near their childhood home, the term “honeysuckle” calls to memory crawling through the woods or clamoring across a field to reach its juicy flowers for a mid-day refreshment.

Brought to North America at the turn of the twentieth century for ornamental usage and soil erosion control, Amur honeysuckle, as a non-native plant, now pervades the United States landscape from New York to Nebraska. Both pollination by bees and the spread of its seeds by birds contribute to its prevalence.

Few environmental factors restrict its growth: it thrives in full sun or full shade and all types of soil or weather. Not even pollution can stop its spread. That tenacity is not always good, however; it can easily crowd out and smother native plants.

Honeysuckle buds. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

Fast Facts:

• Amur honeysuckle, even though a bush plant, can reach 30 feet in height.
• Its tan bark is stringy and can easily pulled of the stem.
• Three formations decorate its stem. Tiny, mildly poisonous red berries form in late summer and survive through the winter. Its leaves are dark green with pale fuzzy undersides and their 2-3 inch diameter ends in a sharp point. Tubular, 5-part flowers bloom in late spring, first white and then slowly yellowing with age.
• Amur honeysuckle can live in nearly every environment the Eastern and Midwestern United States has to offer.

Sources:

ODNR

Bikepath Flora

Weed of the Week

Amur Honeysuckle at Duke

Athens deep-shale drilling to be tested with reduced lease

Cunningham Energy of Charleston is proposing a less profitable lease to Athens County landowners for test wells. This will include 5 test wells for deep-shale drilling throughout the county. If the test wells show no potential, oil and gas development will not take place in Athens County.  The production wells are to be drilled into the Utica shale formation within the county by the end of January 2014.

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Brazil’s dam production affecting living conditions, inciting revolts 

Last month Brazilian laborers set fire to the construction site of the Jirau Dam along the banks of the Amazon’s largest tributary because of poor living conditions and wages.  Brazil authorities said they expect approximately 20 hydroelectric projects to be built in Brazil within the next 10 years.  Environmental groups are concerned that the displacement of indigenous peoples and the potential release of large amounts of methane gas will outweigh the dams’ projected benefit of meeting increasing electricity demands.  Labor strikes are also occurring at other sites such as the Santo Antonio Dam and Belo Monte.

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Hurricane season to be “normal” this year

Last Thursday AccuWeather.com forecasted a  “near normal” hurricane season, meaning approximately 12 named tropical storms, fived named hurricanes and two major hurricanes will occur this year.  This would be an improvement from the previous hurricane season.   The development of major storms like this are predicted to be less favorable due to a variety of climate conditions that are beginning to change.  The first storm of the season will be named Alberto.

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Crowds of students register to take part in the 2012 Athens Beautification Day project. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

This year Athens Beautification Day took place on April 29, the day after Palmer fest, which made for plenty to participates to beautify. However, picking up beer cans wasn’t the only activity Beautification Day participants engaged in. CG members were sent to Athens Middle School where they picked up glass bottles, planted flowers, spread mulch and did other odd jobs to help the school grounds look its best!

Marigolds provided for planting teams to use around Athens during the 2012 Athens Beautification Day project. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

Athens Middle School, Athens Beautification Group 12. CG and friends! From left to right: Abby Russell, Tina Leszkiewicz, Jeff Schirtzinger, Dustin Hall, Josh Croucher((front) Emma Clark, Elizabeth Linares, Steven Malueg and Emma Dean. Photo by CG Photographer Brenna Hettler.

A little something left on the steps of the Athens Middle School. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

Emma Dean (far left), Emma Clark and Dustin Hall work together spreading mulch while Abby Russell works pulling up weeds at the Athens Middle School. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

A Japanese Honeysuckle planted outside of Athens Middle School. Photo by CG Photographer Brenna Hettler.

Athens Beautification Day participants don't focus on just this year's objectives but on continuing the efforts of previous years which includes weeding already established plots. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

Marigolds awaiting the transfer to their new home at the Athens Middle School. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

Members of Team 12 gathering up loose ends. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

Every year t-shirts are provided to Athens Beautification Day participates as a year-round reminder of the day's efforts. Photo by CG Photo Editor Elizabeth Linares.

In a recent statement released by Ohio University, the Board of Trustees heard a report from the Ad Hoc Mineral Rights committee regarding fracking on University-owned land.

The press release stated, “Because of Ohio House Bill 133 – legislation that overhauled the process for leasing state-owned lands for oil and gas development – this topic is of pressing concern.”

The committee explored the many dimensions of this issue which included; the rights and responsibilities of the Board under HB 133, the possibility for fracking on University lands, recommended leasing stipulations and the potential long-term impacts. Each campus held open forums to gather responses from the University community.

Formal recommendations were designed by the committee primarily to protect campuses and their communities regardless of the decision to enter into a lease. One such recommendation was to establish an environmental baseline for lands under consideration formed from geological surveys, reports of health conditions in relation to the environment, information on air quality and drinking water reserves.

Other suggestions included drafting sample leases that hold any lessee accountable to maintain certain conditions, standardized decision-making procedures throughout all campuses regarding leases, guidelines for the usage of income earned via said leases and suggestions for securing the University’s investments and maintaining the property over the long term.

According to the press release, the committee also strongly suggested that the University avoid signing leases for five of its six campuses until the long-term effects are better understood.

The press release stated that, “an exception was made for the Eastern Campus. That campus has fielded offers to drill on its land, and because adjacent areas have already been leased, the committee recommended that the University enter into an agreement prior to the enactment of HB 133 so as to include as many of the proposed safeguards as possible.”

The Board also passed a resolution permitting President McDavis, or his designee, to engage in mineral rights agreements, pending final approval by the Board.

The Board will reconvene June 22 with an update regarding Ohio University’s drafted lease.

“We want the best scientific information upon which we base our decision,” McDavis said. “We are trying to do the best thing for the environment and certainly for the university.”

Humans aren’t the only species that use the affect of music to court the opposite sex.  Instead of a lead singer’s crooning voice, the male Song Sparrow serenades his prospective female mate from a visible perch in contrast to the shrubbery and grass in which Song Sparrows spend most of their time.  The Song Sparrow scours for food in the low brush without calling attention to it, but when courting, secrecy is abandoned.

If attracted to the male’s beautiful songs, the courtship will escalate to the two creatures fluttering together in the air with their tails arched and legs dangling.  Together the pair will search for a nesting site to rear their young.  Nests may be cleverly hidden in grasses, on the ground or even built as high as 15 feet.

The Song Sparrow is unique in raising young. After the female incubates the eggs for about two weeks, she will care for the young for approximately ten days. Then  they will leave the nest and become the responsibility of the male.  The female will then lay more eggs.

Besides attracting mates, the male sings to declare ownership of territory.  Its songs consist of repeated notes, trills  and isolated notes.  The Song Sparrow will sing the same song over and over before alternating to a different melody.  It learns its tunes from several other birds located in neighboring territories.

Fast Facts:

• Even great mimics such as the mockingbird cannot exactly imitate the Song Sparrow.
• The Song Sparrow earned its moniker because the birds may sing up to 20 different songs with nearly 1,000 improvised variations.
• Eggs are greenish white.
• Song Sparrows are mostly monogamous but some sire young with multiple mates each breeding season.
• Its diet consists mostly of seeds and fruits but the Song Sparrow also enjoys snacks such as beetles, caterpillars and grasshoppers.
• The Song Sparrow is native to North America.  There are about 20 to 30 subspecies in the United States and Canada alone with four or more in Mexico.  Despite minor regional differences, a Song Sparrow is easily identifiable almost anywhere.
• The oldest known Song Sparrow lived to be 11 years and 4 months old.

Sources:

National Geographic

All About Birds

 Birdhouses 101

Avian Web

U.S. air pollution at lowest level in a decade 

The American Lung Association reported last Wednesday that the air quality in America is at its highest level since the group started gathering data in 2000.  The ALA, a nonprofit organization, attributes this to recent higher environmental standards set regarding smog and sot levels in the air. Charles Connor, ALA president and CEO said that the ongoing protection of the Clean Air Act is to be credited as well.  According to ALA data, as of 2010 nationwide ozone levels have dropped 13 percent since 2000 and particle pollution has dropped 24 percent. ALA Assistant Vice President Janice Nolen said she believes the U.S. is on the right track to improving air quality because of this significant reduction in pollution despite economic growth.

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Mini Athens Farmers Market held at OU

Last Friday morning OU Graduate Student Senate and the Office of Sustainability partnered together to bring the Mini Farmers Market to the campus’ Howard Park. This is the second time during this academic year that the event was made possible after its initial occurrence in the fall. The Mini Farmers Market featured booths of local vendors and enabled students to experience what options the Athens area has to offer in sustainable food businesses. Additionally, Tracy Kelly, president of Graduate Student Senate, said that discussions about the possibility of a monthly Mini Farmers Market have occurred.

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Largest fossil forest ever found to offer insight into climate change

Scientists are currently exploring a 307 million-year-old fossil forest in the Springfield Coal mines in southern Illinois.  The forest lies within eight active mines, has differing depths of 250 to 800 feet and researches estimate it may extend for more than 100 miles, making it the largest fossilized forest ever found.  With this rare, vast amount of fossilized organisms clumped together, team members of the Illinois State Geological Survey say they will be able to analyze this ecosystem in a way that much smaller remains wouldn’t allow them to. Scientists also say that studies such as this have often enabled them to learn about, and predict, the effects of global warming, making this large discovery significant in climate change research.

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