Jefferson Paris Councilman Chris Roberts, in a CNN interview, accused BP of sending temporary workers to Grand Isle, Louisiana, for President Obama’s Friday visit. According to Roberts, the workers went home once Obama left. He said the company had recruited 300-400 workers for the visit, while (aside from their brief stay) no more than 20 [...]

Each year, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers dredges hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of sediment from the port of Toledo. The dredging, which keeps the port open for merchant ships, involves the controversial relocation of contaminated sediments (e.g., from agricultural fertilizer runoff). According to a Columbus Dispatch report, environmental groups such as the [...]

A recent article on the New York Times City Room blog explored the potential for cigarette butt recycling. For example, Chinese scientists have discovered ways to use cigarette butts to develop a solution for protecting steel pipes from corrosion, and in Brazil, designer Alexandra Guerrero has spun cigarette butts with sheep wool to create clothing. [...]

Tickets are still available for Greenovate’s June 3 bedroom health workshop, the third installment of the current In-Focus series, “Room-by-Room: Green Building & Your Health.” Space is limited, so prompt registration is recommended. For details and registration, click here. The workshop will be led by Alissa DeRouchie of Sprout Soup and Kate Wigand of Mythic [...]

Beginning May 27, the USGBC Central Ohio Chapter will host LUNCH and LEADERS events, planned for the fourth Thursday of each month. At the first meeting, the chapter will convene from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and a lunch presentation will provide a chapter overview, board and committee introductions, and an overview of upcoming events. [...]

An op-ed by Alec Appelbaum in yesterday’s New York Times casts doubt on the LEED Rating System’s ability to guarantee long-term energy performance: “…some certified buildings end up using much more energy than the evaluators predicted, because the buildings are more popular than expected or busy at different times than developers forecast, or because tenants [...]

According to a Columbus Dispatch report, fires at Ohio landfills are gathering increased attention from the EPA. The underground fires, which are difficult to extinguish, have been identified at at least five landfills in the state, including in Hamilton and Stark Counties. The fires generate air pollution, explosions, landslides, and can melt buried pipes and [...]

Released in 2005, Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage offers a fascinating account of waste production, transport, and disposal, a complex and problematic system that rarely garners adequate attention. According to the book’s website, Gone Tomorrow explores, for example, “controversial topics like the politics of recycling and the export of trash to developing countries” [...]