Calendar

• 6/12: Conversations on the Environment: The Story of Greensburg
• 6/13: Forest Stewardship Council certification tour at Schutte Lumber
• 6/19: American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) Energy Forum
• 6/22-24: Greening the Heartland 2008, St. Louis, Mo.
• 6/22-25: Missouri Waste Control Coalition Conference, Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.
• 7/31: Show Me Recycling Workshop
• Upcoming U.S. Green Building Council courses
• Volunteer with Bridging The Gap

E-Resources

• Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN)
• New resource on state and local government acquisitions of brownfields
• EPA’s 2008 Report on the Environment
• "Endless City" calls for development that supports people and the environment, rather than the automobile
• EPA makes $50 million available to clean up diesel engines nationwide
• Planetreuse.com connects buyers and sellers of reusable construction materials and equipment
• Animated map brings global climate crisis to life
• IBM launches supply chain carbon analysis tool

World News

• U.S. study sees threat from big-particle pollutants
• WWF says food supply at risk from species loss
• Burying CO2 vital in climate battle
• San Francisco, a city serious about recycling
• Where cyclists and motorists are friends
• Solving the energy, climate and food crisis: Why we should support the revitalization of small farms in the Global South
• The other footprint: The water footprint

June 2008

Kansas City expected to lose air quality attainment status

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced it will tighten the national standard for ground-level ozone, or smog. EPA is taking this action after reviewing over 1,700 studies showing that the current ozone standard does not adequately protect public health. The current standard is 84 parts per billion (ppb); the new standard will be 75 ppb. Kansas City is expected to become a non-attainment area when EPA formally classifies areas under the new standard in March 2010. EPA is also revising the Air Quality Index (AQI) used to convey air quality information to the public so that the index reflects the new standard. The AQI revision is expected to lead to more frequent Ozone Alerts this summer. For more information about the new ozone standard and AQI revision visit the EPA. Visit SkyCast for daily ozone forecasts of the metro area.

MARC develops case statement to promote more federal funding for biking and walking

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is spearheading a national movement to double federal funding for trails, walking and biking. MARC worked with local partners to draft a case statement on how more funding for active transportation could benefit the Kansas City region by playing a larger role in meeting mobility needs. For more information, see Transportation Matters.

Solid Waste Management District solicits FY-2009 grant applications

The MARC Solid Waste Management District is soliciting Fiscal Year 2009 grant applications from city and county governments, businesses, schools, non-profit organizations and other interested parties to promote waste reduction, reuse and recycling. Learn about grant program objectives and the application process at one of three sessions:

• Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 1–2:30 p.m.
• Thursday, June 26, 2008, 1–2:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 1, 2008, 1–2:30 p.m.

The sessions will be held at MARC, 600 Broadway, Suite 200, Kansas City, Mo., 64105. To download grant forms visit the Waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Grant Program Web page. For more information contact Nadja Karpilow karpilow@marc.org or (816) 701-8226.

The Surplus Exchange receives national recognition

The Surplus Exchange has been recognized by the Basel Action Network (BAN) of Seattle, Wash., and the Electronics TakeBack Coalition (ETBC) of San Francisco, Calif., as a “True Steward of Electronics Recycling.” After an exhaustive audit of both The Surplus Exchange and its downstream vendors, The Surplus Exchange was invited to sign the Electronics Recycler’s Pledge of True Stewardship. The Surplus Exchange is the only Kansas City-based organization that meets the high standards set by BAN and ETBC. The audit validated The Surplus Exchange’s methods and followed material through collection, transport, destruction and final reclaiming and refining. For more information, contact Bob Akers at bobakers@surplusexchange.org or (816) 472-0444.

Upcoming training from the Academy for Sustainable Communities

MARC’s Academy for Sustainable Communities offers seminars, technical workshops, roundtable discussions, speakers’ series and other special events focused on how the Kansas City region can serve as a model of sustainability by emphasizing environmental, economic and social success. Visit www.marc.org/sustain for a complete list of events and opportunities. Upcoming courses:

• June 19: Building School Curriculum
• July 11: How to Use the Natural Resource Inventory (NRI)
• July 30: Sustainable Design Luncheon
• August 21: Green Purchasing