AEC State News - Spring 2005 - The Alabama Environmental Council

Statenews
AEC Downtown Recycling Drop-Off Center
Recycles Over 1 Million Pounds
BY DAN TENPAS,
AEC Recycling Program Coordinator
Completing the Cycle
Spring 2005
In This Issue...
Cahaba License Plate............page 5
Lindsey Office Furniture ......page 6
Green Tie Affair ..................page 6
Thank Yous..........................page 7
AEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers:
Ouida Fritschi..........................................................President
Larry Crenshaw ................................Secretary, Past President
Scott Stone ..............................................................Treasurer
Dr. Ed Passerini ....Conservation Vice President, Past President
Amy Vickers ..................................Membership Vice President
Board Members:
Mary Burks ................................................Emeritus Director
Dr. Robert Burks ........................................Emeritus Director
Lee Yokel ........................................President, Jubilee Chapter
Joe Imhof ................Acting President, Tennessee Valley Chapter
Angela Harbert ..........................President, Tuscaloosa Chapter
Kacy Burkhart
Katherine Cotney
Kyle Crider
Verna Gates
Dr. Ronald Jenkins
Dr. David Kraus
Steve Masterson
Mary Elizabeth Mays
JoLee Passerini
Dr. Kevin Redding
Dr. David Reynolds
Adam Snyder
Chuck Thomas
Alex Varner
Legal Counsel:
Bart Slawson
Staff:
Jayme S. Hill..............................................Executive Director
B. Seth Johnson ................................Administrative Director
Jennifer H. Dorgan................................Program Coordinator
Dan Tenpas ............................Recycling Program Coordinator
Jesse Brown ......................................Recycling Center Assitant
Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper
using a chlorine-free process.
For more information on eco-friendly paper,
contact the AEC office.
Greetings from the
downtown drop-off
Recycling Center! It’s
been six months since I
got on board, and I
have eased right into
the swing of things as
the Recycling
Coordinator. Here’s a
quick little diddy to let
you know how the
downtown drop-off center has been doing. To begin
with, we recycled over one million pounds of material for the calendar year of 2004! The breakdown of
those materials is as follows: 158 tons of newspaper,
18 tons of #1 and #2 plastic, 224 tons of mixed
paper, 14 tons of mixed steel and aluminum cans, 74
tons of corrugated cardboard, and an estimated 178
tons of glass.
That’s quite a bit of landfill space saved; it actually
works out to be 1,511 cubic yards! In addition to
the landfill conservation the materials collected at the
AEC downtown drop-off center saved approximately
12 million BTUs, which is enough energy to run 55
average Alabama homes for a whole year. And last
but not least: the equivalent of 96,000 gallons of
gasoline were conserved thanks to all of our faithful
recyclers!
Those are big numbers, which we intend to make
bigger for the 2005 calendar year. The month of
January has already been a busy one, and surely foreshadows the rest of the year. Melissa Camp, our
UAB intern, and I will be working on a public
awareness campaign directed toward informing local
citizens of the ease and importance of recycling in
their community. With the campaign and with your
support, we will definitely boost the numbers and
continue to be key players in reducing the solid waste
stream. Always remember to complete the cycle by
using recycled products. Keep up the great work and
THANK YOU FOR RECYCLING!
Trash to Treasure
BY DAN TENPAS,
AEC Recycling Program Coordinator
In November of 2004, the AEC staff
made a visit to Lafarge North America.
Lafarge NA is a cement company located
in Calera that is now taking glass from
our downtown recycling center. The
purpose of the trip was to learn more
about what happens to the glass after it
leaves the center.
Lafarge took over the Calera location
many years ago and has been working to clean up the
site ever since. They have formed a positive relationship with the city of Calera, donating computers to
the local school among other things. In addition to
accepting glass collected from citizens who frequent
the downtown drop-off center, Lafarge is working to
be part of Alabama’s newly initiated scrap tire program in which industries will dispose of the state’s
overwhelming amount of scrap tires. LaFarge NA is
in the process of getting permitted through the
Alabama Department of Environmental Management
to use the scrap tires as fuel for their kiln. Their willingness to find ways to use waste products in their
process, through industrial ecology, is commendable.
The glass that piles up at our center looks like just
a handful of glitter when it arrives at Lafarge. After
the glass leaves our site it is hauled to the bottom of
Lafarge’s huge mine and dumped beside a machine
that pulverizes it into miniscule pieces. Slowly but
surely, it is added to Lafarge’s cement mixture. This
is done through a process that has been planned and
is monitored very closely. A large bulldozer first
dumps a huge bucket full of limestone into the pulverizer and then tops it off with another massive
bucket full of glass. The pulverizer has detection
devices located within and directly exiting the
machine in order to notify the main technician in
case of any contamination (metal lids, bottle caps,
plastic lids, bottles, or anything that is not strictly
glass). After the pulverizer has crushed the glass and
the limestone, the mixture is sent up a long conveyer
belt where it is mixed with some more silica, alumina, lime, iron oxide, and magnesium oxide. The mixture is then placed in the furnace and is heated to a
sweltering 3800 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the mixture is removed, it is pulverized, yielding the finished
product, cement!
An interesting aspect of the relationship we have
formed with Lafarge lies in the economic ramifications of the endeavor. We are only capable of supplying Lafarge with less than one percent of the total
yearly amount of silica (in the form of glass) that
they normally purchase. After Lafarge pays to rent
the glass bin and pays for it to be hauled on a biweekly schedule, the company is actually losing
money on the deal. They see our partnership as one
rooted in community outreach that makes an environmental difference in an industry which otherwise
does not cater to the environment.
The AEC would like to say thank you to Horace
Compton and Carol and Doug Buchanan for working hard to form our partnership with Lafarge NA!
Page 2
From the President
When I learned
that the theme of this
newsletter was recycling,
I thought of quite a few
politicians who could
make this a better place
by being recycled. In
order to not point a finger, thus not listing any
names, would sort of
end the column right
here. Not minding
Ouida Fritschi, AEC President
pointing a finger, thus
listing all the names to
be recycled, would make
this column a small novel. Therefore, it was necessary to
adopt a different approach. Perhaps not as much fun as
pointing fingers but certainly less controversial.
In 2003, just over half of the paper consumed in the USA
was recycled. More paper is recovered for recycling than is
landfilled. That is good news, but we could do better. Other
packaging materials are recycled at very low rates, e.g., glass
at 8.5 percent; metal at 8.2 percent; plastic at 3.9 percent;
and all other at 4.3 percent. We have to do better and stop
sending all these recyclable to landfills.
Some merchants are trying to do the right thing. Publix
Supermarkets will take paper bags, plastic bags and foam
egg/meat/produce trays. Office Depot will give you 500
sheets of recycled copy paper for every spent printer cartridge you take to them. (Only one one-on-one exchange is
honored per visit so if you take two or more cartridges at a
time you will receive only one package of paper.) There is a
Web site which puts out Greentips. One issue, at
www.ucsusa.org/publications/green_tips.cfm?publicationsID
=948, tells you what to do with electronics, which are typically loaded with toxins and poisons. If you go to that particular issue you can then click on a button that takes you to
an index of other Greentips issues.
Four million tons of junk mail, nearly half of which is
never even opened, is sent each year in the USA. Two million tons of that is sent to my house. Elsewhere in this
newsletter, look for a Web site to help you cut down on junk
mail, junk e-mail and junk phone calls. None of us have
enough time to do everything we would like to do, and this
junk expends time and effort we don’t have. Hmmm, junk
mail, junk e-mail, junk phone calls, how about those junk
politicians?
Ouida Fritschi
From the Director
Spring is in the air! The spring season always means the
AEC staff and board are busy!
There is much happening in the next few months. With
the legislature in session, we are closely watching bills that
could affect Alabama’s natural environment and the rights of
its citizens. If you are interested in following bills that relate
to the environment, through introduction, committee and
floor discussion, check out www.alaleavs.org. If you are
looking for a specific bill and you have the bill number or
sponsor, visit the Alabama Legislative Information System
Web site at www.alisdb.legislature.state.al.us.
The warmer spring weather also brings gorgeous changes
to Alabama’s landscapes. If you are interested in getting outdoors to hike your favorite trail, paddle your favorite stream
or to look for your favorite wildflower blooms, there are
many sources of information that are available at the AEC’s
Website www.aeconline.ws, or to be informed of upcoming
events and opportunities, join the AEC list serve through
our Web site.
This edition of the State News also highlights several conferences, workshops and entertaining events! Check out
page 4 for information about The Forest Voices Workshop
taking place in Birmingham on March 12th. Visit the
Alabama Rivers Alliance Web site at www.alabamarivers.org
to register for the Alabama Watershed Leadership
Conference 2005 taking place at Camp McDowell March
18-20th.
And for all you music-lovin’ and AEC appreciatin’ folks, be
sure to check out the details on page 5 for the Annual
Acoustic Café set for Memorial Day weekend.
Do you know what “LNG” is? Well if you appreciate the
beauty of our Mobile Bay and Alabama’s special coastline,
be sure to read about the LNG Symposium on page 5.
Spring just wouldn’t be complete without THE GREEN
TIE AFFAIR! This year’s event promises to be one of the
best! I hope you’ll read about Mr. Bob Lindsey who is generously donating space for the party and his deep commitment to unconventional “reuse and recycling”. More details
about the April 23rd Green Tie Affair can be found at
www.aeconline.ws and within the State News.
Don’t forget with all your ‘Spring Cleaning’ to sort your
recyclables! We appreciate all the folks in our state who utilize their curbside programs and local drop-off locations.
There are so many opportunities for reuse of post consumer
materials and the AEC is working diligently to highlight the
economic and social benefit of the reuse cycle.
Inserted in this edition of the State News is a form to
order John Randolph’s new book about the fight to protect
Alabama’s Wilderness (page 7). A special purchase price is
being offered to members of the AEC and I encourage you
to get a copy today. After reading this book, I was overwhelmed with deep appreciation for the folks who fought so
diligently to ensure that future Alabamians would have such
a unique connection to our natural heritage through these
special Wilderness areas. Sincere thanks to Mr. Randolph
for collecting the stories of how Alabama’s wilderness areas
were designated and thanks to every mentioned and unmentioned advocate who helped in those decades-long fights!
We here at the AEC will continue the fight advocating for
clean water, healthy air and sustainable land-use activities
for all the generations after us. As we look towards the
future, we aren’t going to forget to have some fun in the
meantime enjoying all that this Spring has to offer.
Jayme Hill
Meet new AEC volunteer, Paul Pickering
We are proud to introduce our new volunteer, Paul Pickering. Paul was born in
Selma, AL and graduated from the University of Auburn with a degree in English.
He helped start up Alabama’s local coffee company called “Higher Ground.” Higher
Ground Roasters are 100 percent organic, shade-grown fair trade. Needless to say,
Paul loves java and enjoys sipping the AEC blend while he helps us out. Paul just
happens to be Dan’s (Our Recycling Coordinator) climbing partner. They recently
climbed the Grand Teton’s and are training for a trip next summer. Paul is also an
avid reader. It works out well for us that Paul loves reading and learning so much: he
is helping organize our massive collection of newspaper clippings into a working
archive. He’s just begun wading through a box of clippings that date back to July of 2002. It’s a daunting task, but
Paul is excited about learning all there is to know.
To Stop Junk Mail:
Send your full
name and
address to:
The Mail
Preference
Division
The Direct
Marketing
Association
PO BOX 9008
Farmingdale, NY
1375-9008
Volunteers Needed Office Help
Choose your own hours,
Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Experience Alabama's environmental
action first hand by helping us make
the process work. Clerical duties,
answering phones and help to
improve the office efficiency, all are
waiting for a Council member with
time for environmental
responsibility. Call 322-3126
for more information.
The AEC takes action:
We put our money
where our mouth is!
SolarHost: “Web
Hosting
for a better planet.”
SolarHost is an Internet company powered only by the sun. Specializing in
providing premium web hosting and
Internet applications to businesses,
organizations, and individuals interested in using the Internet to increase
their profits, communicate more effectively, or forward their causes. Please
visit www.solarhost.com
for more information!
Your AEC News is designed by
melanie@designpoole.com
(205) 221-5925
Page 3
Win a Honda Civic Hybrid!
BY JENNY DORGAN,
AEC Program Coordinator
Have you ever wanted your very own
hybrid car, but have not been able to
afford it? Well we have a great opportunity for you. Tameron Honda
has generously donated a twoyear lease for a Honda Civic
Hybrid to the Alabama
Environmental Council. For
$20 we will enter you into our
drawing to be held in late
April at Tameron Honda in
Hoover, AL. All proceeds go
to benefit the AEC. You will be able
to see a Civic Hybrid at this year’s Green Tie
Affair.
Hybrid vehicles combine a gasoline-powered engine with an
Ten Tips to
“Driving Efficiently”
electric motor to increase gas mileage and to lower the amount of
air pollutants that are emitted by gasoline powered
engines. Drivers of hybrid cars can significantly
improve their budgets and alleviate dependence on oil by dramatically increasing
fuel efficiency (46-51 MPG
according to the EPA). The
more people on the streets driving “greener” cars, the louder
the message to the Automobile
Industry is that we demand
safer, cleaner and more environmentally sound vehicles
on the road.
Perhaps in the nottoo-distant future it won’t
be uncommon to be on the
road with cars that do not
require any gasoline and do
not emit any pollutants.
Keep your tires properly inflated. For every 3 pounds
below recommended pressure, fuel economy goes down by
about 1 percent.
Don’t speed. Driving 75 mph instead of 65 will lower your
fuel economy by about 10 percent. Pride yourself on being a
slowpoke.
Avoid “jackrabbit” starts. Flooring the gas pedal wastes gas
and leads to drastically higher pollution rates.
Anticipate stops. Think ahead to anticipate stops so your vehicle
can coast down. Accelerating hard and braking hard wastes gas,
increases pollution and wears out your brakes.
Avoid rush hour, if possible. Stop-and-go driving burns gas
and increases emissions of smog-forming pollutants.
Travel light. An extra 100 pounds in your trunk reduces fuel
economy by about 1 percent.
Combine trips. Warmed up engines run more efficiently and
generate less air pollution.
(Used with permission from www.hybridcars.com by author Bradley Berman)
It’s Time to Phase Out Mercury Dental Fillings
BY CHARLES G. BROWN,
National Counsel, Coalition for Mercury-Free Dentistry
What has as much mercury as a thermometer and is implanted into a child’s
body? Answer: that so-called “silver” dental filling. Each one has enough mercury to poison a 10-acre lake or shut down a high school chemistry lab.
Mercury fillings are a toxic waste going into the mouth and a hazardous waste
when removed. One manufacturer’s label confirms: “This product contains mercury, a chemical known … to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.”
Yet pregnant women aren’t even told they are being exposed to mercury!
About 1400 pounds a year of mercury is coming into Alabama for amalgam –
an environmental disaster. Dental offices are by far the largest source of mercury
in the wastewater.
Representative John Rogers (D-Jefferson) champions this issue in Alabama.
Showing the toughness of an Army colonel (which he was), Rogers is battling the
special interests. Our national organization has made Alabama our #1 priority in
the South.
White upper-middle-class adults generally get nontoxic fillings — but children,
inner-city residents, and citizens in the Black Belt usually get mercury. The
NAACP calls this system “choice for the rich, mercury for the poor.” Mercury
fillings may be the state’s #1
Environmental Justice issue.
Why doesn’t your dentist warn
you? Because the American
Dental Association has a gag rule,
ordering its members to stand
silent on mercury. After
Huntsville dentist Dr. Ada Frazier
advertised as “mercury-free,” the
dental board slapped her with a
lawsuit. The Legislative Black Caucus filed an objection with Attorney General
Troy King, who has not responded.
Many dentists, courageously defying the ADA, refuse to place mercury fillings.
Just as the Mobile Register editorialized recently that it’s time for chlorine plants to
modernize and stop releasing mercury, we call on the ADA to modernize and
reject mercury fillings.
Information: testfoundation.org/amalgampage.htm; home.earthlink.net/~berniew1;
iaomt.org; toxicteeth.org (our group). If you want to help, write us:
info@toxicteeth.org.
Meet Green Corps Field Organizer, Joshua Low
Hello, my name is Joshua Low. I am a Green Corps field organizer working with the Dogwood Alliance. A bit of explanation of the organizations: Green Corps is a yearlong fellowship in environmental organizing. The organization works to
train the next generation of environmental leaders. The Dogwood Alliance is a network of 70 organizations throughout the
South that works to protect Southern forests and communities from the hazards of industrial logging. I recently graduated
from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN with a degree in Political Science. While in Memphis, I saw many of the injustices
of our society. Environmental injustice was high on the list. Running through my neighborhood was a creek loaded with
pollution that was not going away.
At Rhodes I worked on numerous environmental projects, and I also got involved with local organizations. I knew that I
wanted a career in environmental or social justice organizing, and Green Corps has trained some of the leaders in the field.
In Green Corps, I have worked on the New Voters Project, a campaign challenging Coke to stop stealing water from communities in India, and am now working with the Dogwood Alliance.
When I am not working I like to ride my road bike and to hike.
As Joe Hill said, “Don’t Mourn-Organize!”
Page 4
Completing the Cycle: Salvaging the Future
BY JENNY DORGAN,
“To fix the equipment, the parts have to be made. You can’t find them anymore.
It’s been a real learning process,” Jim laughs.
AEC Program Coordinator
Not only is the equipment from a bygone era, much of the wood used in the
process
comes from ancient trees. Douglas Fir, Redwood, Cedar, Heart Pine,
“It’s been said that “A man who works with his hands,
Mahogany, American Chestnut, Oak, Maple, Hickory, Purple Heart, Hemlock,
his brains and his heart is an artist.”
Cypress, Southern Longleaf Pine…often hundreds of years old. Imagine if you
can: the beauty of a forest as ancient and diverse as the trees that have graced the
Walking into Jim Miller’s woodshop is like stepping back in time. Miller
wood shop. Hard to do, most of us haven’t even seen an old-growth stand where
Specialty Wood Products is located on the corner of 25th Street and 3rd Avenue
the grandfathers of the forest have stood for hundreds, even thousands of years.
North in Birmingham, but while taking a tour of the charming woodshop it’s
Sadly, much of the forest we
easy to forget you’re in the big
had
in Alabama has been
city right next to a chaotic interreplaced
with tree farms. The
state. It’s strangely serene, hauntlongleaf pine forests that were
ingly quiet when the antiquated
once prolific throughout state
machinery isn’t running. It’s
have been replaced with nonclear in an instant that you aren’t
indigenous hybrid strains of
in just any old shop.
loblolly pines. The U.S. Forest
“Mister,” the woodshop dog,
Service estimates that in 20 years
greets you at the door. Calico
these “pine plantations” will
cats sleep soundly on saw-dusty
make up 70 percent of the pine
surfaces. It is spacious, open and
stands in the South. With the
airy. The smell of wood, oil and
loss of our native forests, we’ve
old building fills your nose.
also lost the rich and diverse flora
“Pappy,” the woodshop’s managand fauna that can only exist in a
er, flashes a smile that could
healthy forest.
light up any darkness as he walks
But the giant Southern
up to you in his weathered overLongleaf that Pappy and Jim are
alls. Jim’s eyes twinkle as he
turning into a beautiful, aged
speaks with quiet satisfaction
cabinet door was not harvested
about the history of his shop.
from a forest. They pulled it out
The operation on 25th and
of a building where it had been
3rd is indeed a special place. Jim
aging for a hundred or more
Miller bought the building
years. When a building is being
about a year and a half ago.
From left to right: Jim Miller, Jenny Dorgan, and Pappy Barton
gutted for renovations or slated
Although the giant machinery
to be demolished to make room for a new structure, Jim and Pappy collect and
looks like it has been here since the turn of the century, this place was actually a
reuse the “waste” that is generated. This modern, urban version of harvesting
chicken processing plant before Jim set up shop and brought a historic quality
wood is gaining popularity as more and more old growth treasures are being disand flavor to the corner. Jim was renovating a couple of houses on the south side
covered when revitalization takes off in the State’s city centers.
of town when he got word that Alabama Lumber was slated to close up shop for
This is a welcome change from the shortsighted land-use practices that domigood. “I knew I needed these pieces and that I couldn’t get them anywhere else,
nate. Rural Alabama has been decimated by the onslaught of urban sprawl. We’ve
so that kind of inspired me to get into this.”
lost forests, degraded our waterways and fouled up the air we breathe. The
The pieces Jim needed in order to do quality renovation can’t be found at your
municipalities that allow, and often encourage, this explosive growth to occur
local corporate hardware store. It bothered him that such an important and beaucannot keep up with necessary services. Quality of life for rural landowners has
tiful skill seemed to be in danger of becoming obsolete.
been diminished. And all the while, our cities with all of their marvelous histories
It would be a sincere loss to our culture and community if we were ever to lose
The buildings become eyesores. They become hazards to civilians passcrumble.
artisans such as Pappy Barton and Jim Miller. Theirs is woodwork of a bygone
ing
by.
And,
as Pappy and Jim have discovered, they contain arboreal treasures
era, the kind you see on long-standing structures that make you wonder why we
that would otherwise go into construction and demolition landfills.
ever stopped paying attention to detail.
Miller Specialty Wood Products is a quiet, simple tribute to sustainability,
At the woodshop, there is an entire wall dedicated to antique knives that pay
and heritage. Jim Miller kept several tons of machinery from going
restoration
extraordinary attention to details. If a restoration project calls for a couple of feet
into a landfill. He saved resources by not buying all new machinery. He resisted
of elaborate wood work to replace a rotten mantelpiece, Miller Specialty Wood
the trend to sprawl out strip-mall style and located his shop in an abandoned
Products can cheerfully fit the bill with the drone of an ancient planer and a wizbuilding in an area that desperately needed revitalization. His business reuses
ened craft man’s hands. “I haven’t been doing woodwork that long. I’d estimate,
wood salvaged from downtown buildings that are being restored—bringing life
oh, about 48 years,” Pappy says with a chuckle. “It’s been such a pleasure for me
back to the heart of the city. They are helping to promote revitalization of existto be able to create something. I really want to teach someone what I know.
ing structures rather than sprawling out into our remaining undeveloped areas.
Otherwise, when I die, it’s gone.” He recently took in an apprentice who will
And last, but certainly not least, Jim and Pappy are preserving a skill that has
surely benefit from his knowledge. No doubt it will take some getting used to
been passed down throughout history for future generations.
working with equipment that dates back to 1902. Jim had Crane Works lift and
For more information contact Jim Miller or Pappy Barton at 205-241-5133
lower the machinery into the shop. They still start right up and do a superb job.
The Forest Voices Workshop: 5 Easy Ways
to Make a Difference in Your National Forests
…highlights the connection between healthy people and healthy
forests, such as clean air and water for Birmingham and surrounding communities; capital for the billion-dollar tourism and
recreation industries; and places of solitude for both mental and
spiritual health. The workshop’s accompanying handbook provides fast and easy tools for making these public values a personal responsibility.
Saturday, March 12, 2005 from 10am to 2pm
Sponsored by: Wild South, WildLaw,
and Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition
Hosted by: Alabama Outdoors, Birmingham
Lunch provided by: Roly Poly Sandwiches and The Fresh Market
For more information, contact Nikki at
the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition
828-252-9223
www.ForestCoalition.org
Performing at the 9th Annual
Green Tie Affair April 23, 2005
Page 5
Get the License Plate that Helps to Save the Cahaba
When your next
license plate renewal
month comes
around, consider a
“Save the Cahaba”
tag featuring the
Cahaba Lily. Just like
the Lily, the tag is
one of a kind as it is
the only plate devoted to protection of
the Cahaba. Since the
tags hit the road in
2001, citizens in 63
of Alabama’s 67 counties have put this beautiful plate
on their cars.
Proceeds from the tag go to support the Cahaba
River Society’s advocacy programs as well as the
highly successful CLEAN environmental education
program. Since the CLEAN program’s inception in
1996, CRS has provided over 12,000 students and
adult educators with hands-on field trip experiences
in the Cahaba watershed.
“Save the Cahaba” tags cost $50, in addition to
normal registration fees and taxes, and personaliza-
The Gulf Restoration Network, in conjunction
with Tulane Institute for Environmental Law
and policy and the Delta Chapter of the Sierra
Club will be hosting:
tion of the plates is free. $41.25 of the $50 fee goes
directly to the Cahaba River Society. None of the
proceeds are handled by ADEM or any other
bureaucratic governmental agency (other than simple
processing by the Department of Revenue), making
these distinctive tags relatively unique among environmentally themed plates in Alabama.
For more questions about this program, please contact Mike McCracken at 205.322.5326 or via email
at: mike@cahabariversociety.org.
Way to Be — Clutter Free!
JENNY DORGAN,
AEC Program Coordinator
I’ve sent my name to the Direct Marketing
Association to stop unwanted “junk mail,” but somehow I still seem to get catalogs and pleas for charitable
donations in my mailbox. Strangely enough, it’s all
subject material that’s closely related to my interests.
Green cleaning products, organic, sweat-shop free
clothing catalogs, the Jane Goodall Institute… How
could my junk mail be so savvy to my interests?
Even though the companies or organizations you
patronize might seem wholesome, most of them aren’t
beyond selling your information to other “like minded” companies.
The next time you order your 100 percent earthfriendly toilet paper or your favorite organic cotton
tee, write on your purchase form: “Please do not sell
my name or address” so they can mark you in their
computer. Other sneaky ways those meddling mailers
get your contact information: warranty cards, your
credit card company, entry blanks from “contests,”
grocery store “bonus card” applications—you wouldn’t believe the lengths these folks go to track you
down.
Never fear - our president, Ouida Fritschi, came
across a group of folks who have some “first class”
advice. According to the folks at “Obviously
Enterprises,” the Direct Marketing Association can
stop 75 percent of national mailings for you. The
“Obviously” people can tell you how to take care of
the rest.
For a fabulous free guide to close your mailbox to
anything from AOL-Online Disks to the Sweepstakes
“you have definitely won,” check out
www.obviously.com/junkmail/. They also have some
great tips for dealing with unwanted telemarketing
calls and electronic mail. (Affectionately known as
“SPAM”—yuck!) And if you get mail from a former
resident named, say, “Alouicious Pickle?” they’ll tell
you how to stop that, too. Enjoy your clutter-free
mailbox!
Solar Test House Update
This just in:
The Solar Test House crew has just learned that
the STH will be replaced and up and running by
April 2005.
The new system will include a major improvement
over the old system using Outback Power Panels,
GVFS33648 Inverter, and Outback MX66 charge
controller, 17.3 kwh of battery backup and much
more. The old configuration was able to produce
about 1.8 megawatt hours (enough to run a small
town for a few days). The new system will be able to
do that and provide back-up power in case the STH
gets knocked off again. Stay tuned.
The Acoustic Cafe
The Acoustic Cafe Amphitheater will hold its annual Memorial Day Weekend Festival May 27-28.
Robin & Linda Williams, who have been regulars on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion”
since 1975, will be a part of this year’s line up. Other acts will include The Red Stick Ramblers,
Dread Clampitt, Uncle Bud’s ‘Lectrowod Experience, The Herb Trotman Band,
The T-Tops, and Brennen Leigh. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.
The Acoustic Cafe is a small festival located on a hillside about 40 miles north of Birmingham.
You will find an amazing variety of live music and an atmosphere like no place else in the world.
Camp out, hike our trails, or just kick back and watch this peaceful loving crowd do what they do.
More information is at www.TheAcousticCafe.com, or call Steve Masterson, (205) 647-3237.
Symposium
on LNG and
the Gulf of
Mexico
Saturday April 2nd 10am-6pm
at the Tulane Law School
in New Orleans, Lousiana.
Our goal is to bring together those who are
campaigning against or concerned about the
impacts of LNG facilities inshore and offshore.
This is an opportunity to develop a gulf-wide
strategy, share our knowledge, and learn from
what has worked in other areas. Hopefully, all
participants will be able to bring back a plan on
how we can fight LNG facilities in the Gulf and
force any proposed facilities to be built offshore,
using a closed-loop system.
A special fee of $25 for symposium participants
will allow for attendance to all coinciding Tulane
Law Conference events and discussions on
Friday, April 1 and the LNG symposium including, “Fish, Fires, FERC- is LNG meant to be?”
Fee includes attendance for all sessions plus
food, drinks, and live entertainment at Friday’s
reception.
Checks to be made payable to:
Tulane Institute for Environmental Law
& Policy
6329 Freret Street, New Orleans, LA 70118
Tel (504) 862-8827
Fax (504) 862-8857
Registrants are responsible for their own accommodations. A limited number of rooms have
been booked at the following hotels for discounted conference rates for Friday and
Saturday nights.
Avenue Plaza Hotel
2111 St. Charles Avenue
(800) 535-9575
St. Charles Inn
3636 St. Charles Avenue
(504) 899-8888
To secure the conference rate, you must identify
yourself as participating in the Tulane
Conference and call the hotel directly before
March 1, 2005, to make reservations.
For additional information call:
The Gulf Restoration Network
(504) 525-1528
fax 525-0833
www.gulfrestorationnetwork.org
Page 6
Lindsey Office Furniture - An Extraordinary Operation
BY VERNA GATES
All of the names of former addicts, except for Sam Smith, have been changed.
After three years in prison, Reggie Adams had a dream about his former employer,
the one he had stolen money from. Adams had worked for Bob Lindsey since he was
a teenager, out mowing lawns. When Lindsey started his office furniture business,
Adams had been his first employee. He worked there for years, watching the company grow, before one day when he changed numbers on a check.
“I did something wrong and I got caught. Since then, I’ve been through everything, and I’ve seen things I didn’t want to see,” said Adams.
Celebrating his 20th year in business, Bob Lindsey’s company, started in a family
barn, now sprawls across two city blocks in downtown Birmingham. Lindsey Office
Furnishings has grown into the largest independent dealer of office furniture in the
Southeast. Today, it takes a golf cart just to see all of the 135,000 square feet of showroom and warehouse space in the course of an afternoon. Even before the company
expands into yet another building this year, it already presents more showroom space
than any other office furniture dealer in the Sunbelt.
“Some of the people downtown have teased me about taking over the territory. But
we keep needing the space, so we have to keep buying buildings,” said Lindsey.
Much of Lindsey’s success has been built on helping people like Adams, who was
given a second chance. “I made a choice to change my life. I had been raised in the
rightful way, but I liked the fast life, fast cars, fast women. I went to prison for selling drugs. Drugs are the way of bondage. Nothing matters but drugs, not hygiene,
not love, not anything. In prison, I saw unGodly, unspeakable things. I took it as a
training ground to suffer for Jesus. I was called to the ministry. I needed a start. I
saw the elevation of Bob Lindsey through Christ. I knew he had the ambition to succeed and a compassionate heart for people. He took me back,” said Adams.
Added Lindsey, “I’ve probably employed a lot of people I might not have needed,
but I’ve tried to live a Christian life and I’ve been blessed. I’ve seen merchant after
merchant go out of business downtown. I’ve seen a dozen competitors fall by the
wayside. But I keep growing. Do you think I’m doing that? I just come to work
every day.”
Employing around 15 to 20 former addicts at any given time, out of 65 employees,
Lindsey has experienced tremendous success with his unusual source of workers.
Those who can accept the opportunity he offers express total devotion to the man
and his company.
“I wouldn’t take two rabbits and a coon dog for Bob Lindsey,” said Randy
Simpson, warehouse employee and a former addict.
Added Luke Jones, “He knew I had been in prison and was a beaten-out drug
addict. Lindsey gave me a chance. He gave me a job and helped me get my driver’s
license back and helped me find a place to stay. I hope I have become a good asset to
the company. There aren’t many like him who will reach out and help people. He
gave me a chance to become somebody.” Today, Jones operates two recovery houses
of his own to help others like himself.
Located on First Avenue North, right around the corner from the Jimmy Hale
Mission, the area’s largest homeless shelter for men, Lindsey is barraged with men
looking to pick up a few dollars for day labor. Rather than viewing these men as a
nuisance, Lindsay instead saw an undeveloped labor pool.
“In these days of labor shortages, I can get 20 people here in 30 minutes if I need
them. I have an endless supply of workers,” said Lindsey.
One source of employees is Sam Smith, one of his retail outlet managers. For 20
years, Smith dined by “dumpster diving” for leftover food and made his bed under a
bridge. He was “drinking and drugging.” One day he asked Lindsey if he could
sweep the street in front of the store.
“I made $20 for sweeping the whole street. Bob took me in and met me every
morning for Bible study. I’m still here, eight years later, by God’s grace. It’s a miracle. Bob has helped dozens of people out of prisons and off of the streets. I wonder
sometimes if he’s more in the office furniture business or the people business,” said
Smith. Far from his dumpster dining days, Smith claims to have gained 100 pounds
on his now regular meals.
Today, Smith owns and operates seven recovery houses for former addicts. Many of
the men who join the employment ranks at Lindsey come from Smith’s disciples.
“Our biggest success stories come from Sam’s people. There’s no excuses with Sam,
he sees right through them. He runs a boot camp,” said Brian Lindsey, Bob’s son and
partner.
Smith keeps a tight watch on the staff. Substance abuse is not tolerated. “This is a
totally drug and alcohol-free workplace. If anybody’s doing it today, I don’t know
about it.”
Added Darius Simms, “Sam is the reason I am here. He is my sponsor in Narcotics
Anonymous and he brought me down here as a day laborer. Now I work in the
warehouse and I even carry deposits to the bank as a courier. It’s a serious thing. He
takes care of me, and I take care of him.”
Simms is a former addict who honed his drug skills during two tours of Vietnam.
He made his final surrender to crack cocaine.
“I found the elevator life - I went down real fast. I did all the regular things - stealing, lying, cheating, manipulating. I was homeless and burning all the bridges with
my family and friends. I became a tramp. I have turned my life around. It has been
all good with Mr. Lindsey. He led me in the right direction,” said Simms.
The direction is the straight and narrow, with an emphasis on religion. Lindsey’s is
an openly Christian shop, although other beliefs are welcome and tolerated. Every
Wednesday, there’s a voluntary employee-led Bible study and prayer. Attendance
varies but around 12 workers generally participate.
“Bible study is the highlight of the week, I’ve been going four years. Not many
companies do that. I’ve never studied the Bible before. I’ve been halfway around the
world and never turned my life over to God,” said Simms.
In the weekly Bible study, all employees mix. Many of Lindseys’ employees, even
those who have never been challenged by addiction, are attracted to the company
because of the religious atmosphere.
“It is great working for a Christian organization. There is no profanity, no embarrassing talk. The Bible study is wonderful and starts the day out great. I’m on a high
afterwards,” said Beth Erwin, who works in accounting.
When asked about the recovering addicts in the company, Erwin replied, “I thank
him for them. I have the utmost respect for people trying to turn their lives around.
Someone said, ‘why can’t he hire regular people?’ I said these are regular people.
You’ll never find more regular people. The only difference is, they know if they mess
up, this is the last stop for them, that’s it.”
Twenty years ago, Bob Lindsey decided to be a success story himself. He came
home from work one day and announced to his wife that he wanted his own business. The next day, he moved the horses out of the barn, ran a phone line from their
bedroom window, staked it to a tree, and set up shop. He sold office furniture during
the day and often delivered it himself at night.
Today, Lindsey sells new and used office furniture, accessories, home office furniture and panel systems, for sale and lease. He serves a large number of companies
from mid-sized corporations to families looking for computer desks. In his vast
showrooms, everything can be found from the finest boardroom conference tables to
art work to rows of used filing cabinets.
Not only is Lindsey recycling people, he also recycles furniture. His warehouse
workers restore used furniture to sometimes better than new condition. About 65
percent of Lindsey’s business is in used and refurbished furniture.
Lindsey is known as one of the best horse traders in the business, buying out furniture from companies across the country who merge, sell or redecorate. He recently
bought several floors of the Trump Plaza in New York.
“We heard that The Donald told Ivana to buy whatever you want,” said Lindsey.
The hotel was sold to someone with a taste distinctive from the provincial style of the
European-born, former Mrs. Trump - Jerry Springer, that maven of taste, allegedly
bought the Plaza and decided to redecorate. As a result, elegant armoires and fancy
marble desks from the famed hotel ended up in a Lindsey warehouse.
“The word got out on those armoires and the ladies went crazy over those things,”
said Lindsey. “I have contacts all over the country. There’s a story behind each piece
of furniture we sell.” Some of their furniture claims to have better resumes than
many business people.
One of Lindsey’s unique services is refurbishing panel systems. His is the only shop
in Alabama repainting and putting new fabric on panel systems. These furnishings,
which lose value faster than any other office purchase, can be bought at greatly
reduced prices from Lindsey, who keeps around 1000 in stock.
“It’s easy to sell these panel systems when people understand what we offer. Once
we paint the metal, put on new fabric, and manufacture new work surfaces, these
pieces are like new and much better buys,” said Lindsey.
Lindsey believes strongly in this product as a good decision for the community.
“It’s recycling. People used to toss these old panels. We’ve put a stop to that as much
as we can. There is no reason to eliminate a product that can be so easily refurbished.”
With hundreds of pieces of furniture moving in and out of his eight warehouses
daily, many of Lindsey’s customers keep a constant watch on new pieces coming in.
Some companies just trade furniture with him every few years, moving out the old
and bringing in a new image. All of this activity requires a large labor force, which
could be a problem, if Lindsey had not already created a solution.
“I softened my heart to give people chances they don’t really deserve. Some of
them disappoint me, but most don’t. I have benefited in ways I could never have
imagined. I do it to help them and to take care of business,” said Lindsey.
Added Simpson, “Mr. Lindsey is one of the few people who don’t look at a
man’s past. He looks at today and what you’re trying to do. There will never be
another one like him.”
Announcing the 9th Annual
Green Tie Affair
It’s that time again! The 2005 Green Tie Affair will be held April 23 at
7:00 p.m. in the Lindsey Office Furnishings Warehouse on Morris Avenue
between 22nd and 23rd Streets North. Secure parking on the Avenue will be
available. Highlights will include dinner by Nabeel’s; music by J.B. Beverley
and the Wayward Drifters; live auction hosted by Jeh Jeh Pruitt of Fox 6 News;
and an open wine and beer bar. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the
door and are tax deductible.
The Green Tie Affair has seen tremendous success since it was started in 1997,
historically raising more money each year. Help us celebrate Alabama’s natural
legacy while helping to fund AEC’s involvement in wilderness protection, solid
waste issues, recycling, forestry, clean air and water, and citizen enforcement.
We can always use volunteers at our event, so come work for a couple of hours
with us and receive a complimentary ticket.
We would like to extend our gratitude to Mr. Lindsey for donating his
warehouse space for the Green Tie Affair!
Page 7
Renewals
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Barnes
Elliot & Bette Bell
Joyce Benington
Fay H. Black
W.G.G. & L. Marie Blakney
Sarah Bradley
Emily A. Brawner
Jon Broadway
Kevin Brown
Kirsten Bryant
Dr. Rowland E. Burns
Bob & Linda Yourk Bynum
Ralph & Ruth Byram
Gayle & Mike Byrne
Vandalyn Chaplin
Louise T. Chow
Carla J. Clowdus
Ed & Memily Colvin
THANK
YOU!
Thank You to our Contributors!
Lee B. Craig
Caryl A. Crossfield
Judy Collins Cumbee
Carl Cummins
Richard & Susan Dendy
Patricia A. Driver
Paul Forde
Kathy & Andy Freeland
Marcy Gerhart
Anne Greaves
John & Rosa Hall
Mrs. Sarah S. Haynes
Fred Hill
Lee Hilliard
David Hope
Lois Woodward & Henry
Hughes
Dorothy J. Imhof
Mr. & Mrs. Ralph R. Jones
Gilbert & Carol Kendrick
Wilburn Killian
Chris Killion
James & Janet Kimble
Lloyd Malone
William Martin
Cecilia & Alan Matthews
Nancy & Doug McGinty
Steve McGuire
Virginia Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Ronnie C. Mitchell
Edward W. Mudd, Jr.
William Munson
Lillian W. Naumann
Mary Elizabeth Perry
Martha Pezrow
Gene Qualls & Nancy QuallsCorbett
Margo & Robert Rebar
Robert R. Reid, Jr.
Mrs. Thomas D. Roberts
Brian Robertson
KaySavage
Robert & Winyss Shepard
Ann Stanley Smith
A.J. Stringer
Don & Sissy Stueckler
Wayne Sullender
Robert E. Taylor
Jane Trechsel
Samuel L. Vance
Almon Wesley Wear, Jr.
Meade Whitaker, Jr.
John T. & Beverly H. Winn
Donations
Dean Barron
Dell & Dixon Brooke
Dixie Walker Duncan
Betsy Fleenor
James & Barbara Hill
Robert L. Kuehlthau
Skip Ragsdale
John T. & Beverly H. Winn
Board Donations
Bob & Mary Burks
Larry & Cathy Crenshaw
Verna Gates
Ron & Kitty Jenkins
Ed & JoLee Passerini
Chuck Thomas
New Members
Merry & Dave Bise
Linda O'Mary Carden
Lee Coker
Joseph W. Duncan
Alan & Sarah Gurganus
Robert H. Hill
Gene Hunter
Tom & Meza Kelley
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Martin
Angie Segars
Rebecca Stafford
Mike Stratas
Foundations
Anonymous Foundation
Community Foundation of
Greater Birmingham
Environmental Support Center
Tenet Healthcare Foundation
Volunteers
Robin Sutton
DISCOUNT TO AEC MEMBERS ON NEW ALABAMA WILDERNESS BOOK
The University of Alabama Press is offering AEC members a one-time 30 percent discount on its newly-published history of the
Alabama Wilderness movement, The Battle for Alabama’s Wilderness – Saving the Great Gymnasiums of Nature.
Written by former Alabama Conservancy Executive Director John Randolph, the book traces 30 years of grassroots activism that
began with the founding of the Alabama Conservancy in 1967 and resulted in the establishment and enlargement of the Sipsey
Wilderness Area, the creation of the Cheaha and Dugger Mountain Wildernesses, and the designation of the West Fork Sipsey as a
National Wild and Scenic River. The heroics of such Conservancy/AEC activists as Mary Burks, Weesie Smith, Charles Prigmore, Doug
Phillips, Mike Leonard, Jim Taylor, Bruce and Francine Hutchinson and Pete Conroy are detailed, as are the opposing shenanigans of the
U.S. Forest Service and former U.S. Senator Howell Heflin.
Use the form provided in this issue to order your discounted copy now. The University of Alabama Press describes the book “a
testament to the power of grassroots citizens groups who are committed to a common cause and inspired by a shared ideal.”
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Please let the office know if you move and/or have a
change of address, telephone number or e-mail.
We want to keep current records to better inform
you of AEC happenings. You can call
Seth at 205/322-3126, e-mail him at
stateoffice@aeconline.ws or mail the change to
AEC, 2717 7th Avenue S, Suite 207,
Birmingham, AL 35233.
BRING US YOUR OLD
TELEPHONE BOOKS
The AEC Recycling Center is an official
drop-off location for Bellsouth Phone Books!
Make sure and put them in the “Mixed
Paper” bin! The recycling center is located
at 2431 2nd Avenue North in downtown
Birmingham.
For more information please call
205-322-3126.
Community Furniture Bank:
A New Alternative for Used Furniture
Furniture is great, isn’t it? To be able to sit down in a comfortable chair or sleep
on a mattress or eat together at a table is something that most of us don’t think twice
about. But new furniture can be expensive; and when furniture is no longer wanted,
it can still have plenty of life to give.
In the Birmingham area, we are fortunate to have a new option for discarding unwanted
furniture: a new non-profit organization called the Community Furniture Bank.
The Furniture Bank provides used furniture and household goods to families who
cannot afford them.
For fifteen years, Chris Yarboro worked through a local church in community ministries.
He recently started the Furniture Bank as a continuation of this commitment to a sorely
underserved sector of our community.
Chris is working the service from a local warehouse and expects to purchase an enclosed
trailer before the end of February. With volunteers, Chris retrieves furniture or other
goods from the donor and either takes the items to his warehouse or straight to a needy
family. Because Chris has a “day job,” pickups and deliveries usually take place
on Saturday.
Items needed most are sofas, beds and linens, chests of drawers, and kitchen items like
tables and chairs, pots, pans and utensils. Condition is not terribly important, but
“clean and functional is the key,” says Chris.
To contact the Community Furniture Bank, you can send an email to
commfurnbank@bellsouth.net, or call (205) 482-8946.
If you have a cell phone you are no longer using,
RECYCLE IT!
The AEC and the Southern Environmental Center are collaborating with Red Rain in recycling/reusing old cell
phones. Working phones are distributed to people in developing nations, or they are given to needy groups for
use in emergencies (any cell phone that can get a signal can be used to dial 9-1-1). Phones that don’t work are shipped to
Collective Good International (www.collectivegood.com) for recycling or reuse. The AEC and the Southern Environmental
Center get donations for each telephone recycled through this program!
Drop-Off Locations:
Birmingham recycling center, 2431 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL
—
Alabama Environmental Council State office: 2717 7th Ave South, Birmingham, AL
—
—
Hunter’s Cleaners: 1915 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL
—
Red Rain: 2803 18th Street South, Homewood, AL
The Peaceful Side of Birmingham - Ruffner Mountain Nature Center
Birmingham is unique among cities in having a 1,000+ acre nature preserve
lying within its midst, just seven miles from downtown. Located in the eastern
part of Birmingham, Ruffner Mountain Nature Center is surrounded by the
communities of South East Lake, Roebuck, Brown Springs, Gate City and
Irondale. Yet, it is possible to walk most of its nature trails without seeing signs of
the city.
In the late 1800s through the 1950s, Ruffner provided iron ore, limestone and
timber for the industrial city. When those activities ceased, Ruffner became an
“unofficial” park for several generations of children living in the area. The Ruffner
Mountain Nature Coalition was created by a grassroots effort in 1977, when
Ruffner faced the threat of development. The development was stopped and
Ruffner’s current 1,011 acres were purchased piece by piece over several years
with some smaller donations of land being made. Today visitors to the Nature
Center enjoy over 11 miles of nature trails and a visitor’s center with exhibits
highlighting the natural and human history of the mountain and native animals
such as turtles, frogs, snakes, owls and a hawk. Five full-time and two part-time
staff and dozens of volunteers care for the property and provide its education programs and weekend activities.
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
PHONE
FAX
2717 7th Avenue South Suite 207
Birmingham, Alabama 35233
(205) 322-3126 Fax (205) 324-3784
NAME
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
MEMBERSHIP FORM
PLEASE RETURN TO:
Alabama Environmental Council
2717 7th Avenue South Suite 207 Birmingham, AL 35233
Phone (205) 322-3126
e-mail: stateoffice@aeconline.ws
www.aeconline.ws
Even though the Center sees thousands of visitors a year, including school
groups coming for environmental education programs, it is possible to visit during many weekdays and not see another person on the trail you choose to hike.
Weekends are busier, but even then it is still possible to walk on the less traveled
trails such as the Ridge Valley Trail (one of the Center’s more challenging trails)
and have it all to yourself. The popular moderate three-mile loop trail to the
Hawks View Overlook (at the top of a former limestone quarry) is well worth the
effort. It provides a panoramic view of downtown Birmingham.
The Nature Center is open from 9 til 5 Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 on
Sunday. There is no admission charged, but donations are always gratefully
accepted. Call 833-8264 (ext. 11) for directions and current program information. Visit www.ruffnermountain.org for a copy of the trails map, the 2005
Weekend Program brochure, spring and summer daycamp applications and the
Environmental Education Handbook for Teachers, Home School Parents and
Scout Leaders.
You may also print out a membership application and a volunteer form. As a
50l(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Ruffner Mountain depends upon charitable
donations and volunteers to care for the mountain, provide education programs,
and construct and maintain its nature trails.
ZIP
E-MAIL
OCCUPATION
SPECIAL INTERESTS
Please check a category
❏ Student/Restricted income ........................................................$20
❏ Individual ........................................................................................$25
❏ Family ..............................................................................................$35-49
❏ Friend ..............................................................................................$50-99
❏
❏
❏
❏
❏
Trailblazer ......................................................................................$100-249
Protector ........................................................................................$250-499
Defender ........................................................................................$500-999
Conservator ..................................................................................$1000-4999
AEC Ambassador..........................................................................$5000 & up
Nonprofit Organization:
❏ (designated representative) ........................................................$25
The AEC has made big changes in order to save paper! From now on we will
send out a small postcard for renewing members and donations. Membership
information is available on our website. New members will continue
to receive our full membership packet!
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit #2648
Birmingham, AL
Dues and contributions are tax-deductible.