There's more to preserving the earth's environment than recycling and replacing lightbulbs.
James Eflin, chairman of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, said the connection between materials and finished product makes it impossible to pinpoint one solution to improving the environmental quality in Indiana.
According to The Associated Press, Indiana's air, land and water are significantly cleaner than they were in the 1970s, when the Environmental Protection Agency was created, but compared to surrounding states, it's subpar.
Eflin said 95 percent of the energy used in Indiana comes from burning coal. With so much dependence on coal, he said it will be hard to break the cycle.
Ball State University, however, is hoping to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 percent by introducing a steam-powered geothermal system this fall.
"Almost in one foul swoop we're going to shift the pollution a lot," he said.
The NREM department teaches upstreaming, the process of resource extraction, processing and shifting.
Elfin said the society is more focused on downstreaming by recycling and other reflexive actions.
"When you're asked ‘Paper or plastic?' there's so much that goes into it," he said.
The Associated Press credits the poor condition of Indiana's environment to the state's industrial economy. While the harm that's already been done can't be taken back, students and community members are trying to make Muncie a healthier place.
Senior Lindsi Latimer, president of Natural Resources Club, said it's a small club that gets a lot done.
On Sunday, the group sandblasted graffiti from the walls of Buckner Cave in Monroe County. She said at the end of the day they emerged from a narrow manhole with scrapes, bruises and mud all over their bodies.
"We drove three hours to southern Indiana and took another three hours crawling through the mud," she said. "It said something about students' character."
Latimer said the graffiti wasn't something that really harmed the environment, but cleaning it up represented a shift in students' perceptions. According to the Associated Press, pollution has been greatly reduced over the years because of a shift in people's perception and a desire to protect the environment.
"It was more about us really than the cave," Latimer said.
She said East Central Indiana Solid Waste District is looking into improving the local water supply with a sewage system overhaul, which will direct overflow away from the White River.
Eflin said cleaning up the environment is much more complicated than one would think, and that's what he tries to teach his NREM students.
"I don't like people thinking this has to be so simple," he said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
