Blog

  • The Great Green Hope: Let’s Talk Hope

    Published: March 1, 2012 by Ryan Puckett Categories: Civic Engagement, Sustainability Comments: 1

    When I started blogging for IndyHub a few years ago, Karissa Hulse encouraged me to come up with a name for my posts that would make a statement. After some deliberation, I decided upon “The Great Green Hope”. There are several things going on within that name, but I want to focus on hope.

    According to one definition I found, hope means to desire something with the expectation of obtainment. In other words, you want something to happen and you expect that it will happen. That’s my attitude with my posts – I want things that make our city more eco-conscious to happen and I expect that they... read on

  • The Great Green Hope – The Ways and Means to Transit Becoming Reality

    Published: January 16, 2012 by Ryan Puckett Categories: Civic Engagement, Sustainability Comments: 0

    If you are reading this blog post, I am making a few assumptions about you.

    1. You are a 20, 30 or 40-something living in or near Indianapolis.
    2. You are passionate about Indy and you’re excited about its future.
    3. You are interested in Indianapolis becoming a more sustainable city and believe a more robust transit system would be a huge step in the right direction.
    4. You are related to me or you are an old friend and are reading this just to be nice.

    Whether or not any of these are true, the effort to improve mass transit in Central Indiana is at a critical point and I’ve... read on

  • The Great Green Hope – ‘Twas the Day After Thanksgiving

    Published: December 5, 2011 by Ryan Puckett Categories: Lifestyle & Wellness, Sustainability Comments: 0

    Before trick-or-treaters could rummage through their goodies, the big box retailers were already switching out the ghoulish gear for holiday décor. Since the week leading up to Thanksgiving, there’s a new message in my inbox everyday telling me it’s my “last chance” to nab a holiday bargain. And a litany of Black Friday and holiday-themed commercials* have been ruling the airwaves before you could finish the pumpkin pie.

    One series of TV ads from Target seem humorous. These spots feature a crazed blond woman (She’s @ChristmasChamp on Twitter) preparing to maximize her Black Friday savings... read on

  • The Great Green Hope: The Winter I Met Summer

    Published: November 1, 2011 by Ryan Puckett Categories: Sustainability Comments: 2

    Way back during the icy month of February, I took in an all-things-Indy-Super-Bowl presentation by Brad Carlson, vice president of marketing for the Indianapolis 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee. The presentation was very comprehensive, but I wanted to learn more about what sort of green initiatives were in play by the Host Committee and the NFL. That’s when Brad introduced me to Summer Keown, manager of environmental programs for the Host Committee.

    Over a cup of coffee, Summer filled me in on the variety of projects and programs all aimed at lessening the environmental impact of the Big... read on

  • The Great Green Hope: Visionary Wanted

    Published: October 4, 2011 by Ryan Puckett Categories: Civic Engagement, Sustainability Comments: 1

    When I’m about town, I listen to a lot of NPR. Lately, that means I hear a many a story about the Republican presidential candidates, sound bites from the GOP debates, and prognostication of what candidates might still join the field. The 2012 general election takes place in 399 days and I’m already sick of it.

    What I’m not sick of – and what I hear very little about – is the Indianapolis mayoral race. And with Election Day slated for November 8, we’ll choose our city’s CEO for the next four years in only 36 days.

    In one corner we have the incumbent, Greg Ballard. Ballard beat Bart... read on

  • The Great Green Hope: A Green Challenge for the Boys in Blue

    Published: September 7, 2011 by Ryan Puckett Categories: Sustainability Comments: 3

    After a strange summer of negotiations, lawsuits, and daily media coverage of the event-formally-known-as-the-“lockout”, the NFL season kicks off Thursday night. In Indy, fans are particularly optimistic about the upcoming season with the Super Bowl date no longer in question and our beloved Colts hoping to make another successful run at the big game (with or without Peyton).

    But it isn’t just the Colts that we love. Deep down, we still love the Pacers (and they will return to glory someday). Indy is gaga for motorsports and we have the most famous racetrack in the world. The Indians are... read on

  • The Great Green Hope: Two Requests

    Published: July 29, 2011 by Ryan Puckett Categories: Civic Engagement, Sustainability Comments: 0

    I have two urgent requests for you.

    First, go to Central Indiana Regional Transit Authority’s website (CIRTA.us) right now and read the petition in the orange column on the right. If you choose to sign this petition (and I hope you will) you will be saying two things:

    1. I want Indiana communities to have the opportunity to choose to fund transit initiatives.
    2. I want the 2012 Indiana General Assembly to authorize voter referenda that would allow communities to create dedicated and adequate funding for transit design, construction, operation and maintenance.

    More or less, you’re... read on

  • The Great Green Hope: Cigarette Litter

    Published: June 29, 2011 by Ryan Puckett Categories: Lifestyle & Wellness, Sustainability Comments: 0

    SCENE: You are enjoying lunch al fresco on a pleasant summer day and across the street you see a man smoking a cigarette. Just before he walks into the store, he throws his cigarette on the ground, still burning.

    You: Excuse me sir... You dropped something.

    Man looks at you quizzically.

    You: Your cigarette butt... You left it on the ground!

    Man stares blankly at you as you have just confronted him about his litter/smoking habit.

    You: Oh I’m sorry. Did you want me to pick it up?

    Man: No, It’ll just blow away [insert derogatory expletive of choice]!

    END SCENE

    I’ve actually had... read on