An environmentalist for over 30 years, I practice recycling measures at home and work.  Remembering back to the early 70’s, my family started recycling.  We began by taking newspapers, glass and aluminum to the recycling center.  I am proud to live in Kirkwood where we have an award winning recycling center, the “Francis Scheidegger Recycle Center”, where I can recycle not just newspaper, glass and aluminum, but also waste paper, magazines, cardboard, steel cans and phone books.  It never ceases to amaze me that regardless of what time I go to the recycle center to drop items off, there are other recyclers there as well. So many of us are committed to doing what we can.  The Kirkwood City Council has committed to start single stream curbside recyling with the next year. 

 You may have heard of the phrase from "Cradle to Grave"  Companies are looking at not only where the resources come from to make their product but what happens to it after its demise.  Here is a great 20 minute video that teaches you about the material's economy.  http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html

I will support measures to encourage community recycling throughout the state.

I work to improve the environment while conserving energy use.  At home, I have installed energy-efficient light bulbs, and I work to keep as many lights off as possible.  (If you have children, you know turning lights on is easier than turning them off).  About a year ago I learned our clothes dryers are our least efficient appliance.  I now use a drying rack to decrease our dryer loads.     I also learned that appliances plug in even when they are not being used use energy.  I make it a habit to unplug appliances I ma not using.

I opened my business close to home three years ago.  I have a short commute which saves on gas and decreases car emissions.  I drive a fuel efficient car and would like to see more of our cars get 50 and 60 miles per gallon capacity.  It’s great to see more hybrids offered to us, and people are buying them faster than they can be built.  I will support legislation that provides incentives for owners of hybrid cars.

Global warming is on all of our radars right now.  “Think globally and act locally” is a phrase that helps us all feel that what we do will make a difference.  We need to better understand our environmental footprint and what we can do to alter our personal use of the world’s resources.  Currently a joint effort is being worked on by our legislators, home builders, building suppliers, and architects to create tax incentives to build sustainable housing in our state.   We need to continue to work to create the opportunity to make building green work for all of the people of Missouri.

As your state legislator I will work to ensure Missouri makes our state cleaner and more environmentally sound.