Group gains award for e-waste collection Earth Keepers honored
Group gains award for e-waste collection Earth Keepers honored
MARQUETTE — In recognition of several environmental projects, including this spring’s collection of more than 320 tons of electronic waste across northern Michigan, the Earth Keeper organization will be presented an award this weekend from the Lake Superior Binational Program.
The local group will be honored on Sunday with an Environmental Stewardship award during Lake Superior Day at Barker’s Island Pavilion in Superior, Wis. The binational program will honor 11 other winners from the U.S. and Canada in the Lake Superior basin in several other categories, including youth, adult, individual, industry, business, and community organization.
The Earth Keeper project is coordinated by nine faith communities Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist, Bahai, Jewish and Zen Buddhist; two environmental groups, the Central Lake Superior Watershed Partnership and The Cedar Tree Institute; two dozen core organization members across the U.P.; and a Northern Michigan University student group. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has been a partner in the first two clean sweeps.
The 2005 event collected more than 45 tons of household hazardous waste, such as pesticides, herbicides, mercury, car batteries and lead-based paints. The 2006 project netted 320 tons of electronic waste, including old and broken computers and cell phones.
Earth Keeper initiative co-founder the Rev. Jon Magnuson of Marquette said the group will continue developing projects to protect Lake Superior and its tributaries.
“Our efforts are part of a new awakening of a deep prophetic theme hidden in the great religions of the world,” said Magnuson, the Lutheran campus pastor at NMU. “This award is a special sign of encouragement and hope to continue this special work to protect and celebrate Lake Superior.”
The Lake Superior Binational Program was formed by the United States and Canadian governments to protect Lake Superior and oversee uses in the Great Lakes Basin.
The Earth Keeper organization is receiving the honor because of its “outstanding efforts to restore or protect the natural environment in the Lake Superior Basin,” Lake Superior Binational Forum U.S. Coordinator Lissa Radke, of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College in Ashland, Wis., stated in a letter to Earth Keepers.
The Lake Superior Binational Program awards are supported by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office and Environmental Canada. The program is administered by the Lake Superior Binational Forum at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute and at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
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