If ever Indiana needed environmental awareness, it's now -- Forbes magazine recently rated us 49th in the nation (bottom of the barrel) in its "greenest states" categories. The listing considers "carbon dioxide emissions per capita (or 'carbon footprints'), strong policies to promote energy efficiency and high air quality"; major metro areas must be low in smog and ozone pollution.

The Hoosier Environmental Council has a long history of working to correct Indiana's deficiencies, and now, in an effort to be more timely and make wider connections, it also has a website on MySpace:

http://www.myspace.com/hec_space

Interim exec director Amy DiStaulo credits two young staffers, Anthony Wells and Lisa Smith, with getting her and the HEC board "on board" with the MySpace crowd. The site was launced Sunday; already, HEC has 296 friends.

"It's a new way to build contacts, create a new range of connections with the public and get feedback, as well as issue a call to action," said DiStaulo.

Smith and Wells created the green page; both work as phone canvassers in the evening for the not-for-profit, which is 24 years young.

The HEC will also be announcing its new executive director soon. DiStaulo said the new leader is "out of state, with a large background in environmental issues, a Rhoades scholar, dynamic and extremely intelligent." He will be introduced to the public Dec. 3.