Smilingcat, thanks for reminding me that I need to harass the landlords about the dripping faucets. (Actually, what they need to do is just replace the fixtures because the insides are 30 years old and stripped...) And I really wish my complex recycled. In Cleveland Heights, where I used to live, the city took care of it, so there was no charge. Here in the wonderful enlightened southwest/west central Ohio, it's a private company, so the complex would have to pay. I'd be willing to take a slight increase in rent if it meant that the junk mail and beer bottles could be recycled.

To jump off Oak's post on fracking: My alma mater considered allowing exploratory natural gas drilling on its "farm" (they do have chickens there and other animals, ponds used by the aquatic biology labs, and lots of hiking trails). One of the big "pro" arguments was that if there was anything, the university would get a cut, and it has been hurting for money lately. I really don't know what happened (I graduated before it was resolved), but I think it fizzled thanks to a big push from the geology department, which houses the environmental studies program.

The problem for Ohio is that it's a rust-belt state, and it's seen as a way to bring jobs back to the region.