By Pamela Steinbach

“We have to understand ourselves ‘in place’ — where we live — and in relationship to that around us.”

Fort Wayne resident Laurie Proctor lives very near the St. Lawrence Seaway Divide, gardening the Central Till Plain’s deep, fertile, glacier-deposited soils. She feels the most important thing she’s doing is, “working on getting rid of the lawn, growing more edibles and planting a butterfly garden.”

An ardent environmentalist with a doctorate in divinity and a master’s degree in earth literacy, Laurie fears that Earth may be on the “tipping point” and wonders if we have waited too long to do anything meaningful. She wonders what her grandson’s life will be like and is frustrated when she hears politicians and manufacturers squabble about whether we can mandate mileage standards in 2010 or 2020, when either year would be too late. The issue at hand, in her estimation, is global warming, and she sees life as we know it changing.

Asked what gives her hope, Laurie replies, “What choice do we have? It’s just rational to be hopeful.” Laurie’s innate curiosity is what keeps her going, daily rediscovering hope, joy and beauty in life. Clearly, it can be done ... when we understand our place in the world.

Environmental stewardship is a priority at NIPSCO, which we demonstrate through our proactive focus on sustainability, restorative measures, and wise use of resources. By promoting sustainable businesses, pollution-prevention, waste minimization and other environmental initiatives, NIPSCO helps to improve the communities we serve. www.nipsco.com