THINK FIRST! THEN REDUCE - REUSE - RECYCLE

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Created from plastic bottle collected on a Florida beach.

REDUCE - REUSE - RECYCLE

It rolls of the tongue pretty easy in this order and that's perfect, because we should be thinking in that order. So, let start in that order.

When you throw something away, what does "away" mean to you? When we throw something away it's usually because we have no use for it any more or we really just want it away from us. Perhaps it stinks or it's just old, ugly or is no longer useful. Maybe it's hazardous or dangerous, so we want some distance. We all know, whatever it is, it won't just disappear and cease to exist any longer. So, we throw it away, only to become part of an environment far from us. Unfortunately, it will become part of someone's or something's environment. Sadly, that can spell disaster for other's lives. On the bright side, we can modify our purchasing habits by considering the end-life of the products we buy. 

Reducing and Reusing Basics

The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy - raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money.

Benefits of Reducing and Reusing

• Prevents pollution by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials
• Saves energy
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change
• Helps sustain the environment for future generations
• Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators
• Allows products to be used to their fullest extent
• Saves money

Ideas on How to Reduce and Reuse

• Buy used. You can find everything from clothes to building materials at specialized reuse centers and consignment shops. Often, used items are less expensive and just as good as new.
• Look for products that use less packaging. When manufacturers make their products with less packaging, they use less raw material. This reduces waste and costs. These extra savings can be passed along to the consumer. Buying in bulk, for example, can reduce packaging and save money.
• Buy reusable over disposable items. Look for items that can be reused; the little things can add up. For example, you can bring your own silverware and cup to work, rather than using disposable items.
• Maintain and repair products, like clothing, tires and appliances, so that they won't have to be thrown out and replaced as frequently.
• Borrow, rent or share items that are used infrequently, like party decorations, tools or extra chair and tables.

Donation

One person's trash is another person's treasure. Instead of discarding unwanted appliances, tools or clothes, try selling or donating them. Not only will you be reducing waste, you'll be helping others. Local churches, community centers, thrift stores, schools and nonprofit organizations may accept a variety of donated items, including used books, working electronics and unneeded furniture.

Resources for Donating Specific Goods and Materials
A quick Google search and you find a group to take just about anything, but here are a few for starters:

• Your local schools
• Households and Personal Items: Goodwill, Salvation Army, ClothingDonations.org
• Donate your used electronics
• Building Materials
• Vehicles: Kars4Kids, Wheels4Wishes
• General: Charity Watch

Recycling
There's a lot more to recycling than just single use plastic bottles, bags and aluminum cans. A large percentage of what we purchase and consume has some potential for recycling. We can make that percentage higher by being conscious about the products we purchase and whether one product is better suited for recycling. We may not think about them often, but some of the items we should be recycling include old tires, clothing, motor oil, food scraps, cell phones, laptops, batteries, yard clippings and so much more. We'll explore some of them here and offer some tips to help you recycle them.

Recycling Basics

Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.

Benefits of Recycling

• Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators
• Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals
• Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials
• Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials
• Saves energy
• Supports American manufacturing and conserves valuable resources
• Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States
• Earn Money

Steps to Recycling Materials

Recycling includes the three steps below, which create a continuous loop, represented by the familiar recycling symbol.

Recycle Symbol

Step 1: Collection Processing

• There are several methods for collecting recyclables, including curbside collection, drop-off centers, and deposit or refund programs.
• After collection, recyclables are sent to a recovery facility to be sorted, cleaned and processed into materials that can be used in manufacturing.
• Recyclables are bought and sold just like raw materials would be, and prices go up and down depending on supply and demand in the United States and the world.

Step 2: Manufacturing

• More and more of today's products are being manufactured with recycled content. Common household items that contain recycled materials include the following:
• Newspapers and paper towels
• Aluminum, plastic, and glass soft drink containers
• Steel cans
• Plastic laundry detergent bottles
• Recycled materials are also used in new ways such as recovered glass in asphalt to pave roads or recovered plastic in carpeting and park benches.

Step 3: Buy Recycled

You help close the recycling loop by buying new products made from recycled materials. There are thousands of products that contain recycled content. When you go shopping, look for the products that can be easily recycled. Of course, that can be hard to do at times, especially with misleading marketing claims and labels.

What do the symbols mean on the bottom of plastic bottles and containers?

These symbols were created by plastic manufacturers to help people identify the kind of plastic resin used to make the container. This can help you determine if the container can be accepted by your local recycling program. The resin number is contained in a triangle, which looks very similar to the recycling symbol, but this does not necessarily mean it can be collected for recycling in your community.

What are the most common items that I can put into my curbside recycling bin?

• Cardboard
• Paper
• Food boxes
• Mail
• Beverage cans
• Food cans
• Glass bottles
• Jars (glass and plastic)
• Jugs
• Plastic bottles and caps

Used Oil

Never dump your used motor oil down the drain — the used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water. By recycling your used oil, you not only help keep our water supply clean, but help reduce American dependence on foreign oil. It takes 42 gallons of crude oil, but only one gallon of used oil, to produce 2.5 quarts of new motor oil. Many garages and auto-supply stores that sell motor oil also accept oil for recycling. Check out our resources on learning to manage, reuse or recycle your used oil. You can also find a motor oil recycler near at Earth911.

How do I know what my local recycling options are?
Contact your local county or municipality to determine your local recycling options. Additionally, please check out the I Want to Be Recycled website for more information.

Can I recycle plastic bags and wrap/film? If so, how and where?
First, be sure to cut off the zippers (if necessary). Many grocery and department stores will accept plastic bags and wrap/film. Ask your local grocery and department store, or visit the Plastic Film Recycling website or Earth911 to find a location nearest you that recycles plastic bags and plastic wrap/film.

 

Can I recycle Food and Drink Containers?

• Styrofoam: While most recyclers don’t accept Styrofoam, check with your local recycling provider first to be certain.
• Egg cartons: It depends on the material of the carton. Check with your local recycling provider first to be certain.

Can I recycle materials with food residue or does the material have to be perfectly clean? 

Generally, plastic, metal and glass materials must be empty and rinsed clean of food debris before being recycled. Paper materials must be empty, clean and dry before being recycled. Wet paper/food-soiled paper products may be compostable.

What should I do with dirty diapers? 
Generally, you should flush the excrement down the toilet and then place the diaper in the trash. Also, consider using reusable cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers. You can also check with your local solid waste agency/recycling provider first.

The next part to this post will focus on some of the more hazardous materials around our homes. You can catch the continuation and other environmental news and tips by signing up for the Green Home blog here.

YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Who are you following?

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Why is it that our planet’s environment and climate change are such politically divisive topics in America today? At the extremes some would say, because they shouldn’t even be topics while others would say, because we’re running out of time to save the planet. I get both responses, but I’m interested in why we respond the way we do. Why is it that one side or the other is labeled as Republican or Democrat? Let’s take a look.

It’s clear that many Americans view environmentalists or environmental activists as Democrat? Do they want it to be so? Do Republicans want to disassociate themselves from both labels? If you look at our history, there’s really no connection between political parties and environmentalism. I’m reminded of watching my favorite hockey team when they’ve played inconsistently; they play the whole first period in their offensive zone and then they play the whole second period in their defensive zone. It’s like they changed jerseys between periods. Democratic and Republican administrations have done the same. How did this happen?

How many of you relate to the following associations? Republican are conservative and Democrats are liberal. We already know these associations are held by a majority of American voters. How about these associations? Republicans are anti-environment and Democrats are pro-environment. You’re not going to like this part, but you know it’s true. Many Americas extend these labels so much further.

Republicans = right-wing, fascist, conservative, racist, anti-environment, pro-life, and they hate all Democratic presidents, VP’s and so on.

Democrats = left-wing, socialist, liberal, non-racial, pro-environment, pro-choice, and they hate all Republican presidents, VP’s and so on.

How many of you hate me now? Just know, I didn’t make this up. This is reality for many Americans and it’s easy to see why.

Your dog agrees

Here’s another question for you. Was Theodore Roosevelt a Democrat or a Republican? It’s cool if you google it before replying. I’m curious about your thoughts, because many would define him as the first and greatest president for environmental advocacy. He signed into law the Antiquities act, giving presidents the authority to proclaim federal lands as National Monuments. He created 5 national parks and 50 wildlife refuges, set aside 150 million acres of timberland and helped create the US Forest Service. As a Republican, he may own the title as the most positively impactful environmental president. Yes, he was a republican.

Few need to be reminded that Richard Nixon was a Republican, but how many recall that the EPA was erected under his administration? His Clean Air Act forced the EPA to create and enforce air pollution regulations. I can tell you, from personal experience, this act improved the air quality in Southern California in a big way.

So, how did we become so divided on environmental issues? Forty years ago, environmental scores were pretty evenly distributed in the house and the senate. Today, it’s very different. So much so that politicians and candidates, on both sides, are afraid to dissent. The Pew Research Center shared the following insight. “When it comes to getting news about politics and government, liberals and conservatives inhabit different worlds. There is little overlap in the news sources they turn to and trust. And whether discussing politics online or with friends, they are more likely than others to interact with like-minded individuals.”

What makes matters worse is our ignorance about both parties. “At one level, these conclusions are hardly surprising. After all, previous research has shown that Democrats and Republicans have wildly false notions of the demographic make-up of the opposing party. Similar to the relationships I cited earlier, Democrats think Republicans are older, richer, and more Evangelical than they really are. Republicans think Democrats are more secular, black, and gay than they really are.” Shockingly, studies have shown that the most “politically disengaged” Americans are fully three times more accurate in their estimates of political opponents.

This is where social media plays a large role. We follow the groups, people and organizations that hold similar views to our own and then we’re bombarded by their headlines and quotes. With so much bombardment and limited time to qualify, research or even read what’s behind the headline, we simply file it as true or false and move on.

There’s plenty of evidence indicating that we’re letting ourselves be manipulated by a “news bubble” of our own creation. Christopher Bail and colleagues from Duke University surveyed a large sample of Democrats and Republicans, who visit Twitter at least three times each week, about a range of social policy issues. One week later, they randomly assigned respondents to a treatment condition in which they were offered financial incentives to follow a Twitter bot for 1 month that exposed them to messages from those with opposing political ideologies (e.g., elected officials, opinion leaders, media organizations, and nonprofit groups). Respondents were resurveyed at the end of the month to measure the effect of the treatment, and at regular intervals throughout the study period to monitor treatment compliance. They found that Republicans who followed a liberal Twitter bot became substantially more conservative post-treatment.

There’s an amazing amount of material being written today about America’s political divide. There’s also a great deal of ongoing research taking place and most of it makes clear, we’re losing focus on real issues. We’re not seeking facts or truths. We’re seeking acceptance and easy answers for complicated issues. We’re doing this via social media.

You may have read this far, because you wanted me to tell you why your views on climate change and our environment are wrong. However, it's more likely that you read this far expecting that I’d offer some confirmation of your own views on the subjects. After all, you probably found this piece on an environmental page somewhere on-line and inside your “news bubble”.

By Mac Bishop

Why I Supported Climate Strike

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Before I get started, I'd like to offer one fundamental truth. I hope that we can all understand and agree that the climate on earth has always and will continue to change with or without man's activities.

All we know is ice age

This little rock that we affectionately call earth is no stranger to wild temperature swings. Scientists broadly agree that earth has experienced 5 major ice ages, the earliest of which began well over 2 billion years ago. Our most recent ice age began about 3 million years ago and, interestingly enough, it continues to this day. Really, you're living in an ice age!

So, why do I support climate change activism? It's not a political perspective. I don't belong to a party. To a degree (pun intended), it's due to scientific studies. I do believe science is the best tool for interpreting the language of mother nature, but it's not science that convinced me to join. I joined the strike, because of a preponderance of evidence, personal experiences, and one other reason I'll share later.

The problem with the scientific method is that it doesn't often yield a conclusion as quickly as we would like or need. Such is the case with climate change. There's so much that's inconclusive, but the change is happening at an alarming rate. It's the rate that should have all of us concerned.

Within each ice age there are events referred to as "glacial" and "inter-glacial"

periods. We're in the latter, a warmer period, which began about 11,000 years ago. The ice age we're living in was at its peak around 20,000 years ago when the earth was estimated to be about 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler. For perspective, the industrial revolution began only about 260 years ago. So, we should begin our evaluation of human impact starting around 1759 and forward. Okay, man has been burning forests for much longer, but we've seen those same forests swallow most signs of our activity by regrowth. Still, our industrial activity represents no more than a few seconds in earth's geologic time.

There are numerous potential contributors to earth's climate variations including changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns, changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, and certainly volcanic eruptions. We can easily assume that the ever changing positions of earth's continents, caused by tectonic plate movements, significantly altered ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns.

Climatologists commonly believe that today's ice age began when the land bridge between

North and South America (Isthmus of Panama) formed and ended the circulation of tropical waters between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. 

What's does all of this have to do with global warming today? Little at most. You see, these are events that aren't happening today or they're events that take millions and, more likely, tens of millions of years to unfold. Our impact has been so great in such a brief amount of time that there is now heated debate among noted scholars as to whether we've created a new epoch. Did we create the Anthropocene in a geologic blink of an eye?

Allow me to back up. An epoch is a definable unit that geologists and paleontologists use to break down the broad concept of "deep" time. These units of time are defined by stratigraphic layers that are chemically or biologically distinct. Now, imagine that you're a geologist 10 million years from now. You're digging on an desert island in an area that was once one of LA's 4 major watersheds. How difficult do you think it would be for a scientist of the future to identify stratigraphic layers that are chemically or biologically different, and significantly different, from surrounding layers before and after our time? One thing is for certain, he or she should be wearing gloves.

I'm neither a geologist or a paleontologist, but I do know that we've moved mountains, piled trash hundreds of feet high over many thousand of square mile, flushed billions of metric tons of soil into the oceans, drilled millions of holes thousands of feet into the earth surface,

burned millions of acres of forests to the ground, spread plastic debris to the deepest depths of the ocean and the highest peaks on earth, drove hundreds of species to extinction and many more to the brink, and we've even introduced nuclear waste into earth's global oceanic and stratospheric currents on too many occasions. There's literally no place on earth untouched by our waste. Get this, it's estimated that there are 230 billion square meters of paved road on earth. In the US alone, we've covered more than 100,000 square miles with asphalt. Have you noticed how hot that stuff get's in summer? I'm not concluding anything here, it's part of the preponderance of evidence for cause.

I know, I won't change the minds of those who won't believe that man has played a role in the changing climate. Some folks just won't trust the scientific community. Perhaps, it's because they recall incidents when politicians have coerced a scientist group to modify the  results of one study or another. I agree, there are reasons to be skeptical at times. For those, I can only suggest to put emotions aside and do more homework, just not on Twitter.

What are your observations? Have you ever noticed how difficult is is to walk barefoot on concrete or blacktop on a hot summer afternoon? Did you look for some grass or dirt to relieve yourself of pain from the scorching heat? Have you ever felt the hot air coming off the heat exchanger from your air conditioning unit? Why's it so much hotter than the air in the area you're trying to cool? Who's searched for a parking spot under a shade tree and wondered how many shade tree's were removed to create the parking lot? Have you ever wondered what life forms used to live where there's only blacktop and concrete today?

What I find most alarming is the way in which many folks arrive at a position or conclusion on the topic. In fact, both sides are guilty of dismissing any form of logic or reasoning at times. Case in point, I posted to several Facebook groups the day before the strike event asking who was going. Here are a few naysayer responses (I didn't correct spelling or punctuation):

• Yay New GREEN DEAL, no cow, planes,... cost trillions!
• I wonder when the last time any of them planted a tree?
• Sadly, they are indoctrinated.
• Who organized this crap? George soros?
• idiots
• First it was "global Cooling" but then it started getting warmer. Then, it was "global warming," but then it started getting cooler. Now, it's "climate change," so we're covered either way.

And the best one:

• Just wondering how we ever made it through the last 5 or 6 ice ages and climate change without you all

Can we attribute these kinds of responses to political influences, religion, fear, ignorance or something else? One thing is for certain, they're emotional.

I'm convinced there's no single cause for global warming, although it seems clear that burning fossil fuels has been a major contributor. Plus, we just can't seem to keep from spilling the stuff everywhere. Still changing energy sources, however clean they may seem, won't stop the rise. We need to rely on less energy, focus on limiting manufacturing and growth for the sake of profit. We need to stop buying things to replace things that don't need to be replaced. We don't need a new phone just because Apple came out with a new one.

It's not that we all want to be hunter-gatherers or live a permaculture existence; well some us want to give it a try. Most of us understand that Mother Nature isn't dying. We're eternally incapable of killing her. She's physics, chemistry, biology, the moon and the stars. She doesn't care about us, only the processes. Of course, we're able to influence these processes. That's the issue at hand and, unfortunately, we haven't learned how to improve them.

There's so much that we/I don't understand, but it's clear that one day, for any number of reasons, the processes on earth will no longer support human life.

Now I have to ask if we can agree on one more thing. Can we agree that we all want to extend the processes that support our existence and that of future generations? This is the basis for my support. Well, that and I like the people.

As Gaylord Nelson once stated - 

“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

Are You Going to Eat That?

5 Best ways to reduce food waste

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How you ask? By:

Compost this

1. Planning
2. Proper Storage

3. Preparation

4. Donation

5. Composting

Most people don't realize how much food they throw away every day — from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. About 94 percent of the food we throw away ends up in landfills or combustion facilities. In 2015, we disposed 37.6 million tons of food waste. By managing food sustainably and reducing waste, we can help businesses and consumers save money, provide a bridge in our communities for those who do not have enough to eat, and conserve resources for future generations.

Benefits of Reducing Wasted Food

· Saves money from buying less food.

· Reduces methane emissions from landfills and lowers your carbon footprint.

· Conserves energy and resources, preventing pollution involved in the growing, manufacturing, transporting, and selling food (not to mention hauling the food waste and then landfilling it).

· Supports your community by providing donated untouched food that would have otherwise gone to waste to those who might not have a steady food supply.

PLANNING

Planning, prepping, and storing food can help your household waste less food. By simply making a list with weekly meals in mind, you can save money and time and eat healthier food. If you buy no more than what you expect to use, you will be more likely to keep it fresh and use it all.

· Keep a running list of meals and their ingredients that your household already enjoys. That way, you can easily choose, shop for and prepare meals.

· Make your shopping list based on how many meals you’ll eat at home. Will you eat out this week? How often?

· Plan your meals for the week before you go shopping and buy only the things needed for those meals.

· Include quantities on your shopping list noting how many meals you’ll make with each item to avoid overbuying. For example: salad greens - enough for two lunches.

· Look in your refrigerator and cupboards first to avoid buying food you already have, make a list each week of what needs to be used up and plan upcoming meals around it.

· Buy only what you need and will use. Buying in bulk only saves money if you can use the food before it spoils.

STORAGE

· It’s easy to overbuy or forget about fresh fruits and vegetables. Store fruits and vegetables

for maximum freshness; they’ll taste better and last longer, helping you to eat more of them.

· Find out how to store fruits and vegetables so they stay fresh longer inside or outside your refrigerator.

· Freeze, preserve, or can surplus fruits and vegetables - especially abundant seasonal produce.

· Many fruits give off natural gases as they ripen, making other nearby produce spoil faster. Store bananas, apples, and tomatoes by themselves, and store fruits and vegetables in different bins.

· Wait to wash berries until you want to eat them to prevent mold.

· If you like to eat fruit at room temperature, but it should be stored in the refrigerator for maximum freshness, take what you’ll eat for the day out of the refrigerator in the morning.

PREPARATION

Prepare perishable foods soon after shopping. It will be easier to whip up meals or snacks later in the week, saving time, effort, and money.
When you get home from the store, take the time to wash, dry, chop, dice, slice, and place your fresh food items in clear storage containers for snacks and easy cooking.
Be sure your containers are reusable and not one-time use disposable bags or containers. Befriend your freezer and visit it often. For example, freeze food such as bread, sliced fruit, or meat that you know you won’t be able to eat in time. Cut your time in the kitchen by preparing and freezing meals ahead of time.
DONATE

If you can't reduce wasted food, divert It from landfills. Nutritious, safe, and untouched food can be donated to food banks to help those in need. Perhaps surprising to some, our EPA is a good source for connecting to the right organizations for feeding those in need.

By redirecting unspoiled food from a landfill to our neighbors in need, individuals can support their local communities and reduce environmental impact. Non-perishable and unspoiled perishable food can be donated. Donated food can also include leftovers from events and surplus food inventory.

Food pantries, food banks and food rescue programs are available across the country to

Food Recovery

collect food and redistribute it to those in need. Food banks are community-based, professional organizations that collect food from a variety of sources and save the food in warehouses.

The food bank then distributes the food to hungry families and individuals through a variety of emergency food assistance agencies, such as soup kitchens, youth or senior centers, shelters and pantries. Most food banks tend to collect more non-perishable foods such as canned goods because they can be stored for a longer time.

Food Rescue

Food rescue programs take excess perishable and prepared food and distribute it to agencies and charities that serve hungry people such as soup kitchens, youth or senior centers, shelters and pantries. Many of these agencies visit the food bank each week to select fresh produce and packaged products for their meal programs or food pantries.

A Food Bank Network

Many also take direct donations from stores, restaurants, cafeterias, and individuals with surplus food to share. Remember to contact your local food pantry, food bank or food rescue operation to find out what items they accept. Also, food banks will often pick up donations free of charge.

COMPOSTING

What is composting? Is it truly beneficial for the environment? How do I do it? Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. It enriches soil, helping retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. Compost also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, and it encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material.
Composting Leftovers
Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. It enriches soil, helping retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. Compost also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, and it encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material.

Composting Basics
All composting requires three basic ingredients:

• Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs.
• Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds.
• Water - Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is important for compost development.

Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter.

Backyard Composting

Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin. Add brown and green materials as they are collected, making sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded. Moisten dry materials as they are added. Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches of compost material.

Live Green & Save Money

Learn more about composting and other money saving, green living tips in our free eBook “Live Green & Save Money".

Visit us and sign up at Bishop’s Green Home.