Archive for the ‘Recycling’ Category

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Holidays and Recycling: Helping you Make the Right Choices

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011


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As we go from holiday party to holiday party this year, exchanging gifts and enjoying holiday cheer, thinking about all the trash that is accumulated and not recycled isn’t necessarily high on our minds or list of priorities. Perhaps however, as a holiday gift and New Years resolution, you and the kids in your life could review some of the recycling facts listed below, and take into consideration where the trash from all our parties and gift giving goes, or should go. As a reminder, the average American throws out 4.5 pounds of trash a day, most of this from packaging..something to think about.

Guest Post: The Facts below were compiled by Recycling Revolution and put together for ClimateMama by Julianne Goodman and Jenna DiRito, students at Bergen County Academies in New Jersey.

Aluminum Recycling Facts

*A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new

Flickr Creative Commons: Nomadic Lass

can, in as little as 60 days. That’s closed loop recycling at its finest!
*Used aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled item in the U.S., but other types of aluminum, such as siding, gutters, car components, storm window frames, and lawn furniture can also be recycled.
*A 60-watt light bulb can be run for over a day on the amount of energy saved by recycling 1 pound of steel. In one year in the United States, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18,000,000 homes!
*There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can be recycled.

Paper Recycling Facts

*If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25,000,000 trees a year.
*The average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other

Flickr Creative Commons: Jaymi Heimbuch

products made from trees. This amounts to about 2,000,000,000 trees per year!
*The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. Most is packaging and junk mail.
*Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees.

Plastic Recycling Facts

*Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour! Most of them are

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

thrown away!
*Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator.
*Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year!
*Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year.

Solid Waste and Landfills

*About one-third of an average dump is made up of packaging material!
*Every year, each American throws out about 1,200 pounds of organic garbage that can be composted.
*The US population discards each year 16,000,000,000 diapers, 1,600,000,000 pens, 2,000,000,000 razor blades, 220,000,000 car tires, and enough aluminum to rebuild the US commercial air fleet four times over.
*On average, it costs $30 per ton to recycle trash, $50 to send it to the landfill, and $65 to $75 to incinerate it.

Miscellaneous Recycling Facts

*An estimated 80,000,000 Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped each day, using enough aluminum foil to cover over 50 acres of space — that’s almost 40 football fields. All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it.
*A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water.
*Motor oil never wears out, it just gets dirty. Oil can be recycled, re-refined and used again, reducing our reliance on imported oil.
*A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year. That’s a lot of containers — make sure they’re recycled!

Thanks Julianne and Jenna for the Great Facts!

Yours,

Climate Mama

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Boo! Halloween, Consumption and Climate Change – Scary!

Thursday, October 27th, 2011


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Happy Halloween! We, in North America have taken the celebration of ghosts, goblins and monsters to an extreme, and on October 31st we will be ringing in this festive and spooky holiday in a myriad of ways. I recently finished watching the “Terminator” movie series with my son. “Timely” in a way, as we get ready for Halloween, given that all the movies in the series focus on scary creatures.

The movies are filled with a lot of murder, monster and mayhem. I figured though, not much more gruesome than some of the electronic games my son plays with his friends, much to my pacifist chagrin. I choose to watch the whole series with my son, as a kind of ghoulish bonding experience, and was reminded that there is a message threading it’s way through the series – subtly and some times not so subtly the movies point to humankind’s responsibility to care for and to rescue our world and us, for future generations.

In watching the Terminator movies, I felt that we Climate Mamas and Papas are a bit like the character of Sarah Connor who was the mother of John, the “savior” of the human race. There is overwhelming evidence available to anyone who wants to see it – we humans are destroying our planet. Like Sarah, we know that the “monsters” are lurking. In our case we know that we are changing our ecosystems and heating up our world through our thoughtless emissions of greenhouse gases and our wasteful consumerism. We too often close our eyes and pretend we can’t see.

Not to put a crimp on Halloween, as in most cases our celebrations are harmless. Or are they? There is a line that runs through the Terminator movies, “No fate but what we make”. How in North America, did we turn a harvest festival and the occasion to tell a few good ghost stories, into a mass consumerism event? We in America “do things up big”, Halloween being no exception. The holiday has turned into a marketer’s dream. We buy cards for friends, we buy new costumes for our children, and we purchase as many “crazy, scary and festive” decorations as we can, rivaled only by how we decorate for the winter holidays.

In the northeast US, if you “don’t” decorate for Halloween, you are almost considered a “scrooge”. We haven’t even talked about the candy and other goodies we give out (in single use containers no less – so no one can accuse us of “tampering” with the goodies). Which side of the looking glass are we looking thru, have we made our fate?

Lets flip the picture and look to the positive and come up with ways to heal our world one small step at a time.

1. What about recycling yours and your kid’s costumes, exchanging them with friends for a “new costume” for next year or think about giving the costume to a school or a camp or a used clothing store. Just because the Halloween magazines start coming in August, doesn’t mean you have to succumb to your kid’s demands to get a new costume each year. I fell under that spell for all too long!!

2. What about saving those great decorations and reusing them.

3. Compost, eat or give away the vegetables you display instead of letting them rot on the front porch. Be inventive, be creative. As we in America top off another land fill with our garbage, and pollute our waterways with our leftovers our planet’s ability to recover continues to be compromised. And we aren’t even talking about all that methane gas that collects in those landfills and what harm this potent greenhouse gas can do when it is released into our atmosphere.

4. Think about the candy you buy, where does it come from, packaging, etc. Grist did an interesting article recently on “candy you can feel good about,” read it and discuss this with the kids in your life. There is always, “more to the story” that we normally consider!

Ghosts and goblins are lurking all year around, not just on Halloween. As you celebrate this holiday, engage your children and your grandchildren and consider more sustainable ways to celebrate all our holidays. Food for thought?

Yours truly,

Climate Mama

(This post is “recycled” in part from a 2009 CM Post. In honor of Halloween, and in case you missed it the first time, an “oldie” but a goodie – Enjoy!)

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Posted in Climate Mama News, Holidays, Lifestyle & Fun, Recycling | 1 Comment »

My Take on The Canadian Tar Sands

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

My take on the Canadian Tar Sands?! A juggernaut, seemingly unstoppable, a source of unimaginable profits for multinational energy companies versus shortsighted Russian roulette for the rest of us, for our planet, for our environment and for our economy. Development of the Tar Sands needs to be slowed and stopped if we have a hope of reducing our global carbon emissions, but to do this we need to slow down the “receiving end, our demand for oil, as well as development of proposed pipelines that would take the oil from the tar sands to refineries around the world”….at the same time we need to build up capacity of renewable energy.

Photo Credit: M. Shugarman Suncor Plant 2011

These massive Tar Sands mining and processing projects aren’t against any local or national laws. Morally, I believe what is happening is wrong, but that is certainly debatable.

Reality however, as reported by scientists, is that human caused greenhouse gases, attributable to the burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal) are causing our climate to change. Reality, as reported by scientists, tells us that IF we keep the Tar Sands oil in the ground, we have a hope of managing our changing climate. Reality, as reported by scientists, tells us that if we burn all the tar sand oil “all bets are off.” The spin in Fort McMurray the epicenter of Tar Sands mining, and Reality, as reported by the Tar Sands Industry, the Alberta Government and broad public opinion, is that the Tar Sands are an important source of jobs (employing by some estimates directly and indirectly 20% of Alberta’s work force), a solid revenue stream for the province and a safe and secure source of oil for all. Reality as reported by scientists, isn’t high on the agenda of industry and government, when it comes to the Tar Sands.

With a current capacity of just over 1 million barrels, the oil industry is gearing up to double production in the short term, and almost triple production by 2025. Scientists tell us this would be equivalent to releasing a massive carbon bomb that would, to quote scientist James Hansen, “increase the atmospheric concentration of CO2 by 50%…” creating a planet permanently “out of balance.” This increase in C02 would result in worldwide extreme weather events that would become a regular part of life, threatening our very existence.

Born and raised in Alberta, it is obvious that the economy of the province rises and falls on oil production and mining. When I was growing up, unconventional oil like the Tar Sands were an “impossible dream” of many, too expensive to develop. However, current prices at close to $100.00 a barrel make the mining obstacles, no obstacles

Photo Credit: cbc.ca

at all.

My personal tour of the Suncor mine, one of numerous multinational oil companies that have leased land in Northern Alberta from the provincial government, was mindboggling. The scale of the operations, which are massive, are hard to comprehend, even when one is on site. I watched as “mega size” trucks, 3 stories high, costing over $4 million dollars each, with tires that can be had for a mere $70,000, received tar sands from shovel trucks 5 stories high – what I imagine to be every “little boy” and “big boys” dream – literally a Transformer Movie, coming to life.

The town of Fort McMurray is the fastest growing city in Canada. As well, its population may be the most diverse, with Ethiopians, Nigerians, Venezuelans, and Pakistanis, mixing with Canadians and Americans, and Native Canadians, all gearing up to “make their fortune.” As I was told by several people I met in Fort McMurray, and many people I talked to while visiting my home town of Edmonton, a commonly held believe is that the Tar Sands are providing, safe, secure access to a necessary commodity. Tar Sands oil keeps “the lights on” and the neighbors to the south in the USA, satisfied by shoring up access to relatively inexpensive oil and gasoline that runs cars, heat homes and keep the economy running.

The province of Alberta is about the size of Texas. The Tar Sands area is roughly equivalent in size to the state of New York. The Alberta Tar Sands are located in the Canadian Boreal Forest, on the banks of the mighty Athabasca River which provides water to the oil companies, an integral part of Tar Sands extraction and production. A massive and controversial area, Tar Sands expansion must be closely monitored, followed, studied and slowed down. Unfortunately, the Tar Sands are so far removed from large populations and so difficult to get to, that the old adage “what happens in Fort McMurray, stays in Fort McMurray” really seems to be the case.

THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE. THE PRESSURE NEEDS TO STAY ON. GET INVOLVED, BRING REALITY TO THE ALBERTA TAR SANDS.

Yours,

Climate Mama

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Posted in Climate Mama News, Construction, Politics, Recycling, Renewable Energy, Science, Take a Stand: Action & Advocacy, building materials | No Comments »

Daniella Russo, Plastic Pollution, Blue Vision – In the News

Saturday, May 21st, 2011

Daniella Russo, Plastic Pollution Coalition’s co-founder put the plastic industry on notice this weekend at the 3rd Blue Vision Summit. Daniella reminded the attendees that: “Plastic Pollution Coalition has over 140 organizations, with a

Photo Credit: Chris Jordan

cumulative network access to hundreds of thousands of people, and a growth rate of about 1,000 people a week. We have over 40 celebrities that endorse our mission and goals, but our most meaningful achievement has been branding the term ‘plastic pollution.’ We are doggedly, persistently, insisting on calling the trash phenomenon in the ocean ‘plastic pollution,’ and not ‘marine debris.’ ‘Marine debris’ is an encompassing term that covers much more than plastic, but, in its inclusion of all things garbage, there is an omission that the greatest component of marine debris, is in fact plastic pollution.”

Daniella has been making a name for herself recently by taking on the plastics industry and challenging them to face facts, that plastic pollution is just that, pollution that is wrecking havoc with our oceans and our waterways. Daniella first put the plastic industry on notice at a “Marine Debris” conference in Hawaii earlier this year, where she confronted industry reps and made them “call a spade, a spade,” calling for the abandonment of the term “marine debris” and to put in it’s place the more accurate description “plastic pollution” since the majority of debris in the ocean is plastic. Plastic pollution is a serious issue that we need to face and address – hiding behind the innocuous term “Marine Debris” won’t cut it!

Tune in this weekend to the Blue Vision Summit, which brings together leaders of marine organizations working on ocean and coastal protection and restorations. The Summit has been credited with helping to build a nationwide network of ocean activists ready to act at the local level to assure passage of effective ocean legislation.

While you’re at it, grab the kids and check out progress of another one of our ‘ocean eco heroes” Roz Savage, who has also brought worldwide attention to the issue of plastic pollution. Roz is currently in her third week of her solo row across the Indian Ocean. Roz has already set international records by being the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, visiting some of the ocean gyres found thousands of miles away from human civilization, yet full of plastic pollution!

Remember, recycle all your plastics, or better yet, precycle and try to cut them out of your life, as best as you can, not an easy task, as we proved when Climate Mama took part in the Rodale Plastic Free Week earlier this year.

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10 Top Ways to Save MONEY & the Environment at the Same Time: Climate Mama News

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

As the price of gas soars to $4.00 a gallon and beyond and the price of conventional energy to heat, cool, and light our homes continues to rise, let Climate Mama show you 10 easy ways to save some cash, energy and our environment at the same time!

1. Kill Vampires and stop the blood-letting: Notice those little red and green blinking lights around your house (and no… it’s

Credit: Repower at Home

not Christmas time). Many electronics stay “on” when plugged in, even when they are turned “off”. In fact, according to Repower at Home the typical household spends 10% of its electrical bill on things plugged in but not turned on. Kill the Vampires – UNPLUG and save.

2. STRIP in Every Room: Power strips, that is – use them and save. Put electronics like your computer, printer and fax machine all on the same power strip. Make it simple: one flip of the switch turns all the electronics off or on. Do the same with your entertainment unit and the TV, DVR, and X-box, turn the energy off and save BIG.

3. Program your Life: According to the US Department of Energy you can save 10% a year on heating and cooling just by setting your thermostat back 10-15 degrees for eight hours a day. Let a programmable thermostat do this for you when you are at work or out of the house, and have your “home warm up or cool off” to a comfortable temperature, before you return.

4. Buy Green & Save $$ Green: Check in with your power provider and see if they have a “green” power option. Many energy providers allow you to opt in to a “greener” renewable energy choice without sacrificing service or quality. Your decision helps the power company meet your State’s requirements for increasing renewable energy options in their power mix. You choose to support renewable energy like solar, wind or geothermal, as opposed to dirty polluting fuels like coal or oil; you win and so does the air we breath!

5. Put the Energy Detectives to Work: Empower the kids in your life and motivate them to help you reduce your energy bills at home by unplugging, turning off the lights, changing light bulbs etc. When you see a reduction on your energy bill pass some of the savings on to your kids. Your kids just might pay attention the next time you tell them to “turn out the lights!” For more ideas, check in with Green Allowance!

6. Change a light bulb, save the world (and up to $50!): Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs use 75% less energy than old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. For every bulb you swap, you will cut as much as 1,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year and save up to $50 on your energy bill over the lifetime of the bulb. To get your community involved, let Project Porchlight show you the way.

7. Earn a Star – When it comes time to replace appliances, choose Energy Star products, a designation of the Environmental Protection Agency that helps you choose more energy efficient products, save money and use less energy. Check with Energy Star as you may be eligible for state or federal rebates on certain Energy Star products like washers, dryers and refrigerators.

8. Be Informed, Make Your $’s Count: As an informed consumer, use your purchasing power to support companies and products that are trying to be more environmentally responsible. Don’t get “greenwashed” though, read the fine print! For help on this, check in with our friends at Climate Counts and find out which companies are trying harder.

9. Bulk Up and Loose: Buy food, cleaning supplies and other products you use regularly in bulk and save. Not only will you find that things are generally cheaper when bought in bulk, but by reducing packaging by buying in bulk, you are also helping to conserve resources and reduce landfill waste.

10. Play Games: Join DoSomething.org and the Environmental Protection Agency and play Emission, a Facebook game where players advance by taking action offline to save energy and help the environment. Challenge the kids in your life, your friends down the block, in the next town or across the country!

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Welcome to Climate Mama

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You are a mother, a father, a grandparent, an uncle, an aunt, a teacher or a child at heart. When you hear the Native American saying, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”, it makes you stop for a moment and think. You love nature, travel, adventure and believing in a world that is special and unique. Climate change and global warming are words that alarm you, that often seem too big to get your arms around. You care about what’s happening to the world and notice small changes in your own life that seem to point in the direction of a threatened environment. But you wonder if these changes are real, and if they are you can’t imagine what you can do to help change what is happening.

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Climate Mamas and Papas

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Climate Change so often seems too big to get our hands around. We wonder where we can start and how we can actually make a difference. Each one of us has a different path that we will follow. Some of us cut a wider swath than others, but each of us has a role to play. We would like to introduce you to some amazing individuals, Climate Mamas and Papas who are making a difference, who are, through their daily lives, affecting the lives of all of us. They inspire us, empower us, and challenge us to reach for the stars, to strive to do the best we can to help change the crash course we are currently on with our environment. Lets meet some of these amazing people and find out what inspires them. Meet our featured Climate Mama, Janae Shields, today!

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Earth Day New York promotes environmental awareness and solutions, all year long, through partnerships with schools, community organizations, businesses, and government entities; educating public and private policymakers through conferences and publications; and involving the general public in annual Earth Day events.

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