Waste Subscribe
A selection of initiatives, blogs, resources and communities on Jewcology which focus on waste.
From the Blogs
Recycled Paper (CJN June 2011)
- January 18, 2012
This "Sustainable Jew" article originally appeared in the Canadian Jewsih News June 10, 2011 Recycle, reduce, reuse. Last month, my column discussed the challenge of recycling of paper on which Jewish holy words are written. This month, we will focus on some key considerations to help you make sustainable choices about what paper you use as well as how you use, and eventually reuse, that paper. The three actions mentioned above— choice, use and reuse—help influence what paper options are available in the marketplace. As such, the actions ...
Take Care Reproducing Documents (CJN May 2011)
- January 18, 2012
-
This "Sustainable Jew" column originally appeared in the Canadian Jewish News May 12, 2011 We are now in “sphirat ha-omer,” the count-up to Shavuot—the time of the giving of our Torah. Our study and transmission of our Written and Oral Laws ("Torah Shebichtav" and "Torah Sheba'al Peh," respectively) has benefitted from technological advancement. We are known as the “People of the Book”—five books of Moses, 24 books of Tanakh, countless written commentaries—but many are beginning to find ...
Seeds
- January 10, 2012
(reposted from Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin's blog: http://blog.bjen.org/ dated January 6, 2012) In Genesis 1, on the sixth day, God creates man and woman after having created all the rest of Planet Earth. In a gracious effort to provide some guidance, some instruction to these bewildered, befuddled neophytes on how this novelty of life could possibly work, God says, "Look around. All this grandeur is there for you." 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and ...
Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment
- January 1, 2012
Core teachings on 18 topics linking Torah and the environment were released between Tu b'Shevat 5772 and Tu b'Shevat 5773 as part of Jewcology's Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim and a host of other organizations who shared materials across the Jewish community. The materials were shared at least 145 times on the web, in at least 99 social media postings, and reached over 51,000 people during the course of the year, as part of a Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment. The materials comprise the most comprehensive set of ...
New Food Packaging Made Of Natural, Fruity Repellents
- December 29, 2011
New Food Packaging Made Of Natural, Fruity Repellents By TechIsrael Staff Photo by yumtan There are now seven billion people in the world, and as in the past, experts are wringing their hands over the possibility that Malthus could finally have his day. Malthus was the English philosopher who expected the world to starve eventually because of a lack of resources, and so far he's been wrong. But seven billion, now... that's a lot of people! All those people do have to be fed. So far, the world has been able to (more or less) supply its population ...
Greening Hanukkah
- December 12, 2011
Hanukkah is a time where we celebrate the renewal of the eternal flame and rededication of the Temple. It is a great time to rededicate ourselves to the goal of preserving God’s creation, conserving energy and helping the environment. Here are a few things you can do leading up to, and during, the holiday to rededicate yourself to making the world more eco-friendly. Leading up to the holiday: · Buy gifts with a low carbon footprint—local stores that sell vintage, locally made or locally grown products are a great place to find ...
Israeli Engineers Come Up With Way to Recycle Industrial Sludge
- November 30, 2011
-
By Aviva Grunpeter for NTD News Photo by Anat Markram, CDEGlobalTags: Environmental legislation and its enforcement require industrial plants to take care of the sludge created during the purification of their waste, which at times can be poisonous and dangerous. So far, disposal of the harmful materials in Israel included transfer to the southern, less inhabited part of the country, where they were burned and buried. “Ecology Serviced,” an Israeli plant, has readjusted an existing technology to work towards reducing the harmful ...
facebook and the dark side of computers
- November 14, 2011
- 3 comments
Dear Friends, I was in our local co-op yesterday and, as often happens, I ran into a friend. My friend started by saying, “you know, I’ve started to sign up for facebook three or four times, and then I realize it wants me to give over all of my emails… I’m just not going to do it. It looks innocent- but it’s all of my emails!” I said, “I know- I’ve been almost logging on to facebook too- and when I get to those emails- I’m out of there!” We talked there in the aisle, me holding my cereal and ...
Energy Unplugged
- November 8, 2011
The Jewish Environmental Initiative held a workshop on “How To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient” on October 23rd. The speakers were Gary Steps, Founder and Chief Visionary at Butterfly Energy Works, and Kathleen Engel, a Certified Green Professional through the National Association of Home Builders who works for HomeNav and Home Green Home, two Green Home-related organizations. Here are some tips from the workshop. Following as many of these steps as you can will help reduce your energy bills, will help the environment, and will help reduce waste, ...
My Zaide, Sukkot and Food Insecurity
- October 31, 2011
As a child at Sukkot I recall my beloved Zaide Shaya Yosef Z”L eating meals and sleeping in the simple Sukkah behind his house. Zaide was a pious Jew who left his Polish shtetl, Checiny, in order to bring his wife and children to a better life in Canada. Stories my mother tells about Checiny describe a home not much more secure than Zaide’s fragile Sukkah. Access to food, especially fresh produce, was limited. The family was often hungry and malnourished. I wonder what Zaide thought and felt as he celebrated Z’man Simchateinu, the ...
Gadget attaches to faucet to measure each use of water
- October 26, 2011
-
By NoCamels Team Photo by Joe Shlabotnik How many drops of water does it take to wash your hands, or a single glass? Bware, a new Israeli Patent by a2design, is a simple digital device to be installed on any faucet and can count in real time the amount of water in liters or gallons for every use. The Bware not only shows how much water you have used on the LED display, it can also also help detect different kinds of leaks, say its creators, Ariel Drach and Alex Sudak. The device, made from recycled materials, uses flow of water to generate enough electricity ...
Green Eggs and Us
- October 25, 2011
-
(reposted from Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin's blog, dated October 18, 2011: http://blog.bjen.org/) We can learn a lot from Dr. Seuss, or a local CSA, or a child's coloring book. That is: there's a lot more variety in the world than we think. Not all carrots are orange; not all potatoes are white; not all watermelons are red; not all bananas are yellow. According to Plants for a Future, there are 20,000 edible plants in the world today. Yet, fewer than 20 species supply 90% of what the world eats. It seems that in our rush to be food ...
Turning Waste Into Treasure
- October 13, 2011
I read a story last week that really got my attention. It was posted on the New York Times Green Blog (see story here: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/an-oil-bonanza-in-discarded-plastic/), and was discussing a company’s effort to convert discarded plastic into crude oil. Now I know this does not sound like the most environmentally friendly initiative, as the crude oil will eventually be utilized, resulting in the release of green house gases into the atmosphere. However, although I am a huge supporter of renewable energy, I think there is room ...
Eco-Friendly Travels
- October 11, 2011
Heading out of town for a fall foliage trip, a college homecoming event or to visit family members? While traveling does increase your carbon footprint, there are ways to minimize that impact by choosing wisely in terms of how you travel and where you stay. Keeping these tips in mind, it is possible to be environmentally-conscious as you plan your trip and thus to fulfill the Jewish principle of bal tashchit (reducing waste). Getting There Think about using rail service or express bus to get to your destination. Using public transit is better for the environment ...
The apples are finished.
- October 10, 2011
Each year, before Rosh Hashanah, my family goes apple picking. It's a special tradition for each of us. Most of the other families are here to pick a few apples to be dipped in honey. Not us! As my husband likes to say, "we're hard core." When we get to the farm stand, we're here to pick apples. Maybe you’ve been there: You stand in between the trees that seem to go on and on forever. The apples beckon to you. After only 30 minutes, you probably have enough for Rosh Hashanah. But you’ve only just arrived! Once upon a time, we had to stop ourselves around ...
Easy Ways to Use Less Paper
- September 12, 2011
One of Judaism’s important teachings is bal tash’chi, which means “you shall not waste.” In Deuteronomy 20:19, Jews are advised not to cut down or destroy trees, even in a time of war. Using less paper is one way you can do your part to save trees. You can also reduce the use of water and the environmental effect of chemicals that are used to manufacture the paper. It is very easy to use less paper and make a difference to the environment: Don’t discard paper that has only been printed on one side. “GOOS” ...
The Beauty of Compost
- August 9, 2011
-
(reposted from Rabbi Nina Cardin's blog: http://blog.bjen.org/ ) A brief respite from the summer's heat: I had been looking for the perfect counter-top compost container and had not been able to find one. So, in desperation, I simply reached for a clear plastic cannister that would otherwise be holding flour or rice or granola or some such. We keep it by the sink and dump our food shards in there. Surprisingly, fresh compost is not always unattractive. Neither is nicely "cooked" compost. Good finished compost ready to be used is often rich and aromatic. It is ...
The Power of Electronic Recycling
- August 8, 2011
“Look at My works. See how beautiful they are, how excellent. See to it that you do not spoil or destroy My world. For if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.” (Midrash Ecclesiates Rabbah 1 on 7:13 c. 9thcentury) In today’s ever more technological world, the number of electronic items the average person uses and wears out continues to grow. According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans now own approximately 24 electronic products per household. As Jews we should be mindful not to immediately throw out ...
A Sense of Place
- July 19, 2011
- 4 comments
-
Modern American culture doesn’t have much to say about the importance of place. Of course, we have landmarks: the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument, Mount Rushmore, to name a few. But what is important about those places is what is there, or what once happened there. It’s not the place itself that claims us. It’s a combination of monument and memory. As Jews we are more likely to have a real sense of what place means. We’ve been to Israel, a land that has been a part of our history for millennia, and that today ...
Planet Jewish: “Greening” your Shabbat
- July 7, 2011
Shabbat is a day of rest and spiritual enrichment for the Jewish people. It is a wonderful time to reflect on the Jewish principle of ‘bal tashchit’ which forbids wastefulness. Here are a few ways to enrich Shabbat by being more mindful of our connection to the land and of the importance preserving and restoring the Earth rather than wasting resources. Make the Shabbat Table More Sustainable. For Shabbat candles, consider using natural candles such as those made of beeswax. Beeswax candles are clean-burning, non-allergenic and are a renewable resour...
