Waste Subscribe
A selection of initiatives, blogs, resources and communities on Jewcology which focus on waste.
From the Blogs
What is Sustainability?
- July 6, 2011
In 1983 the Bruntland Commission formally defined sustainable development as, "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Many hard-core environmentalists and deep ecologists reject this definition because it presupposes development as the foundation for sustainability. However, many free-market capitalists think this definition goes too far and encourages unnecessary government oversight of global markets. Given the opposing viewpoints sustainable development can ...
Planet Jewish
- June 7, 2011
According to Jewish teachings, human beings were placed upon the Earth with the responsibility “to till it and to tend it” (Genesis 2:15). One way way “to till and tend the Earth” is by composting. Composting, the practice of mixing decaying organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, to create a nutrient rich fertilizer, has many benefits. Who wouldn’t want to save the planet one piece of trash at a time while producing a plant food that would make master gardeners proud. Read more at http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/blog.aspx?id=345.
Environmental Tip of the Week: An important reminder
- May 29, 2011
- 1 comment
Cross posted in Environmental Tip of the Week You probably know that you should turn the water off when you're brushing your teeth, but do you remember to do it? If you're not so careful with that, consider this: You could save a thousand gallons per year from just this one good habit!
Moving Beyond the Global Warming Debate
- May 18, 2011
Perhaps this is heretical talk for an environmental blog, but I have always been skeptical of Global Warming alarmists. From the start, I have felt this issue was a distraction from the more pressing environmental issues of our time. What does it matter if sea levels are going to rise decades from now, I thought, if there is already no healthy food to eat, no clean water to drink, few rainforests left in which to preserve rare & endangered species, and the air and land have all been poisoned with toxins and radiation. In other words, I have always felt that ...
Environmental Tip of the Week: Try to avoid disposable eating utensils!
- April 5, 2011
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Cross posted in Environmental Tip of the Week from Maxistentialism on Tumblr So what happens to plastic utensils when you're done with them and you throw them out? "According to the Clean Air Council, enough paper and plastic utensils are thrown away every year to circle the equator 300 times. It is estimated that close to 40 billion individual plastic utensils—meaning 14 and 18 billion plastic spoons—are produced each year, and with such low rates of reuse and recycling, most of ...
Environmental Tip of the Week: You can find creative new uses for things!
- March 22, 2011
- 1 comment
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Cross posted on Environmental Tip of the Week Sometimes you can reuse something you'd otherwise have to throw out! It can also save you from having to buy new stuff. For example, the nice little box my husband's iPhone came in was sitting in our closet, unused. Also sitting in our closet were random coins and dollar bills that were constantly falling on the floor. I'm now using that box to keep our spare change!
Disposable or not disposable, that’s the question
- February 14, 2011
- 2 comments
B'H With some friends we hold an “after Tu B'Shvat” celebration, in my home town, Santiago de Chile. After having a picnic, I taught a shiur (class) on the topic. After studying about trees in Judaism, we ended up having a long discussion about the use/abuse of disposable items. Half of the group argued that if you use it for a holly purpose, like having many guests on Shabbos, it should not be considered as Bal Tashchit (“Do not destroy”, a biblical commandment which root is not to destroy a fruit tree on war time; it ...
My Oh Mayim: Rethinking Water Usage in a Land Flowing with Milk and Honey, but Little Water.
- February 9, 2011
- 1 comment
Ushavtem mayim b'sason.Draw water in joy. A classic song of joy danced to at every celebration by millionsof Jews worldwide. Jews sing and dance about water at every proayer service and celebration. Through our prayer, song and dance, we hope that Israel willhave enough water for the coming year. The last couple of years have seen the harshest drought to hit the region in decades. Demand for water is high and continues to grow as population expands, therefore Israel's fresh (sweet) water resources are quickly drying up, and Israelis know it. Israeli ...
Turning the General Assembly into a Green Assembly
- November 15, 2010
- 1 comment
NEW YORK (Nov. 15, 2010) — It’s not easy being green, but it’s certainly possible. While the Jewish Federations’ General Assembly and International Lion of Judah Conference in New Orleans accomplished important work this past week, it did so at the expense of the environment. Organizers of the conferences didn’t provide recycling or composting containers. Instead, the two meetings produced a massive amount of non-biodegradable plastic trash. Every single meal was served on plastic with individually wrapped plastic flatware. ...
I avoid using disposable products as much as possible.
- November 14, 2010
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I got some pretty cloth napkins in different colors from Bed Bath and Beyond near Lincoln Center here in Manhattan so we don't have to use paper napkins anymore. While I was there, I also picked up some extra (also pretty) dishtowels so we don't have to use paper towels to clean up messes anymore. Yes, these items have to be washed in the laundry but they don't take up that much extra space- Just stick 'em in a load you're already doing anyway. Also, check out these water bottles: http://flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_swb.asp . They're expensive ...
Digital Detritus: The Growing Problem of Electronic Waste
- August 6, 2010
by Dr. Daniel Weber In one small town in rural China, the blood of the local children is so contaminated from a specific local industry that over 80% of them are now diagnosed with significant lead poisoning[1]. Fumes filled with poisonous dioxins and heavy metals fill the lungs of workers in . Fumes filled with poisonous dioxins and heavy metals fill the lungs of workers in Accra, Ghana as they melt the plastic insulation off copper wires[2]. In . In New Delhi, India, the pots and pans used for cooking are the same ones used to isolate lead from other components ...
