Last chance to help us make Israel a greener, environmentally healthier land: Until the end of April you can vote online for the upcoming World Zionist Congress. The results determine, among other things, the division of power at the Jewish National Fund’s international board.

For the past decade I have sat on the JNF board, largely because of the support and intervention of the Green Zionist Alliance – a wonderful group of young environmentalists who decided to get involved and improve Israel’s environmental performance. This support has allowed me to represent them and pursue any number of important green initiatives which include:

· creating new sustainable forestry policies for the JNF,

· putting bike lanes on the organization’s agenda,

· creating a brand new “affirmative action” program to systematically reach out to Israel’s Arab minorities to finance environmental projects,

· increasing the organizational commitment to green building and solar energy,

· leading the fight to prevent JNF funding over the green line,

· expanding funding for forestry and agricultural research as well as river restoration projects, and

· fighting for good government and transparency.

There is a lot more that needs to be done. Whether or not I can continue depends on whether the “GZA” – or Aytzim as they call themselves these days gets enough votes. It only takes ten dollars to register and 3 minutes online to vote. (The polls close this Thursday April 30th). Here’s a link to Vote Green Israel: www.worldzionistcongress.org

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. And thanks to all of you who have already voted green for the support. – Alon Tal

(Considered by many to be the leading environmentalist in Israeli history, Alon Tal is a co-founder of the Green Zionist Alliance)

You can support the Israel you want to see. All American Jews can vote in the World Zionist Congress election going on right now. One of the most common questions, we get is why it costs $10 to vote. As Mirele Goldsmith, a Green Israel slate member answers: “The American Zionist Movement has contracted with an independent company to run the online election.  This is to insure that the election is fair.  The registration fee is being used exclusively to pay for the election.  It is not a donation to the WZO.  I wish there was no fee, but it is a small price to pay to make a real difference in the future of Israel.”

Green Israel Platform: Peace for All • Green Energy • Sustainable Development • Diaspora Relations • Air Quality • Ecological Ecology • Animal Rights • Food Justice • Water Conservation • Schmita • Recycling • Encourage Environmental Start-Ups

Green Israel Slate: Eli Bass, Ellen Bernstein, Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Karin Fleisch, David Fox, Matthew Frankel, Ilana Gauss, Brett Goldman, Mirele Goldsmith, Wendy Kenin, David Krantz, Frances Lasday, Evonne Marzouk, Hody Nemes, Morgan Prestage, Shira Rosen, Richard Schwartz, Jacob Schonzeit, David Sher, Garth Silberstein, Marc Soloway, Lawrence Troster, David Weisberg, Eric Weltman, Laurie Zoloth

Please vote Green Israel. Go to http://jewcology.org/2015/03/votegreenisrael/ or worldzionistcongress.org for more info.

• Help the environment by reducing waste as you empty your home of chametz (leavened foods such as breads, pastas, etc).  Give leftover bread and grain-based items to area food pantries rather than throwing them out.
• Clean your house using environmentally friendly cleaning products. Consider brands such as Trader Joe’s or Seventh Generation. Or make your own cleaning product by combining water, lemon juice and a splash of vinegar.
• As much as possible, buy your Passover fruits and vegetables from local, organic sources. This reduces your carbon footprint as you will not be purchasing produce flown in from hundreds of miles away. Cook with vegetables that are in season.
• Use soy or beeswax candles for your Passover table.  These create less soot and are more sustainable than paraffin candles.
•  Avoid disposable plates and utensils.  If your level of observance requires using separate dinnerware during Passover, invest in purchasing separate dishes that you can use over again each year.  Don’t clog landfills by using plates, cups and cutlery that get thrown away after a single use.
• Use washable napkins and a washable table cloth for your Seders. This is another way to reduce waste.
• If travelling for Passover, consider carpooling with others and travelling at off-peak times to avoid wasting gas.
• Incorporate environmental themes as part of your Seder.  Find one example at    http://www.rac.org/sites/default/files/freedom%20seder%20.pdf

(Freedom Seder for the Earth)

Have a joyous and green Passover!

–Give an eco-friendly gift:  Avoid the mall or department store. Go eco-friendly with your gift.  Some ideas include fair trade chocolate, organic handmade soap or a handbag made from recycled products.  Shop at your local fair trade store, organic market or similar venue to find just the right gift.

–Give an experience rather than a gift in a box:  Another way to be more respectful of the environment when you do Valentine’s Day shopping is to buy a gift of a dinner out or tickets to a show or concert.  That plush teddy bear or pair of earrings may just sit on the shelf or in a drawer.  Live theatre or a meal out can offer a great experience without generating more waste in your home.

– Give a gift of your time or experience:  Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that involve giving of yourself.  Consider giving a “gift certificate” offering to make a special home cooked meal for your significant other or to give him/her an evening back rub.  Think about what you are good at and love to do and share it with someone you love for the holiday.

–Combine a gift with a cause:  There are some purchases that can combine your wish to give a tangible gift with efforts to help the environment. For example, the company Amour Vert (http://www.amourvert.com/)  plants a tree for every tee shirt purchase (in partnership with American Forests).  The tee shirts are also made from organic cotton.  Or visit the Sierra Club website and buy a gift from the Sierra Club store (http://vault.sierraclub.org/store/) which the supports the work of the organization.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

About Eden Village Camp: Eden Village Camp aims to be a living model of a thriving, sustainable Jewish community, grounded in social responsibility and inspired Jewish spiritual life. By bringing the wisdom of our tradition to the environmental, social, and personal issues important to today’s young people, we practice a Judaism that is substantive and relevant. Through our Jewish environmental and service-learning curricula, joyful Shabbat observance, pluralistic Jewish expression, and inspiring, diverse staff role models, we foster our campers’ positive Jewish identity and genuine commitment to tikkun olam (healing the world). Our 3 acre educational farm and orchard are based on principles of permaculture, sustainable and organic farming. We produce annual vegetables, perennials, and tend educational gardens as well as animals.

About the Farm Educator Apprenticeship: This is a paid six-month apprenticeship for young adults seeking hands-on experience. In the Spring build your knowledge based on agriculture, farm-based education and Jewish community. In the Summer, work at our 8-week intensive summer camp as Jewish Farm Educators. In the fall, take ownership and integrate your new skills by diving deeper into independent projects.  Live on-site at our beautiful camp, one hour north of New York City. By joining the farm staff at Eden Village, apprentices will hold two main responsibilities – tending our growing spaces and educating in our all of our programming through the spring, summer and fall. Apprentices will also have an opportunity to dive deeper into one of four focus areas: perennials, annuals, animals, and educational gardens. In these specialties apprentices will gain a deeper understanding of certain aspects of farming and will take on leadership and special projects to booster their learning and the learning of campers and program participants.

Details: April 14th, 2015 – October 22nd 2015, Apprentices receive full room and board at Eden Village, as well as a modest stipend. Extensive experience is not necessary but experiential curiosity is required. We recommend you explore our website thoroughly to get more information about our apprenticeship, farm, camp, and more at Eden Village Camp.

More questions? Explore the FAQ page. For all other questions, contact farm@edenvillagecamp.org

• Look for certified e-recycling programs:  If you decide that you really need to upgrade your phone, tablet or laptop, do some research before deciding where to recycle your old one.  There are two independent standards bodies that monitor recyclers for responsible practices. They are eStewards and Sustainable Electronics Recycling International  (SERI). Both groups let you search their websites for local recyclers who meet their standards .   Both companies use a network of auditors to make sure the companies it certifies are doing what they say they are doing with your donation (e.g. stripping it for parts and then selling those parts).   Avoid electronic recycling centers that cannot verify what they will actually do with your donation and that have not been independently certified.   You can find them online at e-stewards.com and www.sustainableelectronics.org
• Check with the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA):  The EPA also runs a program, called the Electronics Challenge,  that asks companies that electronically recycle to pledge that they will send items collected to certified recyclers and to publicly report their efforts.    The companies involved can pledge their commitment on one of three levels.  Check the EPA website at www.epa.gov/smm/electronics/  to find companies who pledge at the highest level, which requires companies to pledge a high level of commitment to sell to responsible recycling companies and to report on their efforts to do so.  Dell and Best Buy are two examples of companies committed to the highest tier of the EPA program.
• Go online for additional options:  Several websites exist that will purchase your old electronic devices for a flat rate, depending on their condition.  Two examples are Gazelle and BuyBackWorld. The companies behind these websites agree to refurbish and resell the items you no longer want.  Find them online at www.gazelle.com and www.buybackworld.com
• Reconsider whether you need to replace your device:  Last but not least, consider whether you really need that latest phone, tablet or laptop at all.  Does your phone really need to replaced only six months out because you want the latest incarnation with the newest gadgets?  Holding on to your electronic gadgets for a longer period of time is the best way to reduce waste in the long run.

Resources:  “Recycling Tech Waste Responsibly:  Excuses Dwindle,”  The New York Times January 1, 2015

GO GREEN IN YOUR HANUKKAH GIFTING:

• Give Alternatives to “Stuff”:  Consider giving gifts that do not create waste.  Give a museum membership, tickets to a play or a certificate to a local restaurant.
• Buy Gifts at Fair trade stores:  One way to show that you care about the environment is to purchase gifts at fair trade stores.  Items you purchase typically are made by local artisans and buying handmade jewelry, bags and clothes from fair trade shops helps provide a living wage for these artisans. Typically products sold are made from natural and organic materials.

• Look for Gifts from your Favorite Environmental Organization:  Several national environmental organizations sell clothing, bags, calendars and similar items either online through their websites or at bookstores in your neighborhood.  A portion of the sales price benefits the organization and its environmental mission.

• Give Recycled Items:  Some locally owned stores carry items that have been recycled from other products.  This is a great alternative to a mass-produced present.  Your unique gift of recycled art, jewelry, a handbag or similar item will keep items out of landfills and offer your loved one something that is truly unique.

GO GREEN IN YOUR HANUKKAH CELEBRATION:

• Use Hanukkah candles made of beeswax or soy rather than paraffin candles made from petroleum.  Beeswax or soy candles are made from natural ingredients and also produce less soot and smoke than paraffin candles.

• Make a healthier batch of latkes by using local, organic potatoes and onions and cage-free, organic eggs.  Look for a winter’s farmers market to buy your potatoes, onions and eggs.   In St. Louis, the University City Market in the Loop and the Maplewood Farmers Market  have winter hours.

• Resolve as a household to conserve energy, identifying specific actions you can take over the next year.  This could include replacing conventional light bulbs with CFLs, starting a backyard vegetable garden in the spring or doing more walking and less driving as a family.

Happy Hanukkah!

Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible:  Try to buy only as much food as you need and look for food that either has no container or that has a container that can be recycled.  Plan to compost any non-meat food items that can’t be eaten (such as carrot peel) or that have to be thrown out after the meal.  Also plan to use reusable cloth napkins instead of disposable paper ones.

Use local and organic products for your feast:  Most Thanksgiving meals focus on food that is in season.  Use organic and locally grown pumpkin for your pie.  Locally grown vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squash taste great and are plentiful this time of year.  Buying locally means that your food is not flown miles away wasting fossil fuels as it travels from across the country or another continent.  Eating organic food means that what goes on your plate will not contain traces of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.  If you plan to make a traditional turkey for the holiday, buy one that is from a family farm that does not use antibiotics or artificial hormones.

Celebrate at home:  Thanksgiving is one of the holidays when many people travel by car or plane.  Do your part to reduce global warming by planning to celebrate at home for a more green holiday.  Your stress level also will decline as you avoid crowds on the highways or airport terminals.

Make your own decorations:  If you plan to decorate your home (inside or outside) for the holidays, use simple compostable or recyclable materials to create your decorations rather than buying new ones.  Consider picking up pine cones and leaves and using these in a centerpiece for your table.  Have your children cut construction paper into turkeys, pilgrims or other Thanksgiving themed designs.  (The paper can be recycled when done.)

Give thanks to nature as you celebrate:  In many households, those attending the Thanksgiving meal go around the table and give an example of what they are thankful for.  Add a new twist by also thanking the natural world around you for helping to sustain and enrich your life.  Weather permitting, consider a short nature or garden walk before or after the meal to make the connections between this food-centered holiday and the earth around us more visible.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are some ideas of ways to reduce waste as you prepared for the big day.

Reduce paper use:  Consider using the Internet for all or some of your announcements about your event.  Invitations can be sent electronically.  RSVPs also can be sent to a specially designated email address rather than by using a pre-printed card.  If you prefer to use a printed invitation, use recycled unbleached paper and soy-based ink.  For a wedding or B’nai Mitzvah, consider creating your own app and/or website with information on where to stay and what to do for out of town guests, rather than printing this information.

Be eco-friendly in your decor:  Use real china plates and reusable cups and glassware, rather than items you throw away.  If you are considering flowers, order those locally grown and in season, rather than buying from a florist who will order items flown from far away.  Another alternative is to decorate with plants, which can be kept and planted or re-potted after the event.  Make your own centerpieces from recycled items.

Food:  Where possible, use a caterer who relies on locally sourced, organic food. Consider purchasing fair trade coffee and tea for the reception.  Find out if it is possible for food waste to be composted. For pre-wrapped items, such as bagels or sandwiches, do not open unused wrapped food unless or until needed.  Unused wrapped food can be donated to area food pantries if not eaten, reducing waste and helping those in need.

Energy use:  Hold the ceremony and reception at the same location or have the events at locations not far from one another, to reduce travel and minimize gas use.  Encourage your guests to carpool to your event.

Enjoy your eco-friendly simcha!

My compost bins are so much more than just a place where compost happens. The area beside the three wire and wood bins is place where I often feel my father’s spirit – he was raised on a farm, and though he became a professional, gardening was in his blood, and he spent much of his spare time in his garden and his orchard.
 

Yet, it is not just the reminders of my father or the sense of his hovering spirit that gives meaning to my compost bins. They are symbolic of so much – which may be more the truer reason that I think of my father whenever I take out the compost.

We gardeners deposit plant food wastes, garden trimmings, and chopped up leaves into our compost bins. We let the rains come to add water, and from time to time we add a bit of soil. Then we let nature take its course, and before too long, all of that “waste” has turned into dark, crumbly humus that will enrich the soil of our garden. The leaves, the banana and orange peels, the corn husks – all this and so much more has been transformed from something seemingly useless, a by-product, into something good, useful, and enriching.

And when my heart is feeling heavy, and I sit quietly beside my compost bins, I, too, get transformed. The grief and sadness in my heart are lifted, and I find myself once again able to be useful, to myself and to others. I am able to forge ahead into new territory. My relationship with the Holy One of Blessing has deepened.

This, in essence, is what teshuvah is about, turning the excess materials of our hearts and souls – those feelings of sadness, anger, jealousy, and more – into a deeper and closer relationship with G!d – re-turning to G!d – and in the process finding ourselves enriched.

It has been, I believe, through my connection with my father, who passed away almost 40 years ago, that I have learned to grieve. But grief is complex, it is not a one-time endeavor, it is a mosaic, and it returns, often when we least expect it. It shows up in new ways in response to new losses, so that frequently throughout our lives, something new and different needs to be transformed.

Thus it is for all of us, and thus it is in life. And so, our tradition provides the vehicle of the month of Elul leading up to Rosh HaShanah and all the days of the High Holidays, to give us the opportunity to let our compost be transformed, let our grief, fear, and despair be released, and let our hearts open wider, in an ever deepening relationship with the Mystery That Is.

Compost happens. May our transformation also happen.

Rabbi Katy Z. Allen is the founder and leader of Ma’yan Tikvah – A Wellspring of Hope in Wayland, MA, and a staff chaplain at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She is also the co-convener of the Jewish Climate Action Network and the co-creator of Gathering in Grief: The Israel / Gaza Conflict.

But the truth was, we didn’t need all that much. We had saved bags of clothing, toys and other baby gear from our older son. And we live in a generous community where neighbors had already given or lent us key things like a carseat, a baby swing, a jogging stroller and our choice of baby carriers.

And setting aside need, we didn’t really want a lot of new stuff. We try to minimize our impact on the planet. As best we can, we also try to minimize the number of things in our house.

So, instead of a traditional registry, we tried something new: the So Kind Registry created by the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD). The registry “encourages the giving of homemade gifts, charitable donations, secondhand goods, experiences, time, day-of-event help, and more.”

The registry spoke to me because while I didn’t need any new onesies for my baby, there were some things that people could do to help which would make a world of difference. Things like preparing food, taking pictures at our son’s bris, arranging carpools for our older son, and taking us to the local pool. I was much more excited about these ideas than another rattle or swaddling blanket!

I created the registry about a month before our son was due, because I knew I wouldn’t have the energy for it once he arrived. The system was easy to navigate. After a simple login, I was able to customize the registry with pictures of my family, and request gifts of different types, like time, experience, skills, or charitable donations. Most of my requests were gifts of “time” or “experience,” but we were also able to specify our favorite charity for donations.

After my new son was born, we added a picture of him to the registry and publicized the link via facebook. We included it in our birth announcements (sent via email and Paperless Post). We also put a note on the tables at the bris, telling people we were registered with So Kind and where they could find the website.

Our results were mixed. We didn’t get all the gifts we requested, but we did get some totally awesome things that we wouldn’t have gotten if we didn’t ask. As a result of the registry, we found someone who took professional photographs at the bris for free, and a neighbor bought us a month-long membership at that local pool. (She said she was thrilled to find out what we really wanted.) People arranged time to visit and help out the week my husband went back to work. Other people made us meals, and lots of people donated to our favorite charity.

Here’s what I learned for next time:

• Be very specific about what you want and when you want it. For example, we asked people to help with carpools, but we didn’t specify the week, and we asked them to help with weekend playdates but didn’t specify individual dates or times. That meant that coordination was necessary, which prevented some people from volunteering – and even some people who offered to help weren’t available on the right days.

• Make sure that there’s something for everyone to give. We had a lot of out of town family and friends who wanted to get us something, but the gifts we asked for were really from local people. We had no way for out of town people to contribute, and so many of them sent us clothing or toys anyway. Other people told us that they would have liked to have given us something, but didn’t see anything that would work for them.

• Some “things” actually are helpful. In the end, we needed swaddling blankets. And I wanted a memory book for the baby’s first year. One of the best unsolicited gifts we got was a starter-set of eco-friendly diapers and wipes. If we’d put a bit more thought into it, we could have included these things on the registry and people would probably have appreciated that option.

• People are used to giving things. While everyone was a good sport about our non-thing registry, I could tell that they were unaccustomed to the idea. Let’s face it, it’s easier to buy a quick present online than it is to take a Sunday afternoon and entertain another kid (especially when you aren’t sure which Sunday and if you don’t have a kid the same age). I think that’s why we didn’t get everything we asked for.

• I was used to getting things. I must admit, I liked getting packages of presents at my door! I had to remind myself that we were getting fewer than we might otherwise because we’d specifically told people not to get things for us, not because people weren’t happy for us.

In the end, we still got a number of tangible gifts, but certainly fewer than we would have if we’d created a regular registry, or even if we hadn’t made it clear we didn’t need any things. So, hopefully, we achieved our intention of less impact on the planet. We certainly did succeed at less clutter in our house.

But I also learned that, in our culture, people express their love and happiness by buying things. Telling people we didn’t need anything reduced our friends’ opportunity to show us their love.

If we’re truly going to reduce consumerism in our culture, we need to find better ways to show love for one another, even if we live at a distance, and even if all we can manage is a couple quick clicks on the computer and $20.

I would certainly recommend the So Kind Registry to anyone who wants to receive gifts of kindness, rather than gifts of things you don’t need. I hope the things we’ve learned will help you!

Maybe Kermit was wrong — maybe it actually is easy to be green. Or, at the very least, it is pretty easy to start being green. There are many projects that you can do that will not just green your home, but will keep the green in your pocket, too.

Plant a garden

There’s no better summer treat than fresh fruits and vegetables grown in your own backyard. And no plot of land is too small for a garden, even if that garden is only a few potted cherry-tomato plants on your windowsill. Plant trees As long as you’re planting, plant big! Trees around a home can help cool a house in the summer and keep a house warmer in the winter. Specifically, trees on a house’s southern side only help cool a house if their shade extends over the roof, so it’s best to plant evergreen trees on the northern side of the house to help block cold winter winds, and deciduous trees (the kinds that lose their leaves in the fall) on the house’s eastern and western sides to protect the house from summer sun.

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Join the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (the RAC) in commemorating Earth Day with an online information session on how to successfully create a green “culture” in your congregation. How do we make our environmental efforts an integral part of the culture of our congregational communities? How do we align our actions with our Jewish beliefs of environmental stewardship? Our synagogues have the potential to model environmental behavior and inspire individual action and advocacy. Join expert rabbis and staff from the RAC and GreenFaith in discussing how our congregations can foster a “culture” of environmentalism that goes beyond independent greening initiatives.

Join: “Earth Day Every Day: Creating a Green Culture in your Congregation” – Thursday April 24, 3:00pm ET

What was Queen Esther thinking when her uncle Mordechai told her to speak up to King Achashverosh? Many readers of the Purim story have tried to answer this question with midrash (stories written to fill gaps in Torah texts.) One intriguing story claims that Esther hid for 4 years before the King’s agents found her and brought her to the palace. In this telling of the story, Esther wasn’t some firebrand eager to stand up against the ruling powers. She preferred to stay completely out of view. But when Mordechai told her it was up to her to go to the King, she stepped up to advocate for her community.

There is a certain amount of greening that we can accomplish on our own. But eventually we realize that we’re part of a system. We need to change the system to accomplish our goals. At that point, like Esther, we have to speak up and advocate for what we believe in. At a recent JGF session, Ariel Bailey, Greening Fellow at the Heschel School, had a chance to speak up to Ron Gonen, the NYC Deputy Commissioner of Sanitation. NYC has a compost collection program for schools on the Upper West Side, where the school is located. But when Ariel contacted the city, he found out that Heschel School was not eligible to participate. Ariel asked Ron to change the rule.

Ron had some good advice for Ariel. Your elected representatives want to hear from you. He told Ariel that he would be best able to help if he were to receive a request from a member of the City Council. Here are some more great tips about advocacy from our other speakers:

• Environmental and social justice issues can be controversial. Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, of the Social Justice Organizing Program at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, advises getting started by making your community a safe place for people to share what they are concerned about from the heart. You’ll build stronger relationships along with motivation to get involved.

• What’s in it for ME (mission enhancement)? Ya-Ting Liu, of the New York League of Conservation Voters, says that advocacy campaigns should build power for your organization and give you resources that will enhance your ability to fulfill your mission. Use your campaign to deepen relationships with lawmakers, attract new donors, and increase your credibility with reporters.

• Joining a coalition-led campaign can increase your impact. Josh Kellerman, of Align NY , invited us to support the Transform Don’t Trash NYC campaign to require commercial waste haulers to meet environmental and labor standards. Check out Align NY’s Alliance for a Just Rebuilding and Caring Across Generations campaigns too. An important issue in NYS right now is the future of fracking for natural gas. Eric Weltman, of Food & Water Watch, can help you get involved.

• Don’t be shy about getting involved in advocacy. Ron Soloway, Director of Government Relations for UJA-Federation of New York, reminded us that non-profit organizations are allowed to advocate. We should speak up about policy issues that are relevant to our communities on a non-partisan basis.

As the Greening Fellows discussed Esther’s state of mind, they realized it probably wasn’t easy for her. But to achieve her goal, she had to go beyond her comfort zone and speak up. You can do it too.

I am the youngest of three children. My older siblings were constantly talking about important issues at the dinner table, and as their younger sibling I wanted to impress them. Consequently, when an issue was important to them, the issue became important to me as well. Not only did I want to show them that the issues were importantto me, but I wanted to show my older siblings that I could even teach them something about the environment.

When I was in fourth grade I became a vegetarian. I told my peers exactly what I had heard at home. I explained that the amount of animal consumption nowadays is beyond a rate which is natural. Consequently, animals are bred specifically to ensure that people will be able to eat as much meat and dairy products as they wish. I explained that the status quo presents a serious problem to the environment and that it is not sustainable. As a fourth grader I did not really understand what I was talking about, however, and I matured I began to understand and believe what I was preaching.

Additionally, my siblings taught me about the importance of recycling. Recycling in the conventional way was taken for granted in my home. In other words, every piece of plastic and paper went into the special orange recycling bins provided by our city. However, in my home that was not enough. My sister invested her babysitting money in buying a new printer that could print double sided. After paper was used on both sides, we would put it in a special bin in our kitchen to jot down notes around the margins. Likewise, I was in charge of cutting up old cereal boxes so that we could use the cardboard as a notepad. In addition to these few things, there are a myriad of other examples of ways in which my family was careful to protect the environment. While all of these efforts were important, none of them are particularly striking. However, when I was in seventh grade my family became known for our compost heap.

When my brother was a senior in high school he learned about the compost heap in his earth science class. He came home convinced that our family needed to make a compost heap in our back yard. He explained to my parents that all we needed to do was dig a hole in the backyard, add some fertilizer and then it would be ready (the truth is that the process is slightly more complicated, but not much more than that). Then, instead of bringing your food scraps (besides meat and fish) to the dumpster and creating more problems with excessive waste, you just dump the biodegradable waste in the compost.

My mother was still not so keen on the idea. She was afraid that the compost would smell and that it would attract animals. My brother was absolutely adamant. He told her that he had learned that the compost heap does not smell, and that it actually helps fertilize the surrounding soil. Additionally, he proposed that composting was a Jewish value because instead of wasting food scraps we would be using them to help nurture the soil. After a long discussion my mother agreed that if my brother (and I) built the compost she would be willing to keep a separate bin in the home for all food scraps. My brother was elated.

Ten years later, my family still has a compost in our backyard. My brother was right, it does not smell and has actually done wonders for my parent’s garden. Not only is our compost thriving, but my brother has helped thirty-five families from our local synagogue start composting in their backyard.

Learning about the environment was fun growing up. We were always trying new things and it felt like an adventure. However, most importantly, I have learned that taking care of the earth is not so challenging and is very rewarding. I am forever thankful to my siblings for deeply instilling into my heart this Torah value — of taking care of our planet. I hope I am doing a good job at raising my children’s awareness as well.

Revital Belz is from Elad, Israel and studied public relations at Bar Ilan University, while working as copywriter for aJudaica.com. As a mother of five boys, she also enjoys creating stylish items for men, including personalized Kippahs and T-shirts

(from http://neohasid.org/zman/chanukah/ice_menorah/)

First, here's what's cool about an ice menorah: reflections in the ice; it floats – water is amazing and awesome; renewable resource – and if it's cold enough where you are, just freeze it outside; meditate on climate change and melting glaciers, and resolve to do something about it!

Here's how to do it:

1) Set candles in cardboard brace.

2) Fill loaf pan or any container part way and set brace over it — see diagram. Candles should be immersed half inch or more in water.

3) Shamash (not pictured) — fill dixie cup or any small cup or jar with a few inches of water and set shamash candle in that.

4) Freeze it all.

5) Remove ice with shamash, put it on top of ice in loaf pan. add another half inch or more of water to freeze the shamash to the rest of the menorah.

6) You can carve a little channel for melted water to flow away from the shamash

(idea and execution – Heidi Creamer; diagram and instructions – David Seidenberg; neohasid.org)

for pictures of a real ice menorah, before and after it's lit, go to http://neohasid.org/zman/chanukah/ice_menorah/

You'll notice while the menorah is burning that the melted ice warms up and creates its own channels (see pic above), sometimes making holes through the ice. Among other things, that's a great moment to talk about melting glaciers. Let us know what you do and how it goes!

You can design meditations on water, on climate change and glaciers, on renewable resources, on science, using this project. Send ideas to rebduvid8@gmail.com and I'll post them here.

Please share widely.

Cadette Girl Scout Troop 4056 is pleased to present, as its silver award project, this cookbook of recipes that not only use leftover or excess food as ingredients but also conform to Jewish dietary laws, or kashrut. In preparation for this project, the troop earned the New Cuisines badge and experimented with cooking foods from different times, places and cultures. The troop also volunteered in the kitchen at Martha’s Table, a Washington, D.C. organization that prepares over 1,000 meals per day for needy residents of the city. The Troop learned about the Biblical commandment not to waste food, and brainstormed ways of using food that might otherwise go to waste. Members of the troop collected recipes from their families. They tested recipes, typed and edited copy and provided photographs of completed recipes.

This cookbook contains recipes that use three different categories of “leftovers.” The first category includes traditional leftovers–dishes prepared for one meal that are then repurposed into a second meal. For example, if roasted chicken and rice are served on Monday, any leftover chicken can become a chicken pot pie or chicken jambalaya later in the week and the leftover rice can be reused in kugel or as fried rice. Other common leftovers in this category are leftover cooked vegetables and leftover cooked pasta. The second category includes leftovers that are not previously cooked but that might be tossed out as garbage, such as potato and carrot peels, chicken wings and necks (which come with the whole cut up chicken but which my family doesn’t eat), or a pumpkin that has been used for a Fall display. The third category includes foods that were purchased in bulk and are in the refrigerator or pantry but will spoil or go stale if not used. These foods include milk, eggs, bread, cereal, bananas and apples, and for any family with a backyard vegetable garden, tomatoes and zucchini, in season.

Troop 4056 developed this project as a part of the 2013 Year of Jewish Action on the Environment, developed by the Jewish-environmental organization Canfei Nesharim and its Jewcology program. The year-long program focuses on actions to save energy and reduce food waste, practical actions called for by the Jewish mitzvah of bal tashchit. Jewcology.com is a social media portal where Jews who care about the environment can connect and share resources. As part of the Year of Action, Jewcology members can take action and check a box to see their personal impact, and can also see the shared impact of the entire Jewcology community. You can see the full program at www.jewcology.com/action.

This cookbook is the featured online tool for the Year of Action’s “Food Waste Action #8: Make Leftovers” and, as such, will be distributed to Jewish communities worldwide. Troop 4056 wishes to thank Evonne Marzouk and Canfei Nesharim for helping develop the project and for distributing the cookbook.

Laura Warshawsky

Advisor, Troop 4056

Silver Spring, MD

September 2013

The Jewish Environmental Initiative (JEI), a program of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (JCRC) recently visited the Resource Management recycling facility. Sales Manager Gary Gilliam gave us a tour and lots of information:

* Recycling is good for the economy. There was a time when recycling was done as a customer service at a cost to the trash companies, but now recycling has become economically viable. There is profit to be made from our recycled materials and the processing of recycled goods helps create jobs. Some of the markets for recycled materials are overseas, which helps the country’s trade deficit.

* Recycling helps preserve the resources in our economy. Each time we recycle, we are saving raw materials for future generations. Consider the cost and effort of creating a new can versus recycling. To get a new can, the metal has to be drilled, blasted, excavated, mined, smelted, and refined. Alternatively, we can re-use the metal that has already been refined.

* Your garbage can produce income. Some of the items that produce income for the recycler are aluminum and steel cans, glass, cardboard, office paper, newspaper, and plastic containers. Aluminum, steel, and glass are “infinite” products – they can be recycled over and over. Yet, $2.3 billion of aluminum and steel cans and $11.3 billion of total recyclable product goes into landfills each year.

* Recycling really does save trees. One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees. The recycling plant that JEI visited processes enough paper to save almost 30,000 trees per day.

* You don’t need to remove lids or labels from containers before recycling. They are separated and recycled appropriately during the recycle process. You also don’t need to thoroughly wash containers before recycling – a quick rinse is sufficient. Use your judgment when deciding whether to recycle containers with attached food waste – a little bit is not a problem, but discard items with a large amount of food attached.

* Bubble wrap, newspaper wrappers, plastic wrap, and dry cleaning bags should be recycled with your plastic grocery bags at the grocery store rather than in your single stream recycle bin. If you collect your recyclables in a plastic bag, consider emptying the bag into your recycle bin and recycle the plastic bag at the grocery store.

Recycling is an excellent way to practice the Jewish principle of Baal Taschit – do not waste.

But with our fast paced, more modern and mechanized society, we’ve focused on only one trait which we thought would be easiest to implement and institutionalize: recycling. Yet now we find ourselves in a bigger predicament, because as the other R’s (reduce and reuse) have been largely ignored, we’ve continued to increase the amount of waste produced per person (closing in on 5 tons per person per year in the U.S.). So even increased recycling rates put little dent on our over consumption, and do little to counter environmental impact issues, which continue to elevate every year.

I recently discovered this gem of a resource from YES Magazine, outlining 10 easy tips to help guide us closer towards zero waste. These tips could prove to be healthier as well as financially beneficial, all while reducing the negative impact we might have on our environment and community. This especially could be true when done as a group, such as at work or school.

Springtime and the Passover holiday season is often a time for starting anew, a rebirth. With this new season, let’s look to establishing a secondary meaning behind those 3 R’s that might prove meaningful:

• Renew our commitment to reducing our consumption and waste
• Restorewhat we have so that we can reuse it, and improve environmental impact
• Reclaim our land, our water and our overall environment by protecting and recycling our resources

More recent generations have become less frugal; we purchase products that make our lives simpler. It’s easy to throw things away and cheap to buy more. We have begun to recognize that our actions have far reaching impacts.

Conscious awareness of the scarcity of resources is ingrained into our Jewish DNA, but not only through our bubbes. Imbedded in our ancient texts and tradition are practices to protect and preserve our resources for future generations. Jewish law teaches us to avoid destruction and waste of natural and human-made resources. Specifically, the Talmud greatly expands on the biblical prohibition of baal tashchit, forbidding the destruction of fruit trees with an ax during wartime, to include other objects and methods of destruction—the rationale for this principle being that, if it is to be applied during the difficulties of a wartime situation, then how much more so should it apply during other times.

The anonymous work Sefer Ha-Chinuch, based on the writings of the famous 12th-century rabbi and Torah scholar Maimonides, describes the mitzvah of baal tashchit as “the way of the righteous and those who improve society,” of those who oppose all destruction and waste. Likewise, a prominent Orthodox leader of 19th-century Germany, Rabbi Hirsch, saw baal tashchit as the most basic Jewish principle of all, because it is an acknowledgment that the world is created by G-d and that its elements are lent to people to use wisely.

As stated in the Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah, G-d says to the first humans after their creation, “See My works, how beautiful and excellent they are! For your sake I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil and destroy My world; for if you do, there will be no one else to repair it” (Ecclesiastes, 7:13). This Jewish tenet of preserving the earth for future generations resonates with modern concerns for sustainability, and frames the context for the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repairing the world. We should internalize this as a course of action to address the very viability of our own Jewish community. Protection of our resources must be a priority of and a shared responsibility within our community.

Previous generations whom we viewed as frugal were actually connecting to and espousing deeply rooted Jewish beliefs. We should acknowledge the wisdom and values of our bubbes as we work to repair and conserve for future generations. How will you make your connection? Some ideas:

1. Apply by the adage: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without
2. Replace your clothes dryer with: one sunny day, some rope or cord, and clothespins. No cost, no maintenance, no carbon footprint.
3. Rain is free. We pay for water. Collecting rainwater for landscaping and gardens will slash your water bill and help preserve infrastructure by reducing the stress on storm-water systems.

But with our fast paced, more modern and mechanized society, we’ve focused on the one trait we thought would be easiest to implement and institutionalize and thus increase participation. But we find ourselves in a bigger predicament now, because the other R’s (reduce and reuse) have been largely ignored. We’ve increased the amount of waste produced per person (closing in on 5 tons per person per year in the U.S.), so even increased recycling rates put little dent on our over consumption, and thus increased environmental impact, issues, which are only complicated and compoundly exacerbated every year. When doing research for another article, I ran across this gem or a resource from YES Magazine from September 2011, outlining 10 tips to help the average person get on board and move closer towards zero waste. I would like to challenge that these tips require little effort, and when done as a group, say in an office space or for institutionalizing throughout a school or organization, could prove financially impactful as well as provide a healthier living/working space that reduces the negative impact we might have on our environment and community.

• Refusewhat you do not need.
• Reducewhat you do need.
• Reuseby using reusables.
• Recyclewhat you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse.
• Rot(compost) the rest.

Refuse

1. Fight junk mail. It’s not just a waste of resources, but also of time. Register to receive less at dmachoice.org, optoutprescreen.comand catalogchoice.org.

2. Turn down freebies from conferences, fairs, and parties. Every time you take one, you create a demand to make more. Do you really need another “free” pen?

Reduce

3. Declutter your home, and donate to your local thrift shop. You’ll lighten your load and make precious resources available to those looking to buy secondhand.

4. Reduce your shopping trips and keep a shopping list. The less you bring home, the less waste you’ll have to deal with.

Reuse

5. Swap disposables for reusables (start using handkerchiefs, refillable bottles, shopping totes, cloth napkins, rags, etc.). You might find that you don’t miss your paper towels, but rather enjoy the savings.

6. Avoid grocery shopping waste: Bring reusable totes, cloth bags (for bulk aisles), and jars (for wet items like cheese and deli foods) to the store and farmers market.

Recycle

7. Know your city’s recycling policies and locations—but think of recycling as a last resort. Have you refused, reduced, or reused first? Question the need and life-cycle of your purchases. Shopping is voting.

8. Buy primarily in bulk or secondhand, but if you must buy new, choose glass, metal, or cardboard. Avoid plastic: Much of it gets shipped across the world for recycling and often ends up in the landfill (or worse yet, the ocean).

Rot

9. Find a compost systemthat works for your home and get to know what it will digest (dryer lint, hair, and nails are all compostable).

10. Turn your home kitchen trash can into one large compost receptacle. The bigger the compost the more people will use it.

What will be your committments and contributions to your health and the health of our community and planet this year?

• Give Alternatives to “Stuff”: Consider giving gifts that do not create waste. Give a museum membership, tickets to a play or a certificate to a local restaurant.

• Buy Gifts at Fair Trade stores: One way to show that you care about the environment is to purchase gifts at fair trade stores. Items you purchase typically are made by local artisans and buying handmade jewelry, bags and clothes from fair trade shops helps provide a living wage for these artisans. Typically products sold are made from natural and organic materials.

• Patronize Winter Farmers’ Markets: Even though the prime season for area farmers’ markets has ended, most communities continue to have winter farmers’ markets on a weekly or monthly basis. (In Saint Louis, the Maplewood Farmers Market operates inside Schlafly’s Bottleworks Restaurant monthly. More information is at: (http://www.maplewoodfarmersmarket.com/). At these markets, you can buy locally made jams, jellies, soaps and similar items. These make great gifts.

• Look for Gifts from your Favorite Environmental Organization: Several national environmental organizations sell clothing, bags, calendars and similar items either online through their websites or at bookstores in your neighborhood. A portion of the sales price benefits the organization and its environmental mission.

• Give Recycled Items: Some locally owned stores carry items that have been recycled from other products. This is a great alternative to a mass-produced present. Your unique gift of recycled art, jewelry, a handbag or similar item will keep items out of landfills and offer your loved one something that is truly unique.

  Happy Hanukkah!

Originally posted in jewishinstlouis.org at http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/blog.aspx?id=345

Why Recycling Is Important:

• Recycling saves energy, conserves natural resources and creates green jobs
• The national recycling rate of 34 percent annually saves the energy equivalent of nearly 229 million barrels of oil
• The national recycling rate of 34 percent annually avoids greenhouse gas emissions of the equivalent of removing more than 36 million cars from the road

Where and How to Recycle Non-Paper and Plastic Items: While curbside recycling is common in most areas for items such as paper, aluminum and certain types of plastic, there are many other items that can easily be recycled in your community.

These include:

• Rechargeable Batteries, Cell Phones and Audio Equipment—a number of local retailers will take these items to keep them out of landfills. Check with your local hardware store or chains such as Radio Shack. Also check out the website Earth911.com for recycling locations near you.
• Medical equipment—for medical equipment that you no longer need, a great resource in Saint Louis is the Saint Louis Health Equipment Lending Program (STL HELP). HELP will take your donated items, clean them and refurbish them and loan them to people in need whose insurance does not cover rental or purchase of such devices. Any items STL HELP can’t use will be donated to other agencies that can use them. Contact STL HELP at 314-567-4700 or go to www.stlhelp.org
• CFL Light bulbs—These items also can be brought to retailers in your community to be recycled safely. Home Depot has a national CFL Bulb Recycling Initiative, as do many other hardware store chains and locally owned hardware stores. Ameren Missouri also has a website that can direct you where to take bulbs that are no longer useable. (http://www.ameren.com/sites/aue/MyHome/ResEfficiency/Pages/EnergyEfficiencyLookup.aspx)
• Used gardening items—the Missouri Botanical Garden runs the most extensive public garden recycling program in the nation. Items that can be recycled include plastic garden pots, polystyrene cell packs and trays. Last year the plastic pot recycling program collected a record 140,000 pounds of horticultural waste. Collection sites include not only the Garden but a large number of additional locations throughout Saint Louis City and County. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/gardening-in-br-st.-louis/plastic-pot-recycling.aspx

Happy Recycling!

Use local and organic ingredients in your meals: The healthiest foods for the holiday are foods that are grown locally without any pesticides. Food purchased from local farmers or that you grow yourself will be fresher and have a higher nutritional content than food flown in from hundreds of miles or more away. If you are planning to serve the traditional snack of apples and honey, consider that eating locally made honey has been shown to reduce the severity of allergies as well.

Turn off your gadgets: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are holidays that focus both on spending time in worship and spending time with friends and family. Turning off your phone, tablet, iPod and other gadgets will keep you focused on what the holidays are about and reduce your energy use at the same time.

Decorate your holiday table naturally: Head to your backyard or a local park and create a natural centerpiece for your holiday table. A basket with acorns, pinecones and colorful leaves will make the holiday festive. Avoid purchasing centerpiece items that will go right to the landfill when you are done using them.

Get to services more sustainably: If your level of observance involves walking to services for the High Holidays, you are already doing what you can to have a transportation carbon footprint equal to zero. If you don’t or can’t walk to services, carpool wherever possible with family, neighbors and friends. Another option is to take public transportation if your synagogue is near a bus, train or light rail line.

Best wishes for a sweet and green New Year!

This blog originally appeared on jewsininstlouis.org at http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/blog_post.aspx?id=5972

On Rosh Hashanah, we celebrate the New Year and give thanks for the creation of our world. We dedicate time to family and friends and we reflect on our past year and celebrate the start of the new year. It's the perfect time to make new goals for the year ahead and try to do better for yourself, your family, and our world.

Shopping for the holidays
Be eco-"logical" about planning your family gatherings right from the get-go. Shopping locally for an organic Rosh Hashanah meal, apples and honey will not only help support your neighbours and community, but you will also serve kind, chemical and pesticide-free food. And don't forget, shopping tools can be as important as the food itself. What a shame it is to carry home glorious food in a toxic throwaway.

Tote the right thing
Plastic bags are a thing of the past, but if you're toting a 99 cent reusable, you could be doing more harm than good. Non-woven polypropylene reusable bags are made from the same stuff as disposable plastic bags — petroleum (ick!) and have been found to have high levels of lead. It's time to carry on (literally!). Arm yourself with a bag that will last you all of your shopping to come. Try a fair-trade bag that is lab-tested, lead-free and is washable.

Dress your table
In Judaism, the colour white signifies transformation and purity. We strive to ensure that everything is clean, neat and sparkly and we traditionally dress our tables with a white tablecloth and white napkins. In keeping with the tradition, lose the chlorine bleach and adopt safe and responsible practices. Rosh Hashanah is a sacred holiday, so make sure your personal and shared environment is safe for your loved ones, and our planet.

Hands off!
Is it worth wearing gloves and feeling like you might pass out just to have shiny happy silver? Harmful silver polish has danger warnings about inhaling it or touching your skin. Do you want that hazard on your soup spoon? I would advise cleaning your silver with natural toothpaste or putting it in a sink with aluminum foil on the bottom — just add warm water and salt. Same sparkly results, but fume and residue-free. Take a whiff of that!

Table toppers
When you pull out the "good stuff" for the holidays, make sure it's actually, truly good for you. I believe that napkins and tablecloths that are vinyl, backed with plastic or even cotton, treated with chemicals (you know the ones that claim they are stain-proof or wrinkle-resistant?), should absolutely be avoided. Some consider cotton to be the world's 'dirtiest' crop due to its heavy use of insecticides. Choose natural linens like organic cotton, but regardless of your choice, please make sure they are reusable.

Pure and fresh
Some cut flowers are heavily sprayed with pesticides, fungicides and herbicides (with toxins that are banned in fields in Canada!). Then they are wrapped in plastic. We thought flowers were supposed to signify beauty and purity?! Don't fret, source local — you'll be surprised what's growing in your own backyard.

Prepare the meal
Since you've already gone out of your way to shop the local farmers' market, purchased your organic eats, and unpacked everything from your wonderful reusable bags, it's now time to cook smart so you don't undo all the good you've done! Think about your cooking method (this includes what you're cooking with, and on) before you begin your preparations. Be efficient and plan ahead — it will save you money, time (and energy, too) which only means you will have a few extra minutes to share with your loved ones on Rosh Hashanah.

Back to earth
Taking the time to compost your scraps instead of throwing them in the garbage diverts huge amounts of waste from our landfills and also helps make our gardens grow by giving it soil rich nutrients. Composting also reduces methane production, a very potent greenhouse gas that is released into our air from landfills. Stainless steel composters won't take on the smell (or colour) of your food scraps and it's nice enough to sit on your countertop. How's that for accessorizing?

Food for thought
Your food comes into contact with a lot, so choose kitchen stuff wisely. Cast iron, stainless steel, lead-free clay and glass are my ultimate choices for bakeware and cookware. I believe you should say no to non-stick (ick), and keep serveware and storage-ware glaze-free (lead and other stuff) and plastic-free (BPA and phthalates). I like glass best because it's safe and easy to store your leftovers in and to pop in the oven for reheating.

Bless all around
Tikkun 'olam, meaning perfecting or repairing of the world, is a major theme in modern Jewish social justice theology. It must be carried out by humans in partnership with God, and it is an important concept in environmentalism. It is said, that our ignorance and our poor choices have damaged the world. The good news (in my opinion), is that this problem can be fixed by switching out bad habits for healthier and smarter ones. As you recite the blessings on Rosh Hashanah, let each be a reminder to take care of our world, and all that constantly gives and takes care of us.

Pure brilliance
While you may think conventional candles serve a purpose, are beautiful to look at, and provide a sense of warmth and comfort to your home, you could be endangering yourself. When we burn paraffin candles, carcinogens fill the room with toxins that coat your walls, furniture, and lungs. Bring pure brilliance to your table and bless candles made from organic beeswax (the purest and most natural of all waxes — they glow, and clean your air, too).

Fruits of the earth
The blessing over the wine (or grape juice for those underage) is about acknowledging the fruits of the earth — so let's make sure that's exactly what we are drinking — pure fruit without pesticides and additives. Research has found that there is at least one form of pesticide found in every conventional bottle of wine, but some wines can have up to 10 different ones.

Clean it up
Now for the dirty talk… Whether you are tidying before the holidays, or on cleaning duty afterwards, you want your home to be truly clean. Studies show the average Canadian family consumes anywhere from 20 to 40 litres of toxic cleaning products each year (oy!). You can easily make safe and smart cleaning products using ingredients you can find in your own kitchen — and you won't have to sacrifice cleanliness (or your health!).

Dirty laundry
You've spent the time purchasing organic cotton linens to dress your Rosh Hashanah table, so it doesn't make sense to toss them in the wash with conventional detergent where they would swim in chemicals. Fabric softeners, dryer sheets and even dryer balls made from PVC should be avoided as they could contain some not-so-snuggly ingredients that are taking a toll on our health and our planet. Although these products are marketed to make us believe that the warm fuzzy bunnies, teddy bears, or babies are safe and comforting, we often overlook the fine print telling us that they might contain hazardous chemicals.

Rosh Hashanah is the perfect time to open up to new possibilities and be grateful for everything we have. More than anything, Rosh Hashanah offers the opportunity to turn inward, and ask ourselves, about the impact our actions have on our friends and family, our communities, and on the earth.

Welcome a fresh start and have a safe, happy, and healthy new year!

Download and share a free electronic version of the Eco Shabbat Guide, curated, written, and designed by the team at Borden Communications.

Seaworld, Busch Gardens to Eliminate Plastic Bags

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is to eliminate plastic shopping bags from the 10 theme parks it operates by the end of the year. The move will make it the largest theme park operator to make this commitment, according to the company, whose parks include Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Adventure Island and Sesame Place.

When the initiative is fully implemented, park gift shops will offer paper bags made from 100 percent recycled paper, and give guests the option to buy reusable bags. SeaWorld hopes the move will keep an estimated four million plastic bags from entering landfills and the environment each year.

About 1.4 billion tons of trash, including plastic bags, enters the ocean annually. Wildlife such as endangered sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods, Seaworld says.

SeaWorld hopes the move will help these marine animals and act as a model for the amusement park industry.

The company began exploring the concept at SeaWorld San Diego in 2011, when the park discontinued the use of plastic gift bags to mark the opening of its new Turtle Reef attraction. SeaWorld Orlando is eliminating the bags this month in conjunction with the opening of its new attraction, TurtleTrek.

SeaWorld and Coca-Cola have also introduced paper cups for guests at the parks, under a 10-year partnership. The cups are made with 85 percent renewable resources. Guests use more than 13 million paper cups each year throughout the 10 parks.

In 2008 SeaWorld – then known as Busch Entertainment Corp. – introduced a raft of sustainability initiatives including using only plastic utensils from renewable sources, and feeding certain captive animals with only sustainably sourced fish.

Consumers should expect less access to single-use plastic carrier bags and bottles in 2012, according to Plastics Today. Curbs on shopping bag use, including taxes and outright bans, began to spring up in 2010 and continued through 2011.

Likewise plastic bottles came under fire in places such as the Grand Canyon, which enacted an outright ban on bottled water last year. The National Park Service spent nearly $290,000 to install 10 water refill stations inside the park. Park concessionaires can still sell other bottled beverages. Disposable bottles account for 20 percent of the park’s waste and 30 percent of its recyclables, according to the Park Service.

]]> https://beta.jewcology.com/2012/05/eliminating-plastic-bags-and-water-bottles/feed/ 0 https://beta.jewcology.com/2012/04/clean-the-land-love-it-live-it-clean-it/ https://beta.jewcology.com/2012/04/clean-the-land-love-it-live-it-clean-it/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:47:00 +0000 http://jewcology.org/2012/04/clean-the-land-love-it-live-it-clean-it/

It’s happened to each and every one of us.

You’re at the beach in Tel Aviv, surrounded by white sand, blue sea, shining sun…and, of course, bronzed bodies. With the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store, you run to the water and jump in. “This is just too perfect! This has to be a dream!” you think to yourself. You dip your head, envisioning yourself recreating one of those movie scenes where you emerge from the water with your hair slicked, basking in the Mediterranean sun.

Unfortunately, when you break the surface, you find yourself donning a hat…an empty Bamba bag that somebody threw in the water.

Not into the beach? May you have walked the streets of holy Jerusalem only to find cigarette butts strewn across the ancient stones? Perhaps you have hiked the green hills of the North and found yourself questioning if empty plastic bottles are a form of natural plant life that grows in the region? Or could it be that you have trekked through the desert and stopped questioning how deserted it was because there was enough garbage left on the trails to signal the existence of human life.

A few weeks ago, four Israel Government Fellows, non-Israelis who committed themselves to the State of Israel for ten months by contributing their unique talents in government ministries while living the Israeli life, were discussing this problem at Masa’s Building Future Leadership (BFL) Program in Jerusalem. After yearning to reclaim the land of our forefathers for millennia, how could we then return just to litter? They recognized that the only way to revitalize the land would be to reconnect the Jewish people to it. Only by taking the reins and leading by example could this vision of a cleaner, greener Israel become a reality.

Enter Clean the Land.

Clean the Land (CtL) is a social initiative with two simple components: a coordinated, annual, nation-wide trash pickup day, and, a mission to educate communities about recycling, sustainability and environmental protection.

The initiative aims to not only clean up the Land of Israel, but to instill within its people a respect for the land and to refresh their connection to it. CtL employs what the founders call a “village model” whereby leaders within the community accept the responsibility of organizing Clean Teams and sites. The concept behind this approach is twofold: 1) a far greater impact can be achieved when there are numerous coordinated satellite operations rather than a single massive clean-up, and 2) people will be more likely to join the effort when they are improving the places that are important to them as individuals.

The date for the inaugural Clean the Land Day will be Friday, May 18, 2012. We invite you to join us by leading a Clean Team or by joining one.

You can sign-up on our website at http://www.cleantheland.org/sign-up.html.

Most importantly, we encourage each of you to reach out to the people around you – family, friends, classmates, colleagues, congregation, city council, the guy who runs the falafel stand, etc. – and get them involved.

CtL’s motto is Love It. Live It. Clean It. Each of us came to Israel because, as the homeland of the Jewish people, it is the place we love. Because of that love, we came here to live Israel, not just experience it through the window of a bus. Now that we are living it, we believe it is our responsibility to take the initiative, set the example, and Clean the Land.

We’re looking forward to the day when we’ll be able to have that magical movie moment where we break through the water, walk the Old City, hike the Golan, or trek the Negev with no garbage in sight.

Join us. Clean the Land. Friday, May 18, 2012.

Have questions? Just want to express how excited you are to Clean the Lean? Email us at cleantheland@gmail.com or “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cleantheland.

• Shut down your computer. According to a recent study by the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, computersare responsible for about 40% of the energy consumed by office equipment in the United States. One desktop computer left in full power mode for a year can result in 1,500 pounds of CO2 being released into the environment. Optimize your energy savings by shutting down your computer overnight and whenever you will be away from your desk for one hour or more during the day.
• Keep a paper scrap pile. To reduce paper waste in the office, keep a scrap pile near the office printer and copier. For internal documents, re-use the paper in the scrap pile before reaching for a new piece of paper.
• Have recycling bins everywhere. Just as important as having recycle bins for paper, cans and similar items is making sure staff and visitors know where to find them. Your office should have clear signage so people know where to put recycled items. Also consider having recycle bins out and visible at events and meetings sponsored by your office.
• Turn off and unplug small appliances. If you have an office microwave or coffee machine, make sure it is turned off and unplugged each night, or put it on a timer to have it automatically shut down. Plugged in items waste energy even when not in use.
• Bring your own mug and dishware. Instead of having disposable coffee cups, cold cups, plates and utensils, bring your own reusable items to use at lunchtime and snack time. Encourage others in the office to do the same. This will reduce waste and it will also save money otherwise spent on disposable paper items.
• Carpool to events. Make it a common practice to carpool with others in your office when you attend joint meetings and seminars. Every time you carpool, you help keep one or more cars off the road and also save your business money it would otherwise have to pay in mileage reimbursement.

The Jewish imperative not to waste resources is derived from Deuteronomy (Chap. 20: 19-20) where the law of bal tashchit is found. This law tells us “don’t waste/destroy.” Taking the steps listed above will help you fulfill this commitment.

This blog originally appeared in jewishinstlouis.org at http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/blog_post.aspx?id=5331

When my son moved to NYC last summer, he took the furniture from his DC-sized area apartment to his Manhattan-sized apartment. And – unfortunately – discovered that it didn't all fit.

So, like the native New Yorker he is, he put the excess furniture out on the curb. Three hours later, it was gone. I had earlier seen a man on the street stop, set his briefcase down beside my son's flotsam (or more properly, jetsam), call someone to describe his find to, all the while assuming that protective, this-is-mine-don't-even-think-about-it stance.

When I went back outside a half hour later, the furniture, and the man, were gone. You gotta love New York.

It handily solves one of life's persistent questions: What to do with things we don't want, perfectly good things that too often find their way to the trash, or clutter up our otherwise perfectly fine homes, all because we don't know how to properly get rid of them.

Thankfully, more and more, across the world, we are re-creating the best of New York City's casual street trade in a more organized, yet equally robust recycling, re-using, and re-purposing marketplace.

I recently read about Bookcrossing.com, a way to recycle your books, track where they go and see who else reads them in a worldwide book-sharing community. (You go to the site, download bookcrossing ID labels, slap them on the books you want to give away, and then either release them into the wind or register them on the site for others to request).

There is of course the old standby, Freecycle.org, the local on-line neighbor-to-neighbor free marketplace that allows you to post stuff you want to give away and find stuff you want to get. It is, according to their website, made up of "5,022 groups with 8,878,732 members around the world." Pretty impressive. And you can get anything from open bags of kitty litter to living room suites.

Baltimore also has our very own Loading Dock, a national model for re-cycling and re-using building and construction materials. You can get or donate windows, appliances, flooring, paint, most anything that is still in good working order that you would otherwise have to pay to haul away. (Baltimore County, at least, does not collect construction debris in its trash or recycling rounds.)

And there are of course the old stand-bys: flea markets and garage sales.

There are some folks who worry about lost manufacturing jobs and a hit to the economy that such re-use might have. The truth is, as long as the population is still growing, we will need more – not just re-used – stuff. But we also know that we cannot keep digging things out of the earth for materials and energy and think that is the best way to give people jobs.

Re-cycling and re-purposing can also be a growing jobs sector. Someone has to drive the trucks and manage the inventory and keep the books and do the advertising; and someone has to demolish the old and rebuild the new.

What is wonderful about many, if not most, of these enterprises, is that they start out home-grown, work through the affordable services of the internet, and build community at the same time. They don't take an MBA or lots of start-up capital. They take passion, caring and faith in the goodwill of people.

I do have one question though: What do people do with their old, shabby clothes? Not the kind that you can give away to Goodwill or take to the Hadassah re-sale shop. And certainly not the kind that you can sell via a consignment shop.

I mean those socks with holes and t-shirts that are threadbare… those things that years ago might have been made into rag rugs or used to clean silver.

I have enough cleaning rags, thank you. And we have enough quilting squares to keep my daughter busy for years. So the question remains, how do we recycle fabric that otherwise just goes into the landfills? Old kitchen towels, underwear, totally unwearable and unsaleable stuff hanging in closets.

If you have an answer, or better, a vendor, who can solve this dilemma for me, please do let me know.

I will gladly share the advice.

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 of individuals, organizations and corporations can have a profound influence on the environment.

In business, as in life, decisions are made by weighing the costs and benefits of an action. When choosing what paper to use, whether to use it and how to dispose of it, individuals and organizations usually consider are the cost of the paper in specific dollar terms followed by the look and feel of the paper, and the ability for a printer, copier or fax machine to use that paper.

In addition to pure cost and ease of availability, many individuals and companies now add an “environmental” component to their cost-benefit analysis. A good place to start when making an environmentally conscious choice in paper product is to look for an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) logo on the product.

The FSC is an international certification and labeling organization dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests. It tracks fibers from certified forests all the way to the consumer through the FSC Chain of Custody system. When you purchase FSC-certified paper, you ensure that the value of conserving forests is maintained, that the rights of aboriginal peoples and local communities are respected, that waterways are safeguarded and that natural wildlife habitats & species are protected.

Choosing what paper to use, however, should be more than a quick scan for an FSC logo: any decision should consider how and where the paper is made.

By placing paper into a blue-box for recycling, you do several things. First, you divert waste away from landfills. This reduces the amount of waste that needs to be burned, buried or stored. Second, you reduce the need to create more paper. As less water and energy are required to create “new” paper from recycled parts—normally 100% post-consumer waste—compared to virgin fiber from newly harvested trees, you reduce the need to use non-renewable, or long-renewable resources.

Even though this recycled paper may be slightly more expensive, due to higher manufacturing costs, many organizations are willing to pay more for this paper to avoid risk to their reputation, especially if it allows them to align their actions with their personal or organizational beliefs. What type of message would you be sending to the community if you or your organization were fundraising to plant trees, but your communications were printed on non-FSC certified paper with no recycled content?

Your decision on paper procurement may come down to a budgetary decision, but increasingly forward thinkers are examining their environmental footprint. By understanding available paper options, considering the full lifecycle of printing needs and reducing paper consumption you can be true to your personal or organizational beliefs, remain within your budget and reduce environmental impact..

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