• Use natural methods to protect against the sun:  Use of sunscreens is commonplace from May through August.  Many sunscreens, however, contain chemicals and may be harmful to the skin and the environment.  Look for a sunscreen made with organic ingredients and no chemicals. Read the label before you buy anything.  Brands such as Alba Botanica and Jason Natural Cosmetics carry natural sunscreen products.  Adorable Baby and Earth’s Best are a few safe brands for infants and young children.    Also don’t forget to wear a wide brimmed hat during the middle of the day when the sun is strongest, a natural sun protection technique.

• Travel as much as possible by bike and by foot:  The benefits to your health of biking and walking are many.   Adding additional exercise to your day by biking or walking to  work, to summer activities, to run errands or just for pleasure can improve your physical health and can help combat problems that come with a sedentary lifestyle, such as obesity, diabetes and heart problems.  Regular exercise via biking or walking also is a great stress reliever, improving your mental health and well-being.  It also reduces your carbon footprint because it means you will be spending less time driving in a car.

• Shop at local farmers markets:  Typically, fruits and vegetables grown locally and sold at farmers’ markets are picked just as they ripen so they have a better taste, texture and aroma at the time of purchase.  In addition, since the produce is picked at the peak of the season, it will have a higher nutritional content and contain more phytochemicals (plant-derived chemicals believed to have beneficial health effects) than non-local produce purchased at a supermarket.The markets also help the environment because travel time and, therefore, the use of fossil fuels, is reduced for locally grown items.  In addition, many of the vendors have organic produce, which also helps the environment because many farm chemicals are made from fossil fuels.
• Think reusable/recyclable with items you take with you:  Chances are, you are going to eat or drink as part of your visit to cheer on your favorite team or watch outdoor Shakespeare.  So make it a point to bring items you can re-use whenever possible. Bring your own stainless steel water bottle rather than buying bottled water.  Pack munchies in re-usable glass containers rather than in throwaway plastic bags.  If you must purchase food at your venue (probably unavoidable at a sporting event), look for recycling bins on your way out rather than throwing things in the regular trash bins.  Many sporting locations now regularly recycle.  St. Louis’s Busch Stadium currently diverts close to 30 percent of all items purchased at a game and recruits volunteers for a Green Team at each event to help collect recyclable plastic and aluminum.

Enjoy celebrating summer in an eco-friendly way!

We dreamed, you and I,

my brother and my sister,

interpreter it has none,

an ancient dream it is,

as the days when we went forth from exile,

but you forgot it or did not elucidate it for yourselves,

and I did not recount it to you.

Grand is the dream,

vast like the void of the universe,

and we long for it with our souls,

but I will not remind you of it this time,

except for a small fragment/excerpt.
Now, please hear, my brother,

please hear my dream, my sister,

and remember that you also dreamed as I did.

 
In my dream–and here it is,

I arrive at the land.

And the land is neglected and desolate

and is in the hands of foreigners,

and the destruction darkens the light of her face

and destroys her spirit,

and an alien government corrupts her.

Distant from me and strange to me

is the land of my ancestors,

and I, too, am distant from her and a stranger to her.

The single connection that ties me to her,

and the lone memory that reminds me

that she is my mother and I am her son,

is–because my soul is also desolate

like her,

for it, too, fell into the hands of foreigners,

to destruct it and destroy it.

I feel the destruction and I ponder the ruins

with all my soul

and with every ounce of my being,

and a divine voice goes forth from the ruins and declares,

“Mortal! Consider these ruins,

and consider them once again,

turn not a blind eye to them.

And you shall know and gain insight

to what you already understand,

that the destruction is the destruction of your soul,

and the destroyer is the destroyer in your life,

in the midst of which you lived in foreign lands

and which clung to you until this time.

Remember this,

for your redemption requires this!

And as you continue to ponder and to dig deeper,

you shall see that from below the ruins

an orphan cinder still whispers,

saved by hiding from the spirit of that life,

and the spirit of the land breathes upon it

to bring it to life.

And when it totally abandoned that life,

which others created,

when you left their land and arrived here

to create a new life for yourself, your life–

then cinder smoldered and lived,

glowed and brought forth its flame,

and you returned and lived,

and your people and your land returned and lived.

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as a Nature Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma’yan Tikvah – A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is a co-convener and coordinator of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network.

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!

• User safer antifreeze:  Just 2 ounces of the standard ethylene glycol antifreeze can kill a dog. Propylene glycol offers a much less toxic alternative (although with fossil fuel origins, it’s hardly eco-friendly). Since both kinds pick up hazardous heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and chromium during use, recycle spent antifreeze to minimize impact. Ask your repair shop about on-site recycling or find a local collection facility at earth911.org.
• Fight frost naturally:  To prevent ice from covering home and car windows, rub the inside of the glass with a saltwater-soaked sponge; dry with a clean cloth. You won’t see it, but a residue from the salt will remain to ward off frost. For extra oomph, spray a solution of three parts white vinegar and one part water on the outside of the glass, then wipe dry.
• Use better de-icers:  Steer clear of rock salt (sodium chloride) and urea-based de-icers. Not only can they pollute habitats with plant-killing runoff, but they can also corrode concrete, destroy your lawn (even a snow-covered one), and contaminate water supplies. Better bets? Sand, which provides traction without damaging salt-sensitive landscapes, and calcium chloride, which may still hurt vegetation, but is free of the cyanide present in rock salt
• Don’t idle your car:  Don’t let your car idle for more than 30 seconds. Beyond wasting fuel, excessive idling strains cylinders, spark plugs, exhaust systems, and engines, which work best in motion — not in neutral. The best way to warm up the car? Drive it.
• Let in the sun: Even in winter, the sun’s rays provide a fair amount of warmth. Take advantage of this free heating by opening blinds and curtains on the windows that receive the most light (usually on the east side). At night, draw heavy insulating drapes to help preserve warmth, or invest in “low-e” Energy Star-certified windows (especially on the north side of the house). Learn more at energystar.gov.

Resources:  www.wholeliving.com

–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

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.

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!   

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!

BEER SHEVA (May 22, 2009) — For almost a year now, the Israeli public has been the target of a highly effective public relations campaign by the country's Water Authority. Stark images of desiccated humans cracking like hardened desert soil, along with the more comely admonitions for abbreviated showers from supermodel Bar Refaeli, reinforce existing perceptions that Israel's chronic water scarcity is getting worse.

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NAGOYA, Japan — Jerusalem faces unique challenges and opportunities. Conservation of our natural and built heritage is a solemn commitment, but we must also assess and implement the potential for urban revitalization. We need to expand our mass-transit system (the first of its kind in Israel), encourage active transport (biking and walking) and focus on development of the city's strengths, such as cultural and religious tourism, while not neglecting to address its weaknesses, in order to provide comprehensive solutions for solid waste and sewage in a transboundary area of geopolitical conflict.

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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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"One generation goes, another comes," reads Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), "but the Earth remains the same forever." The sun will rise, the wind will blow and the rivers will continue to flow into the sea, uncontrollable no matter what we do. As the most recent natural phenomenon of Sandy has shown us, nature is so much larger than us. The Earth is unpredictable and holds endless power and strength. We as humans tend to forget that we are partners with God in creation. Part of our role is to maintain the planet's homeostasis, to keep Earth healthy — because when the Earth gets sick, it affects us all. We must tune into the Earth's messages, as they are divine whispers, reminding us to come home. However, humankind has chosen to ignore these whispers. Even as whispers turn to shouts, and shouts to desperate cries, we continue to destroy the Earth's resources, to pollute its waters, poison its air and skew perfect ecosystems with our mindless and power-driven actions.

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This is a great resource to get you started: http://www.jewcology.com/content/view/Do-It-Yourself-Body-Care-for-the-New-Year

I’m not blogging much lately due to certain matters going on in my life. Sorry, I know this is supposed to be a weekly post but life happens….

Anyway, here’s this week’s tip. This applies if you live in a place where there’s a central dumpster where people dump their garbage: When you take out the garbage, keep your eyes open for things that might not really be garbage but perhaps someone was just trying to get rid of the item without it occurring to them that maybe someone else could use it. If you find something useful, go ahead and take it home! For example, yesterday I “rescued” a chair that turned out to be still in decent condition, and comfortable, too. I recommend cleaning such finds before using them, as you don’t know where they’ve been….If you find something that could be useful for someone but not you, you can “rescue” it anyway and donate it to Goodwill or another organization of your preference that takes such things. (Another idea is to try putting it up for sale, say on Craigslist or eBay, but keep in mind that you can’t always be confident that you can accurately describe the condition of the item and again, you have no idea where it’s been….) That way you can help the environment while simultaneously helping an organization and also someone who could use the item in question!

If you see that there’s an ongoing problem of people leaving perfectly good items, you might want to call the problem to the attention of your building/apartment complex manager (or whoever else is in charge). I called mine today and left a message with the following ideas: 1. They could write a notice so people are aware that there’s a Goodwill nearby. (That applies to my situation; you could customize this for your own situation.) Have them point out that other people might be able to make use of the item, even if the current owner is done with it. 2. They could designate a place, apart from the dumpster(s), where people could leave stuff they don’t want that’s still good, and people could come and take what they want. I didn’t get a response yet but at least I tried.

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 Urban Adamah Fellowship, based in Berkeley, CA, is a three-month residential training program for young adults (ages 21–31) that combines urban organic farming, social justice training and progressive Jewish learning and living within the setting of an intentional community.

Through the operation of Urban Adamah’s one-acre organic farm and internships with social justice organizations, fellows gain significant skills, training and experience in all aspects of sustainable urban agriculture, community building, leadership development and food justice advocacy. The Fellowship’s experiential curriculum is designed to equip fellows with the tools to become agents of positive change in their own lives and in their communities.

Now in its third year, the Fellowship has graduated nearly 100 young adults who have gone on to work in the fields of environmental education and policy, sustainable agriculture, community organizing, Jewish education and social entrepreneurship.

Upcoming Fellowships

Spring: March 2–May 23, 2014

Summer: June 8–August 29, 2014

Fall: September 7–November 25, 2014

The cost of the Fellowship is offered on a sliding scale from $1,300 to $1,800. Program fees are highly subsidized and include room, board and all other program expenses. We accept 12­–14 fellows per season. Admission is on a rolling basis, and we encourage applicants to apply as soon as they’ve made the decision to enroll in a particular season.

Visit the Urban Adamah websitetoday to learn more and to request an application.

www.urbanadamah.org|510-649-1595 | info@urbanadamah.org| See us on Facebook

The Urban Adamah Jewish Community Farm, located in Berkeley, CA, integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, sustainable agriculture, mindfulness and social action to build loving, just and sustainable communities.

Control the Temperature of Your Washing Machine: About 90 percent of the energy use associated with doing laundry involves just heating up the water. Turn the dial to cold and save a huge amount of energy in the process.

Wash Full Loads: Even the most energy-efficient loads use 40 gallons of water. Reducing the number of loads you do each week will save water and money. If you find yourself doing eight or more loads of laundry each week, skipping just one will save over 10 percent on your laundry costs.

Use Natural Detergents and Stain Removers: Natural products tend to be free of chlorine bleach, synthetic fragrance, dyes, and optical brighteners. Instead, they are usually plant (not petroleum) based, contain biodegradable surfactants, and are often specifically formulated to perform well in cold water.

Re-Think Dryer Sheets: The chemicals–including synthetic fragrances—found in conventional dryer sheets and fabric softeners are similar to what is found in conventional detergents. They’re largely questionable for human health and the environment. In addition, these disposable sheets end up in landfills after only one use. Either skip them entirely or purchase reusable sheets to address static cling. Popular brand include the Static Eliminator or Pure Eco Sheets(available on Amazon.com and other online sources). Reusable sheets are typically good for 500 loads.

Hang Clothes to Dry: Keeping your clothes out of a dryer extends their life, reduces energy use, and cuts costs. Whether you use an indoor or outdoor drying rack, line drying can be done year round. Just don’t put dark colors in bright sunlight or they’ll fade. Bonus: Indoor rack drying during the winter doubles as a humidifier.

Enjoy the savings, health and environmental benefits of doing your laundry the eco-friendly way.

Resources: www.realsimple.com

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

• Use natural methods to protect against the sun: Use of sunscreens is commonplace from May through August. Many sunscreens, however, contain chemicals and may be harmful to the skin and the environment. Look for a sunscreen made with organic ingredients and no chemicals. Read the label before you buy anything. Brands such as Alba Botanica and Jason Natural Cosmetics carry natural sunscreen products. Adorable Baby and Earth’s Best are a few safe brands for infants and young children. Also don’t forget to wear a wide brimmed hat during the middle of the day when the sun is strongest, a natural sun protection technique.
• Make or buy natural insect repellents: Bug repellents are often essential in the warm weather, particularly if you hike or camp in areas, where mosquitoes, ticks and other dangerous insects dwell. However, most insect repellents contain DEET, which is toxic. Rather than putting a bug spray heavy with DEET on your skin, consider making your own repellent using essential oils, vegetable oil and aloe vera gel (see recipe below). If you prefer a store-bought brand, you can typically find natural bug repellents at health food stores and groceries such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
• Weigh the pros and cons of grills: Many people enjoy grilling food outdoors in the spring or summer. If you are a fan of grilling, consider the environmental impact of the type of grill you use. In general, it is best to avoid charcoal grills, because they emit twice as much carbon as gas grills. The lighter fluid used on charcoal grills also adversely affects the ozone layer. You are better off using an energy efficient gas grill, which uses less energy, has a quicker start time and emits less smoke. Also consider investing in newer grilling methods on the market, such as pellet grills and hybrid grills. These are better for the environment than gas grills, although they are often harder to find and currently more expensive to buy than other types of grills.

Enjoy heading outdoors the earth-friendly way!

Homemade Insect Repellent Recipe:
10-25 drops essential oil. Try lavender, rose geranium (for ticks), coriander seeds, peppermint, cajeput and citronella
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel (optional)
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar; stir to blend. Dab a few drops on your skin or clothing

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

(Alcohol, used in many hand-sanitizers, and vinegar, are alternatives that can be used as bacteriacides but which can be processed by the ecosystem without a problem.)

All of this is done in the name of making money. We live in a foolish society where money matters more than life. We create needs that don't exist and meet them with products that kill.

And it happens in the name of ecology, and not just in the name of sanitizing our lives.

CFL's, compact flourescent bulbs, are supposed to be an important way to cut down on CO2 emissions. They help some, sure, but they are laced with mercury, and they use many times the energy of LED bulbs. And now that they are basically required, they are being manufactured in all kinds of shoddy ways that give us plenty of bulbs that last a lot shorter time than an incandescent bulb. So what we've done is create a huge new stream of mercury that is entering the environment.

It's also true that the extra power it takes to light an incandescent bulb means, in our filthy energy economy, that more coal is burned, which also releases mercury into the air. But if you break a CFL bulb, your releasing mercury in a gaseous form in an enclosed space–that's many many times the mercury exposure that you might get in almost any other context, in a form that is absorbed directly into your lungs.

That's assumining your energy comes from coal. If it comes from other sources (e.g. natural gas, and of course, renewables all the more so), then your bulb is one drop in a mighty stream of mercury being poured into the ecosystem that would never have been released except because of our laws that are pushing CFL's.

CFL's are supposed to be good things. I'm not even touching on fracking and GMO's and all the other great ideas that are putting us in a worse position than we have ever been for survival–even if we were to stop global climate disruption now, which we are not doing. Not a pretty picture.

What about nuclear power, btw–another idea that has arisen anew as an alternative to CO2 emissions and global climate disruption? Well, the lethal products of nuclear power will outlast our species and many many other species. Some of those radionuclides will persist to harm all forms of life for as long as they exist on this planet. We can't figure out how to stop global warming, but we are going to figure out how to sequester lethal radioactive waste for many many times longer than human civlization has existed? Not likely.

It's bad enough for us to create conditions on this planet that will harm the lifeforms that exist now–the Cenozoic patterns of life typified (in the human mind) by birds and mammals. Life can evolve to meet the new conditions created by global climate change. We may or may not be part of that life, but it will continue. Shall we now also create conditions that will harm all the lifeforms that don't yet exist?

We need to be thinking very long term. Not just seven generations, but beyond the life of our species, to the worlds that will unfold over millions of years and not just over millenia, if we want to act responsibly now.

• Make your own organic baby food—The safest food for your baby is the same fresh, organic food you eat. Rather than worry about additives in store bought baby food and the waste caused by purchasing all of those little jars, buy a baby food grinder. After pureeing items, you can also make extra for later use by putting the food in ice cube trays and then transferring the cubes to a plastic bag or container to freeze.
• Buy all natural bath and skin care products—Look for items like baby shampoo and lotion that have no added chemicals. A few national brands such as Burt’s Bees and Seventh Generation make these products. Natural personal care items for baby are safer and more gentle for the skin. These products also are not petroleum based so they do not contain fossil fuels. Excessive use of fossil fuels is harmful to the planet.
• Use a more eco-friendly diaper– There is some debate about whether or not cloth diapers are really better for the environment than disposables. This is because cloth diapers need to be washed in very hot water in a washing machine. Also, if you are using a diaper service you have to factor in the transportation costs for the service truck. One alternative if you are not sure which way to go is to look for a more eco-friendly disposable diapers. You can find natural brands that use recycled materials and that don’t use chlorine bleach as part of processing in some supermarkets and natural food stores. Another alternative is to use a combination of cloth and disposable, such as cloth at home and disposables when out.
• Look for organic cotton clothes– Cotton is a natural fiber and so it is a good fabric for baby clothes. But conventional cotton is grown with large amounts of water and pesticides. So look for organic cotton clothing for your little one.

Making these earth-friendly choices for your baby will help both your child and the planet.

This post was originally posted on jewishinstlouis.org at http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/blog.aspx?id=345

Most people recognize that they waste some of their food, but haven’t put effort into reducing it. The goal of the Year of Action’s Food Waste Actions is to raise awareness about this topic, and empower you with practical ways to reduce food waste in your home and community.

Below is the full list of Reduce Food Waste Actions released so far in Jewcology’s Year of Action. Looking for Saving Energy Actions? Visit the Actions to Save Energy page.

Reduce Food Waste Actions

1. Track My Food Waste for a Week

Learn more about the food you are throwing away in your home; the types of foods you are throwing away, when you’re throwing it away, and why.

Online tool! You can use this great food waste diary as a tool, and make notes to record what you’ve learned! Download the Food Waste Diary.

By taking this action you will save “1 shtickel of food waste wisdom,” by which we mean, you are well on your Jewish way to reducing food waste! Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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2. Save the Perishables!

You can save money and reduce food waste by simply opening the door of your refrigerator and checking the expiration dates! How often do you find that the ‘use by’ date on a package has passed, and you end up throwing it away? Get in the habit of checking the perishable items in your fridge to eat them on time. Move them into the freezer if you don’t think you’ll have time to eat them.

Learn more about “Use By” dates. This handy website provides good information and tips.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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3. Plan Ahead!

Save money and reduce food waste by planning meals ahead of time! Before you go to the store, use a meal planner and create a customized shopping list to figure out what you need. With a little forward planning, you can use what you have and buy what you need, reducing the amount of food you throw away.

Tools to help you: Check out this great meal planner and blank shopping list from our friends at Love Food, Hate Waste.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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4. Eyes Bigger than Your Stomach?

Eyes bigger than your stomach? Once that food is on your plate, it’s either going in your mouth or in the trash. Prevent food waste with these tips:

1. Find out what is available first.

2. Start with small samples, especially if there are choices you’ve never tried before.

3. Take less than you think you’re going to eat. You can always go back to get more.

4. Teach your children to try a small portion first. Encourage them to finish what they have before taking more food.

(Credit: Sarah Rebecca Bedder)

Tools to help you: Here’s an interesting campus activity to try.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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5. Plan a Picnic!

Appreciate food and nature at the same time — go for a picnic. Take the nice weather as an opportunity to clean out your fridge and enjoy an outdoor lunch with friends or family. But don’t bother with a special shopping trip to buy food for the outing, instead, use food that you already have. A picnic is a good opportunity to use up food odds and ends, and it’s OK if everyone eats something different.

When you go out, remember that there’s no need to give in to the custom of bringing disposable plastic utensils and plates to a picnic. Treat yourself to real metal utensils and reusable flatware — this is a waste-free picnic after all!

Tools to help you:

• For a picnic or any other away from home meal-making, try out some ideas from EPA’s Waste-Free Lunch Poster.
• And here are some picnic recipe ideas from LoveFoodHateWaste’s Money-Saving Blog.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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6. So Much Bread

How do you use bread? Toast at breakfast, sandwiches for lunches? Now consider how your bread-buying habits align with this consumption. Are you using all the bread that you buy?

By moving that loaf of bread—the one that’s been sitting on the counter or in the back of the fridge—to the freezer, you ensure that there will be slices available for quick meals during the week.

Or pack the bread in a vacuum sealed bag, store-bought or homemade, removing air and allowing bread to keep for longer.

One specific example of bread food waste can occur as a side effect of how we use challahs for our Shabbat meals. We’re used to big, braided challahs for most of the year, and big, round challahs for the high holidays. Do the members of your family devour it the moment it’s cut, or does a large quantity end up in the fridge or freezer, forgotten?

If so, consider alternatives to the big loaf of challah, such as rolls, to keep bread supply in line with consumption.

Tools to help you:

• Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we all end up with stale bread taking up space in our kitchen from time to time. Before chucking the loaf, check out this list of further recipes using “aged” bread.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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7. Stock Up on Ingredients

Keep your cupboard full of nonperishables so you can be ready when it comes time to reuse those leftovers.

Having essentials such as flour and baking products, canned beans and tomatoes, and everyday spices on hand allows you to incorporate perishables into meals, without having to make an extra grocery store trip. Those baked potatoes from two days ago (which are getting sort of dry) could easily become hash-browns, home-fries, or potato salad with the right ingredients on hand.

Have fun with this! There are unlimited ways to reincorporate leftovers into tonight’s meal, and they all start with having a few ingredients on hand.

Tools to help you:

• “The kitchen cupboard is the nerve centre of your kitchen – keep it well stocked and you will save time dashing to the shops for that single ingredient and will always have a delicious meal at hand even when the fridge is looking bare.” LoveFoodHateWaste’s webpage lists a collection of potential cabinet-fillers for inspiration and to help get you started.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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8. When Life Gives You Leftovers, Make a New Meal!

The leftovers from last week’s meal may look a lot less appetizing than the food you bought yesterday. But if they stay in the back of the fridge, they’re going to end up in the trash!

Going the extra mile to reuse leftovers can really make a difference in your home waste stream—you’ll start to notice that the garbage needs to go out less and less often. And you can redeem your leftovers by making delicious new dishes. Take advantage of this chance to hone your cooking skills and reduce food waste!

When life gives you leftovers, make a new meal.

Tools to help you:

• New! With this action, we are also proud to present the launch of a new resource: When Life Gives You Leftovers, Make a New Meal – a cookbook of leftover recipes developed for the Year of Action by the Jewish Cadette Girl Scout Troop 4056 in Maryland. Check it out and make your own delicious leftovers!

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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9. Keep Food Fresh Longer

The way you store your fruits, vegetables and other perishables can increase or decrease their shelf life. To keep perishables fresh as long as possible, consider these storage suggestions:

1. Separate fruits and veggies. Ethylene gas produced by ripening fruits and vegetables accelerates ripening in nearby fruits and vegetables. In particular for leafy vegetables, this can quickly cause spoilage.

2. Keep bananas and pineapples at room temperature or below, but do not refrigerate. Onions and potatoes are also best stored in a cool, dark place.

3. Wrapping celery tightly in aluminum foil and refrigerating will keep stalks crisper for longer. The foil can then be reused for the next batch of celery.

4. Bread should be stored in a dry place to prevent mold. It does better in the freezer than the refrigerator, where it goes stale more quickly, and fresh bread keeps best in a cool, dark place. Another effective way to keep bread fresh longer is to use vacuum-sealed plastic storage bags.

Tools to help you:

• Check out this online guide listing proper storage techniques for more than 30 kinds of fruits and vegetables.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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10. Plan Ahead to Use Your Bread

Every year, there seems to be a mad dash after Purim to get rid of our leavened bread (chametz) products before Passover. Why? Many of us keep stockpiles of pasta, crackers, and other staples in our pantries and loaves of bread in our refrigerators throughout the year without a second thought. Then the Jewish month of Nissan comes. We are commanded to get rid of our leavened bread, and yet we must also attend to the commandment bal tashchit, don’t destroy, which specifically applies to wasting edible food. Donating nonperishable chametz to food drives is a good way to go. But what do you do with all that extra bread? I know you can’t eat ten sandwiches daily until the Holiday of Matzah commences.

Here are some ways to get new life out of old bread:

1. Don’t buy it in the first place — as long as new bread purchases do not exceed your household demand for bread, there is no reason that it should accumulate into a pre-Pesach problem.

2. Make crumbs — stale bread and especially bread that’s been toasted, makes good fodder for bread crumbs or croutons — and they ought to keep much longer than a loaf.

3. Or try this more unconventional use — a slice of bread placed in the pot after cooking can remove the burnt taste of overcooked rice; in addition, it will remove excess water.

4. Be creative! Take advantage of the months before Passover to try out new chametz recipes, for example, one of these Pre-Pesach bread recipes, or whatever you can whip together with the flour, pasta, cereal, etc. you’ve got to use up.

Tools to help you:

• If eating ten sandwiches daily doesn’t sound so bad, here are some diverse vegetarian sandwich recipes to keep things interesting.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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11. Rescue Aging Fruits

Don’t let fear of fruit going bad stop you from picking up produce on your next visit to the grocery store. Though untreated fruit will go from unripe to ripe to overripe within a week (or less), there are methods to preserve fruits beyond their typical counter-life. When your fruit is just overripe enough so that no one in the house wants to eat it, try one of these tasty techniques to extend the life of your fruit:

1.Smoothies – Although smoothie recipes abound, the only ingredient you really need is a blender. Whatever fruit you have on hand can just be tossed in. Feeling worried it won’t come out tasting right? Try this template recipe for a fruit-vegetable smoothie. Try different combinations and discover what you like best!

2.Fruit leather and dried fruit – These can be made in the oven, but are best made in a dehydrator, which is more energy efficient, or even outside in the sun in a warm, dry climate. Place either pureed or thinly sliced fruit into a pan, and bake it on low heat for many hours until it is dry and chewy. Fruit leathers are a good use of overripe or bruised fruit, and can keep up to a month at room temperature (longer in the fridge or freezer). Here is a guide to dehydrating fruit from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

3.Jams, jellies, and preserves – Often incorporating a special ingredient called pectin, jams, jellies, and preserves can last more than a year. Mastering homemade jam-making can seem daunting, but you can get started with something simple such as the raspberry jam recipe listed at the end of this Guardian food-section article. More information on making jams and jellies and numerous recipes can be found here.

Tools to help you:

• Check out the University of Georgia Co-op Extension Service’s “Preserving Food: Drying Fruits and Vegetables” guide to DIY dehydration.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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12. Cook in Bulk

Making a casserole or a kugel? Use the extra ingredients to make two instead of one, and put the second in the freezer for later. Baking more than one will help you avoid wasting that large supply you bought at Sam’s Club or Costco, and will help with meal planning next time.

The potential benefits of cooking in large batches include the time you save yourself from having to spend cooking later in the week, the energy cost of heating up the stove or oven, the cost of ingredients, which are often cheaper sold in bulk, and knowing that there’s always something in the house to eat. And while, you’re at it, with all that food tucked away in the refrigerator, what better time to invite guests over for a meal?

Tools to help you:

• “Double Your Dinner for a Food Waste Winner!” Great tips from the Love Food, Hate Waste Campaign

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

In my freshman year of high school, I remember this new sensation sweeping store shelves and crowding the airwaves and filling magazine ad space: Lunchables. Remember those? When every school kid who was “cool” toted one to the lunchroom. I never had one. Even before I kept kosher, my penny-pinching parents spit vitriol against the product because it was a bad value: paying for all that packaging, with almost no substance. For practically the same price you could buy a whole box of crackers, a pound of (unsliced) cheese and meat which would feed you for a week. Why pay all that money for a product that mostly ends up in the trash and isn’t even a satiating for one meal? Was it just my family (like it felt to me at the time), or were there others out there who’s families cared about a good value and keeping to a food budget? Yet it was such a successful product that Oscar Meyer has continued to increase production and expand the varieties steadily since the launch of in 1988.

I was recently reminded of the Lunchable sensation when tracing the fast paced track of our becoming a disposable society. I feel incredibly ancient when I start a sentence with “I remember when…”, but in the grand scheme of our time on Earth, it wasn’t THAT long ago that people would be embarrassed to serve a formal sit-down meal with paper goods (regardless of the design and color scheme). Now we have the “fancy paper” we take out for the holidays and when we have guests over. And maybe we use the forks that don’t break so easily when eating/slicing meat. And in the snack isle of the supermarkets, there are shelves and shelves of individually packaged single serving products to put into our kids lunches. If you’ve ever looked at how many ounces of crackers or cookies you get compared to buying by the box, and then looked to see how much you are paying for … it’s hard not to admit, even in our subconscious as we throw one into our cart because of convenience sake and saving a few more seconds in the morning when preparing the day’s lunches, that we aren’t getting a “good value.”

Polling working women to learn their biggest meal time hassles, Oscar Mayer in 1985 found that making bagged lunches topped the list. Recognizing that the prepared lunch category was a relatively untapped market, Oscar Mayer set out to create a product that would revolutionize the industry, create a solution for busy moms and help to boost company sales. Oscar Mayer developed a novel design to keep the three separate ingredients (meat, crackers and cheese) fresh, intact and appealing to consumers on its way to market. Using a “gift-wrapped” appearance, with compartmentalized, sealed plastic tray with viewing windows that allowed consumers to see the product inside, led to the Oscar Mayer innovation winning the Food & Drug Packaging magazine "Snack Food Package of the Year" for 1989.

Oscar Mayer started a consumer trend of increasing the amount of disposables, of waste, in our society. Whereas I still went to school with my reusable lunch bag and a reusable thermos, the tide was definitely changing with regards to what was considered "cool" and acceptable to spend money on for everyday lunches.

Maybe it’s time we take another look at our practices. Being critical of our consumption and our generated waste not only gives us added value for our pocketbook, but has rippling effects for our community vitality as well. Municipalities, businesses and organizations are adopting sustainable best practices for operations and management because of being able to more easily function in a volatile economic climate as well as repair/remediate the health of our environment by reducing impact and leaving a positive mark.

It is a ritual this time of year – I walk around the yard and pick up kindling that is strewn here and there. The ground is yielding a particularly rich harvest this year, what with the derecho and Sandy.

For most of the year, though, I ignore the fallen twigs, sticks and woody debris that lay scattered on my lawn. At best I would trip over them, or find them piled up at the edge of our woods, dumped there like so much waste by our lawn company. But this time of year, as the days get colder and the nights get longer, and my stove wants to be fired up, they become gold.

They are the bridge between the match and the blaze; the cold and the light.

And they teach me about how we measure "worth," and our prideful – or perhaps shameful – sense of waste.

As I seek out, and pick up these fallen limbs, one by one til my arms are full and my home secured with kindling for the next day, I wonder what else of value I miss in my daily wanderings.

What other gems have I overlooked because I have been too rushed, too focused elsewhere, too set on my narrow sense of what I needed now. Even more, what have I determined to be "waste," worthy of nothing more than to be swept aside, piled up and dumped somewhere out of sight.

I wonder about all the people I pass by throughout the days of my life, never giving them a second glance, never wondering about the gifts or wisdom or pain they may be harboring.

And I wonder about all the things we tend to throw away, or discount, that indeed may harbor the very answers we are seeking.

Can our stones and bricks and paints convert light into electricity? Can potatoes become energy packs? Can all the leaves we so noisily and annoyingly sweep up and discard be turned into compost for urban farms? Instead of selling chemical fertilizers, can our local hardware stores hire the homeless to collect restaurant and cafeteria food waste and churn it into a new black gold – healthy compost? Can the urban fruit the goes to waste in our yards and along highways be used to pay our homeless in return for their watering and tending to our street trees?

There is a precept in Judaism called bal tashkhit. It is alternately translated as "Do not waste" or "Do not destroy".

But I think for us it is best translated as: "there shall be no waste."

Nature knows no waste. Foods, plants, air, water, flesh, rocks and the very mountains themselves all cycle round.

We too need to build our human cycle of goods to match the natural cycle of goods.

And it must start with our awareness that we cannot afford to waste anything, whether it be twigs, time, money, goods or people.

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There are so many strands of discarded richness scattered around this world, strands that once gathered and saved may help ignite our own fires of imagination and help us build a better world. How good it would be to collect them.

Baruch Sienna, a Jewish environmental educator, will be leading an amazing nature/environmental tour to Israel this Feb. 26-Mar. 7, 2013. We will be hiking, birdwatching, and visiting (and eating at) organic farms, learning from environmental organizations about water pollution/restoration, waste/recycling, and alternative energy initiatives in Israel. The places we are visiting are awesome.

For a full itinerary, visit www.arzaworld.com, or call toll free: 1-888-811-2812 to register or for more information.

Email: israel.naturally2013@gmail.com.

Dirt and Teshuvah

by Rabbi Howard A. Cohen

One of my favorite lessons to teach when I take a group on a wilderness trip is the dirt method of cleaning up after a meal. It is very simple and effective but invariably elicits chuckles of surprise. After removing all big chunks of left over food by either disposing it in a fire or trash bag people are then instructed to go to the edge of camp and wipe their utensils with dirt and other bits of natural debris. What happens is that the small remaining bits of food particles attach to dirt and other natural debris. They now become an undetectable part of the natural and healthy decomposition cycle of life. The very little bit residue that remains is then washed away in warm water with a dash of chlorine.

This method of cleaning remains me of the season of teshuvah that is now upon us. It is not enough for us to cleansing ourselves from our sins. As important as this is it we need to transform our dirt, that is sins, into something that nourishes and brings benefit into the world. So along with the question for what do I need to do teshuva, I also ask myself how do I transform the behaviors for which I am now repenting. Of course committing myself to not repeat the offense is a good start. Asking for forgiveness is another important step. I also believe it is important to ask myself how do I transform the wrongs I’ve done (and will do in the future) into something of value? One way is to acknowledge in some sort of public venue the lessons learned from my wrong doings. Another action I can take is to embrace my imperfection and realize that to error is part of the learning process.

One of the Hebrew words, chet, often translated as "sin" is etymologically instructive. The word consists of the letter chet tet and aleph. According to Rabbi Ginsburg, “Chet is the letter of life (chaim, from the root chayah, whose most important letter is chet)”. In addition, if you take the numeric values of the letters that spell chet, (chet / 8 + tet / 9 + aleph / 1) it totals 18, which represents life in Judaism. Thus, in a very real sense to sin or error (even more accurately it means to miss the mark) means to be alive. Just as we cannot praise God when we are dead, so too, we cannot make mistakes.

Howard A. Cohen is a member of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and Ohalah, The Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal. He owns and operates Burning Bush Adventures (BBA), a guiding and educational service combining wilderness experiences and Judaism. Howard has provided rabbinic leadership to congregations from Alaska to Vermont. He has taught in public and private schools. In addition to running BBA, Howard is an officer in the Bennington Fire Department. He lives on Barefoot Farm in southwestern Vermont.