Summertime! Picnics! Cookouts! Don’t forget to be “green.” It’s shocking how those paper goods mount up in the landfills, but it doesn’t have to be that way. By taking your washable plates and utensils you will save money and reduce trash. Now, if you don’t have any “suitable” dishes for this purpose (i.e. old, mismatched or unwanted plates and flatware) then take a look at a discount store such as Ocean State Joblot where you will find inexpensive, unbreakable plates as well as utensils. You might also check out the Goodwill Store or other thrift shop for even better bargains.

And don’t forget: our annual church picnic on July 17 will be green too – BYOD (bring your own dishes.)

When flying is the only reasonable option for visiting dear ones living thousands of miles from here, it’s only natural to feel a bit guilty about all that car­bon being spewed into the atmosphere.  (Nothing can spike your carbon footprint like air travel!) So, why not buy a “TerraPass?”  This is a “carbon offset,” which doesn’t do anything to remove the carbon diox­ide released from the plane, but it does two things:

(1) It makes you feel better and (2) The money goes to clean-energy funding and conservation projects. It does have its critics, mostly stating that it’s just a means to assuage your guilt, but the reviews are gen­erally good, and I for one am all in favor of investing in more clean energy.  TerraPass has partnered with Expedia, so if you book a flight with them you will be given the option to buy a certificate.  The co-marketed Flight TerraPass comes at three purchase levels: 1,000 lbs of CO2 for $5.99; 2,500 lbs of CO2 for $16.99; and 5,000 lbs of CO2 for $29.99, enough to balance about 2,200 miles; 6,500 miles; and 13,000 miles of flying, respectively. You can also buy certificates di­rectly at www.terrapass.com and there is lots more information on the website as well.

Even though those wonderful little LED (light­emitting diode) bulbs are still quite expensive, the prices are coming down.  (I heard Lowe’s has them for $9.98!)  Outfitting your entire house might be cost prohibitive, but get this: Researchers at the Union of Concerned Scientists say, “if a million households each replaced one 40-watt incandescent bulb with a six-watt LED, and used it six hours per day, more than 53,000 metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide would be kept out of the atmos­phere per year.”  And here is the amazing part:  If that one bulb is used six hours per day it will last for 23 years! And it will cost less in electricity.  Based on 10 cents-per­kilowatt hour,  the LED costs $30 to operate over its life­time, vs. $55 for the lifetime of the CFL (compact fluores­cent) bulb. They are safer too, generating less heat and containing no mercury.  I hope that by the time my CFLs are finished (please recycle your dead CFLs at Home De­pot; they contain small amounts of mercury,) the price of the LED bulbs will have come down even more.  Mean­while I better buy just one – I may not live for another 23 years!

Sometimes there is confusion about the “single-stream recycling” now in use in Manchester and many other towns in mid-Connecticut.  We are served by the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (crra.org.)  Because we are now able to recycle SO much more than prior years, people often have the notion that they can throw any and all plastic into the barrel.  Not so! Only those plastic containers with the  symbol containing the numbers 1 through 7 are accepted.  If it is plastic with no number (for example, plastic spoons, old Tupperware, etc.) it is not allowed.  Also, they ask that you remove caps and rinse the containers.  You don’t have to trash the caps, by the way.  You can save them in a sepa­rate bag and take them to Aveda (read more at http://aveda.aveda.com/aboutaveda/caps.asp .) Flat lids with numbers can be recycled in the bins.

Two things never allowed: plastic bags and Styrofoam — even if it has a recycling number (to fool and confuse us, I suppose.)  Shredded paper should be bagged, but only in a paper bag.  All other paper and cardboard can be thrown in loose. (Many supermarkets accept plastic bags for recycling, usually in the front entrance.) Please be diligent so as not to contaminate the collections.  

Complete info at http://www.crra.org/documents/public_records/additional_communications/Mid-Conn_double-sided_recycling_flyer.pdf

Only a tiny fraction of Earth’s water is available as fresh water.  We’re already at the limits of sup­ply in parts of the United States!  If all U.S. residents reduced their consumption of animal products by half, the nation’s total dietary water requirement in 2025 would drop by a savings equal to the annual flow of 14 (FOURTEEN!) Colorado Rivers! Source:Sandra Postel, Director, Global Water Policy Project.

Still looking for a New Year’s resolution? How about kicking the bottled-water habit and finding other ways to conserve this precious resource? We’ve said this before, but it’s a good time to be reminded. We at UUS:E as well as the UUA Ministry for Earth are focusing on water this year.

There are many small ways to conserve, such as not leaving the water running while brushing teeth, rinsing dishes, and washing hands. You can make a huge difference by not buying bottled water. The manufacturers’ marketing campaigns capitalize on isolated instances of contaminated public drinking water supplies by encouraging the perception that their products are purer and safer than tap water. But the reality is that tap water is actually held to more stringent quality standards than bottled water, and some brands are just tap water in disguise. What’s more, our increasing consumption of bottled water—more than 22 gallons per U.S. citizen—fuels an unsustainable industry that takes a heavy toll on the environment. Approximately 17 million barrels of oil—enough to run 1 million cars for a whole year—are used to make plastic water bottles. And sadly, only about 10 percent of water bottles are recycled — the rest are left in landfills or incinerators.

 Filtered tap water is best. If you will be away from home, fill a reusable bottle from your tap and refill it along the way. Limit your bottled water purchases for those times when you’re traveling in countries where water quality is questionable.

 Source: www.ucusa.org/publications/greentips

Here are some thoughtful gift ideas that are environmentally friendly too.

For food and wine lovers:

• Cooking or serving materials made from recycled glass or bamboo.
• A selection of organic wines.
• Membership in a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm.

For outdoor enthusiasts:

• Gift certificates for low-impact outdoor adventures such as rafting or canoeing trips.
• Membership to one or more state parks, or a National Parks Pass.
• Fleece outerwear (jackets, gloves, hats, scarves) made from post-consumer recycled plastic.

For gardeners:

• A selection of seeds for heirloom and native (non-invasive) plants. Heirloom fruits and vegetables are grown from seeds passed down from generation to generation, helping to preserve genetic diversity. Native plants are adapted for the local climate and therefore require less maintenance than exotic varieties.
• Books on environmentally friendly gardening and landscaping techniques.

For gadget lovers:

• Rechargeable batteries.
• Wind-up or solar-powered battery chargers for laptops and cell phones.

For everyone:

• One or more LED lights. They generate more light and use less electricity than CFLs or incandescent lights, and because they generate less heat, they are safer. They are more expensive, but get this: If one is used 6 hours per day it will last for 23 years! Widespread use of LEDs could save thousands of tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.