When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves. ~David Orr

The world has come together in Vancouver. And these Olympics are the greenest in history!

For example, the Olympic and Paralympic Village will reuse captured methane gas from a former landfill for energy and the primary heat source for the community will be waste heat recovered from the municipal wastewater treatment system.

The Richmond Oval, where all speed skating events will take place, has a huge ceiling – the size of almost seven Olympic hockey rinks! It is made with a million board feet of pine beetle-infested wood that otherwise would have gone to waste. Wood cleared from the six-acre site before construction began was used to make benches in the team dressing rooms. Even the rainwater running off the roof is collected in a pond for irrigation and for flushing the facility’s toilets!

NBC’s broadcast headquarters has a six-acre “living roof.” The roof features an enormous garden with 400,000 individual indigenous plants to help regulate the building’s temperature.

And of course how green could the Olympics be without sustainable transportation? The athletes will be traveling between venues and around the Olympic village via cutting-edge electric trolleys. Since their introduction three years ago, over 450 of them have been installed across Europe, and Toronto has ordered 204 models of a similar design.

Vancouver has raised the bar.

Remember, it is easy being green!
By Jennifer Jesperson

Because we don’t think about future generations, they will never forget us. ~Henrik Tikkanen

Our children are the future generation. Not only do we need to teach them how to take care of our planet, we need to take care of our planet for them.

Our family tries very hard to reduce our carbon footprint, yet I know we’re not trying anywhere near hard enough. Here are some helpful, basic hints with a little bit of interesting trivia so you can impress all your friends!

Recycling cans and bottles may seem basic, but it is one of the easiest ways you can reduce your carbon footprint with little or no extra effort. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours!!!!!
Recycle old scrap paper that may be hanging around the house. Between junk mail and used pieces of computer paper, you’ll be surprised at how fast you can fill the recycling bin up. Americans use 85,000,000 tons of paper a year: about 680 pounds per person.
Check labels to see if some of your favorite household products are recyclable. Products such as aluminum foil are often overlooked, but can be thrown in the recycling bin along with (aluminum) cans and glass. Americans toss out enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet, according to the Aluminum Association.

Pack your child’s lunch with the environment in mind:

1. Use reusable lunch bags – I couldn’t find any statistics on paper lunch bags specifically, but in 1999, 14 million trees were cut to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans that year alone. Paper bag production delivers a global warming double-whammy forests (major absorbers of greenhouse gases) have to be cut down, and then the subsequent manufacturing of bags produces greenhouse gases. I’m hoping that in the last 10 years, that number has gone down.

2. Use reusable water bottles – in America, 38 billion water bottles end up in land fills each year!

3. Snack and sandwich bags – Americans spend about $85.00 a year on plastic baggies!

4. Cut waste and save by buying in bulk while using reusable containers to portion out lunches.

5. Napkins, utensils, icepacks and more – check out this web site for some amazing products that will actually help you save money and the environment. And they look cool!

http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-more-utensils-more-c-4_28.html

Remember, it is easy being green!

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

- Dr. Seuss, from The Lorax

Have you read The Lorax lately? When I reread it as an adult, I was stunned by how ahead of its time it was. He published this in 1971 and it’s about the plight of the environment. In 1971!!! No one was talking about the environment then – certainly not in a children’s book! Yet here it is for all to see with its lovely colors and Truffala trees!

In order to start making changes, we must start at home. The more we educate ourselves the more likely our children will follow in our footsteps.
Here are a few ways to have fun with our kids and enjoy the beautiful fall weather:
Go apple picking! Both Julian and Oak Glen have excellent harvests this year. Oak Glen was threatened by the fires, but fortunately, the area was saved.

By picking your own apples you not only enjoy the freshest fruit available, but you also support the livelihood of local farmers and orchards. Here are a few simple tips to follow on your apple picking adventure:

Ask the orchard owner/manager which trees flowered first in the spring. They will also be able to give you more information on the different apple varieties found in their orchards.

Select firm, bruise-free apples. Apples ripen from the outside of the tree to the center, so pick the ones located on the outer branches.

Don’t jerk apples off the branches. The proper way is to roll the apple towards the tree branch and then twist it until the stem breaks free.

Apples are free of fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and contain small amounts of potassium, which may promote heart health, help maintain healthy blood pressure and a healthy weight.

Grow a garden It’s a fun and easy eco-activity that kids always enjoy. For those with a yard, plot out a small portion for the garden. If you don’t have that much space simply get a pot to grow in a windowsill. We live in Southern California where we can grow our food all year long! Try lettuce, carrots, radishes, onion and garlic – look! You’ve got a salad right there!

Get kids involved by looking for programs like California Youth Energy Services (CYES). Their goal is to educate kids and the community on how to lower energy usage throughout the home. Youth and young adults are trained as energy specialists who offer “green house calls” and a free energy audit for your home!!!

So pull out your old copy of The Lorax or The Giving Tree or go to the library. You’ll be surprised – and delighted!

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” – Native American Proverb.

By Jennifer Jesperson

It is football season!  Although, I’m not a huge fan, I can appreciate it.  Especially the passion that the fans carry for the sport.

NFL football is the number one sport in the United States – at least as far as fan support and revenue goes.  So, when one of their teams say that they want to lessen their impact on the environment, we need to pay attention!  Especially when it’s a big team like the San Francisco 49ers!  California tends to lead the country in environmental awareness so this could be the start of something big!

A game at a professional football stadium requires enough electricity to power 2,269 homes for a day.  That’s a lot of houses!  A stadium holds tens of thousands of fans who come to support their team, but also go home realizing that they too can do something to help the environment.  The new 49ers stadium will be talked about and seen on TV by millions of people.  Hopefully, the eco-friendly theme is something that catches on with other teams.

Football is a big and influential business.  Countless children and adults look up to sports teams and their players.  Now there’s a chance for people who don’t normally live an environmentally friendly life style to hear about green issues and they will be introduced to a greener way of life.

Other sports teams have gotten into the swing of things as well.  The Suns have focused on lowering their carbon footprint by rethinking old habits and providing fans with 100% organic shirts or reusable bags during game giveaways.

In Major League Baseball, each baseball club decides its level of commitment, which can range from recycling paper cups to creating more environmentally friendly ballparks.  Some teams have begun to purchase renewable sources, such as wind and solar to power their ballparks and training facilities.  In the front office, green efforts include buying postconsumer recycled paper, making double sided copies and encouraging employees to separate their recycling from their regular garbage. Every little bit counts.

Teams also engage in public education by providing eco-friendly tips during games and like Stevenson, some baseball clubs have their own “green teams” to collect stadium recyclables.

So, no matter what sport you love, think about it, if they can do it then so can we because it is easy being green!

Jennifer Jesperson

Welcome back everyone!  I hope you had a fantastic summer!  It’s hard to believe that school is already in session.  But here in California, I’m afraid we still have plenty of hot days ahead of us.

I was fortunate enough to spend the month of July at my cabin on Lake Superior in Northern Michigan.  They don’t recycle there as much as we do.  It’s not as easy for them as it is for us.  We are so lucky here to have the utility companies and the City of Burbank help us to make a difference.  And now with the Stevenson Green Team, we’re going to make it even easier for you to “Go Green!”  Contact Tiffany Bakas at tnt.illuma.net if you’d like to get more involved.

This article is going to be about water.  Looking out onto Lake Superior every day, I really thought about water.  Superior is the largest fresh-water lake (by surface) in the world. It’s one of the cleanest too.  But it is in danger.  The nitrate levels are rising. Over-fishing has become an issue. (I think that’s partly due to the amount my family eats when we’re there!)  Then there’s the temperature increase (Global Warming).  If trends continue, Lake Superior, which freezes over completely once every 20 years, could routinely be ice-free by 2040.  That’s not very far off.  And it’s a problem.

On a more personal note, I’m allergic to chlorine – and we have a pool. Chlorine contaminates the earth’s soil and water and it evaporates into the atmosphere where it eats away at the ozone layer. I’ve recently started looking into alternative ways make our pool cleaner and safer to swim in.  Not sure what I’ll go with yet, but here’s a list of what I’ve found in case you’re thinking about it as well:

• Salt Water:  Salt water or saline pools use small portions of salt to clean water through electrolysis. To some, this may not be the greenest optiondue to the fact that it still utilizes chlorine albeit in a natural, bacteria fighting, and non-threatening form.
• Ionization: Ionic pools use small amounts of metals such as copper andsilver to kill bacteria and stop algae growth.
• Oxidation: Oxidation pools use UV light or electricity to produce ozone, which disinfects the water.
• Sonic Waves: New sonic wave pools use specific patterns of sound waves to kill algae and contaminants.
• Natural Pools: Natural or green pools use external or internal plants to create mini ecosystems that enrich the pool water with oxygen, support beneficial bacteria that consume debris and contaminants, and deprive algae of nutrients.
• Natural Products: If you do not want to convert to a new system, one option is to use natural cleaning products such as PristineBlue and Natura Chemistry.

Another “type” of water I’ve thought about recently is “Greywater.”  That includes any and all wash water that can be collected – from showers or leaky faucets to when you empty out your partially consumed water bottle.  Here are some ways you can use “Greywater” in your home:

• While you’re waiting for the shower to heat up or daydreaming under the spout, place a big bucket in the corner to collect the extra runoff from going down the drain. Use greywater to hydrate your plants or lawn.
• If you plan on upgrading your home and are willing to make more of aninvestment, a greywater system is the perfect fit for an eco-homeowner.  State-of-the-art systems filter used water from the shower, bath and laundry and then reuse it in the toilet’s flushing system.

When emptying out your ice chest after a trip to the beach or camping, put it in your flowerbed.  You can try lowering usage in other ways too. Run the washing machine and dishwasher only when they’re completely full.  Don’t forget to change your sprinkler system timer too.  You’re allowed to water on Monday and Thursday for 15 minutes per zone.  And only late in the evening or at night.  Don’t hose down your driveway or sidewalks, sweep them.  We all must do our part!

I’m thirsty.  Gotta go.  Until next month, remember, it is easy being green!

Jennifer Jefferson

p.s.  If you’re interested, contact Tiffany Bakas to get involved with Stevenson’s first ever Green Team!  tnt@illuma.net

Volume 4

I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe it’s already the end of the school year! Summer is upon us, as is a water shortage. I was already turning my sprinklers off a couple of days a week. Now I’m told I have to do more of it.

We’re so spoiled here. Other places actually let their grass die in the winter! We’re used to beautiful green lawns on every street. I’m afraid those days are coming to an end.

Perhaps this summer, you can take some time to offload the clutter that we tend to accumulate and make a little extra cash? You could sell household goods through the Internet or have a garage sale. You could give gently used items to family, friends or to charities.

I’ve included some ideas and activities for you to try over the summer. They’re fun as well as useful!

Reuse holiday or greeting cards – Simply cut out a section from the old card, then shape and attach it to a piece of construction paper or punch a hole in it and tie it with a ribbon onto the gift.

Newspapers – So many uses! You can scrunch them up and put them in a suitcase for two weeks to remove stale odors. You can clean your windows or any glass surface with them. You can shred them and put them in your garden or compost. Or you can cancel your subscription or donate it to a school or nursing home and read the paper on-line!

Plastic bottles – Fill a plastic bottle with stones or sand and cover it with fabric or paint to make a door stop. Fill a bottle ¾ full, freeze it and put it in a cooler to help keep your drinks and food cool while at the beach or on a picnic. Cut the bottom off of a bottle and insert yarn or string. Pull the end out of the top, tape the bottom back on and no more tangled yarn!

Cans – Try cutting the tops and bottoms off of your cans and put them in your garden. Place baby plants in the center to protect and support them while also keeping slugs and snails away!

Glass jars – Use them for storing nuts, pasta and dried fruits, paperclips, nails, screws, and nuts & bolts.

Ceramics – Use chipped mugs to grow herbs and place them on your windowsill. Make a mosaic on an old table top or get some quick-set cement and make an art piece for your garden!

Fabrics – Old clothes can be used to cover your hot water bottle or make a bunch of pillows out of some cool old jeans or skirts. Use some old neckties to make a plant hanger, a lavender sachet or a cool belt! Keep your old stockings to strain paint or you can put some dirt in a stocking and add some strategically placed grass seed, paint a face on it, water every other day and see what kind of crazy “hair” grows out of it’s head!

These ideas can be fun and entertaining and can keep you and your child busy for hours while spending quality time with them and instilling them with love and respect for our environment.

I hope you have a happy and safe summer and remember, it is easy being green!

Jennifer Jesperson