AVHS Environmental Club

Summer Opportunities and our final meeting of the year

2010-06-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

There are many opportunities in the summertime to spend your days outdoors with nature, including camping, hiking, swimming at lakes, etc. But you can also find workshops, classes and activities in the area related to the environment and nature by following the newspaper calendars and looking online.

I found a few opportunities that might be interesting to club members. The first is one that I've recommended before: taking advantage of the classes Eric Nicholas, Pleasanton City Naturalist, teaches at the Alviso Adobe Community Park off Foothill Road (see Volunteering at the Alviso Adobe for more information about the park where Eric Nicholas works). You can browse through the classes he's offering here and register for them online here, send in a registration form (located within the activities guide), or visit the Parks and Community Services Department downtown to sign up in person. My sister at one of Eric Nicholas's classes about Native American tools. She is carving her own design into sandstone. The bowl has crushed berries with olive oil, to be used as paint.

Another opportunity I came across is through Las Positas College Community Education. You may have received their summer course brochure in the mail, but if not you can view it online here. The class that I found particularly interesting is one entitled Eco-Living For Teens. Here is the course description:

Overview of current environmental challenges and sustainability principles as related to modern day living. Learn how to calculate and reduce your personal carbon footprint and examine how regular, day-to-day actions and choices affect the larger community and planet. Tips and resources that will help you make an impact in your own life and community and de-mystify the "great green hype." Students will be asked to calculate their current ecological footprint and bring the results to class. Survey takes less than 10 minutes. Please contact the office for survey address when you have registered for the class.

Thursday, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
1 session on August 5, 2010
Tuition: $39.00
Instructor: Turner (not our Mrs. Turner)
Location: Las Positas College

It is a little expensive, but it looks like a neat opportunity to learn more about environmental living.

Hopefully you find these and other opportunities worth-while this summer. If you come across any other interesting opportunites, please email our club so we can forward them along to everyone (avhsenvironmental@yahoo.com).

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We had our last Environmental Club meeting of the 2009-2010 school year on Wednesday, June 2. It was my last Environmental Club meeting at Amador ever (see my mention of it in this recent blog post), and I'm sad that I will no longer be an officer of this wonderful, inspirational club. However, I'm excited for someone else to fill my role as secretary/publicist and for Liana and Patricia to continue to do excellent work for the environment and for Amador's environmental consciousness. I've enjoyed every minute working with the club, and I wish you all the best of luck in your lives as students, environmental activists, friends, and awesome people. I will try to visit you guys before I go to UC Santa Cruz in September, and I will definitely come to any events you have next year. I'll stay on your email list and Facebook page, so my presence will not completely disappear, and I'll update Liana and Patricia on any cool environmental things I'm doing next year, as well as pass along new green tips I learn. Thank you all for helping make my senior year an awesome, fulfilling experience!

Here are some pictures from our last meeting. Patricia had us play a fun game where we drew nature scenes on paper that was on top of our heads. Very funny!

Everyone drawing pictures on their heads!

The best drawing

Club member Taylor with her drawing

Taylor with her organic Amy's lunch.

Happy Almost-Summer!

Melissa
Green Gal

Bulletin Club Green Tip #10: Ride your bike to school

2010-04-26T17:55:00.002-07:00

Now that the weather's heating up, it's the perfect time to ride your bike or walk to school. Try to find at least one day each week to leave the car at home and reduce your carbon footprint. May 16-22 is Bike to Work Week, so we'll definitely be encouraging people to ride during that week, but for now, ride at least once a week. (Avoid rainy days like tomorrow, though, unless you're a super hard core environmentalist and in that case, we love you for being so brave!)

Yes this is a ridiculous picture, but it made you take a second look at the email, right? :)

Bulletin Green Tips #8 and #9

2010-04-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

I've been a little neglectful of our Environmental Club blog lately and never got around to posting Green Tips eight and nine. So here they are for archival purposes--and to remind you of them :)

Environmental Club Green Tip #8: Water conservation
Turn the water off when you're brushing your teeth and shampooing your hair. Be water conscious! Some facts from Water.org:
- 3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease.
- 84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 – 14.
- 884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people. (5)
- The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
- At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.

- Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use.
- An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.
- About a third of people without access to an improved water source live on less than $1 a day.
- Poor people living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.
- Without food a person can live for weeks, but without water you can expect to live only a few days.
- The daily requirement for sanitation, bathing, and cooking needs, as well as for assuring survival, is about 13.2 gallons per person.

Want to learn more about water issues and ways to help? Visit Water.org!

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Environmental Club Green Tip #9: Celebrate Earth Day!
The 40th Annual Earth Day was last Thursday, April 22. Though officially Earth Week is over, celebrate our beautiful home planet everyday by simply going outside and enjoying what nature has to offer. There are so many opportunities to spend time outdoors either hiking or helping the land through conservation projects; just look online or go hike the ridge on sunny Saturday mornings! You can volunteer or hike with a number of organizations including:

- Sierra Club

- Save Mt. Diablo

- Alviso Adobe Community Park (sign up for programs in the Current Activities Guide for Pleasanton or contact Heather Haugen Rizzoli at Pleasanton’s Museum On Main to register to volunteer. (925) 462-2766; volunteers@museumonmain.org)

- East Bay Regional Parks

These are just a few of the many local organizations that you can work with to spend more time helping our Earth.

Environmental Club's FLOW Showing a Huge Success!

2010-04-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Turner was right--extra credit really does bring large crowds! While we the officers were thinking that only a handful of students would show up, at least one-hundred students attended last Wednesday's free showing of the film FLOW. The purpose was to raise awareness, and with an audience that size, the message about the issues surrounding freshwater privitization most definitely reached at least some of them. For more information about the film, please visit the website http://www.flowthefilm.com/. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and to those of you who attended, even if just for extra credit :-)

2010 Goldman Environmental Prize

2010-04-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

Patricia, Liana, Swethaa, Krista, and I (Melissa) attended the Goldman Environmental Prize Ceremony on Monday, April 19. Here are some pictures from the inspiring event that took place in San Francisco:

The ceremony took place in the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center/Opera House. We sat in the top balcony with the other youth groups from the Bay Area.
The five of us in our seats at the event. My dad and step-mom came with us.
Peter Coyote was the Master of Ceremonies (he narrates The National Parks: America's Best Idea series...I knew I recognized his voice!). You can see him in the bottom left of the picture and on the screen. The man in the wheelchair is Richard N. Goldman, who established the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1990 with his wife Rhoda. With him is his daughter, Susan R. Gelman.
Six awards are given out to represent the 6 inhabited areas of Earth. The first award went to Thuli Brilliance Makama of Swaziland, Africa. From the Goldman website: Thuli Brilliance Makama, Swaziland’s only public interest environmental attorney, won a landmark case to include environmental NGO representation in conservation decisions and continues to challenge the forced evictions and violence perpetrated against poverty-stricken communities living on the edges of conservation areas.
For Islands and Island Nations, Humberto Ríos Labrada of Cuba: "A scientist and biodiversity researcher, Humberto Ríos Labrada promoted sustainable agriculture by working with farmers to increase crop diversity and develop low-input agricultural systems that greatly reduce the need for pesticide and fertilizer, encouraging Cuba’s shift from agricultural chemical dependence."
From Europe, Małgorzata Górska of Poland: "Małgorzata Górska led the fight to protect Poland’s Rospuda Valley, one of Europe’s last true wilderness areas, from a controversial highway project that would have destroyed the region’s sensitive ecosystems."
Before the prizes were awarded and following the third prize, Baaba Maal performed. The man on the screen isn't Baaba Maal, but his drummer. Baaba is in the center, playing guitar.
From North America, Lynn Henning of USA: "A family farmer in rural Michigan, Lynn Henning exposed the egregious polluting practices of CAFOs –concentrated animal feeding operations- gaining the attention of the federal EPA and prompting state regulators to issue hundreds of citations for water quality violations."
From Asia, Tuy Sereivathana of Cambodia: "Tuy Sereivathana worked to mitigate human elephant conflict in Cambodia by introducing innovative low-cost solutions, empowering local communities to cooperatively participate in endangered Asian elephant conservation."
From Central and South America, Randall Arauz of Costa Rica: "Drawing international attention to the inhumane and environmentally-catastrophic shark finning industry, Randall Arauz led the campaign to halt the practice in Costa Rica, making his country the new international model for shark protection."
"The Goldman Prize amplifies the voices of these grassroots leaders and provides them with:

•International recognition that enhances their credibility
•Worldwide visibility for the issues they champion
•Financial support of $150,000 to pursue their vision of a renewed and protected environment"

The event was interesting, inspiring and informational! For more information, visit the website at http://www.goldmanprize.org/

National Agriculture Day: March 20, 2010, the First Day of Spring

2010-03-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

From the AgDay website about why we should celebrate Agriculture Day:

"Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. But too few people truly understand this contribution. This is particularly the case in our schools, where students may only be exposed to agriculture if they enroll in related vocational training.

By building awareness, the Agriculture Council of America is encouraging young people to consider career opportunities in agriculture.

Each American farmer feeds more than 144 people ... a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960s. Quite simply, American agriculture is doing more - and doing it better. As the world population soars, there is an even greater demand for the food and fiber produced in the United States."

We owe the basis for our society's knowledge about agriculture to the first farmers of ancient civilizations who settled down and began experimenting with plant foods. See the below image of the major agricultural regions of the ancient world. Here is some more information.

For more information on the origins of agriculture, watch this video:

Happy First Day of Spring!

Agriculture Facts: An Apple A Day

2010-03-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

This week is National Agriculture Week. Each day, we will post a new set of agriculture facts. We got these awesome facts from AgDay.org.

- "Apples are a member of the rose family.
- Washington state grows the most apples in the U.S.
- The apples from one tree can fill 20 boxes every year.
- Fresh apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air.
- In the winter, apple trees need to 'rest' for about 900-1,000 hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit in order to flower and fruit properly.
- If you grew 100 apple trees from the seeds of one tree, they would all be different.
- Apples are high in fiber.
- There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the world."

You can buy locally grown apples at the Farmer's Market in Pleasanton. Martinelli's Apple Juice is made of apples grown near Monterey Bay. Here's some information about the apple orchards in California: AllAboutApples.com.

Agriculture Facts: Broccoli Basics

2010-03-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

This week is National Agriculture Week. Each day, we will post a new set of agriculture facts. We got these awesome facts from AgDay.org.

- "We are eating 900% more broccoli than we did 20 years ago.
- In 1970, consumption of broccoli was only a half a pound per person. Today, the average person in the United States eats four and one half pounds a year.
- In the United States, broccoli was probably first grown by immigrants from Italy in home gardens in Brooklyn, New York. In 1923, a group of Italian vegetable farmers in Northern California started to grow broccoli commercially and in a few years they were shipping fresh broccoli to Boston and New York."

Speaking of gardens, they are great ways to connect with the land. You can grow what you like to eat and save money. Plus, garden-fresh produce always tastes better than the produce from the grocery store. Especially tomatoes!

Agriculture Facts: Pumpkin Eater

2010-03-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

This week is National Agriculture Week. Each day, we will post a new set of agriculture facts. We got these awesome facts from AgDay.org.

- "Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites!
- Pumpkin flowers are edible.
- Pumpkins are 90% water.
- Pumpkins are used for feed for animals.
- Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a snack.
- Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine.
- In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling. - The name "pumpkin" originated from 'pepon,' the Greek word for 'large melon.'
- Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A."
Learning about the different ways foods were and are used by traditional cultures from around the world can be so interesting! Food is fascinating because it can say so much about a group of people and about a civilization.

Agriculture Facts: Green Greek Goddess

2010-03-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

This week is National Agriculture Week. Each day, we will post a new set of agriculture facts. We got these awesome facts from AgDay.org.

- "The name asparagus comes from the Greek language and means 'sprout' or 'shoot.'
- Asparagus is a member of the Lily family.
- Asparagus is related to onions, leeks, and garlic.
- One of the most popular varieties of green asparagus is named after Martha Washington, the wife of George Washington.
- California grows about 70% of all the asparagus grown in the United States.
- More than 50,000 tons of asparagus are grown in California every year."

From the Pleasanton Farmers' Market site:
"Spring heralds the arrival of much-anticipated California Delta asparagus. From the fertile soils of the San Joaquin Delta region, the farmers' market has tasty bundles of fresh green spears in a variety of sizes, from fat jumbo to pencil-thin spears. Asparagus is here for only a few months so pick it up now for a real taste of spring!

Asparagus Tips!
♦ When buying asparagus, select firm, bright green stalks with little or no white, and tight, dry tips.
♦ Choose asparagus spears that are about the same thickness so they will all cook evenly.
♦ Thick stalks or thin stalks? It’s a matter of taste.

Visit the California Asparagus Commission website for more information."

Understanding seasonality for fruits and vegetables is an important part of being a "green" consumer. Grocery stores don't really have seasons anymore because we import food from all over the world. Recognizing the value of eating in season is a part of living according to nature. Just go to the Farmers' Market to see what fruits and veggies are in season for your location's climate.

Agriculture Facts: Cherrific!

2010-03-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

This week is National Agriculture Week. Each day, we will post a new set of agriculture facts. We got these awesome facts from AgDay.org.

- "The same chemicals that give tart cherries their color may relieve pain better than aspirin and ibuprofen in humans.

- Eating about 20 tart cherries a day could reduce inflammatory pain and headache pain.

- There are about 7,000 cherries on an average tart cherry tree (the number varies depending on the age of the tree, weather and growing conditions). It takes about 250 cherries to make a cherry pie, so each tree could produce enough cherries for 28 pies!

- Today, in Michigan, there are almost 4 million cherry trees which annually produce 150 to 200 pounds of tart cherries."

Understanding where your food is coming from is a big step in living a more natural life. Stop by the Farmer's Market to buy local, fresh food. You can ask the people at the booths where the food is coming from. It's fun to eat local!

40th Anniversary of the First Earth Day—April 22, 2010

2010-03-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

“Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment…It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year... The first Earth Day had participants and celebrants in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it ‘brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform.’
“Senator Nelson stated that Earth Day ‘worked’ because of the response at the grassroots level. Twenty-million demonstrators and thousands of schools and local communities participated. He directly credited the first Earth Day with persuading U.S. politicians that environmental legislation had a substantial, lasting constituency. Many important laws were passed by Congress in the wake of the 1970 Earth Day, including the Clean Air Act, wild lands and the ocean, and the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

“It is now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network, according to whom Earth Day is now ‘the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year.’ Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action which changes human behavior and provokes policy changes.” (Wikipedia)

More on the history of Earth Day can be found here.

Events taking place in honor of the 40th Earth Day:
Note: Most of the following information has been pasted directly from other sources in order to advertise these events, so we do not claim credit for writing the information about each one.

- Monday, April 12 (Not really part of Earth Week...part of Earth Month!)

Green Event - Reuse/Recycle at the Discovery Shop
Location: American Cancer Society Discovery Shop
1987 A Santa Rita Rd. Pleasanton
Hours: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
(925) 462-7374
The Discovery Shop is a thrift store/consignment store on Santa Rita (next to Filigree Cakes & Pastries). They are having a "green" event, likely due to the proximity to Earth Week. You never know what neat things you'll find there!

- Saturday, April 17

Livermore Earth Day Celebration
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM (Volunteer community clean up)
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Earth Day Celebration)
Location: Robertson Park, 3200 Robertson Park Road, Livermore.
The goal of this volunteer community clean up, non-profit event is to recognize, celebrate and promote the region’s unique beauty and to educate the public regarding how to conserve, preserve and protect our local and global resources. Free event.

Earth Day at Forest Home Farms
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Forest Home Farms, 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon.
(between the Bollinger and Alcosta exits off the 680 freeway)
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day while helping to spruce up Forest Home Farms Historic Park for spring! There'll be projects in the vegetable garden, the wildlife garden and around the farm. Bring your own gloves and garden tools. Refreshments will be provided.
This is a FREE, volunteer event perfect for scout groups and service clubs.

Earth Day Santa Cruz 2010
Once again the County of Santa Cruz, the City of Santa Cruz, Ecology Action, Save Our Shores, local non-profits, and concerned citizens are working together to make Earth Day 2010 the premier environmental event for the greater Santa Cruz community, with educational information, activities for kids, live music and a focus on green businesses. Come join us for this fun-filled celebration!
Earth Day 2010 will take place on 11am to 4pm rain or shine in the San Lorenzo Park and Benchlands behind the County building.
For more information on the event contact:
Amy Gross, Environmental Programs Coordinator; County of Santa Cruz, Dept. of Public Works
(831-477-3988) amy.gross@co.santa-cruz.ca.us

Earth Day Celebration/Restoration Work Day at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center
9am-11pm.
Location: Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary, 376 Greenwood Beach Road, Tiburon, CA 94920
Celebrate Earth Day by bringing your family and friends for a morning of restoration and clean-up at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary. We may be removing trash, invasive plants, helping with restoration projects, or improving trails. Appropriate for young children. Children 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Please bring a re-useable water bottle, wear appropriate clothing and close-toe shoes. FREE program. RSVP: 388-2524.

- Sunday, April 18

Earth Day Celebration at the Headlands Institute
11am-4pm.
Location: 1033 Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965
Join us to learn new ways that you and your family can be environmental stewards!
- Enjoy naturalist-led hikes across the coastal hills.
- Take part in stewardship projects to support the park’s natural environment.
- Create your own Earth Day-inspired arts and crafts.
- A healthy snack will be provided. Please bring your own water bottles.
FREE, drop-in program; Registration appreciated, but not required: http://www.naturebridge.org/headlands/family-programs-registration

- Wednesday, April 21

AVHS Environmental Club presents Flow
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: AVHS multipurpose room
Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.
Free admission; popcorn, cookies and water will be sold.

- Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day!)

Pleasanton’s Museum On Main Street's "Sustainability: Then and Now" Lecture
Lecture begins at 7 p.m.
Location: Lynnewood United Methodist Church, 4444 Black Avenue, Pleasanton
The Museum On Main Street Ed Kinney Lecture Series presents "Sustainability: Then and Now" to celebrate Earth Day with Alviso Adobe Naturalist Eric Nichols, and Maria Lara, from the Office of Pleasanton's city manager, in a discussion of native, historical and current sustainability efforts. Admission is $5 members and seniors, $10 non-members, and $3 students and teachers with ID. Reservations are suggested; however, tickets may be purchased at the door.
For reservations and information call the museum on (925) 462-2766. The museum is located at 603 Main Street, Pleasanton. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Visit http://www.museumonmain.org/.

Bay Area Discovery Museum Earth Day celebration
Day-long event
Location: Bay Area Discovery Museum at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at E. Fort Baker, 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito 94965
Nature-themed art projects and walks, conservation-based workshops, environmental guest scientists and plenty more help teach children the importance of the environment at the annual Earth Week Celebration. Adults: $10. Children & seniors: $8. Under 1 year old is free.
More information: http://www.baykidsmuseum.org/

- Friday, April 23

Mohr Garden Work Day
Amador students will be field-tripped over to Mohr at lunchtime to visit with the kids and do some gardening. Details to be announced.

- Saturday, April 24

AVHS Jefferson Club’s “Environment Day”
10:30 AM
Location: Pleasanton Sports Park
Everyone is riding their bike there and the time spent cleaning up the park and picking up trash does count for graduation hours for you seniors who will still need hours by that point.
Talk to Mr. McCafferty (Jefferson Club advisor) for more information: mmccafferty@pleasanton.k12.ca.us

AVHS Leadership Environmental Commission Del Valle Cleanup
Location: Del Valle Reservoir.
(More information coming soon.)

Berkeley Earth Day
12 PM – 5 PM
Location: Civic Center Park, MLK & Allston in downtown Berkeley (near Berkeley BART)
Here's a tentative schedule of the day:
- Kid's Eco-art making area coordinated by the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse
- Over 150 booths representing businesses, craftspeople, community organizations, food vendors and government groups
- Demonstrations of alternative energy including electric cars, straw bale structures, hemp products, solar panels
- Berkeley Farmer's Market with mostly organic farmers

Night Hike with the Naturalist at Bernal Creek
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
All ages
Join the City Naturalist for an enchanting night hike as he introduces you to the trails and parks that make Pleasanton such a great place to live and explore. Learn about local wildlife, plants, habitats, tracking and much more. Dress with weather in mind. Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult during the entire hike.
1 class $8.00Resident/$11.00Non-Resident
Activity code: 48072
More information: http://www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/pdf/AG-winterspring2009.pdf

- Ongoing activities

Garden chores volunteering at the Alviso Adobe.
January 2, 2010 – December 18, 2010. Times: 10:00 – 11:00 AM.
Location: Alviso Adobe Community Park
Call to schedule a time to volunteer: 925-931-3483
Free; open to all ages. Come up to the Alviso Adobe Community Park and lend a helping hand. It’s a new park, with new plants, and that means new chores. Be a steward of the land as we plant, water and weed the garden. Native plants help native animals find food and shelter, so stop by and sift the soil through your fingers . . . it’ll be good for your soul.

Earth Hour March 27

2010-03-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

Bulletin Green Tip #7: Bring Your Own Bag

2010-03-12T16:30:00.001-08:00

Which one do you think is "greener": using a plastic bag or a brown bag at the grocery store check out line? As it turns out, they're both pretty bad, each with its own reasons to avoid it. (However, I am anti-plastic anything and if faced with the choice, I will always choose paper. Plastic is evil.) The best option is to bring your own bag. Here are some facts for reinforcement of why we should bring our own:

- "in most of Europe and Canada it is considered customary to bring your own bag...Instead of offering discounts for people who do bring their own bags (like in the US), they charge for those who don't."

- "Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade - breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest them."

- "A plastic bag can take between 400 to 1,000 years to break down in the environment."

- "Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food."

- "Nearly 90% of the debris in our oceans is plastic."

- More than "380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year."

- The United States "goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually."

- "Four out of five grocery bags in the U.S. are now plastic."

- "The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store."

Source: The Crunchy Wife at http://www.thecrunchywife.com/.

Having trouble with remembering to bring the reusable cloth bags with you? Leave them in the car. After you unload your groceries, bring them right back outside and put them in the car. Or, get yourself a free window cling that will remind you to grab the bags before you leave. You could save the energy required to ship you the little window cling and make yourself a pretty little sign for the backdoor. Whatever works for you, just try to remember to bring those bags with you. And if you find yourself at the store without a bag, just reuse the bag as much as possible and then recycle it when you're finished. :)

Some articles on the brown paper versus plastic bag issue:
- The paper vs. plastic question must die (Grist.org)
- Which is more environmentally friendly: paper or plastic? (HowStuffWorks)
- Paper vs Plastic: The Final Decision (Organic Lifestyle magazine)
- Paper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know (TreeHugger)
- Plastic bags are the devil (No Impact Man)

-- Melissa, secretary

Meeting Agenda with Notes March 12, 2010

2010-03-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

Amador Valley High School
Environmental Club Meeting Agenda
March 12, 2010 12:45 PM – 1:21 PM
Mrs. Turner's room, E5

1. Welcome and Introductions: New members.

2. Discussion of paper conservation (2/26/10 – 3/12/10)
- Notes: Taylor printed double –sided, used the backs of old binder paper for new assignments. Liana tried writing smaller to save room.

3. Pleasanton Unified School District Environmental Awareness Committee meeting
- March 24 at 4:30 PM in Bernal Room at PUSD District Offices 4665 Bernal Avenue
- Amador student presentation about Environmental Club’s projects, successes
- Volunteers: Emily and Swethaa

4. 40th Earth Day/Week Celebrations (week of April 19 – 23; Earth Day is April 22nd)
- Reminder to look at Earth Week calendar on blog and in email. Mohr Garden project work day April 23 to be planned.

- Club Events:

Saturday, April 17
Livermore Earth Day Celebration. YES / NO
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM (Volunteer community clean up)
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Earth Day Celebration)
Free to the public. Location: Robertson Park, 3200 Robertson Park Road, Livermore. The goal of this volunteer community clean up, non-profit event is to recognize, celebrate and promote the region’s unique beauty and to educate the public regarding how to conserve, preserve and protect our local and global resources.

OR

Earth Day at Forest Home Farms YES / NO
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Forest Home Farms, 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., between the Bollinger and Alcosta exits off the 680 freeway. San Ramon, CA
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day while helping to spruce up Forest Home Farms Historic Park for spring! There'll be projects in the vegetable garden, the wildlife garden and around the farm. Bring your own gloves and garden tools. Refreshments will be provided. This is a FREE, volunteer event perfect for scout groups and service clubs.
The club will be attending this event as an informal activity—not school sponsored and the school is not liable. We will have parent drivers for carpooling.

Wednesday, April 21
AVHS Environmental Club presents Flow
Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.
Location: AVHS multipurpose room
Time: 7 – 9 PM. Free admission; popcorn, cookies and water will be sold.
We need to ask teachers if they will offer extra credit for attending.

5. Additional events/activities:
- Alviso Adobe “Tools from the Ancient World” March 27 2PM to 3PM
- Earth Hour March 27, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM turn the lights off! (www.earthhour.org/); Farmer’s Market to pass out fliers 9AM The club will be meeting at the Farmer’s Market on this day, and everyone is welcome to attend. It’s informal, not school-sponsored, etc.
- School black out April 22 We have to write a proposal to submit to administration. There will be different levels/stages of “greenabilty” that teachers can achieve for this day.
- National Agriculture Day March 20: Fact Sheet & Video

6. These Come From Trees: Guerilla Paper Waste Elimination Project: thesecomefromtrees.blogspot.com $1 donations?

7. Did anyone check energy meter? Check it out before our next meeting.

8. Share DOTs (Do One Thing).
- billionactsofgreen.net
- Post your DOT on our Facebook page or group to share your idea.
- Liana pledges to take shorter showers. We discussed unplugging electronics to save energy.

9. Food scrapping discussion. We have decided not to apply considering the fact that the bins do not cost anything to obtain. We may consider applying for grant money for solar lights, but for now we will plan on obtaining some bins and possibly starting the food scrap program this school year. We will, at least, obtain them and figure out logistics, etc. We hope to work with Leadership and other clubs (Interact, etc.) to get the process going.

10. Brief discussion of focus group ideas. Taylor will make a list of teacher suggestions to make cards at our next meeting.

11. ACE lesson plan. (We did not discuss this and will discuss it at a future meeting.)

12. Next week’s bulletin green tip #7: Bring your own bag.
- Interesting facts about plastic bags:
We didn’t have time to talk about them, so a bulletin green tip post will be added to the blog including information about plastic bags.

13. Interested bloggers? Check out Taylor's new green blog at taylorconfessions.blogspot.com

Thank you everyone who attended today's meeting!

Tentative Agenda for March 12, 2010 Meeting

2010-03-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is a tentative agenda; items may change/be added, but here's a general idea of the plan for Friday's meeting (March 12).

Amador Valley High School
Environmental Club Meeting Agenda
March 12, 2010 12:35 PM – 1:06 PM
Mrs. Turner's room, E5
1. Welcome and Introductions: New members & focus group sign ups.

2. Discussion of paper conservation (2/26/10 – 3/12/10)
- Notes:

3. Pleasanton Unified School District Environmental Awareness Committee meeting
- March 24 at 4:30 PM in Bernal Room at PUSD District Offices 4665 Bernal Avenue
- Amador student presentation about Environmental Club’s projects, successes
- Volunteers:

4. 40th Earth Day/Week Celebrations (week of April 19 – 23; Earth Day is April 22nd)
- Reminder to look at Earth Week calendar on blog and in email.
- Club Events:

Saturday, April 17
Livermore Earth Day Celebration. YES / NO
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM (Volunteer community clean up)
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Earth Day Celebration)
Free to the public. Location: Robertson Park, 3200 Robertson Park Road, Livermore. The goal of this volunteer community clean up, non-profit event is to recognize, celebrate and promote the region’s unique beauty and to educate the public regarding how to conserve, preserve and protect our local and global resources.

OR

Earth Day at Forest Home Farms YES / NO
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Forest Home Farms, 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., between the Bollinger and Alcosta exits off the 680 freeway. San Ramon, CA
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day while helping to spruce up Forest Home Farms Historic Park for spring! There'll be projects in the vegetable garden, the wildlife garden and around the farm. Bring your own gloves and garden tools. Refreshments will be provided. This is a FREE, volunteer event perfect for scout groups and service clubs.

Wednesday, April 21
AVHS Environmental Club presents Flow
Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.
Location: AVHS multipurpose room
Time: 7 – 9 PM. Free admission; popcorn, cookies and water will be sold.

5. Additional events/activities:
- Alviso Adobe “Tools from the Ancient World” March 27 2PM to 3PM
- Earth Hour March 27, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM turn the lights off! (www.earthhour.org/)
- School black out April 22 (Alex Pickert)
- National Agriculture Day March 20: Fact Sheet & Video

6. These Come From Trees: Guerilla Paper Waste Elimination Project: thesecomefromtrees.blogspot.com

7. Did anyone check energy meter?

8. Share DOTs (Do One Thing).
- billionactsofgreen.net
- Post your DOT on our Facebook page or group to share your idea.

9. Food scrapping discussion – ACE grant application.

10. Brief discussion of focus group ideas.

11. ACE lesson plan.

12. Next week’s bulletin green tip #7: _______________

13. Interested bloggers? Check out Taylor's new green blog at taylorconfessions.blogspot.com

Bulletin Green Tip #6: Conserve paper

2010-03-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

As students, we come into contact with paper many times every day. Most people living in America come into contact with paper all the time, regardless of what type of job they have. Paper is everywhere and it isn't going away anytime soon. It comes from trees, can be composted and can also be recycled, which you probably already knew. Some things you may not know about paper:

According to DesignVitality.com, "the pulp and paper industry is the third largest consumer of energy and uses more water to produce a ton of product than any other industry. In 2005, out of 245,000,000 tons of waste 34.2% was paper according to the EPA. That is over 83,300,000 tons of paper that is wasted every year."

So we should reduce and conserve paper, which hopefully you already realized. But how do we do that?
When doing homework and classwork, be aware of the amount of paper you use. That is key. Awareness is really important in anything you do when trying to live a more caring, environmentally-conscious life.

- Use scratch paper whenever you can. If you're taking notes you won't be turning in, use the back of an 0ld quiz or assignment.

- Print on both sides of the paper and if you do print on only one side, when you're finished with it, save it for the future. I have a stack of papers by my printer that only have writing on one side. I print on the opposite side for many homework assignments or if I'm printing an article out to save, etc. "You can even use it to jot down notes for yourself instead of wasting Post it notes."

- Try to take up less space with your writing so you can use the paper to its full capacity. If you write small, then use that to your advantage to use the paper as efficiently as possible.

- Buy recycled paper to save trees and energy. When you make paper from old paper, it takes less energy than to create new paper from a tree. "According to the City of Seattle a ton of paper made from recycled paper, as opposed to virgin paper, saves the equivalent of 4,100 kilowatt hours of energy, 7000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air emissions, and 3 cubic yards of landfill space."

- "Make sure to spell check your work, and even read over it on screen. Use the Print Preview feature to preview your work to make sure everything lines up correctly."

Have some other simple ways to reduce paper use? Post a comment!

Source of quotes: "7 Ways You Can Easily Save Paper and Avoid Killing the Environment."

Ooops...Confession #1

2010-03-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

I have recently been using plastic water bottles up the yin yang. I can't seem to get myself to make the effort to fill my reusable one up and/or reuse whatever plastic one is empty...I don't know how to get out of this rut, and I honestly don't really want to because of the convenience. Plus, the water taste's kind of funky in my reusable bottle. I have to figure out some motivation...

adios. Taylor

This was originally posted at Confessions of an Environmental Noob on March 2.

Welcome to Fresh Air, Biggest Noob Ever.

2010-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

I hiked the ridge today, for the first time, might I add. I think with being environmental friendly comes being more friendly to my body as well. I am so used to dancing in an inside, air-conditioned, away-from-nature studio. This hike was a much needed welcome back into the natural world, and a great form of alternate exercise. Don't get me wrong, it was tough: I huffed, and puffed, and fell down many times. Yet, there is definitely something to be said for being outside, breathing in the surroundings and fresh air, everything seems so much more interconnected and meaningful, but I don't mean to sound cliche and dramatic. The trees surrounding the trails give off oxygen which takes a journey through my lungs, so I am able to keep going and enjoy the beauty of the trees; it's a beautiful circle that I now know I should take advantage of more often. It's nice to step away from my hectic life and cherish the peace hiking and nature bring. It has also inspired me to go back, and perhaps, take my camera to document the beauty and serenity.

adios. Taylor

This was originally posted at Confessions of an Environmental Noob on February 28, 2010.

Welcome to Reality, Biggest Noob Ever.

2010-03-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, so, truth be told, I have never really cared much about issues concerning the environment. Environmental awareness is something people can easily avoid since its not so noticeable in our hectic, 100 miles-per-hour lives. Granted, I have been informed, I just never took it upon myself to do anything about it. I felt like it was too big a problem, so if I couldn't fix the whole thing, why try at all, right? Wrong. Finally, after hearing my good friend Melissa talk about being environmental friendly for three years, I have started to actually listen.

Since I'm starting from scratch on this whole sustainable living thing, I might as well fess up to all the stuff I would never admit to environmentalists:
-I grab a new plastic water bottle from the fridge every day
-I enjoy my showers for way too long
-I use a new piece of binder paper when I don't like how I wrote my name
-I am an unaware driver when it comes to saving gas
-I drive to school when its a ten minute walk from my house
...I could go on an on, but essentially: I'm an environmental noob.

The thing is, I look at people who truly live environmental friendly/sustainable lives, and I feel like it would be too overwhelming to try to do the same. I like taking long showers, its easier to just grab a water bottle and go, and vegging out in front of the television and computer screen is my choice activity...So where do I find the balance?

I think I should start slow. Change one or two things until they are habit, and then add something else. Making each change a habit will make it so much easier to stick with it.

Things I have already started to do:
-take smaller notes utilizing the whole page
-print things on the front and back of a paper
-joined my schools environmental club
-unplug unused items from outlets
-turn off a light in my house if no one is in the room

On this blog I will confess my struggles and successes with trying to be environmental friendly in everyday life. Taking it slow will take away the pressure to change everything right at this exact moment. Hopefully, someone will take this journey with me after they read this.
Remember, green is good.

adios. Taylor

This was originally posted on Confessions of an Environmental Noob on February 27, 2010.

Meeting Recap & Requests February 26, 2010

2010-02-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone who attended today's meeting--it was such a success! We are so glad you've all decided to join Environmental Club and it's inspiring to see so many new faces and so much enthusiasm! You all make our club what it is and what it has the potential to be--you guys rock!

Quick links:
- Meeting agenda with notes from today's meeting (February 26, 2010)
- List of local Earth Week events
- DOT ideas/ Ways you can easily change the world document

Please email us which focus group you were in so we can update our list. Also, please send us a brief explanation/some notes of what your group discussed and brainstormed. We want to create a list of goals/ideas for each focus group.

If you couldn't attend today's meeting, please let us know which focus group you think you'd find most interesting:
- Solar panels/energy
- Food scrapping (our ACE grant that we're applying for would go toward food scrapping)
- Beautification/flowers/gardening at Amador
- Teacher/classroom encouragement of green habits

If you'd like, it'd be AWESOME if you guys researched environmental things that interest you between now and our next meeting on March 12. If you find interesting facts, stories or tips, write them down. We will save some time at our next meeting for people to share what they learned.

Rather than break into focus groups every meeting, we may have meetings where we focus on one thing. For example, maybe at our next meeting we'll have a club discussion on food scrapping or solar power. We will let you know ahead of time so you can do some research if you want so our discussion will have some facts, etc.

Around March 10, we'll send you a meeting agenda so you will know what we'll be doing at the meeting. You're always welcome to send us suggestions for meeting topics or any interesting facts/articles, etc. that you want us to pass along to the club.

Again, thank you everyone!
See you March 12 for sure and hopefully around school :)

Melissa
AVHS Environmental Club secretary

---

Inspiring Nature Thought for the Day...

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more.
-- Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

Ways YOU can easily change the world

2010-02-26T17:49:00.000-08:00

By Melissa, AVHS Environmental Club secretary. February 26, 2010.

Energy
According to the EPA, 75% of the electricity used to power electronics is consumed when they are turned off. Have your class/family members take turns being a weekly “energy monitor,” making sure electronics are off and unplugged when not in use.

- Turn off the lights and television when you leave the room, and make sure the lights are off in your house during daylight hours.

- Shut down the computer at night and unplug it to avoid wasting energy and vampire energy-sucking electronic cords.

- Use your cell phone and computer less to reduce energy consumption and increase time spent with family, friends or outside.

- Try to go stove and oven-free for a day and eat foods like hummus and pita bread, salad, veggies with dip, or plan to reheat leftovers in the microwave (microwaves aren’t the best alternative, but they use less energy than an oven).

- Take BART to the City instead of driving.

- Purchase fewer new products. Try to buy used, or don’t buy at all. Every time we purchase something new that could have been avoided, we encourage the continued production of that item. Often we buy things without really needing them and this wastes energy that could have been conserved or used for a better purpose.

- Shop at places like Plato’s Closet, the Discovery Shop, and thrift stores. Often these places have more unique clothing, books and other products than you’d find at the mall.

- Ride your bike at least once a week to school.

Paper
- Print double-sided to avoid wasting paper.

- Buy recycled paper products and always recycle paper when you’ve used it to its capacity.

- Write smaller, use the whole page and find creative ways to reduce the amount of paper you use.

- Save paper that has only been printed on one side and reprint on the back for school worksheets and printed things that can be less formal (use clean paper for nice projects, of course).

- Stop using paper towels and paper napkins and instead, use dishtowels and cloth napkins.

- Reuse wrapping paper.

- Buy brown paper for wrapping—it can be used for any occasion and it’s recyclable (most wrapping paper isn’t).

- Buy used books (the library sells some books for $0.50 - $1.00; The Bookstore on Hopyard has a neat selection of used books). Or reuse by borrowing books from the library or from friends.

- Avoid post-it notes—use old scrap paper instead.

- Bring a reusable mug to the coffee shop or fast food restaurant. Try to buy a metal-based coffee mug instead of plastic, since plastic is never a good choice.

Water
- Turn the water off when brushing your teeth and lathering your hands when washing them.

- Take shorter showers. Turn the water off while shampooing, etc.

- Instead of buying plastic water in a container from the store, invest in a water filter (Brita makes some great ones) that you can just pour cold tap water into. It filters out the bad stuff and leaves the water tasting great.

- Just drink tap water—a lot of the time it’s the same water you’re drinking from the bottle. Plus, plastic can leach into the bottles :(

Plastic
- Plastic doesn’t break down easily and it can cause many health problems. It’s also made from petroleum, which has causes pollution and other health problems. Plus, it’s a nonrenewable resource.

- Pledge to never again use plastic water bottles. Buy a reusable metal water bottle and never look back!

- Avoid food that comes in plastic. Often, the plastic can leach into the food.

- Avoid plastic baggies. Use Tupperware or glass jars (Anchor Hocking has great choices) instead.

- Say no to straws. If everyone used them as sparingly as possible, we’d save a lot of plastic from ending up in a landfill.

- Use old silverware instead of plastic utensils. Some companies make reusable wooden utensils that you can bring with you places.

- Any product (other than paper, for example)that is only used once should be a sign to any environmentally-conscious person…think about what the purpose of the product is and make a decision about using it or not based on how important using it is. There are almost always alternatives if the thing is truly necessary. People survived for thousands of years without plastic utensils or straws. Being able to see this—the concept of what is necessary versus what just makes my life easier (it takes planning to remember to bring your own utensils, so using a plastic one is easier, for example) is something that we all must think about if we really want to make a difference. Being aware is the FIRST step to changing your habits. Be always thinking about the impact of what you are doing.

- This may sound trivial, but it is something to think about: using a wooden pencil is a better choice than mechanical. In my opinion, plastic is never a better choice. Ever. Therefore, wooden pencils are a better choice.

Some more things to think about from EcologyCenter.org:
“Of all the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, 36% are emitted from industrial sources and product manufacture, 28% from commercial and passenger transportation, 18% from commercial business, and 18% from residential sources.5 Significant greenhouse gas reduction requires a reassessment of many of our everyday activities.”

“Be a critical consumer. Cut down on CO2 by selecting locally produced whole foods, thereby reducing energy for processing, transport, and refrigeration. Purchase products that are manufactured without large energy inputs. For example, buy recycled — it requires much less energy to make a product using recycled materials than using new, raw materials. Picking used goods keeps materials from going to the landfill and eliminates energy for new manufacture. Avoid products with excess packaging, which is wasted energy. Livestock is a major source of methane and requires lots of energy to produce — consider your meat intake. Buy less stuff.”

There are so many other ways to make a difference. Got some ideas? Post them here or on our Facebook group.

Meeting Agenda with Notes February 26, 2010

2010-02-26T17:35:00.000-08:00

Amador Valley High School
Environmental Club Meeting Agenda
February 26, 2010 12:35 PM – 1:06 PM
Mrs. Turner-Bull’s room E5

1. Welcome and Introductions: Name, grade, why joined the club, one activity you do outside of school.

2. Discussion of litter-free lunch challenge (2/12/10 – 2/26/10)
- Alternatives to plastic baggies: Tupperware, glass jars, sandwich holder
- Eating more wholesome, non-packaged foods; soup
- Cloth napkins
- Silverware instead of plastic (Even “biodegradable” corn starch plastic is still bad for the environment and though it disintegrates, it technically just becomes smaller pieces and isn’t something beneficial to the soil.)
- Reusable water bottle, coffee mug; juice in a reusable bottle instead of boxed

3. Pleasanton Unified School District Environmental Awareness Committee meeting
- March 24 at 4:30 PM in Bernal Room at PUSD District Offices 4665 Bernal Avenue
- Amador student presentation about Environmental Club’s projects, successes

4. 40th Earth Day/Week Celebrations (week of April 19 – 23; Earth Day is April 22nd)
- Lunchtime activities with help of Leadership Commission
o Book swap
o Lights out for an hour during class (see Earth Hour)
o Bring your water bottle day, reusable lunchbox day, green shirt day, hand out green stickers
o Recycled arts & crafts (Monica will brainstorm ideas for this.)
o Reusable water bottle raffle
- See list of Earth Week activities.

5. Additional events/activities:
- Alviso Adobe “Tools from the Ancient World” March 27 2PM to 3PM
- Earth Hour March 27, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM turn the lights off! (http://www.blogger.com/www.earthhour.org/)
- These Come From Trees: Guerilla Paper Waste Elimination Project (thesecomefromtrees.blogspot.com) for bathroom paper dispensers and science classrooms.
- Future purchase of driers instead of paper towels possibility

6. Check your energy meters!!

7. Choosing your DOT (Do One Thing).
- Feasibility, relation to your life, ease, impact.
- If you want, visit http://billionactsofgreen.net/ to post your DOT to the Billion Acts of Green website. Earth Day Network is hoping to get one billion people to post one thing they will do for the planet. Spread the word about your green thing and read what others have posted.
- Post your DOT on our Facebook page or group to share your idea.

8. Break into focus groups: Please email us which group you were in so we can take note of it. Thanks!
- Solar – Emil, Nisha, Nicole, Grant, Natalie
- Food scraps - Kirsha
- Teacher/class encouragement – Taylor, Erin, Jerelyn
- Recycling – Ryan, Monica
- Beautification/flowers – Joyce, Emily, Sahar
o Brainstorm ideas & write them down
o Determine what goals are for next two weeks.

9. ACE lesson plan: Try to brainstorm ideas for our next meeting’s discussion.

10. Next week’s bulletin green tip #6: Try to reduce your paper usage by writing smaller, using the full sheet of paper for notes, printing on both sides of papers, reusing old papers and thinking of creative ways to use less paper on a daily basis!

11. Blog discussion, time permitting. Talk to Melissa for more info.

Cool links:
- Earth Day Network Footprint Calculator: What areas of your life need to be “greened”? http://earthday.net/footprint2/index.html

- TreeHugger.com has a wealth of tips and stories.

- SierraClub.org has great ways to send letters to legislature encouraging our representatives to support our environment. They also have tips and even a green social networking site called Climatecrossroads: http://climatecrossroads.sierraclub.org/

- National Geographic has a lot of tips, science, articles and pictures relating to the environment: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/

- EnvironmentCalifornia.org is specific to our California land and has ways to take action, as well as keep you updated on environmental issues in California.

- Our club's secretary, Melissa's Green Gal blog has some tips and shows how easy it can be to be green--and vegan! greenbeangal.blogspot.com

- The Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op blog has stories and tips about how to live greener and save some green while you're at it: simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com

- Reduce Footprints blog has a weekly challenge called Change the World Wednesday: reducefootprints.blogspot.com

- MeatlessMonday.com gives some great reasons to reduce your meat consumption for the planet. They have a ton of meat-free recipes, too!

- GreenLivingTips.com has a whole database of tips.

- Alliance for Climate Education has some great tips and stories: ACESpace.org

- Be the Change Cyclists is a local commuter cycling group that tracks member miles by bike. If you ride your bike to school or on errands, talk to Melissa about joining (her dad founded the group). Visit the blog at bethechangecyclists.blogspot.com

- The Ecology Center has an extensive list of facts and tips http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/

- No Impact Man & his Project A guy went a whole year trying to reduce his impact as much as possible. He has a blog, a movie and a book about it. Check him out here: noimpactman.typepad.com and here: noimpactproject.org

Press Release for "Flow" Movie Showing

2010-02-25T10:56:00.001-08:00

Amador Valley High School’s Environmental Club, which focuses on raising awareness about conservation and the environment, will be showing the award-winning film Flow about the world water crisis. The film takes a look at fresh water privatization and the many issues surrounding it, including human rights violations, pollution and politics. The movie also talks about practical solutions to the growing problem of a decreasing fresh water supply and ways in which technology may play a role in reversing this global issue. The film has won many awards, including Best Documentary at the United Nations Association Film Festival and Jury Prize at the 2008 Mumbai International Film Festival.

The movie will be shown in Amador Valley High School’s multipurpose room on Wednesday, April 21 from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Admission is free and snacks will be for sale.

The club can be contacted at avhsenvironmental@yahoo.com.

More information: "Flow" Film Showing post (1/29/10)

ACE assembly encourages AVHS students to join Environmental Club

2010-02-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, many of our school's science classes attended an assembly from the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE), an awesome organization whose goal is to raise awareness about global warming and empower young people to do something about it and to change their lifestyle, one thing at a time.

ACE website
ACE on Facebook
ACE blog
The presentation was creative, informative and encouraged a lot of students enough for them to sign up to join our club! It's very exciting. Our next meeting on February 26 will probably be our biggest meeting yet, so be prepared for the meeting to be super-charged with enthusiasm about saving our planet.

We'll probably each choose our DOT (Do One Thing), as ACE encouraged us to. Everyone will choose one thing they want to change and they'll do that over the course of the following two weeks (kinda like our green tips and challenges, only everyone will have their own personal DOT).

We may film a bulletin commercial with everyone who comes to the meeting. The sheer volume of people may be a great way to encourage others to join, so we may go film a short commercial on the field. Everyone could stand behind one speaker and then at the end we could all shout some awesome phrase to encourage people to join.

By that point, I should have a comprehensive list of Earthweek events in the community and Leadership will have met with our club's officers and Mrs. Turner. We'll go over the events we discussed at our last meeting for our new members and I'll probably make an agenda like last time so people can follow along.

Don't forget to be thinking about ways to reduce the amount of litter in your lunch. We will have a discussion about that at our next meeting, as well.

See you all February 26 in E5 at lunch!

Melissa

Bulletin Green Tip #5: Litter-free lunches

2010-02-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

Let's talk trash!

We have already discussed reducing lunch waste this year (see the tip here). Our focus then was lunch bags and reducing our waste impact by bringing a reusable lunch box or bag.

For the next two weeks, though, we're going to try to reduce waste in all aspects of our lunch. Try to reduce your waste one step at a time. It'd be great if one day during the next two weeks you went completely litter-free. Write down your most common disposable items and think of ways to reduce your use of them. Also write down any challenges you face or successes you have while trying to go litter-free at lunchtime so we can have a discussion about it at our next meeting on Friday, February 26.

Some things/tips to think about:
1. Plastic baggies are a big issue in waste-generation from lunches. Some great alternatives are reusable containers like Tupperware or glass jars (glass is a better option since it doesn't leach toxins into your food as plastic does; just make sure it's durable glass!). Anchor Hocking has some AWESOME alternatives to plastic baggies. I use their one cup size Kitchen Storage with BPA Free Lid container for trail mix, hummus dip and dry cereal. They make containers in a variety of sizes, so you can use the larger ones for salad, chips, sliced veggies, etc. If you can't purchase some Tupperware/glass jars, then the second best option is to reuse the baggies. For greasy foods, like chips, it's difficult to wash and reuse them, but for foods like crackers, cookies and some sandwiches that don't leave huge messes inside the bag, you can rinse the bags and hang them to dry. Avoid reusing them more than a few times because plastic breaks down over time and will leach into your foods the more you reuse it. Reusing them once or twice won't hurt you, though (well, it won't hurt you any more than using the bag the first time).

2. Use cloth napkins in your lunch. This is an easy one! Most households have at least one set of cloth napkins. If you don't have any, you can often find them second-hand, or invest in a set for your family. They're a great alternative for everyday use, at home and at school.

3. Reduce your reliance on packaged foods. Not only do they generate more waste, packaged foods are most often processed and unhealthy compared to non-packaged foods like vegetables and fruits. There are some healthy packaged foods, like certain granola/fruit & nut bars, but for the most part it's always better to eat real food. Shop the perimeter of the market for the healthiest, least-packaged foods.

4. Make soup and bring it in a thermos. Soup is a perfect lunchtime meal during the winter. It would be ideal to make your own (click here for a great soup recipe I've made twice), since then you have control over what goes into it, and you reduce the amount of resources wasted when you buy it canned (can, paper label, plastic lining). Plus, it generally tastes better and makes you feel accomplished (maybe that's be me, but it's worth trying it!).

5. Buy a sandwich holder. I have a plastic one, which is not ideal. They make metal ones, so if you're going to buy one, invest in metal. Plastic is in so many things, it's always better to opt for non-plastic whenever you have the option. It can also hold chips, pretzels, pita bread, homemade granola bars (okay I've never tried making homemade granola and putting it in a sandwich holder, but try it and I'll bet it'd work!), etc.

6. Bring reusable utensils or actual silverware (not your parent's fine silver, though!).

7. Bring reusable water bottles and coffee mugs. Fill a coffee mug with apple juice instead of bringing a disposable apple juice box.

8. BE CREATIVE. That's the key to reducing your waste consumption. Think about what it is you are actually throwing away each day and brainstorm ways to reduce that.

For some more information, visit this blog post I wrote in October on alternatives to wasteful lunchtime objects.

Happy Reducing!

Valentine's Day recycled-card-making

2010-02-15T17:08:00.001-08:00

At our most recent Environmental Club meeting on Friday, February 12, we made recycled Valentine's Day cards using reusable materials. Here are some pictures of us making them:

For some Valentine's Day card material ideas, see our previous posts on the subject: Part 1 & Part 2. Hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day!

Bulletin Green Tip #4: Create recycled Valentine's Day cards Part 2

2010-02-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some more ideas and information to add to Bulletin Green Tip #4: Create recycled Valentine's Day cards.

Patricia, one of our club's co-presidents has some additional card ideas:

"I just folded a piece of scratch paper in half then glued it together--really simple. I chose to use music notes for the background (because my dad had extra music that he was just going to toss out), but you can use just about anything--a catchy magazine pictures, stickers, postcards, etc. Use the old school newspapers to cut out words from. On the most recent issue, the page with the review of "Lovely Bones" says "hope" once and "love" twice."

For this Friday's meeting, please bring some reused materials for making valentines.

This can include:
- scratch paper
- construction paper
- scissors
- glue/tape
- magazines
- newspapers
- stickers you have around your house (don't buy new ones since we're trying to reuse)
- old movie tickets, receipts, or anything you think might be interesting to reuse as a valentine
- markers, colored pencils, stencils
- postcards
- old binder paper that has writing on one side
- old greetings cards...sometimes you can rip off the front cover and use the back of the front cover to write
- used tissue paper, wrapping paper, ribbons
- tattered and unreadable books
- old photographs
- old notebook covers
- drawings you or your siblings or family have made

See Part 1 of this tip for more ideas.

If you have more ideas, please send them to us at avhsenvironmental@yahoo.com or post your own post about them!

Melissa
Environmental Club secretary

HELP! Garden Project Needs Your Helping Hands - Let's Get Muddy!

2010-02-02T20:01:00.001-08:00

A message from Science Specialist Mikki Conley at Mohr Elementary School:

Our top soil has arrived and we need some help getting it from the parking lot to the garden areas. If you can help out we will be working from 9:30 - 12:00 (12:30 if needed) on this coming Saturday, Feb 6th. Please bring a shovel, rake and a wheel barrow if you have one (we only have 2). Some volunteers have offered fertilizer which would be great to have on Sat. as well. If anyone has a small rototiller we could fire that up as well and get as much done as possible.
I am also looking for an expert on a drip irrigation system. It is currently in place but many pieces of the line are broken or missing. If you have special knowledge of this type of system and can help we would love to hear from you.....Thanks to those that offered more help on our last work day. I hope many of you can make it this coming Sat. Sorry for the last minute notice but we had to make sure the soil was in fact being delivered this week.

We hope to see you on Saturday!

Healthy foods challenge

2010-01-29T20:04:00.001-08:00

Our newest club challenge/goal is to eat healthier foods and be aware of what we are putting into our bodies.

Some tips:
- If you want, keep a food journal for a day or a week or for all two weeks before we meet again and write down any ingredients you've never heard of.

- Try to eat food that includes ingredients you know are wholesome, which is easiest if you eat things that don't come in packaging.

- Shop the perimeter of the store to find real food, rather than packaged food.

- Try to eat organically or locally--shop in the organic section of the grocery store or go to the Farmer's Market Saturday morning.

- Read ingredients labels and avoid the following: hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives, bleached or bromated flour, any ingredients that you aren't familiar with and/or can't pronounce.

- Eat mostly vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

- Avoid refined sugars and candy. (How and Why)

- Enjoy one meatless day during the next two weeks to reduce your meat consumption and your environmental footprint. (MeatlessMonday.com)

- Don't restrict yourself too much. Choose one thing to start with, like avoiding high fructose corn syrup. Then slowly add more things to avoid/be aware of until you are eating mostly healthy, wholesome, nutritious foods. Otherwise, you'll burn out on the whole challenge by realizing how difficult it is to avoid all of the bad foods. Start small.

Try to keep this in mind for the next two weeks so we can have a discussion about the challenges we've faced at our next meeting on February 12.

ACE: Alliance for Climate Education

2010-01-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

As you may be aware, our club will be participating in an event presented by ACE (Alliance for Climate Education) . Our club will be creating a set of questions or ideas for classroom discussions that the science classes can use after seeing the presentation in May. We will see the presentation in February on the 18th, so we will have an idea of what kinds of questions would be good to ask.

We also received a packet of background concepts, comprehension questions and terms. It will be very useful in helping us think of questions to create for the science classes. I can scan the packet and email it to you all. I think we should all have a copy by February 18 so we can have some background knowledge before watching the presentation.

To get a better sense of the presentation, here are some of the terms and questions listed:
- greenhouse gas
- greenhouse effect
- human-caused greenhouse effect
- fossil fuel
- atmospheric concentration
- emissions
- carbon footprint
- What does the ozone layer have to do with global warming?
- Name four of the main natural greenhouse gasses.
- Where do fossil fuels come from and how are they created?

From their website:

"ACE performs 45-60 minute interactive assembly presentations for high school
students that explain global climate change and its effect on our planet, while
offering solutions. Our program is scientifically based, interactive and
energizing - and we present it at no cost to schools."

I encourage you to look through the organization's website at http://www.acespace.org/. There are ways to "take action" and learn more about climate change. They even have a blog! I told you guys blogs are cool :-)

Volunteering at the Alviso Adobe

2010-01-29T18:20:00.001-08:00

If you've never been to the Alviso Adobe Community Park, you're missing out on a real nature opportunity! Located on the site of the old Meadowlark Dairy (where the actual dairy itself was located, not the drive-thru) and the restored Alviso Adobe building, this interpretive nature center is run by the City of Pleasanton's naturalist, Eric Nicholas. For more information about the park, visit the website here.

Eric Nicholas puts on day classes and presentations throughout the year, as well as present to elementary schools about the Ohlone Indians and the natural world. Most events at the Alviso cost money, somewhere around $10 each depending on the event. They're interesting and full of information about nature and history.

To find out more about activities offered at the park, check out the Winter/Spring 2010 Activities Guide. You should have receieved a copy in the mail, but if not, there's a digital copy found here. Hit Ctrl + F to search "Eric Nicholas." You can search through the classes he offers. Two that I am attending are "Prehistoric Art" on February 20 and "Tools from the Ancient World" on March 27. There's a registration page at the end of the guide that you can print, fill out and turn in with your fee to the Parks and Rec department. Additional information can be found in the guide. While many of the opportunities at the park cost money, there's one that certainly doesn't: volunteering! There's always opportunities to garden or help Eric with something for a class, etc. For example:

Garden Chores
All ages
Come up to the Alviso Adobe Community Park and lend a helping hand. It’s a new park, with new plants, and that means new chores. Be a steward of the land as we plant, water and weed the garden. Native plants help native animals find food and shelter, so stop by and sift the soil through your fingers . . . it’ll be good for your soul. Please call (925) 931-3483 to book a time to volunteer.
Saturdays Weekly, Year-round 10:00-11:00am Free!
Alviso Adobe Community Park Instructor: Eric Nicholas

And if you need service hours or want to help in other ways, you can email volunteers@museumonmain.org and let them know you're interested in helping out at the Alviso Adobe.

I was thinking it would be a great club project to plan a Saturday to go up there and volunteer in the garden. I will arrange with Eric when that would be best. Please email me if you're interested in attending so I can let him know how many people to plan for. Also let me know which Saturdays in the coming weeks you would not be able to attend. We would be volunteering from 10-11 A.M.

For more about the park and its events, check out these links:

- Alviso Adobe Community Park (Wikipedia)

- Autumn leaves and graveyard stories (a post from my blog in which I mention an activity I participated in at the park)

- Native plant uses class (a detailed account of a class I attended at the park)

- Observing Ridge Runners (a post about the summer camp Eric Nicholas runs and for which I wrote an article)

A historic dairy display inside the recreated dairy building.

A nature display of skins and tools that may be used during a presentation about the Ohlone Indians.

A feather and ink calligraphy activity at the grand opening of the Alviso Adobe Community Park on October 24, 2008. (Pictured on right: Kelsey, an 8th grader at HPMS. She will probably join E-Club next year as a freshman. Check out her animal blog here.)

Bulletin Green Tip #4: Create recycled Valentine's Day cards

2010-01-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's Day, show your love for the Earth while showing your love for friends and family: create a Valentine's Day card of recycled or reused materials or make your own to avoid purchasing a wasteful card from the store.

Whenever we purchase something that can otherwise be hand-made, we tell corporations that we support what they're doing and we increase demand for those products, when we otherwise could be decreasing our reliance on the corporate world. It increases the amount of trees cut down to make cards, the amount of plastic used to laminate those cards, quantities of ink used, transportation and fuel usage, and many other things that can be damaging to the environment in such a large-scale operation. Don't you wonder how many cards go unused and unpurchased every year? There are so many cards being produced for Hallmark, Walgreens, Walmart, Target--there's no way they're all used. Most of them are not recyclable.

Nice Hallmark cards can show someone that you care enough to spend money for a card and can seem like a better gesture than making a card yourself. It's become part of our culture to associate spending with appreciation or how much you care, and that's often not the case considering it's much easier to buy a card and sign it than you for you to come up with an idea, create a card, and write your own thoughts.

Sometimes, of course, it may not be appropriate to make a card, especially when it's for a professional or business reason. However, Valentine's Day is a time to show others how much you appreciate, care for, and love them. Creating a card is a great way to show that you care enough to take the time to make something special for them.

Even if you don't use recycled materials, you are at least reducing the demand (however slightly) for more unnecessary cards to be produced. You may be reducing the amount of gasoline burned to get the finished product to your Valentine (if you reuse, especially if it's something like a local paper you're reusing). Plus, decorating a card is a lot more fun than simply signing your name!

Some materials you could use to make your card:

- Newspaper/magazine: Find an article or picture in your used paper or magazine that relates to something your Valentine is interested in and use it as a decorative aspect of your card. Or, create a collage of pictures and words--you could even write your message this way. You would have otherwise just recycled the paper or magazine, so you might as well give it a second life as a Valentine!

- Used tissue paper, wrapping paper, and other gift wrap items, like bows: They've already been used for one purpose, so now use them again--plus, they're colorful!

- Torn, worn, or otherwise unreadable old books: This makes for a unique, interesting, readable Valentine card. If you have a book that's literally falling apart at the bindings, take it apart and find some interesting passages in the book to use as a background for your card. Supplement with construction paper for structure and color.

- Draw a picture: Even if your artistic skills are negligible, drawing a picture says a lot about how much you appreciate someone.

This website has some more great ideas for recycled Valentine's Day cards, along with design ideas. If you have any suggestions, feel free to post a comment including your idea. At our next meeting (February 12), we will make some recycled Valentine's Day cards, so bring in some materials to do so.

Science on Saturdays

2010-01-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

Starting January 30 (tomorrow), there will be "a five-week series of lectures and demonstrations intended for middle and high school students" relating to science.

Three of the events relate to the environment:

The February 13 event is titled "Put it back when you are done: Storing carbon dioxide in the earth, not the atmosphere" and will be presented by Roger Aines, a scientist from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Ken Wedel, a teacher at Tracy High School.

February 20's event is titled "Understanding climate change: seeing the carbon through the trees," and will be presented by Karis McFarlane, a LLNL scientist, and Dean Reese, a Tracy High School teacher.

And finally, on February 27, there will be an event on "Harnessing fusion energy: the power of light" by Ed Moses, a LLNL scientist. It would be great if you guys attended one or all of these and reported back to the club about what you learned--you could even write a blog post about it!

The series is held at The Bankhead Theater located at 2400 First Street in Livermore. The events are free and, for each event, there are two presentations of it on the same day. The first starts at 9:30 A.M. and the second starts at 11:15 A.M. The presentations are an hour long and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get there early! No pre-registration is required.

Some teachers give extra credit for attending, so check with your teachers if you plan on going. The events are always fascinating because the scientists who work with and have extensive knowledge on the issues are the ones presenting. At the end, there is an opportunity to ask them questions. For more information about the Science on Saturdays series, visit their website at http://education.llnl.gov/sos/?page=home.

(If you do plan on going, let us know. We can let others in the club know that you're attending and perhaps you could carpool or at least sit together at the event.)

"Flow" Film Showing

2010-01-29T16:41:00.001-08:00

Our club is planning a showing of the documentary Flow sometime this semester. The film won multiple awards at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and tells the story of our current water crisis. The topic relates to people everywhere, and we thought it would be a useful, inspiring, and informative movie to present to the Pleasanton community.

We will show the film for free in the multipurpose room and possibly sell popcorn or cookies at the event to raise funds for the club and help offset the cost of renting the MP. It will be open to the public and we would encourage teachers to give extra credit to students who attend. The event will be all about raising awareness for the issue the movie discusses.

Here's a link to the trailer: http://www.flowthefilm.com/trailer

From the movie's website:
"Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.

Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question 'CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?'

Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround."

For more information on the film, please visit the website at http://www.flowthefilm.com/.

Mohr Garden Project Work Day 1 - Pulling up old plants

2010-01-16T15:08:00.000-08:00

At 9:30 this morning, students, parents and a creative science teacher gathered at a local elementary school to begin the process of getting some planter areas ready for a new garden. Task #1: Remove the old plants that have been there for many years.

One of the Environmental Club Co-Presidents (left), a club member, and a student obtaining her service hours working on the section of garden that will become a drought-resistant/native plant garden.

Today, we focused on three areas that will be converted into different types of gardens. The new garden club will be designing and maintaining the gardens with the help of adult volunteers and our club.

This area will become a flower garden.

The day was spent digging out and pulling up the old plants, searching for hidden roots, and saving worms, ladybugs and frogs that were disturbed by our activites. Most worms and ladybugs went into other areas that weren't going to be eradicated, but some worms found themselves in front of Betty, the science class turtle. Frogs were brought to quiet areas on the other side of the building.

The Environmental Club Secretary separating branches from dirt after all the plants had been pulled out.

Fortunately there was a great turn out; many high school students helped out to acquire their service hours necessary to graduate, and lots of parents showed up with their children, helping get some of the larger bushes and stubborn plants out. It was a very productive day, but there is still a lot that needs to be done before planting can begin.

A club member, a high-school student, and our other Co-President working to pull out a stubborn plant.

This area will become an edible vegetable garden.

The drought-resistant/native plant area free of bushes.Thanks to all the club members who came to help out!

Bulletin Green Tip #4: Reduce fireplace use to reduce pollution

2010-01-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

This time of year, a fire in the fireplace is tradition. Since the dawn of mankind, we have been using fireplaces to warm ourselves and to cook meals. Back when the earth's population was smaller, using fire for heat everyday was great and innovative for many centuries.

Unfortunately, our population has grown exponentially, and burning fires contributes to air pollution. Try to use your fireplace as seldom as possible, and especially on spare-the-air days opt to use a heater or pile on the blankets (considering it is illegal to burn fires on spare-the-air days!) Some are upset that Christmas was a spare-the-air day this year, but it wasn't just some Scrooge regulators trying to ruin holiday traditions--the air quality that day was terrible, and to allow burning would have put everyone's health--especially those with conditions like asthma--at risk.

Also, a study found that using a fireplace to warm your house is really inefficient. According to this article on Yahoo! Green, "Another estimate found that for every $100 you spend on firewood, you get only $10 to $20 worth of heat. The traditional fireplace only warms your heart, not the room."

From the same site:
"If you upgrade to a woodstove, make sure to follow the EPA's advice:

Burn only dry, well-seasoned wood.
Never burn household garbage or cardboard.
Keep the doors of the wood-burning appliance closed.
Install and maintain a smoke alarm.
Install and maintain a carbon monoxide detector."

If you want that fireplace feel, there are electric fake fireplaces that you can purchase that don't emit the same type or quantity of pollution. Or put tall candles in the fireplace on a nice stand for a more subdued decorative fire.

A realistic-looking electric fireplace.
On a related note, if you don't use your fireplace, then plug and seal the chimney flue so that heat won't escape from your home.

Happy Winter!

Mohr garden project update

2010-01-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

So I just got an update from Ms. Conley, and she said that the timing for Saturday Jan, 16 is 9:30 AM to 12:30. Bring gloves, water (reusable water bottles! woo!) to drink, lunch/snacks (if you wish) and tools if you can. They only have a few shovels, hoes, rakes etc.

Hope to see you there!

AVHS Environmental Club officers

Mohr garden project first work day

2010-01-05T19:54:00.001-08:00

AVHS Environmental Club is going to be assisting Mohr Elementary School with its new garden! This is a very exciting opportunity for us to connect with the younger students and inspire them to appreciate nature and gardening.

The first work day will be Saturday, January 16. For those of you interested in helping out, please email the club at avhsenvironmental@yahoo.com.

Plan on wearing things that can get dirty and maybe bring some work gloves (we'll be using shovels, pulling up plants, etc.). If you have friends who need service hours/want to help, let them know about this opportunity and have them email us.

Bulletin Green Tip #3: Turn down your thermostat.

2010-01-05T19:46:00.001-08:00

Wintertime means colder weather and resultant heaters blasting warm air into homes. Heaters can mean a lot of energy usage and high electricity bills. Reduce both by turning the thermostat down a couple degrees. Grab a blanket and bundle up in warm clothes to make up for it. It's always best to stay below 70 degrees, and when it isn't super cold outside, keep it lower. Don't forget to turn it down during the day when no one's home.For more thermostat tips to saving energy, check out this article.

2009 Holiday Green Goals & Tips

2009-12-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

For the next two weeks, please try to make one or more of the following green tips a goal to stick with:

#1: Wrap gifts in newspaper (comics are great for some fun wrapping!) or brown paper grocery bags, rather than using wrapping paper. It's a great way to reuse, and the materials are more recyclable.

#2: Avoid metallic or foil wrapping paper because they use more resources to manufacture and often can't be recycled.

#3: Bring your own bags when gift/food shopping. You may want to ask for reusable bags as a holiday gift. The best kind are those that fold in on themselves for easy transport. Stash them in your purse or backpack after use so you're never without them!

#4: Skip the gift box, unless you're reusing one from last year. Often they aren't necessary, they use energy to be produced, and they generate more waste with all that tissue paper. (Of course you can solve the trash issue by reusing boxes and saving tissue paper--see tip #5!)

#5: Salvage wrapping paper, tissue paper, boxes and bows. Rather than rip paper open, undo it carefully, remove the tape so it doesn't stick to itself, and neatly fold it to a manageable size. Stash it in a gift bag and save it for next year. AVHS Environmental Club secretary Melissa started this last year, and managed to wrap all of her friend's gifts with reused paper this year. (See her blog post about it here. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see the tips.)

#6: If you have a Christmas tree, recycle it. Contact your local garbage collecting service to find out if they have a tree recycling program. Many will pick it up from your curb.

Happy Holidays from AVHS Environmental Club!

Weekly Goal #1: Say no to plastic water bottles

2009-12-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

Our first Environmental Club Green Goal was to use only reusable water bottles for a week or more. If you could not get a reusable one, we asked you to reuse the same plastic bottle over and over. (This can be dangerous, as plastic breaks down and can leach into your water, but at least it reduces waste somewhat.)

Most people gave it a try, and many of us already use reusable bottles consciously. Let's all try to get a reusable water bottle sometime soon so we can really eliminate that source of waste.

Check out this TreeHugger.com article to learn more about why you should say no to plastic water bottles: A World of Reasons to Ditch Bottled Water by Union of Concerned Scientists

Bulletin Green Tip #2: Turn off those holiday lights!

2009-12-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

From sundown until the time you go to sleep, your LED (hopefully!) holiday lights (inside and out) can and should be gleaming all of their holiday spirit for the world. But once your head hits the pillow, those lights should be off. Leaving them on all night wastes a lot of energy, and no one is going to see them at midnight, one, two, three o'clock in the morning! So turn them off before bed and don't turn them back on until sundown the next day. It seems like this would be an obvious way to conserve, but it's always good to be reminded.

(This tip can also be found at Green Gal's blog.)

Bulletin Green Tip #1: Bring a reusable lunchbox

2009-12-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the average student generates 67 pounds of waste a year bringing a disposable lunch to school? That's a lot of trash when you consider that our school has 2,500 students. That's 167,500 pounds of trash our school generates each year--just from lunches! Imagine the trash generated by every school in the country! So, to help reduce this waste (and to show others the practicality to further reduce waste) bring a reusable lunchbox to school. This is just the first in many steps to reducing your lunchtime waste, but you've got to start somewhere!

Nowadays they make cute purse-like ones, vintage metal lunchboxes, and themed-lunchboxes of a variety of characters, TV shows, and movies. Lunchboxes are no longer something reserved for elementary school students; it's become a trend to have a lunchbox with your favorite band or cartoon. So stop wasting resources, and get yourself a cool lunch box!