GREEN TEAM TIPS

Strandwood’s Green Team publishes tips in Strandwood’s Roadrunner e-Newsletter on how small changes can have a big impact! View some of our tips below…

We don't often connect "saving the environment" with racial justice ... perhaps we should.

Studies have shown pollutants in the air, ground and water are found in higher concentrations in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods. Blacks and Hispanics in general have a higher exposure to environmental toxins than predominantly white neighborhoods. Even landfills and factory locations are disproportionately located in or near Black and Brown neighborhoods.

There are many reasons why this is the case, but by reframing our thinking we can be allies to both the environment and the Black and Brown community. When we fight to, "save the environment," we are also fighting for racial justice.

Black history month is a reminder that small changes we make in our daily lives have long-reaching effects. Explore more about this topic here.

We're all using masks and gloves to navigate thru the pandemic. Scientists estimate that billions of face masks and gloves are used around the world every month. Most are single-use and, because they are considered biohazards, cannot be recycled. Much of this waste ends up in the ocean, on the street, anywhere but the trash. Gloves can look like jellyfish and be eaten by turtles, mask loops entangle birds, animals mistake protective equipment for food.

• If you're not in the medical profession, opt for re-useable, washable masks! Want to go the extra mile? Look for a mask made with sustainably sourced materials.

• When single-use protective gear is necessary, dispose of it in the trash. With single-use masks, cut the ear loops after use to prevent wildlife entanglement.

Electricity production is the second largest generator of greenhouse gas emissions. In the US, approximately 63% of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels. Distance learning / working has kept us safe at home, but also increased our personal energy consumption. Although California is ahead of the national curve in switching to cleaner energy, there's more we can do!

• Power down / turn off lights when not in use.

• Unplug computers, telephone chargers and other electronics when not in use.

• Use computer sleep and hibernate modes.

• Stream media on smaller screens, like tablets when possible.

Although the county recommends against traditional house-to-house Trick o' Treating this year, celebrate at home and opt for wrapper-free treats and homemade decorations.

Use pumpkins or gourds to decorate! Afterward, most pumpkins can be eaten! Roast the seeds, make soups, use the flesh for pies. The smaller the pumpkin, the less stringy they tend to be. Look online for recipes specific to your pumpkin or gourd. Otherwise, make sure to compost them at the end of the season.

Consider foregoing plastic-wrapped candy in favor baking cookies, making your own candy with wax paper wrapping, or decorate fruit like oranges and bananas with spooky themes! Check out this video for some other DIY Halloween treats for the family.

Fall is a great time to plant native Northern California Wildflowers. Native flowers, like California Poppies and Tidy Tips, are well adapted to our climate and will provide pollen and shelter to beneficial butterflies and insects!

The winter rains do most of the work once your seeds are on the ground. Select a site with lots of sunshine and make sure it's weed-free before you plant. Come Spring, you'll have yourself a pollinator buffet!

With many of us ordering online, cardboard boxes start to pile up. A nice way to have your kids help out around the house is to have them flatten boxes so that they fit nicely into the recycling container and then onto the trucks! Trucks will be able to fit more which means having to take less trips (less gas and less emissions).

Cardboard can also be repurposed in the garden as a weed barrier much like landscaping fabric! Just lay a layer of cardboard as you would fabric. Overtime, the weeds and cardboard decompose and feed the soil with organic matter.

One easy way we can help the environment and mitigate climate change is to take meat off our plate at least one day a week. Meatless Monday is a popular movement and there is lots of information and recipes online if you are interested in making a healthy change for your family and the planet.