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The Green CornerOn this page, we present the Green Corner articles which have appeared in the Sunday Parish Bulletin. August 29, 2010 - Z.W.I.P Update: New Bins By October 3Palo Alto has a goal of "Zero Waste" to landfills by 2021. Zero Waste goes beyond recycling by taking a whole systems approach to managing the flow of resources-not only recycling, reusing, and composting, but also fostering the use of "green" products and packaging and introducing environmentally preferable and socially equitable practices. To achieve this goal, the entire community must work together and play an active role.St. Thomas Aquinas parish is introducing Zero Waste Is Possible (ZWIP) this summer, with the first stage to be fully implemented by the time of the Parish Picnic on October 3. At this stage, we will hopefully be using only recyclable or compostable forks, spoons, cups, and plates at all our gatherings. And at each of our sites we will have three collection bins in place by October 3: Blue for Recyclables: paper (newspapers, magazines, old bulletins, cardboard, and paper boxes), glass (bottles and jars), plastics (bottles, bags, and film), and metal (empty cans and foil) Green for Compostables: food scraps, yard trimmings, food-soiled paper, waxed cardboard, and dead flowers from the altars, Black or Brown for Garbage-bagged garbage, Styrofoam. We have been preparing all summer for the changes in our parish through bulletin articles and presentations at parish meetings. If all of us pitch in and think about what we're using and where we're disposing of it, we can begin to make ZWIP a reality at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish! August 29, 2010 - Do You FreeCycle?FreeCycle, PA Free, PA Link - What do these have in common? They all are resources for giving
away stuff you no longer need, for getting things you do need, for borrowing or lending things
you need occasionally, exchanging services - all for free. To help reduce waste, their websites, are:
August 22, 2010 - Avoid excessive short tripsTry to plan out your day so that you'll need to use the car as little as possible. Making lists before you head out on shopping expeditions can save you added trips throughout the week. Engines use more fuel when they are cold and most short trips you make will be run purely in "cold" mode. Fuel tends not to be burned efficiently which also results in more toxic/greenhouse emissions that are harmful to our environment. Short trips also create more wear and tear on your engine. Source: www.greenlivingtips.com August 22, 2010 - Z.W.I.P: Fun Symbols To LearnWhile we are all familiar with the symbol for recyclable materials (a triangle formed by three turning arrows), the symbol for biocompostable materials is still new to most people. It is typically a circular logo with a leaf or tree on the perimeter. Recycling works by collecting used items, sorting the materials, breaking it down into basic components and then recreating new goods. Composting, on the other hand, is the controlled decomposition of organic materials by bacteria, yeasts and fungi into healthy, fertile soil. By using as much recyclable and compostable dining ware at our parish events as possible, and then properly sorting our waste, we are minimizing the kinds of garbage that get buried in landfills, contaminate our earth for hundred to thousands of years and leach toxic substances into the groundwater. (See symbol images at the end of the Bulletin) (ZWIP = Zero Waste Is Possible) August 8, 2010 - Bagasse (not equal) Bag of Gas(Bagasse is not equal to Bag of Gas) Rather, bagasse [buh-gas] is a biodegradable and compostable disposable tableware that is made from sugarcane fiber leftover after juice extraction. Normally, this residue is burned after pulping, thus creating air pollution. But this sugarcane fiber can be re-used - by being made into disposable products normally made from plastic or virgin paper. The tableware has no plastic or wax lining applied to it and can be used for both hot and cold items. It is a far superior alternative to both plastic or Styrofoam (non-biodegradable, petroleum derived, pollution causing) and paper (causing the destruction of millions of acres of forests) tableware. To learn more, please go to: www.worldcentric.org/biocompostables/bagasse
August 8, 2010 - Carbon EmissionsDo you know what are your carbon emissions for each mile you drive? How many miles you drive each year?
The following are estimates based on miles per gallon car efficiencies then broken down into carbon emissions per mile.
Miles per gallon/Carbon emissions per mile (pounds):
So if your car gets 20 miles per gallon, a 100 mile trip would have an impact of 97 pounds of CO2 emission. These figures are conservative as they don't include other car exhaust gases, some of which are also greenhouse gases; the carbon impact of oil extraction, refining and transport, the construction of the vehicle, the carbon impact of road infrastructure, etc. Source: www.greenlivingtips.com August 1, 2010 - A Tale of Two Bins (Zero Waste Is Possible)Did you know that there is a big difference between the "Yard Trimmings" bin at your house and the one at our churches? The pickup service for residences in Palo Alto accepts only lawn clippings, leaves and plant matters. However, the pickup service for all BUSINESS accounts in Palo Alto, such as our parish churches and Seton School, accepts a much wider range of compostable materials: The "Yard Trimming" Bin will take: Residential: Leaves, branches, flowers, lawn clippings ONLY. Business: Leaves, branches, flowers, lawn clipping PLUS Food Scraps, e.g., fish, bones, meat, hot dogs, cakes, soiled paper plates, cups, pizza boxes, juice and milk cartons, compostable utensils made fromcorn, potatoes or sugar cane. In other words, if we start putting the food scraps, the soiled plates and cups etc from all our parish events into the "Yard Trimmings" bin instead of the garbage bin, it can be a giant step towards our parish goal of Z.W.I.P (Zero Waste Is Possible). August 1, 2010 - Pope links environmental ecology and human ecologyPope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical Caritas in Veritate, wrote: "The Church has a responsibility towards creation and she must assert this responsibility in the public sphere. In so doing, she must defend not only earth, water and air as gifts of creation that belong to everyone. She must above all protect mankind from self-destruction. There is need for what might be called a human ecology . . . the deterioration of nature is in fact closely connected to the culture that shapes human coexistence: when human ecology is respected within society, environmental ecology also benefits . . . The book of nature is one and indivisible: it takes in not only the environment but also life, sexuality, marriage, the family, social relations: in a word, integral human development. Our duties toward the environment are linked to our duties towards the human person . . ." July 25, 2010 - Natural Funeral and BurialAmong the ways we can help care for creation is to be buried in a simple, natural way. Live simple; die simple. This minimizes our impact on the environment. Our San Jose Catholic Cemeteries do not now offer this option, but have started researching what must be done to provide it. Green burial includes: no embalming, which means less chemical volume; direct placement into the earth (body in a shroud, blanket or quilt); biodegradable coffins; cremated remains in biodegradable containers.This note is based on articles in The Valley Catholic (6/22/10) and FSPA* Perspectives (Spring 2010). *Older parishioners will recall that the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration served in our parish in our early days. For more information consult www.greenburials.org For Church position (Chicago archdiocese) consult www.greenburialcouncil).org July 11, 2010"Some devices simply take power to run internal circuits or memory while others waste energy by continuously trying to recharge devices that have already been fully charged. Just about everything plugged into your home and office draws power from the wall. Think about it, even if you always turn off your gadgets when you're not using them, most electronics don't actually turn all the way off! The typical American home has 40* products that are constantly drawing power and 10% of all electricity is wasted on Vampire Power. Vampire Power sucks away 10 billion dollars** annually in the U.S. alone." The website shown below has an informative short video put out by iGo about vampire power. Source: www.vampirepowersucks.com www.vampirepowersucks.comJuly 11, 2010Production and consumption of meat worldwide has more than tripled since 1961 and could double from now until 2050 as standards of living increase and the population doubles. As a result, vast swaths of forest are being cleared for pastures, robbing the planet of trees, which absorb carbon dioxide. Cattle and sheep also release vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. A recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations produced startling findings: The animals' burps, the nitrous oxide gases from their decomposing manure and other factors, including the energy needed to store and transport meat, were responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions - more than the entire transportation sector. Source (NY Times) June 27, 2010 - Barron Park Green TourJune 27, 2010; 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Visit Barron Park homes incorporating solar and other green design features and gardens showcasing organic vegetables, native plants, and chickens. Four different talks on getting started gardening included in the free tour. Start at Bol Park for tour maps and exhibits. (Located at corner of Matadero Ave and Laguna Ave.) June 9, 2010 - Green Beatitudes1. Blessed are they who hang their laundry to dry in the warm sun, for they shall have fresh smelling clothes and a lower power bill. 2. Blessed are they who walk or bike to church, for they will not struggle with parking or pollute. 3. Blessed are they who compost, for they shall have far less garbage. 4. Blessed are they who drink from a refillable bottle and shun bottled water, for they are saving the Earth. 5. Blessed are they who pull weeds by hand, for they will not poison the Earth with herbicide. 6. Blessed are they who pick snails early in the morning, for they will have perfect plants without employing harmful chemicals. 7. Blessed are they who collect rainwater from down spouts for their plants for they will conserve precious water. 8. Blessed are they who dry their laundry near the heater indoor for their laundry will be dry and the atmosphere stay comfortably moist. 9. Blessed are they who eat less meat for they will reduce their carbon footprint. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be a cleaner, more sustainable world for everyone. We invite parishioners to submit their Green Beatitudes to lauraleechiu@gmail.com. May 30, 2010 - Where rubber meets the roadMore than 290 million scrap tires are generated in the United States annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. When it's time for new tires, make sure you take your old ones to a center or company that recycles them. You can purchase shoes, bags, doormats and trash cans made from recycled rubber. - Rebecca Jepsen, correspondent May 18 - Film Series on Food - An Environmental IssueWhat we eat and how it's grown, transported and controlled can help or harm our environment - and us. You're invited with family and friends to a tempting array of free films on this subject. Carpool if you can. (We've not previewed the films; the descriptions are those provided us.) Sponsors: Acterra, World Centric, South Bay Slow Food Movement, Transition Palo Alto. Place: World Centric, 2121 Staunton Court, Palo Alto (behind JJ&F Market, 7:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. Dates: Friday nights starting May 14 through June 11. May 14 -- Power of Community -- When the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba couldn't export its sugar or import oil. This film shows how Cuba weathered the crisis. Powerful, insightful, and uplifting. May 21 -- King Corn -- King Corn is a fascinating feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation... Green Tip from a parishioner: In the most recent issue of the Valley Catholic, I read about the Deanery 5 social justice series focusing on the environment and about the organization "Food and Water Watch." I signed up today for their newsletters, etc. May I suggest the Green Committee to publish in the bulletin info about it and how to sign up. Food & Water Watch is a non-profit organization working with grassroots organizations around the world to create an economically and environmentally viable future. Through research, public and policymaker education, media, and lobbying, we advocate policies that guarantee safe, wholesome food produced in a humane and sustainable manner and public, rather than private, control of water resources including oceans, rivers, and groundwater. For more information check www.foodandwaterwatch.org Thank you for the tip!
May 7 - Shopping Options - Local Does It!Would you like to eat healthier and reduce your carbon footprint? Support your local farmers' markets or join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program to receive a weekly supply of seasonal, locally grown veggies, fruits, and flowers. Bay Area options include: Full Circle Farm in Sunnyvale, Hidden Villa Farm in Los Altos, and Live Earth Farm in Watsonville. To find CSAs and farmers' markets in the area, go to Local Harvest. The Downtown Palo Alto Farmers' Market opens tomorrow, May 8. Green Corner: Kid Power
If you have children who might be interested in flexing a little political muscle, tell them about the Energy Action Coalition. The grassroots network, whose slogan is “Youth united for clean and just energy,” has a small staff and a larger council and steering committee that help young people organize rallies and publicity campaigns. The coalition can even coordinate work among youth action groups in different countries. One early success is the Campus Climate Challenge, which organizes university students to get their school’s administrators to commit to making the campus climate-neutral; to date, more than 550 schools have agreed to a plan. The current push is to register 18- and 19-year-olds to vote. The group’s Web site, www.energyactioncoalition.org, also offers standardized letters that children, tweens and teens can send to their elected representatives, asking them to pledge to improve conservation and energy efficiency in their districts. Source: "12 Ways to lesson Your Footprint" at Scientific American.
Bike* to Mass Weekend, April 24-25To celebrate God's bounty and Earth Day, start your spiritual journey to Mass April 24/25 in an earth-friendly way. * Walk, bike, skate, ski, roller-blade, stroll, sashay or perambulate. Or take public transit. Or car pool (driving someone beside your family.). Just don't drive. As a one-time inducement and reward (while supplies last) participants will receive a fairly-traded chocolate bar. (One per household, while supplies last). Look for the person with the green armband at the main church entrance and say you didn't drive or you car pooled. (Scout's honor.) All 8 Masses! All 3 sites! Temporary bike parking (There will be a bike rack or special arrangement for locking up the bicycles.) St. Albert The Great -- the space between the back door of the Hospitality Center and the School St. Thomas Aquinas -- the car port OLR -- in front of the International School And from that Sunday's readings: Acts 13:14, 43-52 Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath, they parked and locked their bikes, removed their helmets, entered the synagogue and took their seats. Earth Day 2010, Thursday, April 22As many communities and groups celebrate the 40th Earth Day this week, may we reflect deeply on our moral and religious responsibility to care for the environment. As we enjoy all the signs for the spring renewal of life around us, let us join all creation in praising God. Then let us live out our gratitude for the gifts of the earth by engaging in actions, habits and public policies that preserve the fruitfulness of the earth, to better protect both human beings and the whole community of life that God loves. For more Catholic teaching, resources, and ways to take action visit The Office For Catholic Social Justice Ministry. For local Palo Alto options for involvement, see the City web site.
April 4, 2010 - What's A Waterfootprint?A recent editorial in a Palo Alto paper questioned the need for domestic water conservation if agriculture uses the lion’s share of water in the state. Agriculture does use around 80% (it varies year to year) of our water – but let’s remember, after all, who is eating the food? Farmers are under great pressure to increase irrigation efficiency and plant more water efficient crops. Non-agrarian Palo Altans can also make a difference in agricultural water use by what they choose to eat. Moving down the food chain reduces water use. Modest reductions in the amounts of meat, eggs and milk we eat can translate into big water savings. For example:
Source: Aldridge, T., and H. Schulbach. 1978. Water requirements for food production. Soil and Water 38:13-17. To learn more about the effect your personal choices have on water consumption visit Waterfootprint.org.
March 27 - EARTH HOUR 2010 (e-bulletin only)Saturday, March 27 Starting 8:30 PM Local Time Earth hour is a global act of solidarity in which millions of people turn off all devices that use energy. It shows the power of the human community to take action in reducing emissions and caring for the Earth. EARTH DAY 2010It will be on Thursday, April 22 - a special day for our nation to think of the earth - of its beauties and its scars - and to resolve to care for it as best we can. Our committee is planning a Bike to Mass event for a weekend soon after Earth Day. Watch for that announcement. CO2 Emissions in pounds per year per capita: Source: List of Countries by Carbon Dioxide Emissions Per Capita, Wikipedia
February 28, 2010 - ARE YOU GREEN TOO?The parish Green Committee wants to hear from you. We’ve offered suggestions about saving energy, polluting less and generally taking better care of our environment and planet. (See the link to the Green Committee website in PaloAltoCatholic.Org). We bet a lot of you are already pretty green. Will you tell us practices you've found that use less, save more or mess less? We'd like to put them in our bulletin and on our website. Our committee will publish them on the website and choose one as Tip of the Week for the bulletin. Send your tips to Laura Chiu at lauraleechiu@gmail.com or call 650-283-6343. We may edit for length and similar tips may be lumped together. When you write, tell us if you want to be named or remain mysterious.
February 21, 2010 - A New Twist on the Lenten Fast: Reduce Your Carbon FootprintAs the Lenten season arrives, the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change has provided Catholics, schools and organizations with more tools and resources for its annual Catholic Climate Covenant. And our parish Green Committee has capitalized on that! The Coalition was formed three and a half years ago to help implement the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) 2001 initiative "Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good." Launched last year, the Covenant revolves around the St. Francis Pledge, which correlates five key actions - pray, learn, assess, act and advocate - to the issues of the environment and poverty. To help fulfill those obligations, the Archdiocese of Washington's Environmental Outreach Committee has created a particularly useful new tool: a calendar that lists 40 carbon-fasting measures individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprint. As Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us, it is more urgent than ever to "re-create a strong alliance between man and the earth," and the effects of climate change are disproportionately affecting the poor. The calendar is "another way to care for creation and aid the poor," said Catholic Climate Covenant Executive Director Daniel Misleh. [In addition,] it's challenging, asks for sacrifices and to be more mindful of patterns of consumption. "It's a new twist on Lent." View a copy of the customized St. Thomas Aquinas Carbon Fast Calendar. Read more about the fast and the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change here. Contact Steve Pehanich at spehanich@cacatholic.org for more information. February 6, 2010Clean the green way, and you’ll save time and money as well as the environment:
The Forest Stewardship Council was established to coordinate the development of sustainable practices in forestry management. When buying wood furniture, look for the FSC seal. It certifies that the wood came from sustainable resources. — Rebecca Jepsen, Green Tips of the Week for the Mercury News - Green Living January 30, 2010Common indoor plants can be used as pollution-absorbing devices for the home or workplace, concluded a two-year study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America. Great options include bamboo palm, Chinese evergreen, chrysanthemum, gerbera daisy, peace lily, English ivy, dracaena massangeana or marginata, corn plant or mother-in-law’s tongue. Reuse those old toothbrushes. First, throw them in the dishwasher to clean, and then use them for spot-cleaning upholstery, those tight spaces around the kitchen faucet, the track of sliding doors, jewelry, electric shavers, vents, blinds, and so on. — Rebecca Jepsen, Green Tips of the Week for the Mercury News - Green Living January 17, 2010Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 Message for the World Day of Peace, "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation," is the latest in a long tradition of Church teaching on our obligation to care for creation. Quoting Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI throughout his message, the Holy Father affirms that environmental degradation is "a wide-ranging social problem which concerns the entire human family" (#3). The full text of the message can be found here. December 20, 2009 - An Invitation To Reflection and Action"At its core, the environmental crisis is a moral challenge. It calls us to examine how we use and share the goods of the earth, what we pass on to future generations, and how we live in harmony with God's creation. "Environmental issues are also linked to other basic problems. As eminent scientist Dr. Thomas F. Malone reported, humanity faces problems in five interrelated fields: environment, energy, economics, equity, and ethics. To ensure the survival of a healthy planet, then, we must not only establish a sustainable economy but must also labor for justice both within and among nations. We must seek a society where economic life and environmental commitment work together to protect and to enhance life on this planet." Source: "An Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching - A Pastoral Statement of the United States Catholic Conference," United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, November 14, 1991. December 13, 2009 - What Our Catechism Tells UsFrom the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2415: #2426: |
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