On this page, we present the Green Corner articles which have appeared in the Sunday Parish Bulletin.
A potential recycle materials crisis:
China, which processes most of our recycle materials, has imposed a tighter purity requirement. It had allowed 5% contamination, but starting this year, only 0.4% contamination is allowed. It is even more important to place waste in the correct bins and to ensure there is no food in containers or liquids in bottles that are placed in recycle bins. There is no need to wash them at this time.
https://www.npr.org/2017/12/09/568797388/recycling-chaos-in-u-s-as-china-bans-foreign-waste
“What Goes Where Toolkit” from the City of Palo Alto:
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/pwd/zerowaste/whatgoeswhere/toolkit.asp
Agriculture and Food Waste
Conventional agriculture uses large amounts of energy and water while contributing more to the greenhouse effect than transportation. We need both to eat and we can make intelligent, responsible choices that minimize our environmental impact. Perhaps the easiest of these is to avoid food waste: in the USA, 30-40% of food supply is wasted, more than 20 pounds of food per person per month (FAO).
Consumers can reduce food waste (and save money): don't overbuy, plan meals to use up what you have in the refrigerator, have a leftover night once a week, use up excess ripe fruits and veggies in smoothies, soups, casseroles, & stir-fries. For more suggestions visit: www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wasted-food-home
Once in landfills, food breaks down to produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change.
12-9-12
Fermer La Porte, S'il Vous Plaît
With the colder weather, please make sure the doors to our churches are closed to keep the heat in, and the cold out. When the heaters are "ON", please help us keep the church doors closed to conserve energy and reduce the resulting CO2 emissions.
9-19-12
How much standby power do your electronics use? How much are they really costing you? Find out by signing up for a FREE energy-saving HouseCall!
[email protected] HouseCalls are offered by Acterra, a non-profit organization, and can save renters and homeowners $50 to $150 per year and reduce CO2 emissions!
During a HouseCall, trained volunteers work with residents in their homes to perform a home energy assessment and install basic energy-saving upgrades. Upgrades include compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), a retractable clothesline, low–flow water devices, and weatherstripping.
Visit www.acterra.org/housecalls to sign up for this free service. Or call 650.962.9876, ext. 380.
8-12-12
Green Labels
The following sources and labels are good examples to inform your purchasing decisions:
According to Consumers Union, the best eco-labels are those with meaningful, consistent, and independently verified standards for environmental protection and/or social justice.
ENERGY STAR—Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy label used on energy-efficient products in more than 60 categories (including computers, dishwashers, even new homes); products often cost more than their conventional counterparts but consume up to 65 percent less electricity.
WATERSENSE (http://www.epa.gov/watersense)—Government label applied to plumbing fixtures (including toilets, showerheads, faucets) that use at least 20 percent less water than standard models without sacrificing performance.
EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool)—Bronze, silver, or gold certification given by the Green Electronics Council to computers and monitors based on energy efficiency, use of nontoxic and/or recycled materials, and packaging; all EPEAT-certified products meet Energy Star requirements.
GREEN SEAL—Certification awarded by Green Seal recognizes sustainability in more than 300 product and service categories (ranging from lightbulbs and household cleaners to windows and hotels).
GREEN-E—Label bestowed by the Center for Resource Solutions on “green power” programs, carbon offsets, and renewable energy certificates (RECs) that make meaningful contributions to clean energy development and lowering global warming emissions.
FSC—Verification by the Forest Stewardship Council that wood and wood products (including furniture) have come from sustainably managed forests that protect biodiversity, ecosystems, and workers.
USDA ORGANIC—Department of Agriculture seal for produce and grains grown from non-genetically modified seed and without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and meat or dairy products derived from animals raised on organic feed and not given antibiotics. Processed foods bearing the seal must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients to say “organic” on packaging, and at least 70 percent to say “made with organic ingredients.”
Source: http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/2012/greentips-august-2012-green-labels.html
The STA Green Committee
4-26-12
In the last 2 years (2010 & 2011) we have reduced the carbon emissions of our parish buildings by 90,405 pounds! This is the result of a number of measures being taken including keeping doors and windows closed when the heaters are on, monitoring thermostats, replacing light fixtures with more energy efficient ones, turning off lights when not needed, etc. A big THANK YOU! to everyone who has helped. This year we continue to look for ways for further reductions.
3-24-2012
How is energy used in homes?
41% space heating
26% Lighting and other appliances
20% Water heating
15% Refrigeration
8% Air conditioning
30% of home energy is wasted through lack of insulation as well as appliances & lights left ON without use.
Source: Catholic Green Initiative of Santa Clara County
March 17, 2012
Ecological footprint
How many Earths do we need? Find out in the website www.myfootprint.org which has 27 questions to determine how one's practices impact the Earth. At the end of the quiz you will know how many Earths we would need if everyone on the planet lived the same lifestyle. It also includes actions to reduce our carbon footprint.
Source: www.myfootprint.org
December 26, 2011
Go vegetarian two or three days a week. The livestock industry is a huge greenhouse emitter, and you will be healthier for it. (http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/everyday- cooking/vegetarian/Main/aspxetarian/Main/aspx)
Source: DSJ Catholic Green Initiate
April 3, 2011
LAST YEAR OUR CO2 ADMISSIONS TOOK A DIVE!
Our Green and Building and Maintenance Committees set a goal in 2010 to
reduce our parish CO2 emissions by 5%. We over-achieved and scored a
12.5% reduction! The task was already in progress, but Chuck Tully
and our maintenance staff gave a big nudge to the work of installing
more compact fluorescent light fixtures, LED "EXIT" signs, motion
detectors and timers. We controlled our thermostats better and closed
church doors during the winter. In detail: Electricity -19.6%, Gas
-7.9%, Water -11.1% [CO2 emissions from water usage are negligible;
gas is the biggee.]
Our reduction efforts continue, but reductions will be harder to come
by, now that we've picked the low-hanging fruit. This year we're
looking at pre-set thermostat controls and timers, insulation,
double-paned windows, weather-stripping and caulking. Our Building &
Maintenance Committee keeps energy-saving on its agenda. (We hope
you're doing the same at home.)
February 20, 2011
One way to reduce our carbon footprint is to eat less meat all yearlong - not just during Lent.
Production 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
February 13, 2011
Z.W.I.P. Refresher
At this 4-month anniversary of the launch of our Zero Waste Is Possible campaign, the Green Team would like to remind all parishioners that we can reduce the amount of waste being taken to the landfills by just taking an extra second in deciding where to discard their leftover food or empty cups. Please review the flier attached at the end of this bulletin for a quick guide to the 3-bin system already setup at each church site. Organizers for social functions are welcome to go to the pastoral center to pick up the 100% compostable supplies we are providing on behalf of the parish. These include hot and cold cups, plates, bowls, utensils, stirrers, napkins and trash bin liners. For questions, please contact Laura Chiu at [email protected]
January 30, 2011
The Endangered Species Coalition (conservation, sporting and community groups) issued a dire warning: Unless we change the way we manage water and fuel our cars and heat our homes, the Sierra Nevada and Delta will become hostile to already-dwindling wildlife and fish. Also the Hawaiian Islands, Southwest desert, Arctic sea ice and shallow-water coral reefs. The No. 1 threat is to the Arctic (polar bears, seals, walruses and sea ducks)./ Then coral reefs, followed by Hawaii, the deserts, the Delta, the Sierra Nevada, the Snake River basin, greater Yellowstone, the Gulf Coast flatlands and wetlands and the Everglades.
Source: SF Chronicle 1/6/11
November 7, 2010 Care for God's Creation
"We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation.
Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan; it is a requirement
of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living
our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. This
environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions
that cannot be ignored."
Source: U.S. Bishops, Themes from Sharing Catholic Teachings
(www.catholicsocialjustice.org)
October 17, 2010 Avoid extended idling
In some countries, when you hit a red traffic light, you must stop your engine - and there's good logic behind this requirement. Millions of gallons of gas is burned annually waiting for traffic lights. If you have a reliable vehicle, don't let your car idle for more than 30 seconds - switch it off. Around town this can save you a substantial amount of fuel over the year and not to mention a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
By the same token, starting and stopping your engine excessively can also chew through a lot of fuel and cause extra wear on ignition systems and your engine, so be discerning.
October 10, 2010 Upside of powering down
September 10, 2010 ZWIP Minus Three Weeks!
ZWIP—Zero Waste is Possible—launches in three weeks, the day of the parish picnic! We’ve been preparing you for the new recycling bins at all sites—blue for recyclables, green for compostables, and the old black/gray/beige/brown for garbage—but you’ll also be seeing something else new at the picnic:
Bagasse Plates. Biodegradable and compostable plates are made from sugarcane fiber, called bagasse. Sugarcane is not only an annually renewable resource, but it can be turned into products normally made from plastic or paper. Using bagasse also avoids the pollution that would normally happen as a result of burning sugarcane pulp after juice extraction.
Bagasse and PLA Cups. Bagasse cups are used for hot drinks and PLA cups are perfect for cold drinks. PLA is derived from corn grown in the US, and PLA cups can be used for drinks below 110 degrees F.
Compostable Utensils. These are made of a new resin that is a mixture of 70% PLA and 30% talc. They are also heat resistant up to 200 degrees F. Unlike our old plastic utensils, these utensils will compost in a commercial composting facility in 180 days.
Compostable Bags. Made from a mixture of synthetic and starch-based plastics, these bags will biodegrade in 90 days in a commercial composting facility.
None of these products from the picnic will go into a garbage bin. The food-soiled plates and cups will go with the utensils, napkins, and food scraps into GREEN compostable bins (lined with the bio bags). The items to be put into the BLUE recyclable bins will be soda cans, water bottles, aluminum trays, plastic wraps, cardboard boxes, cookie trays, salad containers, etc.
Sept. 5, 2010 Introducing . . . . . Operation ZWIP!
Did you know that our parish is paying $2,500 per month to the city just to pick up the trash from the three church sites? This is about to change. In accordance with our Christian mandate to protect God’s creation, and in response to the city’s “zero waste” campaign, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish is instituting Operation ZWIP—Zero Waste is Possible. By the date of the church picnic—October 3—we hope we can reduce our “carbon footprint” by having all sites sort their trash into Recyclables, Compostables, and Garbage. In the weeks to come, volunteers at all three sites will work to set up indoor trash sorting systems and help the parish transfer to the use of recyclable or compostable utensils, cups, and plates.
August 29, 2010 - Z.W.I.P Update: New Bins By October 3
Palo 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:
www.Freecycle.org
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/pafree
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/palink
August 22, 2010 - Avoid excessive short trips
Try 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 Learn
While 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 Emissions
Do 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):
10 mpg = 1.94 lbs
15 mpg = 1.29 lbs
20 mpg = 0.97 lbs
25 mpg = 0.78 lbs
30 mpg = 0.65 lbs
35 mpg = 0.55 lbs
40 mpg = 0.48 lbs
45 mpg = 0.43 lbs
50 mpg = 0.39 lbs
55 mpg = 0.36 lbs
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 ecology
Pope 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 Burial
Among 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 Church position (Chicago archdiocese) consult www.greenburialcouncil.org
July 11, 2010 Vampire Power
"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.com
July 11, 2010 Meat Consumption
Production 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 9, 2010 - Green Beatitudes
1. 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 [email protected]
May 30, 2010 - Where rubber meets the road
More 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.