Happy holidays everyone. I hope these last days of 2007 provide you with many opportunities to enjoy family, friends, and our wonderful community. I also hope that you spend a little time this week making some Eco-Resolutions for 2008.
Resolutions – you know what I’m referring to. This is the time of year when many of us take stock of our lives and our surroundings and think about what we’d like to see changed. While I have nothing against resolutions about losing weight, exercising more, watching less television, or being kinder to raccoons and fifth graders, I encourage you to look for ways you can contribute to a greener planet. Naturally, I came equipped with some ideas for you to consider.
- Look for eco-exercise opportunities – It’s amazing how many “green” activities actually provide you with an opportunity to fulfill your “exercise more” resolution, too. Think about walking/biking to work or to the gym, raking leaves instead of blowing them, hand-picking weeds instead of spraying them, and sweeping a walkway instead of hosing it down. All of the above are examples of eco-exercise and all of the above don’t require the purchase of a treadmill, bowflex, or other exercise apparatus. If you feel the urge to buy something to support your eco-exercising habits, how about a push mower or a new bike that cries out “ride me” every time you walk by it on the way to your car?
-
Eat with the seasons – Do you remember (it wasn’t that long ago) when certain foods like strawberries, squash, and cherries, were only in the store during the summer months? While you may say “yes” and I’m glad that this isn’t the case anymore, you may want to think again. Those cherries coming to us from South America in the middle of winter come with a big eco-price tag. It takes lots of energy to get them here resulting in lots of pollution. In general, the more we consume food grown locally, the lighter our impact on the planet. Local food is usually fresher and tastier, too. Avoiding winter strawberries also makes the spring berries seem that much tastier, without a doubt.
-
Switch out incandescent bulbs – Using compact fluorescent bulbs is now mandatory if you want to be in the “in crowd” in our community. Certainly nearly everyone has some fixtures in their home where a compact fluorescent will fit. These bulbs are now quite inexpensive, last a ton longer than incandescents, and save lots of money on our energy bills.
-
Carpool when you can – I realize that not everyone can carpool everyday. However, I suspect that nearly all of us can find opportunities to carpool to work, an event, or a class some of the time. Don’t let occasional or even frequent barriers to carpooling prevent you from carpooling some of the time. Each time you share a ride, you are dramatically reducing your contribution to air pollution and climate change.
-
Recycle food waste – Last, but not least, is our little (really not so little) opportunity to recycle our food waste and food-contaminated paper waste. Both of these items make up a large percentage of the waste we send to the landfill every year in Morgan Hill and are perfectly recyclable in our organics collection program. Just place them in your organics (yard trimmings) cart and wheel that puppy out to the street. If you are concerned about odors feel free to surround the food waste with yard trimmings or, when yard trimmings aren’t available, use paper bags and newspaper.
Thanks for a great 2007 Morgan Hill. Let’s hope for a greener 2008.
Eco-fact of the week: Christmas trees are recyclable, even with flocking, through our yard trimmings collection program. Just remove all ornaments, cut them into 3 foot lengths, and set them out on the curb on your collection day. Remember that South Valley Disposal is closed for Christmas and New Year’s Day so the Tuesday – Friday collections will be one day late because of the ‘hauliday.’
Eco-Web site of the week: The “This Old House” television program put together quite a nice assortment of green resolutions to consider. Not surprisingly, they center around activities in the home. Check it out at www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1581863,00.html .  (actually, I’m doing them a disservice by referring to them as a television program – they have a full magazine and Web presence).
Anthony Eulo is a program administrator for the City of Morgan Hill who resolves to drive less in 2008. He welcomes your questions, comments, and thoughts and can be reached at 779-7247 or en*****@mo********.gov .
