All videos and articles on the topic of Green Living are archived on this page.
12/11/20
Top Tips to Reuse/Recycle Your Live Christmas Tree
With over 25 million live Christmas trees sold each year, you might be wondering how to dispose of your Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly way. Lucky for us, there are many sustainable ways to re-use and recycle your tree to help wildlife and your way of life. Watch this week's brief for top tips on what to do with your Christmas tree after the holiday season. You will learn how to make a food tree for wildlife and repurpose your tree for things like gardening, wildlife habitat, and recreation. If you want to give wildlife a special holiday gift, consider the additional tips below from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
More information:
Repurpose your holiday wreaths too!
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/your-christmas-trees-and-holiday-wreaths-can-double-as-bird-habitat/
Wondering if live or fake Christmas trees are better for the environment? Read this article.
https://content.yardmap.org/learn/real-vs-fake-trees/
How to make your own suet cakes for birds.
https://www.audubon.org/news/make-your-own-suet
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/your-christmas-trees-and-holiday-wreaths-can-double-as-bird-habitat/
Wondering if live or fake Christmas trees are better for the environment? Read this article.
https://content.yardmap.org/learn/real-vs-fake-trees/
How to make your own suet cakes for birds.
https://www.audubon.org/news/make-your-own-suet
10/23/20
How to Have a Spooky Good Time AND be Kind to the Planet
I adore Halloween. I get really, really excited for trick-or-treaters. I even decorate the outside of my house every year with orange glowing lights, skeletons, and happy jack-o-lanterns. I may even re-watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown if I’m feeling particularly childlike. What about you? What is your favorite thing about Halloween? I’d love to hear it!
This week on the Nature Brief, we look at Halloween through the lens of conservation. What should Halloween look like for us as folks who want to make wise choices as earth-friendly consumers? What impacts do my jack-o-lantern, costume, or yard decorations have on the environment? I had never really considered how much waste occurs because of Halloween, but it is staggering how much ends up in a landfill because of this holiday. Be sure to watch this week’s brief to see what you can do to lessen your impact on the earth this Halloween and keep it green!
- Kate Van Sloten, Program Coordinator
This week on the Nature Brief, we look at Halloween through the lens of conservation. What should Halloween look like for us as folks who want to make wise choices as earth-friendly consumers? What impacts do my jack-o-lantern, costume, or yard decorations have on the environment? I had never really considered how much waste occurs because of Halloween, but it is staggering how much ends up in a landfill because of this holiday. Be sure to watch this week’s brief to see what you can do to lessen your impact on the earth this Halloween and keep it green!
- Kate Van Sloten, Program Coordinator
8/27/20
Give Your Yard an Earth Friendly Makeover.
Have you heard about the "no mow" movement or seen the hashtag "lawns are over" ? Wondering why your neighbor has ripped out their turf grass and traded it for shrubs, flower gardens, and vegetable patches? Welcome to the movement that is gaining momentum as homeowners look to make their yards a more sustainable option. But before you dive in to transform your yard, take a few tips from our program coordinator, Kate, who has transformed 3/4 of her front yard to all native flowers and grasses. Taking her first hand experience from her own sweat equity, she shares 5 things you should consider before going all or partially "no mow" in your own yard.
8/14/2020
Rethink Shipping
Online shopping has grown exponentially over the last decade and the global pandemic has pushed this growth even farther. According to research from Adobe Analytics, though online sales were not growing as fast in July, “eCommerce sales are still up 55% year over year for the first seven months of the year, resulting in $434.5 billion in online spending” (Digital Commerce 360, 2020).
With this expansion, consolidation of package logistics becomes a greater challenge for industries who have chosen to compete for customers with 2-day shipping incentives. Rather than waiting for shipments to be consolidated and then shipped together, speed can take precedence over efficiency. All this demand for 2-day shipping is coming at a cost to the environment. It is no secret that transportation is a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.
As stated by Gabby Del Valle, “Medium-and heavy-duty trucks- the kinds of freight vehicles that are often filled to the brim with Prime purchases and other online orders - are responsible for nearly one-quarter of the total transportation footprint” (Vox Media, 4/24/19). Civil and environmental engineer Anne Goodchild echoed these concerns stating, “As we move towards faster delivery, it gets harder to consolidate. When we’re not paying some sort of personal cost for the trip, I think it’s easy to overlook how much travel we’re adding.” (Vox Media, 10/16/19).
As companies have created a new normal of fast shipping, logistics still have a long ways to go in terms of environmental benefits. Until they catch up, consider slowing down your shipping speeds and follow the tips in the video above.
More Information about the effects of 2-Day Shipping:
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/10/16/20917467/amazon-one-day-shipping-bad-for-environment
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/2-day-shipping-environment_n_5a0e1374e4b045cf43706864
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/23/18508093/amazon-prime-two-day-shipping
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HOijUtExiM
With this expansion, consolidation of package logistics becomes a greater challenge for industries who have chosen to compete for customers with 2-day shipping incentives. Rather than waiting for shipments to be consolidated and then shipped together, speed can take precedence over efficiency. All this demand for 2-day shipping is coming at a cost to the environment. It is no secret that transportation is a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.
As stated by Gabby Del Valle, “Medium-and heavy-duty trucks- the kinds of freight vehicles that are often filled to the brim with Prime purchases and other online orders - are responsible for nearly one-quarter of the total transportation footprint” (Vox Media, 4/24/19). Civil and environmental engineer Anne Goodchild echoed these concerns stating, “As we move towards faster delivery, it gets harder to consolidate. When we’re not paying some sort of personal cost for the trip, I think it’s easy to overlook how much travel we’re adding.” (Vox Media, 10/16/19).
As companies have created a new normal of fast shipping, logistics still have a long ways to go in terms of environmental benefits. Until they catch up, consider slowing down your shipping speeds and follow the tips in the video above.
More Information about the effects of 2-Day Shipping:
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/10/16/20917467/amazon-one-day-shipping-bad-for-environment
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/2-day-shipping-environment_n_5a0e1374e4b045cf43706864
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/23/18508093/amazon-prime-two-day-shipping
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HOijUtExiM