Thoughts for a Greener Hanukkah

A dear friend of our family is a rabbi, and as I was gathering material last week for this entry, I emailed him for his perspective. Rabbi Andrew Goodman shared these thoughts about Hanukkah: "... from the most basic level, Hanukkah is an important celebration for two reasons... neither of which are gift giving. On one hand, the holiday commemorates a victory over oppression from the Greeks. It commemorates religious integrity and standing up for/fighting for what you believe in and knowing when to act in the face of imminent annihilation. On the other hand, there is the theological importance of the miracle of oil, which should only have lasted for one day lasting for 8. From both of these perspectives, I think that a strong argument can be made for greening your life. We are aware of limited resources and should never forget the importance of having these most basic needs, and thus need to guard them. Also, as the Jews fought the Greeks, we too need to fight (not literally) for our existential longevity. Without our earth, we will not be able to survive and so, this threat is akin to the Greeks... and we too must act."

So how can you make Hanukkah a bit greener?  Here are a few tips I've gathered:

• shop for vintage menorahs, dreidels, gifts at antique stores, thrift shops or eBay.  Shop online for sustainable dreidels and menorahs
• shop for locally grown and organic potatoes, cheeses & other ingredients
• candles-- beeswax candles  burn slowly and are odorless, smokeless and virtually dripless; or look for them locally 
• fair trade gelt sources:  Chocolate coins can be purchased online at Serrv and Global Exchange. They are also available at Whole Foods and Wegmans stores.
• Green menorah campaign 
• A Light Among the Nations 
• suggestions for 8 days of environmental action to commemorate Hanukkah
• Thinking Outside the Gift Box  -- green gift suggestions

Holiday Dinner gone Local!

Recently, Louise D. and I had a chat about the importance and benefits of buying food locally and she told me about all the fresh goodies found at Hamilton Farms.  She's followed up by writing this description of her T-day dinner:

I procured the majority of my Thanksgiving dinner at Hamilton Farms and nearly everything was marked Jersey Fresh. They had wonderful new potatoes which I mashed with their skins on and used some more of them in our traditional "Aunt Sally's potato rolls". The waxed turnip was delicious and the first time there wasn't a speck of turnip left over ( hint- I mash it with butter, milk, salt, pepper and the secret ingredient a sprinkling of sugar). The carrots were incredible ( they still had the
tops on) and I love to cook/mash them with parsnips, which I also got at the farm. For those I mash them with the milk, butter, salt, pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg. The apples were all Jersey Fresh and I bought 1/2 bushel- so we will be having lots of apple items in the near future. My apple pie was sweetened with fresh local honey that I also got at the farm. My trick there is, you sweeten the pie with the honey and then sprinkle about a table spoon of sugar on the top of the pie. I bought the pie pumpkins- cut them in half- took the seeds out which I roasted ( yum yum) put them upside down on a baking dish and baked for about an hour. I then ran the pumpkin through the food processor and just added the other ingredients as well and the filling was ready for the crust. There were fresh Jersey cranberries, onions, celery, butter, milk, eggs, etc. I was checking out ( no lines) and said "if only I could get my turkey here". The answer was "you can". Those need to be ordered in advance but there were still 2 left- so I took them both and of course they were Jersey Fresh as well. Hint on cooking turkeys- I cook them in a brown paper bag. They take about 1/2 hour less time to cook, don't require basting ( none of that energy lost opening and closing the oven door), come out moist and tender and clean up is a snap. I didn't even have to soak the roasting pan. There was very little fat and the juice made wonderful gravy.

Hamilton Farms is a wonderful resource that is right in our back yard- open daily including Sunday. The produce store will be open through December and then open again April 1st.

Thanks, Louise!

Christmas Trees

Is it December already?  Here are some thoughts about the different choices surrounding your tree:

• 85% of artificial trees begin in overseas factories, contain metals and plastics that sometimes include PVC or lead and ultimately end up in landfills which make them the least eco-friendly choice.  If you already own an artificial tree, keep using it or donate it to someone who will.
• Potted or ball and burlap trees could be a good choice if the tree is maintained under the proper conditions:  the tree should be adaptable to our climate, stored away from the wind and sun, not be allowed to freeze, remain indoors for only 7 to 10 days, kept moist but not flooded, and decorated with lights that don't give off any heat.  After the holiday, the tree can't go directly outdoors into freezing temperatures; remove it to a sheltered location for a few days to acclimate.  It is often wise to dig the hole where the tree will be replanted early and cover with mulch to keep the soil from freezing.  Remember a 6 foot tree with root ball could weigh as much as 250 pounds.
• The Arbor Day Foundation supports the use of traditional Christmas trees because the trees "are a renewable, sustainable resource, provide jobs in rural areas and support American families, provide the usual benefits of trees, including oxygen, CO2 uptake, erosion control, and wildlife habitat, help preserve open space and are biodegradable and recyclable." (taken from the November/December 2008 issue of Arbor Day.)

If you choose a traditional Christmas tree, consider supporting local growers for the freshest tree possible and remember to recycle that tree after the holiday!  For more Green Christmas tips, visit this page at the National Geographic site!  

Zero Water Filter with Almost Zero Waste

from the National Geographic Green Guide
by Mary Logan Barmeyer

We've heard again and again that it's time to kick the plastic water bottle habit and head back to the tap. Despite evidence that our tap water is highly regulated and just as safe as bottled, news about pharmaceuticals and chemicals in drinking water or pipes that may contain lead, or even just bad tasting tap, can make us wary of getting our water straight from the faucet. Although most water filters can't eliminate every contaminant, they can help reduce them. But are unrecyclable water filters any better for the environment than recyclable plastic bottles? Not if you can recycle them.

Zero Technologies recently launched a recycling program for filters, the only program of its kind in the country. Ninety percent of the materials in its ZeroWater filters are recyclable--even the filter media are recycled for use in wastewater-treatment plants--and they can be shipped back to the company in their original packaging in exchange for a discount on replacements. (Zero is also one of the only companies to offer filter bottles made of glass, although the ABS plastic used in their other products has been tested to ensure no chemicals leach out).

ZeroWater's carbon and ion-exchange filter reduces dissolved solids in water down to zero parts per million, which you can test with a total dissolved solids (TDS) meter that comes with the filter. The filters are also NSF certified to remove lead, chlorine taste and odor, mercury, hydrogen sulfide, chromium, aluminum, zinc and iron.

ZeroWater filters are available online at www.zerowater.com. Half-gallon pitchers are $39.99, and larger 2.5 gallon bottles are $119.99 for glass or $99.99 for plastic.

Click for information on the Mountain Lakes drinking water supply and Mountain Lakes Consumer Confidence Report .

Prescription Drug Disposal

An Associated Press investigation shows vast array of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -- have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans including 24 major metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit, Michigan, to Louisville, Kentucky.  So many prescription drugs -- and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.

One solution for proper medicine disposal is offered by SMARXT DISPOSAL. TM This public awareness campaign is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Pharmacists Association, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.  They recommend that you follow your medication prescriber’s instructions and use all medications as instructed. If you do not use all of your prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you can take a few small steps to make a huge impact in safeguarding lives and protecting the environment by disposing of unused medicines properly:

• DO NOT FLUSH unused medications and DO NOT POUR them down a sink or drain .
  
• Be proactive and dispose of unused medication in household trash. When discarding unused medications, ensure you protect children and pets from potentially negative effects:
  
• Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), crush it or add water to dissolve it.
  
• Add kitty litter, sawdust, coffee grounds (or any material that mixes with the medication and makes it less appealing for pets and children to eat) to the plastic bag.
  
• Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash. 
  
• Remove and destroy ALL identifying personal information (prescription label) from all medication containers before recycling them or throwing them away.
  
• Check for Approved State and Local Collection Programs. Another option is to check for approved state and local collection alternatives such as community based household hazardous waste collection programs. In certain states, you may be able to take your unused medications to your community pharmacy or other location for disposal.
  
• Consult your pharmacist with any questions.
  

New Jersey does not currently have an operational program to allow for donation of unused prescription drugs for redistribution to needy individuals.
If you want to donate unused medication, contact the The Starfish Project,  they will pay for all shipping costs of medications. If you would like to donate medical supplies, contact them and they can provide you with information on other organizations that collect medical supplies.

Making Fast Compost with Leaves

Bonnie found this article from Horticulture Magazine:  
Deciding to have an organic garden means doing two things: avoiding harmful chemicals and improving the soil. For many, banning chemicals comes as a no-brainer. Why would anyone choose to spread stuff that is hazardous to his or her personal environment? On the other hand, improving the soil, a huge part of organic growing, gets less attention than it deserves.

An important difference between “conventional” and “organic” growing is that conventional growing feeds the plant, while organic growing feeds the soil so it can feed the plant. Healthy soil provides everything a plant needs; the healthy plant shrugs off attacks by insects and diseases. A conventionally grown plant is a botanical junkie—it has to get that chemical fix or it will wither. Its immune system is weak, so without chemical protection, it dies.

Happily, soil improvement is cheap, easy, and guaranteed to be effective. Good soil is alive, literally. When school classes visit my garden or farm, I hold a double handful of compost out to the kids and tell them, “There are more living things in this than there are people in the world!” Their eyes pop open, but it is true. And the presence of beneficial microorganisms makes the difference between good healthy soil and the lifeless growing medium you find in some farm fields.

To bring soil back to life—or, rather, to bring life back to the soil—you just have to add vegetative matter. Compost is the classic method, but this is the best time of year to do it the easy way. Take all those leaves that fall from your trees, run over them with the lawn mower to chop them up a bit, and then spread them all over your garden, about six inches deep. Clear some space, a few inches wide, around the stems of trees and other perennials to keep mice from burrowing in. If you can get some straw or seaweed, spread those around too.

This is called sheet composting. By spring, most of what you laid down will have decomposed to make a lovely layer of worm-rich humus filled with beneficial organisms. Rake any still intact material aside as a basis for a new compost pile. Gently (you don't want to hurt those worms!) scratch the rotted material into the top three inches of the original soil, or plant right into it.

Do this every year, and your plants will thrive. No chemicals needed!

A Greener Cuppa Joe

Jeana drinks a lot of coffee! She always has a pot going in the kitchen but recently saw something on a website about energy usage and coffee makers. This website estimated that the average homeowner wasted $200 a year keeping coffee warm, this doesn’t include the cost of brewing the coffee. Her solution – use a Thermos to keep the coffee warm. Now she brews a pot of coffee, then transfers the liquid to the Thermos and unplugs the coffee pot. She has hot coffee all day and some extra money in her pocket!

She also started buying coffee from an organization called Grounds for Change. They sell organic, fair trade, shade grown coffees and are members of 1% for the Planet. The coffee she uses is grown by a women’s co-op. The only downer is that the coffee is shipped from Poulsbo Washington, which is adding to carbon emissions but she tries to offset this by buying a large quantity at a time (10-15 pounds).

I've been wrestling with this issue for several years. I first switched to a single-serve brewer but didn't like all the used pods it created. When that broke, I switched to a brewer that let me fill my own pod which was messy and that machine broke because the instructions stated that the machine had to be left on all day which I didn't do. I also became concerned about the water being in contact with plastic. This summer I switched to using a french press. This method brews excellent coffee and only requires the energy used to boil the water (on the stove or electric kettle). It can also be used to brew tea. According to Ideal Bite, about $400 million goes to electricity used for coffeemakers in the US. I've been getting my coffee from the SmartWorld shop in Denville.