Blog Posts

Dig up your driveway

9/15/2022

There are some good reasons that you might consider digging up some or all of your driveway to restore permeable surfaces and vegetation. Elizabeth Waddington outlines some of these reasons on www.treehugger.com. She points out that "when rain falls onto driveways and other areas of hard paving, it cannot soak into the ground. Instead it creates runoff, which collects harmful toxins and pollutants from the surface along the way, rather than being filtered and cleaned by plants and soil."*

If your driveway is old and due for resurfacing, consider replacing the entire driveway with permeable material. Another alternative is to just have a strip down the center that can be planted with low-growing vegetation and leaves the harder surface on the side for the car wheels. Waddington also points out that driveways are often constructed more wide than needed, so reclaiming area on the sides helps reduce the overall impermeable surface.

We reap multiple environmental benefits from reclaiming the area covered by driveway. Waddington points out that "we bring back biodiversity, keep things cooler, and aid people and the other creatures with whom we share our space. Your frontage will look much better, and the space you reclaim can be used for plants which bring a huge range of local and broader environmental benefits."*

*https://www.treehugger.com/dig-up-driveway-5441607?utm_campaign=treehugger&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cn_nl&utm_content=28210549&utm_term=
Photo by Brian Robinson, Flickr

Tennis balls are made from plastic--when they are beyond repair, get a tax deduction and ship them for free to recycleballs.org

9/8/2022

Old tennis balls can be recycled at Recycleballs.org, which offers free shipping. Jessian Choy describes the reasons to recycle tennis balls on www.sierraclub.org:
"Tennis ball fuzz is made from plastic like PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which gets worn away and becomes microfibers that turn into dust we breathe in."*
RecycleBalls grinds the rubber, which is then used as a construction material for tennis courts, playground turf, stucco, and equestrian turf and keeps tennis balls out of landfills.

*https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/ask-ms-green/how-do-i-recycle-used-tennis-balls?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Photo by Old Photo Profile, Flickr

You are more likely to find a bargain buying an older electric vehicle, made more attractive by the new EV tax credits

9/1/2022

Buying an electric vehicle is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint by decreasing burning of fossil fuels. Just as for gas-powered cars, there are some advantages to buying a used EV. David Kuchta describes these advantages on TreeHugger.com. You may be able to save money on the purchase of used EV because, "given the quick pace of advances in battery technology, EVs depreciate faster than gasoline cars, so you are more likely to find a bargain."* As more charging stations are installed, the need for a longer battery range is reduced. Kuchta points out that "while older electric vehicles have less range than newer models, advances in vehicle range have leveled off in recent years; manufacturers realize that few people need vehicles with ranges over 200 or more miles."* In general, the cost of running and maintaining an EV, new or used, is lower than that for gas-powered cars, and the overall price can be further reduced by taking advantage of federal tax breaks.

*https://www.treehugger.com/buying-a-used-electric-car-6499502?hid=5cca5cc09cf857f7c3ce2406e7447b3b9236437e&did=828004-20220822&utm_campaign=treehugger-daily_newsletter&utm_source=treehugger&utm_medium=email&utm_content=082222&cid=828004&mid=95184956872

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker, Flickr

Bring your reusable bags to the Swarthmore Farmers Market: vendors will stop giving out plastic bags starting October 1st

8/18/2022

Swarthmore is taking the first steps toward joining the movement to reduce the use of single-use plastics. Starting October 1st, vendors at the Swarthmore Farmers Market will stop giving out plastic bags for purchases. Remember to bring your re-usable bags when you visit the Market. You can also reuse plastic bags that you have already accumulated. You can also consider other ways that you can reduce your use of plastic bags and better protect your produce as a result: bring hard-sided containers, such as mason jars or dairy tubs, to bring home berries, cherry tomatoes, or other delicate produce.

Single use plastic shopping bags are hard to recycle; they are not accepted curbside and must be taken to participating stores with specific recycling bins for bags. Too few plastic bags end up being recycled. Instead, they pollute the environment, choke waterways, and clog recycling sorting equipment. States such as New Jersey, Delaware, New York, and Washington State, and local municipalities such as West Chester and most recently Media have already banned merchants from handing out plastic bags for purchases.

For the first few weeks of the transition at the Swarthmore Farmers Market, donated reusable bags will be available for shoppers who don’t have their own bags. In preparation, the Market is accepting donations of re-usable bags. There will be a bin available at the Manager’s Table at the market each week to drop off reusable bag donations. Bring your extra reusable bags to the Market to help out with this effort!

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

Add Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy to your summer reading list.

8/11/2022

In his latest book Nature’s Best Hope, University of Delaware professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology Doug Tallamy describes actions private landowners can take to protect ecosystems in their own yards. To help counteract the impacts of habitat loss on plant and animal populations,

Tallamy suggests how to transform backyards into productive ecosystems, providing information about the most beneficial plants to use and which to remove. Add Nature’s Best Hope to your summer reading list and start putting into action the transformation of your own yard into a beautiful, native ecosystem!

Make your own mosquito trap with a bucket of water and Bti dunks

8/4/2022

Bti is a naturally occurring toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis. The dunks work by killing mosquitos in their larval stage. The larvae eat the Bti spores, which release a toxin into their guts and causes them to stop feeding. Bti is not toxic to humans or other mammals, birds, or fish. Therefore, it is safe to use in water sources that do not drain off your property, such as rain barrels or ornamental ponds. Doug Tallamy suggests a method of using Bti dunks to create a trap to reduce local mosquito abundance since most species of mosquitos travel less than one half mile from where they breed: Place water in bucket with straw and let it ferment for about 4-5 days; the larvae feed on the algae and microorganisms that grow on the straw, so this entices female mosquitos to lay their eggs in the bucket. Wait one week then add a dunk. Because Bti only kills aquatic fly larvae, you can safely dispose of the water by dumping it onto your lawn.

Closing your curtains or blinds in summer during the day reduces heat gain in your house, decreasing cooling costs.

7/28/2022

With these soaring temperatures in late summer, staying cool is a challenge. There are simple steps that you can take to reduce the temperature rise in your house and thus cut the cost of cooling. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, windows are an entryway for heat into your house. You can reduce heat gain in your house by 45% by covering you windows. Closing draperies can reduce the increase in heat by 33%. The best effect comes from draperies of medium-color that have white-plastic backings. Blinds and cellular shades are even more efficient, reducing heat gain by up to 60%. Exterior options for reducing heat through windows include window awnings can reduce solar heat gain by up to 65% - 77% depending on the direction that the window faces.

Photos by Susan O'Donnell

Look for new plant-based dog treats that smell and taste like real meat

7/20/2022

Reducing the amount of meat in your diet contributes to reducing your carbon footprint. But can you convince your pets to make this switch? Mary Jo DiLonardo on Treehugger.com reported on dog treats created by Bright Planet Pet that are made with vegan ingredients but taste like meat. Owner Katherine Ellson points out that production of "plant-based products create fewer carbon emissions and use less water than meat-based pet treats."* She points out that we can make more sustainable choices for our pets. "What food our pets eat has a global impact and if we can reduce how much meat they eat, we can help reduce climate change and make the earth healthier."* As an additional contribution to their sustainable practices, "the company also plants a tree for each bag sold."*

*https://www.treehugger.com/plant-based-dog-treats-smell-taste-like-meat-5441603?utm_campaign=treehugger&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cn_nl&utm_content=28133403&utm_term=

Photos by Siobhan O'Donnell

Keeping old cars longer can help the environment more than buying new electric cars

6/30/2022

If you own a fuel efficient gas-powered car, a study from the Journal of Industrial Ecology suggests that you should hold onto it longer rather than running out to buy an electric vehicle right away. It takes a lot of energy to make a new car, and these researchers determined that 24% of a car's lifetime carbon emissions is a result of the manufacturing process. Even building electric cars has a carbon footprint.

As reported by studyfinds.org, the study concludes "that if car owners keep their vehicles on the road 10 percent longer before sending them to the scrapyard, the overall carbon footprint of cars would decrease by 30.7 million tons. That’s the equivalent of a one-percent decrease in CO2 emissions. Researchers say the reason of this is manufacturing new vehicles actually produces more greenhouse gases than continuing to drive existing cars — even if they use gasoline. The environment would also see a benefit if owners of brand new cars kept their vehicles longer before trading them in. Study authors say there would be a one-percent drop in carbon footprint if new car owners hold on to their rides 10 percent longer."*

*https://www.studyfinds.org/keeping-old-cars-help-environment-more-than-new-electric-cars/

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker, Flickr

Synthetic activewear sheds microfibers that pollute the ocean each time it is worn and washed. Look for brands that are committed to low-impact materials such as organic cotton, Tencel, hemp, and bamboo

6/26/2022

You can reduce the impact your active wear has on plastic pollution by buying those made with less synthetic material and adopting good clothes washing habits. Neeti Mehra reports on treehugger.com that "conventional activewear is made from synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, and spandex and often uses dyes that can harm the environment. For more eco-friendly clothes, you can choose among many alternative fabrics, such as organic cotton, econyl, hemp, Tencel, bamboo, and material made from recycled plastic (though for stretchiness there will be synthetic materials blended in)."* Mehra suggests air drying your clothes to help make them last longer and reducing microfiber shed by filling "up your washing machine to reduce friction between clothes. Opt for a natural liquid detergent and wash at cool temperatures on shorter cycles."*

*https://www.treehugger.com/best-sustainable-workout-clothes-5201554

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

<<Previous

Forward>>