Ready, Set, SHOP! Buying Green for the Holidays

James Stevenson, Pinellas County Extension Specialist, Urban Sustainability

Welcome to the "12 Days of Green" this hooliday season. Our first is a three-part installment that will hopefully help you in making decisions when composing your holiday shopping lists.

Green Products
Holiday green. Holiday greenery. Greenbacks. Have you got “green-fatigue” already? Well, try to relax and we will help you not get overwhelmed by all the choices to be made in looking for and purchasing green products. Remember Vestina Crayton’s article on “Greenwashing,” and the tips offered in previous posts.

What purchases increase during the holidays? What green options are available?

We’ll cover gifts in later posts, but just think of what purchases increase during the winter holidays: Extra food, decorations, cards, and the fuel used to zoom around making these extra purchases all add up. Green choices will help reduce the strain on the wallet, and in turn may benefit the environment.

Food: What is “green food?” Not just veggies! When making choices about holiday meals, treats, snacks, etc., consider the source of the ingredients. You may want to purchase organics in an effort to satisfy “green guilt,” but as Jan Wade-Miller points out in Timely Topics: “On average, fresh produce in the United States travels anywhere from 1,300 to 2,000 miles from the farmer to the consumer -- a process that creates enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses. These food miles partially cancel the benefits of organic farming.” Buying locally grown produce has an immediate environmental benefit.

Decorations: Again, consider gussying-up your home this holiday with recycled items. Many thrift stores keep re-usable decorations ready for sale during this time of year. No sense in importing MORE plastic from overseas if there are suitable baubles already here! Consider supporting local green-grocers who often offer greenery, plants and flowers sourced much more locally than the big retailers. Supporting local business is great for our economy.

Cards: The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year n the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one card less, we'd save 50,000 cubic yards of paper. (Use Less Stuff) Consider sending an electronic card. The following are some examples of what is available on the internet:
American Greetings
Hallmark
Yahoo Greeting Cards

Finally, as with the rest of the year, plan your trips wisely. Jetting out the door for one cup of sugar wastes your valuable time as well as precious petroleum! Relax and plan your shopping trips to avoid unnecessary travel.

Preventing Food Waste at Holiday Time or Anytime

Here are some great tips for avoiding waste (and waist!) this holiday season, provided by Nan Jensen, Pinellas County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent

Shopping:

Don't shop from memory. Using a list helps you buy just what you need and prevents you from buying too much of some items and forgetting others.

Don't shop hungry. It only increases the chances of making impulse purchases that you won't be able to finish.

While buying in bulk can save you money, it can cost you more if you purchase items in large quantities with a short use-by date. Buy those items in large quantities that you will be sure to use.

Buy perishable foods such as fruits, vegetables and meats in smaller quantities that still meet the needs of your family.

At Home:

Like restaurants, follow the FIFO (First in, First Out) rule. Check your fridge on a regular basis and bring foods that will need to be disposed of soon to the front to encourage family members to eat it, or use as ingredients in the next meal you prepare. Do the same in your food pantry.

Make sure your refrigerator is set to the right temperature (40 degrees or below).

Store those holiday foods properly. Improper storage generates massive amounts of food waste. Make sure you have the right tools for the job such as airtight containers. Those containers that once held the margarine, cottage cheese or sour cream simply won't go the distance.

Learn how to freeze your food for better storage. Most foods freeze well and can be wrapped in portions to prolong storage and make it easier to pop them in the microwave for a quick lunch. Vegetables freeze best if they are blanched first. Meat and fish can be frozen raw or cooked but should be wrapped tightly.

Plan your holiday meals well in advance. This way you can ensure you have the ingredients you need on hand and can reduce extra spending and waste.

The best way to eliminate food waste is to not create it in the first place. There are particular meals you prepare that seem to generate more waste than others. If the leftovers will be eaten the next day, that’s fine. If not, then you really need to look at portion control by reducing the amount you cook, making enough of course to satisfy those growling tummies.

Learn how to use leftovers in recipes. The rice left over from dinner one night can made into fried rice for another meal. Brown bananas can be sliced, sprinkled with honey, and frozen for a snack or can be baked into banana bread or muffins. Stale bread can be used for French toast, bread pudding or croutons for salad.

Practice “waist control”. In a society where obesity is hitting epidemic proportions - overeating is waste. If you eat more than your body needs, you'll gain weight so get realistic about your portion sizes. For more information about portion control check out the following site: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/learn-it/distortion.htm

Get Ready for Green Holidays!

Beginning December 4th, Pinellas County Extension will be posting a new article to its online green newsletter, Thinking Green, every weekday on topics related to green holidays. Tips and facts on food, family, gifts and decorating will be covered. Join us for the “12 Days of Green” this holiday season! Visit http://www.pinellascountyextension.org/ to sign-up for this free, online newsletter.

Season’s Greenings – Holidays for a Healthy Planet
Join us for a fun, interactive presentation on having a green holiday! This is the time of year when families gather to celebrate. Exchanging gifts, decorating homes, and sharing meals are common activities. Join us to learn how to keep the green in your holiday celebrations. Participants will take home handy tip sheets for sustainable gifts, decorating and meal ideas. There is no fee for this program. Pre-registration is required. Recommended for adults, suitable for children ages 12 and up.

Saturday November 29th from 1:00-2:30 at Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center. To register, call: 453-6800

Saturday December 6th from 1:00-2:30 at the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center. To register call: 453-6500

Saturday December 13th from 10:00-11:30 at Pinellas County Extension. To register, visit http://www.pinellascountyextension.org/ and visit our new Online Class Registration from the main page.

Get to Work at Going Green

by Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

Here are some simple things you can do to be GREEN at work:

• Print double-sided whenever possible.
  
• Narrow your margins to reduce paper.
  
• Reuse the back of a one-sided document for drafts before you recycle the paper.


• Use reusable mugs and dishes for your drinks and food during the day to reduce waste.


• Ask for and order recycled content office paper, supplies and products. Buying recycled content helps turn recyclables into new products.
  
• Turn off your lights when not in your office.
  
• Turn off your computer screen when you are away from your desk for long periods of time.
  
• Turn off your computer when not in use.
  
• Open window blinds to let in natural sunlight and turn off overhead lights whenever possible.
  
• Turn off vehicles when stopped. Idling vehicles waste energy and cause increased pollution.
  
• Use recycling containers at your desk and in common areas for unsoiled paper, cans and bottles to reduce waste going to the landfill.
  
  Remember to take the At Work Pledge at: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/sustainability/index.shtml

Clean and Green

James Stevenson, Pinellas County Extension Educator, Urban Sustainability

OK, cleaning the home is not really everyone’s favorite job, which is why it is called houseWORK and not housePLAY. But consider the potential human and environmental impacts added to the insult of having to undertake this regular chore. Many common household cleaners contain substances that can lead to a potentially harmful indoor environment.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/) Americans spend an average of 90 percent of our lives indoors. Couple that with the evidence that indoor environments can be more polluted that the air in industrial cities, perhaps it is time to consider protecting our indoor environment!

From the laundry room to the toilet bowl, we can purchase products to keep our whites their whitest and that kill 99.9% of germs. This puts us in contact with some materials that have to be safely handled due to potential risks. To name a few: Sodium hydroxide is found in some oven cleaners, and some drain cleaners contain a powerful caustic which can cause burns to the skin and eyes. Chlorine might be found in laundry and dishwasher products and is another cleaner that should be handled carefully. Furniture polishes, air fresheners, carpet shampoo, and cosmetics can impact our indoor air quality in the comfort of our homes.

UF researchers have compiled a list of green alternatives to some of the above products. The publication can be found at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE791. It covers not only alternative cleaners, but practices that can help prevent the need for some more toxic substances in the home.

Of course there are many green cleaning products on the market as well, with more added everyday. These less-toxic or non-toxic products have traditionally been more expensive than their non-green counterpartsbut the increased demand has begun to lower prices on green alternatives.

To ensure the product you wish to purchase really is green, be sure to read “Greenwashing: Be Aware" in the Thinking Green E-newsletter


Resources:
Hazardous Household Chemical Disposal: http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/hazardous.htm
Hazardous Household Substances: Alternatives That Are Relatively Free of Toxic Effects: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE791

Check Your Green Commitment NEW Pledge On-LINE

Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

How many times have you forgotten those reusable bags before you went to the grocery store? Making a new green practice part of our daily routine takes more than just understanding the positive impacts of that practice. Research shows us that knowledge alone does not change behavior. Don’t we all have firsthand knowledge of that fact when we struggle to put into practice those healthy lifestyle practices that tons of research shows improves our quality of life. That is what the Check Your Green Commitment is all about. It is a piece of the puzzle to making a commitment stick for a new green practice. When we put into writing our commitment to make a behavior change, we are much more likely to follow through on that behavior change. It just works!

Pinellas County Extension is launching our next generation of commitments. We have kept is simple, with just three commitments each in four categories: At Home, At Work, On the Road and For Kids. You can select one or more new practice, select your choice to implement that practice and let that commitment begin to work its magic. If you have already implemented all the commitments we offer now, there will be a whole new set in about six months. Thank you to all those who responded to our follow-up evaluation on the last commitments. 100% of the participants who responded reported that the commitment has improved both the implementation of a new practice and the frequency of practices that they committed to. That is a pretty good record for those who used this as a tool for change. Click the above image to go directly to the new pledge.

The commitments will be located right on the front page of the Sustainable Living web page at Pinellas County Extension. They are easy to find and easy to take. Also on this page , you will find some interesting green facts, a new green interactive game and an evaluation to take after you have implemented your new practice (preferably at about three months after you take the pledge). So don’t let the common barriers to changing to green practices – forgetfulness and inconvenience – side track your efforts. Break down those barriers one at a time and more forward to a more sustainable lifestyle. Let us know what you think are some of the most troublesome barriers to change. We have over 1,000 people who have already taken the pledge – try it and see how it works for you.

Resource:
Making Your Community Green: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW263

Market in the Park Opens November 1

Location: Pinellas County Extension and Florida Botanical Gardens
12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo
When: Each Saturday: 9 am – 1 pm

Mary Campbell, Pinellas County Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

Fall is a wonderful time of the year in Florida and even more so with the opening of farmer’s markets and green markets that give us an opportunity to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. Market in the Park opens November 1, 2008 – April 18, 2009 each Saturday 9 am – 1 pm. This popular market attracted over 1,000 visitors each week to Pinellas County Extension and the Florida Botanical Gardens in its first year. It is conveniently located right off Ulmerton Road, parking is free and access is easy. The Market has fresh produce, local honey, coffee specialties, fresh baked breads, cheeses, natural dog treats, plants and much more. More vendors are signed up this year, so visit the market to see all the new items.

Buying local products is both green (environmentally friendly) and sustainable (good for the economy, society and environment). Locally grown vegetables – which travel less distance – are fresher and you are supporting local growers and businesses that put that money back into the local economy. Reducing the distance that food travels saves on the carbon emissions and air pollution. By supporting local farms near suburban areas and around cities, you help keep farmers on the land, and, at the same time, preserve open spaces and counteract urban sprawl. In the US, the average grocery store’s produce travels nearly 1,500 miles between the farm and your refrigerator. About 40% of our fruit is produced overseas. Even though broccoli is likely grown within 20 miles of the average American’s home, it travels an average of 1,800 miles to your table.

Extension has many programs planned to complement the Market such as healthy cooking, rain barrels, composting, going green, children’s activities and horticulture programs. Please go to the Pinellas County Extension calendar at http://www.pinellascountyextension.org/ to see the full list of programs each Saturday. Remember to bring your reusable shopping bag. Free reusable bags will be given out to the first 100 people who take the Check Your Green Commitment Pledge to stop using plastic bags on November 1 at the Market. Visit the market and support local businesses that are a part of a sustainable community.

Resources:
Market in the Park: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/market/index.html
Buy Local: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/sustainability/sustain_local_grown_food.shtml