Encouraging Local Politicians to Go Green
Being “green” is trendy right now, which means that many politicians are open to ideas promoted as green. While that is great news for the environmental movement, that doesn’t mean that local politicians always get what it really means to make green decisions. There are a few substantial ways that you can push local politics a little closer to your tree-hugging ideal.
Hiring a sustainability coordinator is a must-do for any mid- to large city. In Kentucky, that would include Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Paducah, Covington, Newport, Richmond, Bowling Green, and Berea, at a minimum. Other, smaller areas can hire someone on a short contract or part-time, but sustainability coordinators are important there, too.
These coordinators often work for a percentage of what they save the city in energy usage. They work to decrease energy use by putting better workflow habits into place, improving water and sewer lines, suggesting better vehicles, and making other changes.
In addition, a solid recycling program also is a necessity for all towns and cities. Good recycling programs can make money for cash-strapped local governments. It isn’t enough just to have recycling but push local politicians to work on a public education campaign about what can be recycled and how valuable it is to the Earth and the city’s bank account.
Green spaces hold a growing importance in our concrete world. New developments should have a minimum percentage of the land dedicated to green spaces, and the city should have spaces with trees and grasses as well. Being out in nature is excellent for our physical and mental health, and it encourages people to care for the environment.
These three ideas are just the tip of what local activists can help bring about in their cities. Working to create a greener tomorrow in Kentucky is a lengthy, but rewarding, process.
Green living are Not as complicated as you might think
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Most everyone in America has heard about or knows someone who is actively living the green lifestyle. This is a trend that is becoming more popular as the years go by. Why do they bother doing this? The answer is simple, conservation. People are making a whole hearted conscience effort to save water, electricity and taking that extra step further to recycle and reuse items.
It is doing simple things like filling up a ½ gallon container with water and placing it in the toilet tank to save water. Call your electric company and have them inspect your home to see how efficient your windows are and teach you how to save using electronic devices that control electric. If you take a moment, separate and recycle plastic, glass, and paper. They can be made into other things that the consumer can eventually use. Nothing is wasted and the result is less trash in the landfills.
Even the large manufactures have jumped on the band wagon to help the green effort. They make and sell products that are used specifically for conservation purposes. They make things like sprinkler heads that use less water, sprinkler system timers, and the like. For the people that like to tinker in the garden, outdoor solar lighting is a wonderful green choice and works as good as regular electrical outdoor lighting. Another interesting product would be the rain barrels that catch water so that gardeners can use the water to water their plants. Using the barrel means that you are not using drinking water. After all, rain is free.
One of the top reasons for living a greener life is for our grand children and their children. We want them to have the same resources that we are enjoying today. In order for that to become a reality, we all must do our part to conserve. Make a list of all the things you are willing to do to help the environment, and then put those words into action. Once you begin, you will find it rewarding and you will be influencing others along the way.
Recycle! Go Green!
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There are many issues the Green Party supports, one being recycling. Recycling has been an issue for many, many years. Although it has been included in lesson plans in the school system to teach children early on, starting in elementary school, it continues to be an on-going problem. Parents need to take a more active role in recycling so their children will continue recycling into their adult years.
With today’s economy many people have turned to recycling to make a little extra money. These people that put their pride aside and go along the streets late at night the night before trash pick up or early in the morning the day off to sift through people’s garbage looking for recyclable goods. They will then take their collection of goods to a local recycling center and get reimbursed cash for it.
Is it really that hard to recycle? Many would say yes, but please, how hard is to have an extra trash can or bin next to your garbage can to collect recyclable products. Recycling centers accept aluminum, glass, plastic, and paper. You can either use one bin to collect the products or separate bins for each type of recyclable. At the end of the week either set the container on the side of the street on trash pick up day or take your collection to the local recycling center. Or, if you know of someone who does collect recyclables for extra income, why not call them and have them collect the items from you.
Look for the “Recyclable” symbol on the products that are recyclable. There are many recycling symbols but the most commonly used one is the symbol with three moving arrows forming a triangle. The Green Party has many ideas and articles on how to recycle. Everyone, everywhere, can recycle. Do the right thing and help the environment. Go Green!!
Recycled Christmas Trees?
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Recycling Christmas tress? Who has ever heard of such a thing? Well, it’s true. A Christmas tree, once covered in twinkling lights and decoreations and that brought joy to the Christmas holiday, can be recycled to help the environment in many ways.
One such way is to turn it into mulch to use in community parks and gardens, as well as playgrounds for children. The mulch is also used as a cushion on pathways for hikers. Many communities offer mulch free of charge to residents for their own personal use.
Another way that Christmas trees can be recycled is placing them in the wilderness creating protection for small animals. It gives them a place to hide from predators as well as protect them from harsh weather. There is an ongoing problem with erosion in the wetlands. For years the wetlands have been building fences by lining up the recycled Christmas trees. This has helped prevent the erosion saving acres of marshland. Christmas trees are also dropped in lakes or ponds giving fish protecttion at the bottom by providing a structure they can hide, feed, and reproduce.
Believe it or not, many Christmas trees are used as fuel. A company in Wisconsin has the trees gound up and uses it to fuel it’s paper mill and a company in Vermont have trees chipped and they burn them to generate electricity for power companies.
Choosing to use a live Christmas tree over an artifical Christmas tree is an enjoyable way to save the environment. The artificial trees do not decompose in the landfill, but, the live Christmas tree you have enjoyed over the holiday can be reused in many ways. Instead of leaving your live Christmas tree at the curb for trash pick up, look into contacting your local munincipality for locations to drop your tree off or to learn of scheduled pickup days.
