06/27/14

Learning About Zero Waste in Jersey City

Did you know that each person produces 4.4 lbs of waste per day? Can Jersey City move towards “Zero Waste?”

Yesterday, I attended the “Jersey City Moving Towards Zero Waste Conference” in City Hall and I have to say it was an eye-opening experience. The speakers and panel discussions were informative and I learned about what some of my fellow citizens are doing right here in Jersey City, as well as what is being done elsewhere.

Mayor Steven Fulop started off the conference by talking about how important this topic is and his commitment to doing what he can and I will say that the food and beverages provided for the event were accompanied by a composting bucket and two separate clearly marked waste barrels.

The Mayor introduced Judith Enck, the Regional Administrator of Region 2 of the U.S. EPA, and we learned about initiatives around the country and the world in comparison to what we aren’t yet doing here. I know that the trash is a problem across this city and something has to be done to change people’s behavior. It’s not enough for a few people to care, but we have to change the way people think about trashing their own neighborhoods, as if there’s someone behind them ready to pick it up. There isn’t.

Did you know that the Jersey City trash is picked up and shipped out of state by rail cars? What a waste of time, effort and fuel.

Here’s a current tv commercial playing about recycling from the “Keep America Beautiful” campaign:

Maybe we need a “Keep Jersey City Beautiful” or “Jersey City Proud” brand campaign?

The speakers were: Debra Italiano, Founder and Chair of SustainableJC; PJ Wasinger, Upcycle Jersey City Artist; April Buther Wennestrom, Director, Affiliate Services, Keep America Beautiful; Dennis Whittinghill, Urban Farm Expert, and DamagedWear; Albe Zakes, VP of Communications, TerraCycle; Eric Silverman, Principle, Silverman; Aaron Klein, CEO, Greener Corners; Dale J. Carpenter, Chief Sustainable Materials Management, EPA Section 2; Gary Sondermeyer, VP of Operations, Bayshore Recycling Corp.; Sondra Flite, Environmental Specialist III, Bureau of Recycling and Planning, Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste; and Norman M. Guerra, CEO, Hudson County Improvement Authority.

The big topics of the day were recycling (what and how), what some of these companies are doing to spread awareness and get people involved, and composting.

Until yesterday, I had never heard of “Black Soldier Flies.” It’s not the flies themselves that eat the waste, but the larvae. Pretty interesting!

From Wikipedia:

Black Soldier Fly Larvae Composting

BSFL composting quickly converts manure or kitchen waste into an organic compost. In a compost bin, it can take only twenty days to start to compost. The resulting compost can be used for soil and fertilizers. After the conclusion of the compost process, the larvae can also be harvested as feed for poultry, chickens, and possibly dogs. On average a household will produce a little under a kg of food waste per day. This food waste can be composted at home using black soldier fly larvae much much faster than worms can do it. The BSFL will eat kilograms of scrap food a night in small composting units, eliminating your food waste before it can even begin to rot. This is probably the fastest composting technique. BSFL often appear naturally in worm bins, composting toilets, or compost bins. They can also be bought online. Without much added cost, these devices could be designed to also harvest BSFL.

About Composting from Wikipedia:

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At the simplest level, the process of composting simply requires making a heap of wetted organic matter known as green waste (leaves, food waste) and waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a period of weeks or months. Modern, methodical composting is a multi-step, closely monitored process with measured inputs of water, air, and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. The decomposition process is aided by shredding the plant matter, adding water and ensuring proper aeration by regularly turning the mixture. Worms and fungi further break up the material. Aerobic bacteria and fungi manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium. The ammonium is the form of nitrogen (NH₄) used by plants. When available ammonium is not used by plants it is further converted by bacteria into nitrates (NO₃) through the process of nitrification.

Compost can be rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and agriculture. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover (see compost uses). Organic ingredients intended for composting can alternatively be used to generate biogas through anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion is fast overtaking composting in some parts of the world (especially central Europe) as a primary means of downcycling waste organic matter.

— Susan Newman, founder, Frogs Are Green

Are you recycling and composting? Please share what you are doing to keep your neighborhood beautiful.

06/12/14

Eco-Interview: Rosa Da Silva, Author of Jabujicaba, The Heart of Brazil

When was your organization founded? Please tell us a bit about its mission, goals…

Jabujicaba the book was published as an e-book at the end of April 2014. The paperback version is coming out this month. Behind it is an idea. Literally a ‘novel’ campaign.

On June 2^nd 2014 the not-for-profit company Voices for Nature Limited was incorporated. This takes the campaign forward beyond the life-span of the book.

The people working on this creative project are young and green and Indie… but the ideas behind all this are long in the tooth.

What is your educational background and what led to creating this organization?

I am half German and half English. I grew up always on the move. I have lived in many different countries, including the US where both of my children were born. I speak lots of different languages. I would say I grew up with strong feelings for nature and none for national affiliations.

I studied Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge University (Spanish and German). It helps to explain my love for magic realism – Garcia Marques, Isabel Allende – Latin American authors – and German writers like Kafka and Brecht and socialist political art eg: George Grosz and Kaethe Kollwitz.

I worked in the environmental area for many years, with a professional background in policy, communications and campaigning. I was involved in the early days when social/human rights, economic and environmental agendas were merged into ‘sustainability’ – an unimaginative word. I have worked in many countries including Brazil and Africa.

Politically, I believe in intervention in the markets for the good of others. I think a civilized society needs to ensure fair and equal outcomes, not just opportunities (which we know not everybody is able to take advantage of). I believe people must always be intellectually curious and be free to question. I believe in activism and not turning a blind eye or the other cheek. I believe in courage. In the separation of church, judiciary and state.

Over the decades there has been no real progress on climate change or conservation. Climate change continues on the up and so does species extinction. Something is clearly not right about how we are trying to tackle these problems – we know so many facts, we can measure the path we are on and predict where we are going. As a species, human beings need to reconnect with all living creatures and realise our inter-dependence.

I think we can find the right path by re-engaging people emotionally so they feel part (and not in charge) of the natural world.

That is the impulse behind Jabujicaba the book and setting up Voices for Nature. But it is not just a feeling, it is a process of political engagement (with a small ‘p’).

What are some challenges you have faced and how did you deal with them?

Pursuing fairness is a huge and continual challenge in everything I have done in my varied professional career. I was always standing up and arguing with ‘authority’ whether it was with a teacher at school or bosses at work.

Being heard in all the noise of a global market place, which is a Babel, is a big challenge.

The only way forward is to keep repeating yourself and remembering core values and the goal ahead. But you can’t get to where you are going alone in life. You need the help of others. You need to inspire and lead and to do that you need to be empathetic and kind.

What can people do to help? Donate, and contribute to your cause? Other ideas?

I don’t want the interview to be about selling an idea or a project. It is for people listening to ask their own questions and maybe find some of their answers are aligned with mine. Then they might want to find more about what we are doing and help. They could maybe read the book. It has had good reviews.

How do you reach your targeted audience? Is it through your website, advertising or social media or another route? Which is most effective and why?

All possible routes are tried and taken, although we are trying to work bottom-up, Indie in everything. We wouldn’t say ‘no’ though if Harrison Ford stepped in to help our ambitions for a green Indiana Jones film! Sometimes ‘top down’ or celebrity endorsement can help you to get where you are going (although it is not without its dangers). Certainly we are using social media and word of mouth.

How do you keep the audience engaged over time?

By being happy, having fun, with lots of variety. Everything we do also has to ring an inner chord with the target audience of what really matters, the meaning of our existence, not just our individual life. Jabujicaba is not about simply ‘entertainment.’ Through our website we hope to engage people in other areas of their life – to campaign or to study or volunteer – or even just to take their children to the zoo but with a changed heart.

Tell us about your events around the world and some of the campaigns you have started.

When we made Jabujicaba the book available as a free download to test the audience, we found there was interest all over the world. About 700 copies were downloaded in 5 weeks.Take up is a lot less now, it costs a couple of dollars… We are still at the beginning of our journey.

Our campaigns, if you can call them such, involve around engaging with the books various stakeholders through interviews which explore the relationship between fact and fiction in the book. For instance, in the area of anthropology, with an anthropologist from Oxford University. Or in politics, with a green politician who did a ‘prequel’ meeting one of the characters in my book as a young man. Marco, who is the president of Brazil.

The focus of these interviews has been local and in the UK. We have tried to engage a little in the US, so far without success. It is hard not being there and time constraints mean you stay close to home.

Also the book is in English at the moment which restricts its target audience.

What is in the works for the future? What haven’t you yet tackled, but will want to do soon?

We are working on Jabujicaba the film and progressing step by step. Jabujicaba as a ‘novel’ campaign is timed to coincide with the World Cup and Olympics in Brazil. After that, we plan Voices for Nature to kick in with our film initiative. Through film we will reach a much larger audience with our messages.

Longer term, we would like to fund and reward young people’s creative projects for rainforest conservation, using royalties from the book/film – a bit like Sophie’s World – and grow to a forest (metaphorically and literally).

Bonus!

Jabujicaba is about diversity in our own societies too – and social justice. We need to tackle these issues too.

All on www.jabujicaba.net – but also @ArchieAiredale (my dog!)

05/31/14

Eco-Interview: Raphael Marius, Kiroja: Discover Something Wonderful

When was your organization founded? Please tell us a bit about its mission, goals…

I started Kiroja in July of 2010. However, the idea of starting something like Kiroja began to take root in sometime in 2000. In fact, I think I originally purchased the domain name around that same time. However, it wasn’t until an injury I sustained while visiting Morocco, that I really started to become more serious about the idea. It still took two more years before I did anything about it.

As far as our mission is concerned, Kiroja is committed to creating quality natural products, supporting women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship, and championing education in its many forms. As an organization, we source our products from women run co-ops and organizations that support women’s empowerment. In support of entrepreneurship, we have donated capital equipment to help small enterprises take the next step in their development. As individuals, we have volunteered our time to organizations and schools as near as your local elementary school, to schools and organizations in South Africa.

What is your educational background and what lead to creating this organization?

I have a bachelor’s degree in management and a master’s degree in international education. As I mentioned earlier, the idea of something like Kiroja began way back in the year 2000. While recovering from the injury I had sustained in Morocco, I had time to think about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. This led to my graduate pursuits and trips to Ghana, New Mexico, and India to meet with women operated cooperatives and partnerships.

What are some challenges you have faced and how did you deal with them?

A major challenge we faced early on was related to quality control. The sources that we deal with don’t have sophisticated machinery or delivery systems. As a result, we would often receive products, like soap that varied in size and shape. Or prepackaged products were also not in great shape when they arrived. Changes in temperature during the shipping process caused leakage and other issues. Since the co-ops were not around the corner, or even in my home country. It wasn’t easy returning damaged items for new ones. Also, what was the guarantee that the new items would be in any better shape? There was another issue. I didn’t want to put a hardship on the women who ran the co-ops. They couldn’t be expected to constantly exchange damaged product for free. I actually had to put the company in mothballs for a bit to try and solve the problem. At one point, I almost decided to abandon the project and move on to something else.

It may sound weird, but it wasn’t until the middle of last year that I came up with a solution: formulate and package the products in the states. I worked with a designer to create a logo and labels. I switched from plastic containers to amber glass for our butters. I learned as much as possible about Shea Butter (both East and West), Argan Oil, product formulating, and a host of other things related to natural body care.

What can people do to help? Donate, and contribute to your cause? Other ideas?

People can help in many ways. Obviously, one way is to purchase our products. The more we sell, the more we can order from our sources. However, people can also help by volunteering their time to organizations that support education and women’s empowerment. One of the issues that is very important to me and formed the basis for my thesis research is getting men involved in preventing sexual and gender based violence.

How do you reach your targeted audience?

We do this in various ways. We take advantage of vending opportunities, like the Green Festival that just took place in April on Pier 94 in New York. We are on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. We also advertise in magazines like NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association). We also have our company website, Kiroja.com. You can also find our products in several NY and NJ stores. A couple of the stores that carry our products are actually organic farms.

Is it through your website, advertising or social media or another route? Which is most effective and why?

I think the best way has been word of mouth and when I actually get to talk to a potential customer. In those situations, I’m able to answer any questions they may have and talk about the quality of our products and our mission. This takes time. Although people are familiar with Shea butter, Argan Oil, and other products, They don’t always know the difference in quality. In some cases, what they have been buying may not even have been Shea Butter.

How do you keep the audience engaged over time?

What I try to do (though I’m not always consistent) is create blog posts and updates on Facebook. We notify our customers of upcoming events and opportunities. We also ask some of our customers to try samples of new products we are planning to launch.

http://www.kiroja.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kiroja/1418986274987173

https://twitter.com/Kirojashea

http://www.pinterest.com/kiroja/

03/2/14

My Green Dream – Children’s Appreciation of the Arts

Each Fall Frogs Are Green hosts a Kids’ Art Contest. It gives me such a thrill when hundreds of children from around the world answer that call.

These children are enrolled in after school art programs. Their parents must realize how important it is to enrich their child’s education and encourage them to express themselves through art.

I grew up in Queens, New York, and my parents enrolled me in ballet and piano lessons, and my father, an accountant by day and an artist by night, would sit with me and teach me how to draw a house or a tree. He was so excited when I chose art as my career and began my higher education at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

My brother and sister and I were introduced to a thriving cultural world. We would get dressed up and head into New York for the circus, Ice Capades, ballet, museums, Broadway theater and opera. This gave me a rounded appreciation for the arts that I still feel.

Is this culture missing in children’s lives today?

I will tell you that the submissions to the 2013 contest yielded 450 entries, but only a few came from the USA. My only conclusion is that children in this country are not being taught arts appreciation the way I was decades ago. Is this due to the digital age of games and apps, or the economy and arts classes/programs being cut? When children spend their days watching TV and playing games that others have created, and they are not learning how to express themselves, this will hurt them later in life. I’m sure of it.

When I see the artwork that comes in from kids between 3 and 12 from Estonia, Australia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, South Africa, Macedonia, Serbia, India, China and so many other countries it’s clear from their skills that they are not learning just about art but conveying their own personal messages about the state of the environment and how they feel about frogs. The USA is just not seeing how important this ability to self-express is, and so it must change for the next generation.

I’m happy to share that The Distillery Gallery & Artspace in Jersey City, New Jersey does have art classes for kids (as do a few other places here) on Saturday mornings, and it is partnering with Frogs Are Green to bring our “Green Dream” to life and show why children need this education in their lives.

Opening on April 4 and running through April 27, “Green Dream” will be an International Children’s Earth Day Exhibition. It will be the first time Frogs Are Green is showcasing the amazing artwork received over the years. Many of the works will be hung on the walls and a digital projector will show hundreds more. The children in The Distillery art classes will also be showing their frog pictures and are creating flower pots.

I hope you will celebrate with us on Earth Day (4.22), Save the Frogs Day (4.26) and join us with your children for this extraordinary event. If you would like to learn more and support this effort to increase environmental awareness and heal the planet, visit the Indiegogo campaign here:

Green Dream – International Children’s Earth Day Exhibition – Indiegogo Campaign

Video by Brandon Somerton, Filmmaker

02/9/14

Enhancing Your Eco-Friendly Garden to Attract Frogs and Toads

Guest post by Jeriann Watkins

There are a few different reasons you might want frogs and toads in your garden. They do a great job of keeping bugs away. They’re fun to watch after rainstorms when they hop in puddles and through wet grass. They serenade you to sleep at night (ok, that may be a bad thing, depending on whether you like croaky serenades).

As much as you may like frogs and want them in your yard, you should never take it on yourself to place them there. Frogs do not do well when removed from their habitats. Also, you want to be sure that your garden is home to native species, not invasive ones that will do more to harm your private ecosystem than help.

The best way to attract any wildlife to your garden is to emulate what the land would do itself. Trees, shrubs, bushes, and vegetation that would normally grow in your area are most likely to attract native insects, which will in turn attract frogs and toads.

To the human eye, frogs are pretty unassuming. Some people don’t like the slimy appearance. Whatever your opinion, you probably don’t see them as vicious. But they are fierce predators with large appetites, so if you have the environment and the bugs, they will come.

Courtesy of New England Nature Notes: Image copyright Daniel E. Levenson 2013.

Choose plants that retain moisture and offer shade. Frogs love cool damp environments, mostly out of necessity. Mulch and compost piles are also great for attracting frogs. They’re a).moist b). full of bugs and c).dark.

There are a lot of plants that are poisonous to frogs. If you have a vegetable garden, you’ll want to avoid planting these items near your pond or areas where frogs are likely to congregate:

Eggplant, Rhubarb, Snowpeas, Potatoes

For landscaping and flower gardens, you’ll want to avoid:

Honeysuckle, Azalea, Hydrangea, Daffodils, Hyacinth

For more info, check out this more exhaustive list of plants that are poisonous for amphibians and reptiles.

Frogs and toads are important for the environment, and are great for maintaining healthy eco-systems. While displacing wildlife to improve your garden will always backfire, you can enhance your garden and landscape to attract creatures that do need food sources and shelter. It’s a symbiotic relationship in that you’re helping them so they can help you.

10/16/13

Feeding the Birds for Fall Migration

Guest blog by Ernie Allison

Fall migration is a beautiful time to watch birds form large flocks and travel conspicuously across the land. This is a time when birds need a lot of energy, and will actually change their diet to increase their calorie intake. There are a lot of things we can do to help.

Before I start, no my friend, feeding birds does not usually affect bird migrations. Now that we have that out of the way, here are a number of things everyone should know about birds and bird feeding in this season.

Squirrels are Greedy Hoarders

If you’re planning to feed birds this fall, your greatest enemy is the evil squirrel. These cunning critters can figure out how to break into pretty much any feeder and they will just take it all and hide it away. Squirrels don’t know how, or simply don’t care, to share with anyone or anything. Don’t let yourself be moved to pity by their fluffy tails and cutesy mannerisms. They probably all have several winters worth stored up already. Invest in a squirrel proof bird feeder so that the birds have something to get them to the south.

Birds are Independent

You don’t need to worry about accidently domesticating a bird or causing dependence. Birds prefer to find their own favorite treats, especially insects and berries, and will supplement, not replace their diet, with the seeds and fats you offer in your feeder. So feel free to offer a way station on the long journey to their winter homes.

Birds are not Handicapped

For whatever reason, some people are afraid that birds just cannot handle eating sticky goo, like peanut butter. That isn’t true. Birds are perfectly capable of eating delicious slop, just like everybody else. In fact, the fat and protein in peanut butter is exactly what birds need to help them survive the taxing fall migration, so don’t be shy about mixing peanut butter in with your bird seed.

What you should be careful about is providing the regular over salted peanut butter that we enjoy so much. That isn’t good for anyone, us or the birds, so get something with less additives.

Easy feeding

You don’t even have to go buy a bird feeder to be helpful. After breakfast, grab all the leftover crumbs from your cutting board and plates, soak them in the leftover bacon grease, and throw it outside. The birds will find it and be glad for it.

Be messy in your garden. Let the leaves lie for a while so the bugs come and live in them for the birds to find and eat.

As a special bonus, birds will remember your location for next year, and return for another taste, so you can get another good look and maybe a nice picture.

About Ernie Allison

Ernie Allison lives in beautiful Idaho. He strongly believes in wildlife conservation and spreading awareness to issues concerning birds and nature in general. He writes extensively about nature all across the internet, and you can find his other works here.

Frogs Are Green

Environmental Organization Helping to Bring Awareness About Frog Decline Around The World

Category Archives: Environmental Health