Amy Hogan November 11, Advocacy Project. Save Our World

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1 Advocacy Project Save Our World Global climate change will affect people and the environment in many ways. Some of these impacts, like stronger hurricanes and severe heat waves, could be life threatening. Others, like spreading weeds, will be less serious. And some effects, like longer growing seasons for crops, might even be good! However, as the Earth keeps getting warmer, the negative effects are expected to outweigh the positive ones. The more we learn about how climate change will affect people and the environment, the more we can see why people need to take action to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. We can also take steps to prepare for the changes we know are coming. Heat waves, severe storms, air pollution, and diseases linked to climate already threaten people's health in many areas of the world. Global climate change will increase these threats. Some people will be particularly at risk, especially those who are poor, very young or elderly, or disabled, or those who live in coastal areas or big cities. This topic relates to early childhood education because taking care of our planet is a responsibility that should be taught at a young age. This matter affects everyone, and is one of great importance. 1 P a g e

2 Compost Composting reduces the amount of waste each of us sends to the landfill. In fact, up to 30% of the material we send to landfill is organic and could be composted at home. Composting has other benefits too. Applying finished compost returns nutrients to the land, holds moisture in gardens and on lawns, contributes to watershed health by controlling run-off and naturally fertilizes and provides structure to the soil. 1. Find a suitable location Convenient - so you'll use it. Sunny - the compost builds up its own heat and likes heat, too! Well drained - too much moisture can cause problems with your compost. 2. Start your compost pile on bare earth. This allows worms and other beneficial organisms to ventilate the compost and be transported to your garden beds. 3. Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps ventilate the pile. 4. Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist and dry. Moist ingredients are food scraps, tea bags, seaweed, etc. Dry materials are straw, leaves, sawdust pellets and wood ashes. If you have wood ashes, sprinkle in thin layers, or they will clump together and be slow to break down. 5. Add manure or green manure (clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass, grass clippings) or any nitrogen source. This activates the compost pile and speeds the process along. 6. Keep compost moist. Water occasionally, or let rain do the job. 7. Cover with anything you have - wood, plastic sheeting, carpet scraps. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. Covering also prevents the compost from being over-watered by rain. The compost should be moist, but not soaked and sodden. 8. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This ventilates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning adds oxygen. You can skip this step if you have a ready supply of coarse material, like straw. Once your compost pile is established, add new materials by mixing them in, rather than by adding them in layers. Mixing, or turning, the compost pile is key to aerating the composting materials and speeding the process to completion. 2 P a g e

3 Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio All compostable materials are either carbon or nitrogen-based, to varying degrees. The secret to a healthy compost pile is to maintain a working balance between these two elements. Carbon - carbon-rich matter (like branches, stems, dried leaves, peels, bits of wood, bark dust or sawdust pellets, shredded brown paper bags, corn stalks, coffee filters, conifer needles, egg shells, straw, peat moss, wood ash) gives compost its light, fluffy body. Nitrogen - nitrogen or protein-rich matter (manures, food scraps, green lawn clippings and green leaves) provides raw materials for making enzymes. Build your own compost bin - Buy a compost bin P a g e

4 Recycling Recycle more in the bathroom Common items in the bathroom that you can recycle include: Shampoo and shower gel bottles. Liquid soap dispensers. Aerosol cans, such as shaving foam and deodorants. Just make sure they are completely empty. Plastic cleanser and toner bottles. Plastic bleach bottles and toilet cleaning products. Cardboard toilet roll cores. Plastic cleanser and toner bottles. Toothpaste and toiletry outer cardboard boxes. Cardboard packaging that comes with toothbrushes and razor blades. Recycle more in the bedroom Common items found in the bedroom that you can recycle include: Tissue boxes. Cardboard labels and paper packaging on new clothes. Magazines. Cardboard outers for toiletries, such as the packaging from creams and perfumes. Glass perfume bottles. Aerosol deodorant cans. (Just make sure they are completely empty) Nail varnish remover bottle. Recycle more in the kitchen We are very good at recycling our cans, plastic drink bottles, glass bottles, paper and cardboard. Below is a list of other less frequently recycled items you may find in your kitchen that can also be recycled at home. Beverage cartons from milk, juice and soup. Food tins and large sweet and biscuit tins. Milk and yogurt bottles. (Tubs may be accepted, please check with your local contractor.) Detergent and washing up liquid bottles. Tissue boxes. Soap dispenser bottles. Sauce and jam jars. Vinegar and oil bottles. Plastic disinfectant bottles. 4 P a g e

5 Window cleaner bottles. Wine and beer bottles Soda cans Polystyrene (cups, food trays, egg cartons, etc) does not biodegrade. Ask if your recycling center accepts polystyrene for recycling; many now accept this material. Try to reduce your use of this material. Any plastic packaging or bottle marked with these symbols (usually on the bottom of the pack), can be placed into your household recycling bin. You can also check with your local contractor for a full list of recyclables they accept. Recycling Tips Put storage bins in place - The key to a successful home recycling program is the storage bin setup. Once you learn which materials your local recycling center accepts set up a corresponding storage bin system. The garage is a good place to locate the bins; if using an open car port the lids will need to be covered to secure the contents from pests and wind. Once your system is set up, recycling is easy! Many supermarkets have bring banks for glass, so make your shopping trip your regular recycling trip, to save time and fuel. Label recycling bins to ensure materials are separated correctly. Use plastic bags or totes to store materials for recycling. Paper bags can be leaky, and rip easily. Try to use smaller containers, as they will be easier to lift when full. Ensure all cardboard and paper is kept clean and dry. Flatten all used cardboard boxes and remove any plastic inserts or windows. Fold used paper rather than scrunching it up, as this aids segregation and takes up less space in recycling bins. Ensure all glass bottles s are cleaned and rinsed of any residual liquids. This helps keep flies and wasps away by removing any sugary residue. You don't need to scrub off the labels, since they will burn up when the glass is melted down for recycling. Keep glass colors properly separated Food and aluminum cans should be cleaned and rinsed, placing lids inside the washed cans and finally squash for maximum efficiency of collection systems. Recycle all plastic containers with the number 1 and 2 placed inside a triangle, usually on the base. These cover items such as plastic drinks bottles, milk bottles, shampoo bottles, detergent and washing up liquid 5 P a g e

6 bottles, soap dispenser bottles and shower gel bottles; as well as yogurt drink bottles. Rinse these thoroughly and remove the final contents. Wash and squash before placing in your recycling bin. Recycle your used batteries. All shops selling batteries have collection boxes for the return of used batteries. Recycle any old or broken electrical items in your local recycling centers or by returning them to an electrical shop. Under law all shops selling electrical items are required to take back old used items. Recycling Statistics The average person generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. Although the EPA estimates that 75 percent of solid waste is recyclable, only about 30 percent is actually recycled. The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years. 6 P a g e

7 Recycling at Home Abilities Unlimited and Legacy Landfill offer a recycling program to residents of Jonesboro. The city delivers and picks up blue bags at residential homes within city limits. The blue recycling bags are for all glass containers, all plastics with lid opening smaller than container, all aluminum and steel cans. They ask that all bags be filled full, tied tight, and only contains acceptable items. The City also picks up newspaper and corrugated boxes. The newspaper must be bundled or placed in a plastic department store bag and corrugated cardboard boxes must be flattened. For more information on recycling please contact the recycling center at , Legacy Landfill at , or City Sanitation Department at If you live in the county and are interested in recycling please go to your city hall or the landfill for a bag and the bag will need to be delivered to the landfill or Abilities unlimited for processing. 7 P a g e

8 A Complete list of what is considered as recycling material and not recyclable. YES: All office paper White paper Colored paper Newspaper (bags and strings removed) Magazines (all types) Catalogs (all types) Phonebooks (all types) Junk mail Paperboard Tissue boxes Heavy weight folders Paper towel and toilet paper rolls Food packaging (un-waxed only please) Shredded paper (in plastic bag to minimize blow-away potential) Paper milk, juice and soy milk cartons (should be clean and empty) Books: all soft cover, hard covers should be ripped off Empty paper coffee cups (plastic lids removed) YES: Pizza boxes (food and wax paper removed) Corrugated cardboard Brown paper bags Boxboard (i.e. shoeboxes, gift boxes, cereal boxes) YES: Metal and tin beverage containers Metal and tin food containers Aluminum foil Aluminum take-out containers Aluminum pie plates and trays Kitchen cookware: metal pots, pans, tins and utensils Glass (wash out all food jars) YES: All colors glass bottles and jars Clear glass Green glass Brown glass Blue glass 8 P a g e

9 Glass food containers Beer and wine bottles YES: All plastics numbers 1-7 Food and beverage containers Screw top jars Deli-style containers Clam-shell take-out containers Plastic cups (lids and straws removed) Milk jugs Soap bottles Clean grocery shopper bags and retail plastic bags (no other type accepted) Plastic jugs/bottles: soda bottles, laundry detergent jugs Please wash out all food jars! ALL cardboard boxes must be broken down. Remember all recyclable material must be clean or free of contaminates regarding food products. If you are unable to clean the item, then it will have to be placed with common household trash. The following material is known as common household trash and is not recyclable. NO: Napkins Tissue paper Paper towels Wax paper Wrapping paper Any paper product which has the potential to be contaminated with bodily fluids Cardboard NO: Cardboard lined with plastic (i.e. bubble wrap boxes) Waxed/waterproof cardboard NO: Motor oil cans Metal and cardboard containers contaminated with oil based products Paint cans 9 P a g e

10 NO: Light bulbs Mirror glass Window glass Ceramic or marble Crystal Reusable Items Carrier bags and twist ties. Carrier bags can be reused in the shops or as bin bags around the house. Paper bags make useful wrapping paper and twist ties can be used to secure loose items together, such as computer wires. Envelopes By sticking labels over the address you can reuse envelopes. Alternatively, old envelopes can be used as scrap paper to make notes on. Jars and pots. By cleaning glass jars and small pots, you can use them as small containers to store odds and ends. Newspaper, cardboard and bubble wrap Make useful packing material when moving house or to store items. Old clothes can be made into other textile items such as cushion covers, blankets, or quilts. Packaging Such as foil and egg cartons can be donated to schools and nurseries, where they can be use in art and craft projects. Scrap paper Can be used to make notes and sketches. Don t forget to recycle it when you no longer need it. Tires Old tires can be given to your local petrol station where they will be recycled. Or you could make a tire-swing by tying a strong rope around a tire and attaching it to a tree. Used wood Can be used in woodcrafts for making objects such as a spice rack or a bird table. Alternatively it could be used as firewood. 10 P a g e

11 Reducing Waste Each year, we Americans generate millions of tons of waste in our homes and communities. Most people don't realize that waste is linked with global climate change. How? The manufacture, distribution and use of products - as well as management of the resulting waste - all use energy that results in greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, and contribute to climate change. By recycling your waste, you reduce the amount of materials that need to be manufactured and, thus, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing and diverting food waste and yard waste reduces methane emissions in landfills. Methane is another, even stronger greenhouse gas. By committing to reduce, reuse, and recycle at home, and by using more resource-efficient materials, we can reduce our households' and communities' environmental footprint, help with climate change and conserve our natural resources. Top 10 Ways to Reduce Waste 1. Bring reusable bags and containers when shopping, traveling, or packing lunches or leftovers. 2. Choose products that are returnable, reusable, or refillable over single-use items. 3. Avoid individually wrapped items, snack packs, and single-serve containers. Buy large containers of items or from bulk bins whenever practical. 4. Be aware of double-packaging - some "bulk packages" are just individually wrapped items packaged yet again and sold as a bulk item. 5. Purchase items such as dish soap and laundry detergents in concentrate forms. 6. Compost food scraps and yard waste. Food and yard waste accounts for about 11 percent of the garbage thrown away in the Twin Cities metro 11 P a g e

12 area. Many types of food scraps, along with leaves and yard trimmings, can be combined in your backyard compost bin. 7. Reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive. The average resident in America receives over 30 pounds of junk mail per year. 8. Shop at second-hand stores. You can find great used and unused clothes at low cost to you and the environment. Buy quality clothing that won't wear out and can be handed down, whether to other people you know or on to a thrift store. 9. Buy items made of recycled content, and use and reuse them as much as you can. For instance, use both sides of every page of a notebook before moving on to the next clean notebook. Use unneeded, printed on printer paper for a scratch pad. 10. Also, remember that buying in bulk rather than individual packages will save you lots of money and reduce waste! Packaging makes up 30% of the weight and 50% of trash by volume. Buy juice, snacks, and other lunch items in bulk and use those reusable containers each day. 12 P a g e

13 Green Schools 13 P a g e

14 Example Stories Polar Bears Out of an Ice Age emerged one of our most majestic creatures the polar bear. Intelligent, adaptable and fierce, the polar bear learned how to survive in a place that offers few comforts to any creature. But now that very environment is in flux, and so is the polar bear s fate. The Arctic is changing. As temperatures slowly rise and the ice recedes, the shore is getting further away. Food sources that the polar bear have come to rely on are becoming less plentiful. In this changing climate, the polar bear is already showing signs of distress. Ten Effects of Global Warming Bill Nye The Science Guy explains the damaging effects of global warming P a g e

15 November 11, 2014 Honorable Mayor Perrin Jonesboro City Hall 515 W Washington Ave Jonesboro, AR Jonesboro Public Schools Mayor Perrin, As a Jonesboro resident and a local teacher, I am concerned with the lack of recycling options in our community. I recently moved to a new neighborhood in Jonesboro and was surprised by the fact that my neighborhood is without residential or commercial recycling pick-up services. I am aware of a few drop-off recycling locations in Jonesboro, such as TRG Jonesboro and Hummelstein Iron & Metal. Unfortunately, they are very limited in what materials they accept. Some locations only accept certain items, which would require you to drive to several different locations to drop-off your recyclables. Therefore, they are not a sustainable solution for our community, which is why I want to get a recycling program started for the Jonesboro area schools. Many people who don t have recycling pick-up services decide it is too much of a hassle to recycle, and as a result American s generate millions of tons of waste in our communities. If we are able to start a recycling program in our local schools, parents and students could bring all their recyclables to our drop off locations for us to handle. Many people are unaware of the appropriate recyclable materials, so we would implement an education program on what materials can be recycled. Most families don t realize how much of what they are throwing away could be recycled. Community members would not have to separate their materials, as we will have separate bins to put them in the proper category. It is never too early to educate our students about our effects on the environment and how they can do their part to take care of our Earth. Recycling is just a small part everyone can do to make a big difference. If we start educating our children with school recycling, hopefully those good habits will transfer over into adulthood. School recycling programs are a hands-on, interdisciplinary lesson that educates students about the environment, personal responsibility, community action, and solid waste management. School recycling programs not only impact students and their families but also impact communities and the overall waste diversion in a community. Please consider my proposition in starting a recycling program in our Jonesboro area schools - we can all do our part. Thank you, Amy Hogan 15 P a g e

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17 Opposing Arguments 17 P a g e

18 Resources Complete-list-of-what-is-considered-as-recycling-material-and-notrecyclable1.pdf P a g e