By Patricia Houser
For Nature’s Sake
Patricia Houser
For those looking to set goals or create new habits, the new year can be the start of better caring for the planet that supports us all.
The three categories for action recommended below are chosen for their frequent appearance in advice lists from expert sources, but also for their relevance to environmental challenges in Connecticut.
1. Ditch plastic. Experts agree when it comes to plastic, we should all prioritize the first of the four “Rs” in “refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle.” The excess plastic in today’s world has led, among other things, to contaminated soil and water, air pollution, human exposure to dangerous toxins and macroscopic pollutants, and worsening climate change (plastic has been dubbed “the new coal”). I have written about this in a previous column (The Plastic That is All Around (and Inside) Us).
In their substantive online report about plastics and microplastics, the Connecticut-based research group Environment and Human Health adds a helpful list for individuals to reduce plastic use. The list includes advice to: a) choose reusable products over single use ones; b) select alternative materials to plastics, like glass, especially for storing food and microwaving; c) encourage others to use the four Rs through your social networks; d) bring small reusable mesh bags (like those sold at the Milford Point Audubon) to the grocery to hold produce; e) choose products packaged in non-plastic containers, from eggs to milk to dishwasher detergent; f) do not line trash cans or wastepaper baskets with plastic bags; and g) keep a reusable metal or glass water bottle – not plastic.
2. Quit idling. If someone were to print up a flyer with a list of toxins that pour out of the tailpipes of an idling vehicle – perhaps to hand to people sitting in parked cars with their engine running – the list would include nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, fine particulate matter (pm2.5), and benzene (a carcinogen). A previous column here (No Time to Be Idle(ing)) highlighted facts like: an idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollution than one traveling at 30 miles per hour, and, ten secondsof idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it.
For the sake of human health and to fight climate change, I recommend: a) following the Connecticut law that says cars and trucks must not idle for more than three minutes (there’s an exception if they are in traffic or the temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit); and b) inquiring whether your local PTA has an interest in obtaining no-idling signs, free to schools, from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Another option is to organize a group to study the Idle Free Toolkit for a Healthy School Environment from the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. Children are more sensitive to air pollution because they breathe 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults.
3. Reduce food waste. As reported by the New York Times in a Jan. 1 story, “the average US household wastes nearly a third of the food it buys.” That translates into wasted land, water and energy used in growing the food – taking a toll on economic and environmental health. When food is sent to rot in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is at least 28 times as potent at carbon dioxide. In fact, the excess air pollution (emissions) created at every stage by food ultimately discarded in the trash contributes more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than even all the emissions caused by the airline industry, according to the Washington Post.
Among organizations encouraging individuals to pay attention to the issue, the US Food and Drug Administration has an article, “How to Cut Food Waste and Maintain Food Safety,” which starts with advice to: a) be aware of how much food you throw away; b) don’t buy more food than can be used before it spoils; and c) plan meals and use shopping lists.
Other experts emphasize the importance, for ending emissions from rotting food, of composting banana peels and coffee grounds, for instance, rather than sending them to landfills. The state DEEP website offers resources for any individual or school or community group willing to compost, including a factsheet titled, “Compost Has A-PEEL,” and instructional videos and links to businesses and state programs that support composting.
Those who would like a slightly longer list of options for sustainable living will find an excellent resource on the website from Columbia University’s Climate School titled “The 35 Easiest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint.” A popular graphic presentation on the subject is “100 Things You Can Do to Help in the Climate Crisis: In Case You Need Help Getting Started,” created by artist Sarah Lazarovich for YES Magazine. That depiction of a climate-friendly “to-do” list is available online but also displayed in poster form in the Milford City Hall, sponsored by the Milford Environmental Concerns Coalition.
Patricia Houser, PhD, AICP, shares her exploration of local and regional environmental issues in this column as a member of the nonpartisan Milford Environmental Concerns Coalition.