May 21 2009

Encouraging the Next Generation

One of my favorite parts of owning the Blue Ridge Eco Shop is being able to go into schools and talk to students.  This week I was afforded the opportunity to talk to two ends of the age spectrum.  I taught classes at both the Montecello High School and Crozet Elementary School.  I believe if we start teaching kids now, they will grow up with knowing what actions are sustainable and won’t have to change bad habits.

This week I was teaching composting to both schools.  It always amazes me when I teach at elementary schools or preschools that the youngest ones have heard of composting and most are already composting at home.  But speaking with juniors and seniors on Tuesday, I was shocked once again.  Only one student, of all the students I taught that day, had even heard of composting and the majority didn’t understand why we would want to divert waste from a landfill. What happened to the field trips to the dump and local landfills to show kids where our trash is taken and show that it really doesn’t disappear?

There must be a generational education gap between the 17 and 18-year-old and the elementary age.   It is exciting to see these elementary school age kids grow up with the composting concept as a part of their everyday life.  I remember in 6th grade my municipality started curbside recycling.  This was still ahead of most places.  Along with the recycling, the city started charging through trash stickers, per bag of trash.  My 6th grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Heigle, started a contest with all of the 6th graders at Jones Middle School.  Each of our families were tasked with trying to have the least amount of trash each week.  And on trash days we would all report how many, or more frequently, that we had no bags of trash. I learned the impact of our waste on the environment and from that age started looking at my personal waste habits. 

Growing up with recycling was a way of life for me.  And these kids are growing up with composting as second nature.  What else can we teach this next generation?

Posted by Paige at 10:47 AM 0 comments
May 4 2009

Think Green!

With Earth Day last month I was extremely busy.  I was all over Charlottesville and the state of Virginia talking "Eco-Living" to businesses and community groups.  It was very inspiring, yet slightly frustrating.  It got me thinking about why we don’t celebrate Earth Day everyday?

Many businesses and organizations made it a priority to honor Earth Day last month by bringing in speakers, circulating education and even making company changes for the special day.  If we can make such an emphasis one day a year, why can’t we continue that momentum everyday?  Using alternate transportation or having zero waste once does make a difference, but it makes even more of a difference if we were to continue that habit throughout the year.

So in honor if it NOT being Earth Day or even Earth Week, I wanted to remind myself and others of some stagering statistics and encourage each of you to continue being green minded everyday!

  • Lowering your thermostat 2 degrees will lower your energy bill by 10%.
  • Americans consume 26% of the worlds energy.
  • About 95% of the water entering our homes goes down the drain, one quarter down the toilet–be mindful when you flush and if you are considering a new fixture, dual flush toilets are now equivalent in price to standard toilets.
  • 1 drop/minute equals 2,700 gallons each year–fix that leaky faucet or toilet!
  • Up to 2/3 of most household trash can be composted–Composting is easy, start today.  Don’t know how?  Come into the Blue Ridge Eco Shop, we would love to teach you.
  • The average roof collects 25,000 gallons of rain each year–make a difference and buy or make a rain barrel.
  • A gas powered lawn mower pollutes as much in an hour as a car driving for 100 miles–need a new mower?  Consider a Brill push mower–works just as efficient without the pollution.

If you are considering buying a rain barrel, or own one already, the County of Albemarle now offers up to a $30 rebate for residents who install rain barrels.  Stop into the shop to pick up a rebate form! Downloadable Form

Posted by Paige at 4:26 PM 3 comments