Methodists for a Greener Earth Tips


We are now recycling batteries! There is a box outside the Social Hall where you can place your used batteries and we will properly dispose of them through the City of Redding.

Guidelines for Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs: Toss unwanted drugs in trash mixed with coffee grounds or kitty litter and place in a sealable plastic bag. whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact.html

Green Tips by Verna Johnson

(Got a tip for us? Email us at reddingumc@shasta.com.)


#27 (1.14.2010) - New Year's Resolutions
1. Re-use, recycle shopping bags.  Local stores refund, per bag: Raleys  $ .05;  Safeway  $ .03; Holiday - points; Winco $  .06 -- Other ways we can help: Give your extra bags to someone who doesn't have them.  Give reusable bags as gifts.
2. Limit plastic water bottle use.  Instead, use a home water filter system and use your own permanent bottle.  There's no logical explanation for regular bottled water use: It costs more, offers less & pollutes our planet “unforgivingly”.  Each year hundreds of thousands of sea birds & marine life die in the ocean from digested plastics mistaken for food.  (LA Times)

#26 (12.17.09) – Food #5
We control the vote for healthier food when we make our purchases at the grocery store.


#25 (12.03.09) – Food #4
“In Defense of Food, An Eater’s Manifesto,” is a short, simple & witty read by Michael Pollan, which points out that what we’re eating today is not food, but “edible food like substances, no longer products of nature, but food science, packaged with health claims that should be our first clue that they’re anything but healthy.”  He teaches us how to “escape this diet,” to re-learn which foods are healthy & will enrich our lives… “Most of the wisdom about food is old, traditional & not surprising.”  Now in our Wesley Library, courtesy of Barbara Pierce.

#24 (11.12.09) – Food #3
Federal mandates for corn-based ethanol used 30% of the 2008 crop, helping triple corn prices from 2005.
For most of the last decade the world has consumed more food than it's produced.
From 1950 to today the world has experienced the largest population growth ever.
Increasing demand for food, feed & biofuels is a major driver of deforestation.
Nitrogen fertilizers, made from natural gas, pollute aquifers & streams.
Using compost instead of natural-gas-derived fertilizer increases organic matter in soil, sequestering carbon & holding moisture.
From June, 2009 National Geographic

#23 (10.29.09) – Food #2
1.  Avoid foods containing unfamiliar, unpronounceable food products or that
include high-fructose corn syrup.
2.  Avoid products that make health claims. (Fruit Loops healthy? Please!)
3.  Shop in peripheries of the supermarket, where fresh food is. 
4.  Eat meals, not snacks.
5.  Eat plants, especially leaves.
6.  Don't get your fuel from the same place your car gets gas.               
7.  Eat slowly, at a table.
From Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma," & "In Defense of Food."
Contributed by Cathy Lefler 

#22 (9.17.09) - Food
More of Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food" rules to 'chew' on:
1)Eat well-grown food from healthy soils. (Sugg:Farmers' Market)
2)Eat wild foods when you can.
3)Eat like the French, Italians, Japanese, Greeks, Indians.
4)Avoid soy except tofu.
5)Avoid the traditional diet: meat, dairy, sugar, refined grains.

#21 (8.27.09) - Read Labels
In short: Read labels; avoid corn derivatives. (From Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma," courtesy Cathy Lefler.) Pollan has also written, "In Defense of Food." Both are excellent reads. Also, did you know that electric fans use 90% LESS energy than centralized air conditioning? (from the Sierra Club)

#20 (6.25.09) - The difference in these products is how they end...
On June 10th, the Record Searchlight (www.redding.com) ran an article on compostable plates and utensils. Most disposable items are made of petroleum-based polystyrene or styrofoam and will never break down. Two new companies: Eco-Products, Inc. www.ecoproducts.com and Earth Essentials www.cvs.com have products that break down in compost in 45-120. Try it out at Green Go's Cafe on Dana Drive. Or stop by the church office and check out our sample bowls. Sharon Muto used her bowl for cold cereal and then put a plant cutting in it for future planting (bowl too)!

#19 (6.11.09) - Farmer's Markets
The next time you're in the supermarket, looking at tomatoes from Mexico, bananas from Ecuador & grapes from Chile, think about the fuel it took to ship them to Redding. How green is that? Then treat yourself to one of our local Farmers' Markets. Redding's Certified Farmer's Market schedule:
Saturdays- City Hall, Cypress Avenue, 7:30-12:00
Sundays- Turtle Bay, 8:30-12:00
Tuesdays- Marilyn Miller Market, Churn Creek at Dairy Queen, 7:30a-12:00 Noon
Thursdays- Shasta Co. Fairgrounds, Anderson, 7:30a-12:00 Noon
Thursdays- Marketfest, Downtown Redding, 4:00-8:00PM

#18 (5.28.09) - How Green Is Your Garden?
Are you adhering strictly to a truly eco-friendly garden & landscape? Here are some important things for us to watch:
1. Overwatering. This causes runoff, which takes with it topsoil, fertilizers, pesticides & herbicides. They end up in storm drains & waterways, disrupting ecosystems & ultimately posing health risks to us.
2. A gasoline-powered lawnmower, used for an hour, pollutes as much as 40 cars on the road do for an hour.
3. Random spraying puts beneficial insects at risk. Also, 7 million birds die each year from residual effects of consuming insects poisoned by our backyard pesticides.

#17 (4.30.09) - Read & observe to learn how to reduce your carbon footprint on our God-given earth.
It's in nearly every type of newspaper or magazine we pick up, you can't miss it. The nightly news has it, there are special TV programs about it, it's on the internet. Look around you; folks are planting gardens, eliminating plastic use, recycling, walking. Let's all jump on the band wagon!

#16 (4.16.09) - It’s Spring, why not jump on the bandwagon & plant a garden. Some tips:
1. Ask for advice. Gardeners love to answer questions & give advice.
2. Buddy up. Offer to help someone with their garden in exchange for vegetables.
3. Keep costs down. Split seed packets with friends, have a seed exchange
4. Lend a hand. Offer to dig up a garden plot for a senior citizen.
5. Save water. Use mulch & plant your plants closer together.
6. Be upfront. Mix a few plants into your front yard landscaping.
(Article, courtesy Melinda Brown, People of Progress, Record Searchlight.)

#15 (3.5.09) - Safer, Effective Cleaning Alternatives
1. Baking Soda-cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.
2. Borax-cleans, deodorizes, disinfects & softens water. Cleans wallpaper, painted walls &
floors without damaging their finish.
3. Cornstarch-clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets & rugs.
4. Soap-unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable & will clean
just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates or fragrances.
5. Washing Soda-cuts grease, removes stains, softens water & cleans walls, tiles, sinks &
tubs. Very effective, so use with care; don't use on aluminum.
6. White Vinegar-cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains & wax build-up.
7. All-Purpose Cleaner-Mix 1/2C vinegar & 1/4C baking soda (or 2 t. Borax) into 1/2 gallon
water. Store & keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom
chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc.
These products are easier on God's Green Earth than many other cleaners with harmful ingredients
in them.

#14 (1.22.09) - Skoy Earth Friendly Cloth (Review by Sharon Muto)
I saw the article in the Record Searchlight on Sunday, January 11th – Distinctively Green, An Alternative to Paper Towels. I promptly ordered on-line and received by Skoy cloths in 5 days. The cost was $8.39 for a 4-pack (including tax and shipping). The cloths that arrived were bright and friendly. I immediately had to try them out. I got my cloth wet, wrung it out and went to town. My peach colored cloth did the dishes, wiped down the counters, scrubbed the ceramic cook top and moved on to clean the bathrooms (including mirrors), scrub floor tiles, remove shoe marks from walls, stains from carpeting (with Oxy Clean), and not only wash the car, but dry it too. The cloth still looks like new! The cloths are durable and do not leave any color transfer. I definitely believe Skoy’s claim that one of their cloths replaces 15 rolls of paper towels. The only draw back is that I quit before my Skoy cloth! Article: www.redding.com (search “Skoy”) To order: www.skoycloth.com

#13 (1.08.09) – Recycle Phone Books

Quote from "Earth Talk" - Record Searchlight:
More than 500 million phone books, nearly 2 for every American, are printed and distributed annually in the U.S., using 19 million trees. 1.6 billion pounds of paper are generated for this production, 7.2 million barrels of oil are used, not counting fuel for delivery. Production also uses 3.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and generate 268,000 cubic yards of solid waste to landfills, not including the books themselves. What can we do: www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.com is a website you can go to ask not to have them delivered.

#12 (12.18.08) – Recycle Packing Foam

If Santa leaves a sleigh full of foam packaging material at your house, you can recycle it at  Wrap-N-Pack, 2205 Hilltop.  Phone: 222-6842

#11 (12.4.08) – Eco-Smart Christmas Trees

Can cutting down a tree ever be eco-smart? Absolutely, says the 22,000-member American Christmas Tree Growers Association. This year they planted 47 million trees in North America, with most farmers planting up to three seedlings for every tree that was harvested. Tree farms not only enhance the beauty of our land, they create a lush habitat for wildlife, which is a lovely gift for our planet! Christmas trees are a crop just like any other agricultural product, such as potatoes, corn, etc. And they are completely biodegradable. After Christmas you can use the boughs to blanket perennial beds & shrubs. You can chip the entire tree & use the wood chips to mulch flower beds or to cushion garden paths.

#10 (11.20.08) – Alternative Christmas Faire

For Christmas giving this year, why not visit our Alternative Christmas Faire on Sunday, December 7, & purchase a gift that will not only make a loved one happy, but will help our world be a better place to live. For example, Heifer International uses donations to send cows, goats, chickens, honeybees, etc. to those in need. Or we can buy Fellowship Cafe's Fair Trade Coffee & Chocolate. 10,000 Villages will have a booth with gift items made by artisans from around the globe. These simple resources help people all over the world become self-reliant. Chocolate!!!!

#9 (11.6.08) – Farmer's Markets

Agriculture is a close second to our vehicles in use of energy.  Think of tractors, combines, harvesters, irrigation, sprayers, tillers, balers.  Even bigger gas guzzlers on the farm are synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides.  That's not including drying, milling, cutting, sorting, baking, packaging, warehousing, and refrigeration. But the lion's share of energy is consumed during transport.  Each food item in a typical U.S. meal has traveled about 1,500 miles. Small changes in our buying habits can make big differences. If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally & organically raised meats & produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week…that's not gallons, that's barrels. Becoming a less energy-dependent nation starts with us, as in "Let It Begin With Me."


#8 (10.23.08) – Reduce Paper Usage

The average American uses over 700 pounds of paper a year. Here are a few things we can do to significantly lower that number:

  1. When using a copier, always make 2-sides copies.
  2. Before you recycle paper, use the other side for note taking, etc.
  3. Avoid using an extra page as cover sheet; use "fax sticky notes" when faxing.
  4. Eliminate need for disposable beverage cups by using glasses & mugs at home and at work. Same idea for dishware.
  5. Use cloth washable dinner napkins, rags to replace paper towels.

#7 (10.9.08) – Take a Renewable Energy & Sustainable Building classes at Shasta College:

#6 (9.25.08) – Build Environmentally Friendly.

Lassen Volcanic National Park South Visitor Center is environmentally friendly.
  1. Sited the building on previously disturbed land with an existing utilities infrastructure.
  2. Yielded 1,500 tons of reusable concrete, asphalt & gravel from removal of the old chalet on existing property, saving 60 dump trucks from driving 60 miles round-trip to Chester.
  3. Diverted 50 tons of steel from the landfill & recycled it at a local scrap yard at no cost to the park.
  4. Built almost entirely out of local lumber from sustainable forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
  5. In landscaping design, used native species & no-irrigation plantings to promote soil stabilization, facilitating natural succession of additional native species.
  6. Used water-conserving restroom fixtures with automatic sensors.
  7. Used finish materials with a high recycle content in countertops, carpet & tiles.
  8. Designed roof overhangs to shade windows during summer; in winter when the sun angle is low, direct light will help heat the building.
  9. Is cooled by natural ventilation, an earth-friendly cooling/partial heading system, using the natural temperature of the earth via a ground loop heat pump system with pipes buried underground nearby.
  10. Used only ultra long-lasting & energy-efficient LED lamps.

#5 (9.11.08) - Lower Pesticides

#4 (8.28.08) – Visit Your Local Farmers' Market

#3 (7.31.08) – General Green Tips

  1. Do full loads of laundry, not partial ones. Use your solar clothes dryer.
  2. When showering, turn off the water while you shampoo.
  3. Don't let the water run when you brush your teeth.
  4. Cut back on just one car drive a week. (Did she say, "Stay home"?!)
  5. Accelerate gradually. Use cruise control. Don't top off your tank.
  6. Idling more than 2 minutes uses more fuel than restarting your engine.
  7. Select foods from nearby growers. (Our Farmers' Markets are wonderful!)
  8. Recycle & bring your own grocery bags.
  9. Use compact fluorescent bulbs; they cost more initially but last much longer & use less energy.
  10. What's your AC thermostat set at? Try raising it just 1 degree this summer.
  11. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater to at least 120 degrees.
  12. Turn off your computer & monitor when not in use; even "standby" mode uses power.
  13. Read labels to determine products made from "green" ingredients: solvents, etc.

#2 (6.26.08) - No Hybrid? Here’s how to save gas:

  1. Slow Down…save 21 to 71 cents per gallon…for each 5 mph over 60, you pay an extra 15 cents a gallon.
  2. Drive Consistently … 15 cents to $1.01 per gallon…speeding, braking and quick acceleration wastes gas.
  3. Get A Tune-Up…13 cents per gallon…poorly tuned engines burn more gas.
  4. Replace Dirty Air Filters…up to 31 cents per gallon…dirt, dust and bugs cause your engine to work harder.
  5. Pump Up Your Tires…up to 9 cents per gallon…under inflated tires cause more resistance and wear down more quickly.
  6. Use The Right Oil Grade…3 cents to 6 cents per gallon…the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil and one labeled “energy conserving” will reduce friction in the engine.

#1 (6.12.08) - Use Cloth Grocery Bags

Did you know the following supermarkets are giving us money for using our own plastic/paper bags? Your bags don't even have to be their brands. Think of all those bags that won't end up in our landfills/oceans!!
Also, we can obtain cloth bags for this use, or for other uses, by contacting Virginia Erickson, 221-1798. They'll also be available at our UMW Bazaar in early November but we think you'll want them before that!