74 results for author: Owner of Jewish Environmental Initiative, a committee of the JCRC of Saint Louis


GREENING YOUR PASSOVER

Passover celebrates the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery to freedom.  It is also rooted in the agricultural cycle of the year. Passover usually coincides with the beginning of spring. Passover references a time when our ancestors were more connected on a daily basis to the natural world.  To become more connected to the Earth and go “eco friendly” for this holiday, consider following all or some of the tips below: Help the environment by reducing waste as you empty your home of chametz (leavened foods such as breads, pastas, etc).  Give leftover bread and grain-based items to area food pantries rather than throwing them out. Cl...

Eco-Friendly Tips for Winter

As we head into the last month of winter, being mindful not to waste (the Jewish principle of baal tashchit) and  to care for the Earth should still be on your mind.  Even in the cold months, there are things you can do to use less energy and find winter-friendly products that are less harmful to the environment. Below are a few suggestions: User safer antifreeze:  Just 2 ounces of the standard ethylene glycol antifreeze can kill a dog. Propylene glycol offers a much less toxic alternative (although with fossil fuel origins, it's hardly eco-friendly). Since both kinds pick up hazardous heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and chromium during use, ...

Going Green for Valentine’s Day

If there is a special someone in your life, Valentine’s Day is a day when you probably feel compelled to celebrate and give a gift.   At the same time, this holiday can be the height of commercialism and yet another reason to shop for high end “stuff.”  Consider rethinking the holiday and using it as a way to show love while being mindful of environmental impact. Below are a few ways to do so: --Give an eco-friendly gift:  Avoid the mall or department store. Go eco-friendly with your gift.  Some ideas include fair trade chocolate, organic handmade soap or a handbag made from recycled products.  Shop at your local fair trade store, ...

Do’s and Don’t’s of E-Recycling

With the large increase over the past few years in electronic communication devices, and the fast pace in which new versions of the latest cell phones and tablets come out, there is a potential for concern about what is happening to old electronic devices when they are replaced.  Electronic gadgets that are simply tossed in the garbage or sent to an unreliable e-recycling organization can result in toxic waste that threatens health and safety.   Keeping in mind the Jewish value of baal tashchit (do not waste) ,  there are a number of things you can do as you consider when or whether to replace your i-pad, Kindle or similar device.   Below are ...

Greening Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a time where we celebrate the renewal of the eternal flame and rededication of the Temple.  It is a great time to rededicate ourselves to the goal of preserving God’s creation, conserving energy and helping the environment.  Here are a few things you can do leading up to, and during, the holiday to rededicate yourself to making the world more eco-friendly.   GO GREEN IN YOUR HANUKKAH GIFTING:     Give Alternatives to “Stuff”:  Consider giving gifts that do not create waste.  Give a museum membership, tickets to a play or a certificate to a local restaurant. Buy Gifts at Fair trade stores:  One ...

Make Your Thanksgiving Celebration Eco-Friendly

Thanksgiving, while an ecumenical holiday, is a great time to consider the Jewish principle of baal tashchit (do not waste).  There are many things you can do to make your celebration of this holiday more earth friendly. Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible:  Try to buy only as much food as you need and look for food that either has no container or that has a container that can be recycled.  Plan to compost any non-meat food items that can't be eaten (such as carrot peel) or that have to be thrown out after the meal.  Also plan to use reusable cloth napkins instead of disposable paper ones. Use local and organic products for your ...

Tips for an Eco-Friendly Simcha

Planning a simcha, such as a wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or bris, offers many opportunities to make an environmental impact.  Every choice you make in planning your event can be a chance to make a statement about the importance of respecting and preserving God's creation, the Earth. Here are some ideas of ways to reduce waste as you prepared for the big day. Reduce paper use:  Consider using the Internet for all or some of your announcements about your event.  Invitations can be sent electronically.  RSVPs also can be sent to a specially designated email address rather than by using a pre-printed card.  If you prefer to use a printed invita...

Greening Your High Holidays

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are right around the corner.  There are a number of things you can do as a way to resolve to be more environmentally aware this new year. Use local and organic ingredients in your meals:  The healthiest foods for the holiday are foods that are grown locally without any pesticides.  Food purchased from local farmers or that you grow yourself will be fresher and have a higher nutritional content than food flown in from hundreds of miles or more away.  If you are planning to serve the traditional snack of apples and honey, consider that eating locally made honey has been shown to reduce the severity of allergies as ...

No Cost Ways to Keep Cool and Save Energy This Summer

With the weather hot outside, you may be tempted to just stay indoors, crank up the air conditioning and go about your normal household routines in your cool home. But keep in mind the Jewish principle of reducing waste and consider some of these simple steps you can take at no cost to stay cool.

No Cost Ways to Keep Cool and Save Energy This Summer

With the weather hot outside, you may be tempted to just stay indoors, crank up the air conditioning and go about your normal household routines in your cool home. But keep in mind the Jewish principle of reducing waste and consider some of these simple steps you can take at no cost to stay cool without lowering the thermostat and using large amounts of energy. Little things you can do to stay cool on a budget (and reduce energy in your home) · Wear short sleeved, loose clothing of breathable cotton: this type of clothing will keep you naturally cooler inside or out on a summer day · Drink lots of ice ...

Being Eco-Friendly at the Ballpark and Beyond

Summer is here, which means you are more likely to be out and about at sporting events, live outdoor concerts and similar locations. There are several important things you can do to reduce waste, reduce use of chemical and artificial products and honor the Jewish principle of baal tashchit when attending these types of outings. • Get there by foot, bike or public transit: Depending on where you live, there may be several options for using less or no fuel to get to your outdoor destination. For example, if you are attending a concert at a local park, consider biking or walking rather than driving. Going to a ballgame in the midtown or ...

Farmers’ Market Season Has Arrived

Farmers’ markets can allow you to support local farmers while getting fresh produce. The produce that you’re buying has been picked much closer to the optimal time because it doesn’t need to travel for a long time or for long distances. The markets also help the environment because travel time and, therefore, the use of fossil fuels, is reduced for locally grown items. In addition, many of the vendors have organic produce, which also helps the environment because many farm chemicals are made from fossil fuels. Typically, fruits and vegetables grown locally and sold at farmers’ markets are picked just as they ripen so ...

Teaching your children to be environmentally aware

Caring for the environment, and tending G-d’s creation, the Earth, is a core value in Judaism. How do we instill in our little ones the practices that will help them live Green as they grow? Here are a few examples: Get your children to recycle, early: Place simple recycle bins in your childrens’ rooms. A box on the floor can be used to recycle paper. For recycle bins in family friendly locations, such as the kitchen, have children decorate the bins as they like and put a picture of what gets recycled on each bin. Take a family hike: Weather permitting, incorporate taking a family hike to a nearby park or nature trail ...

Ways to Reduce Waste in Your Kitchen

A central tenet of Judaism is the concept of “baal tashchit” (do not waste). One of the places in your home that often generates the most waste is the kitchen. Below are four simple ways you can work to minimize what you throw away as you cook, store and shop. • Shop with packaging in mind: Prevent excessive waste from coming into your kitchen by being mindful about the amount of packaging in what you purchase. Ask for deli foods to be packaged in brown paper wrap rather than plastic (paper is more biodegradable than plastic). Where possible buy items packaged in glass containers that can be cleaned out and reused for food ...

Three Things You Should Not Eat or Drink if you Care About the Environment

In past posts, Planet Jewish blog has provided information on the benefits of buying and eating local, organic produce during the growing season. Looking at year round food consumption habits, there are additional steps you can take to make sure that you consider the environment. Listed below are a few food choices you should avoid because they are grown or raised in a way that harms natural resources. Also included are better-for-the-environment alternatives. Being mindful of how your food decisions affect the planet is an important way to show respect for G-d’s creation, the Earth. • Don’t drink conventional coffee—From ...

Do It Yourself Body Care for the New Year

The (secular) New Year is here! For many, this is a time for resolutions. One resolution to consider is to make your own simple body care items rather than purchasing them at a store. Repurposing common household ingredients to make your own personal care products reduces reliance on petroleum based products (which contain fossil fuels, whose excessive use contributes to global warming). It also ensures that you are putting only natural ingredients on your body rather than artificial ingredients and chemical products. Making do it yourself body care products reduces waste as well, promoting the Jewish value of baal tashchit. Below are a ...

Eco-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Tu B’Shevat

Tu B’Shevat, also known as The New Year of the Trees, is on January 15 and 16, 2014. Tu B’Shevat has been embraced by Jews around the world as a holiday focused on expressing thankfulness for trees, harvests and the natural world. If you choose to celebrate the holiday by holding a Tu B’Shevat Seder with family or friends, keep these ideas in mind for a truly eco-friendly event: Go organic with your fruits, juice and nuts: Typically, the Tu B’Shevat Seder focuses on eating different types of fruits at different points in the Seder: those with a hard shell, those with a pit that cannot be eaten and those that ...

Honor the Principle of Baal Tashchit: Pledge to Use Less Plastic

One of the core environmental principles of Judaism is that of baal tashchit. Simply put, this means that we must not waste resources. Keeping this principle in mind, this month’s blog focuses on an area of huge waste in our society: plastic use. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced on the planet every year. We use it to make plastic bags, bottles, clothes, computers, and many other items. Our plastic consumption is growing greatly. Over the last 10 years, we’ve produced more plastic than we did in the entire 20th century. Excessive plastic use hurts the planet in many ways. The production of plastic is responsible ...

Greening Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a time where we celebrate the renewal of the eternal flame and rededication of the Temple. It is a great time to rededicate ourselves to the goal of preserving God's creation, conserving energy and helping the environment. Here are a few things you can do leading up to, and during, the holiday to rededicate yourself to making the world more eco-friendly. Leading up to the holiday: Buy gifts with a low carbon footprint--local stores that sell vintage, locally made or locally grown products are a great place to find these Consider offering a gift of time or one that fosters creativity--take your kids to the ...

Project Noah: Raising the Call for Environmental Action

Beginning Friday night October 4, Jews around the world will learn about the Torah portion Noach, the story of Noah and the flood. Many communities, including Saint Louis, have connected the reading of Noah with environmental awareness. In addition to attending an environmentally themed event at your house of worship, here are some personal ways you can take action to show respect for God’s creation, the Earth, and to work to preserve and protect it. Clean out your closets and recycle: De-clutter your house and help the environment at the same time. Clothes you don’t wear can be donated to Goodwill or ...