Owner of Jewish Environmental Initiative, a committee of the JCRC of Saint Louis
Gail Wechsler is the Director of Domestic Issues/Social Justice at the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis. She is the staff person for the Jewish Environmental Initiative (JEI), a committee of the JCRC and a part of the JCRC's Bohm Social Justice Initiative.
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Eco-Friendly Eating for the New Year
With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur soon approaching, many feel a need for reflection and introspection. The High Holidays are also the time when Jews take stock of their lives and consider new beginnings. Below are a few suggested changes in the way you eat and shop for food for the New Year that also benefit God’s creation, the Earth: Consider reducing meat consumption to help the planet: Cattle farmers use about 1000 gallons of water ...
Eco-Friendly Summer, Part Two
The high heat and humidity of summer is here. In a prior Planet Jewish post, we provided some simple tips to keep your home cool the environmental way over the summer. Below are some additional tips that should help you reduce waste (baal tashchit) and honor God’s creation, the Earth, through the dog days of August. Follow these tips even if you are forced to run your air conditioning most or all of the day due to extreme heat. Place ...
Things I learned at a Recycling Plant
By JEI Chair Susan Mlynarczyk The Jewish Environmental Initiative (JEI), a program of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (JCRC) recently visited the Resource Management recycling facility. Sales Manager Gary Gilliam gave us a tour and lots of information: * Recycling is good for the economy. There was a time when recycling was done as a customer service at a cost to the trash companies, but now recycling has become ...
Eco-Friendly Laundry Tips
May and June are the months for spring cleaning. In the spirit of reducing waste (baal tashchit) and respecting and honoring God’s creation the Earth, here are a few simple tips to consider in the laundry room: Control the Temperature of Your Washing Machine: About 90 percent of the energy use associated with doing laundry involves just heating up the water. Turn the dial to cold and save a huge amount of energy in the process....
Eco-Tips for When You are Out of Doors
Spring is here and that means most people will be spending more time outdoors. As the temperature climbs it is important to be conscious of the health and environmental impact of your outdoor activities. Being mindful of environmental concerns will be safer and will lead to less waste. Being eco-friendly outside is a great way to honor God’s creation, the Earth. Use natural methods to protect against the sun: Use of sunscreens is ...
Eco Friendly Baby
If you are expecting a baby or have little ones in your home, you may be wondering how to surround your infant or toddler with products that are environmentally safe. Below are a few suggestions that will help reduce waste (baal tashchit) and keep your baby healthy too. Make your own organic baby food—The safest food for your baby is the same fresh, organic food you eat. Rather than worry about additives in store bought baby food ...
Greening Passover
Passover celebrates the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery to freedom. It is also rooted in the agricultural cycle of the year and coincides this year with the beginning of spring. It 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 ...
Tips for a Sustainable Purim
Coming up toward the end of the month of February is the Jewish holiday of Purim. Purim celebrates unity and community as we commemorate how we were rescued from Haman’s plot to kill the Jewish people. Purim is a holiday with many wonderful traditions. These include delivering gift baskets of food to friends (the practice of Shalach Manot); dressing up (and/or dressing up your children) as characters from the Book of Esther; and ...
Honoring the Environment for Tu B’Shevat
January in the secular calendar brings the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat. Tu B’Shevat celebrates the New Year of the Trees and was thought to have originated as an agricultural festival marking the emergence of spring. Today, Jews celebrate Tu B’Shevat by expressing thankfulness for trees, harvests and the natural world. What better time to think about individual steps you can take even in the dead of winter to help the ...
Green Gifting (for Hanukkah)
In a prior Planet Jewish blog we provided you with suggestions for making your Hanukkah celebration more eco-friendly. In the spirit of reducing waste (baal tashchit) and tilling and tending planet Earth for generations to come, here are some specific suggestions for green gifting over the eight nights of the holiday. Give Alternatives to “Stuff”: Consider giving gifts that do not create waste. Give a museum membership, tickets ...
Celebrate America Recycles Day
Thursday November 15 is America Recycles Day, a program dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Recycling is a great way to reduce the amount of waste generated and thus to honor the Jewish principle of Baal Tashhit. Why Recycling Is Important: Recycling saves energy, conserves natural resources and creates green jobs The national recycling rate of 34 percent annually saves the energy equivalent of ...
Green 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 ...
Don’t Buy Bottled Water
One of the core tenets of Judaism that links it to the environmental movement is the tenet of Baal Tashchit: “do not waste” or “do not destroy.” While it may be convenient, especially in the summer heat, to buy a bottle of disposable bottled water, there are many environmental and health reasons why you should resist this urge. Why Bottled Water is Bad for the Environment: Consider these statistics from the non-pro...
Eco-Friendly Clothing
Consider your closet as a possible way to help the planet. It can be difficult to find eco-friendly fabrics. Many clothes are made from petroleum based fabrics, such as polyester. Even natural fabrics are grown or treated with major amounts of pesticides and chemicals that aren’t good for the environment. When possible, look for organic cotton. While they aren’t yet widely available, you can also try to find clothes with ...
Eco-Friendly Dining Out
It is probably easier to be eco-conscious when you cook your own food. You can better control the source and packaging of the food you buy. You can manage waste and energy use and you can recycle. However, there are some things you can do to be eco-friendly when eating out. Consider the source of the food: Try to patronize restaurants that use organic, local, and seasonal products. Consider that much of the food ordered in restaurants ...
Eco-friendly Summer
Summer will be here before you know it. One way to be a better guardian of the Earth and to follow the Jewish imperative of bal tashchit (do not waste) is to take some simple steps to keep your home naturally cool in the summer months. Here are a few ways to make that happen: -- Close your curtains: During the heat of the day, close your curtains or blinds. This blocks the sun’s rays so that less air conditioning will be needed to cool ...
JEI Teen Group Native Plant Sale/Rain Barrel Raffle a Success
The JEI Teen Group organized its second annual Native Plant Sale/Rain Barrel Raffle on April 29. Over 100 plants were sold. Those attending also learned about the benefits of rain barrels as a way to reduce runoff and water waste. Thanks to Robinson's Rain Barrels for its wonderful rain barrel demo and for donating a rain barrel. Congratulations ton Fran Cantor who won the rain barrel raffle.
JEI Teen Group raises awareness on Earth Day
The JEI Teen Group did a great job spreading the word to St. Louis area congregations about ways to go Green on Sunday April 22 (Earth Day). The Teen Group fanned out and gave two presentations: one at BSKI Mitzvah Day and one for the 8th grade class at Bnai Amoona. The teens talked about simple things congregants could do to reduce waste and lower their carbon footprints.
Reduce Workplace Waste
Whether you own your own business or work for someone else, it is a good practice to be mindful of your energy use and use of office supplies during your work day. There are many simple practices that will allow you to use less energy and produce less waste. This pays off by helping the environment and lowering costs as well. Shut down your computer. According to a recent study by the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, computersare ...
Eco-Friendly Home
Many people may not think about common purchases made at the grocery or home improvement store and their impact on the environment. However, as Jews commanded to till and tend the Earth and not to waste resources, we need to be mindful of the environmental and health effects of many products we routinely buy. Here’s a list of some commonly purchased items for the home, with an eye toward the more environmentally-conscious option when ...