Carbon Footprints Subscribe
A selection of initiatives, blogs, resources and communities on Jewcology which focus on carbon footprints.
Blogs
Our Earth Etudes for Elul: Thank you to our contributors!
- October 2, 2016
By Susan Levine A special thank you to Rabbi Katy Z. Allen for organizing this project and to our contributing writers with their meaningful essays, poems and thoughts. Elul is the month that leads up to Rosh Hashanah, but these Earth Etudes are insightful windows into the meaning of life and the interconnection between our lives, our Earth and our spiritual existence at any time. ~ Etude Elul 1 by Andy Oram: Save the Earth to Save Our children. Read more... ~ Etude Elul 2 by Rabbi Robin Damsky: Oh Deer What Can the Matter Be? Read more… ~ Etude ...
Why Averting a Climate Catastrophe Must Be a Central Focus For Society Today
- August 30, 2016
Here are ten reasons we all should be very concerned about climate change: Science academies worldwide, 97% of climate scientists, and 99.9% of peer-reviewed papers on the issue in respected scientific journals argue that climate change is real, is largely caused by human activities, and poses great threats to humanity. In December 2015, 195 nations at the Paris climate change conference all agreed that immediate action must be taken to avert a climate catastrophe. Every decade since the 1970s has been warmer than the previous decade and all of the 17 warmest ...
Go Back to School and Be Green
- August 3, 2016
With many area schools beginning their fall semester between mid-August and early September, many students and their parents will be heading to the stores for back-to-school supplies. Your back-to-school purchases make a huge difference. Here's why: 14 billion pencils are produced every year, many made with wood from ancient forests. Americans use about 31.5 million tons of printing and writing paper each year, requiring 535 million trees (most from virgin tree fiber) and 12 billion gallons of oil to make. The average American consumes about 660 pounds of paper ...
Energy Conservation for your Home: Summer Edition
- July 13, 2016
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The weather may be hot and humid, but summer is still a good time to be mindful of the importance of protecting God’s creation, the Earth, by reducing energy waste in your home. Below are a few simple suggestions to get you started. These tips will both help reduce waste and reduce costs. Green Lighting Tips: Do not place lamps near a thermostat. The thermostat senses the heat produced by the lamp which can change how often the air conditioner will run. Use dimmers, motion detectors, and timers on indoor and outdoor lighting Use CFL lightbulbs wherever ...
Throw Out the Cookie Jar …. And Save the Planet
- July 7, 2016
As a lifetime Weight Watcher, I have learned a few tricks. The most helpful to me was this one: Banish red light food from your home...and keep healthy food cut up and ready to eat at the front of your refrigerator in plastic see-through containers. Now what does that have to do with saving the planet? Well, a whole lot. Fracked gas is not healthy for people or the climate. Neither is nuclear-powered electricity. These are red-light energy products, the healthy alternatives being solar and wind energy. Even knowing this, companies profiting from red light dirty ...
Greening Your Travel: Part Two
- June 6, 2016
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Summer is here and what better way to honor the environment and the Jewish principle of baal tashchit (do not waste) than by planning your summer travels to be as eco-friendly as possible. Here are a few tips to help as you plan your summer getaway: Use eco-friendly transportation as much as possible: Some options include doing a biking vacation and/or taking public transportation (such as train or bus) to get to your ultimate destination. These alternatives are often cheaper and also reduce your carbon footprint as opposed to travelling by car. Bring your ...
Kosher Palm Oil
- June 1, 2016
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Until recently I thought I understood the problem with palm oil. I thought palm oil meant unethical agricultural practices causing the destruction of equatorial rainforests, driving Orangutans to extinction and contributing significantly to climate change. I believed that products where palm oil was listed as an ingredient are worse than those where palm oil is not listed as an ingredient. I understood that environment groups advocated boycotting manufacturers that use palm oil until they substituted with an alternative. And then I visited Melbourne Zoo where I listened ...
SACRED EARTH, SACRED TRUST
- April 19, 2016
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A Day of Prayer & Action for People and Planet. Sunday, June 12 FAITHS RISING FOR PEOPLE & PLANET Sacred Earth, Sacred Trust is a worldwide, multi-faith day of prayer & action for the planet and a call for world leaders to commit to a 1.5 degree limit on global temperature rise. Six months after world leaders reached the Paris Agreement, communities around the world will come together in a day of beautiful commitment and blessing for the earth. 1°C OF WARMING MEANS EVERYTHING The adopted Paris Agreement is an incredible first step, but much of ...
Jews March for a Clean Energy Revolution
- April 16, 2016
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On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, as TV cameras turn towards Philadelphia, thousands will march for action to prevent climate catastrophe and present these demands directly to current and future policy makers: • Ban Fracking Now • Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground • Stop Dirty Energy • Quickly and Justly Transition to 100% Renewable Energy We'll be organizing a group marching together as Jews (of all backgrounds) who want a clean energy revolution! At the 2014 People's Climate March, 400,000 people marched through the streets of New ...
Ways to Reduce Waste When Dining Out
- November 23, 2015
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There are a number of ways that you can reduce waste as you dine out at restaurants or head to a café for a warm drink in the cold weather. Reducing waste (the principal of baal tashchit) is a core value in Judaism and can go a long way toward helping the environment, especially added up over time. Consider ways to reduce paper cup waste: Take a thermos with you when you order coffee in a coffee shop, indicate that your order is “for here” and ask for the mug rather than the paper cup. You can then pour the coffee into your thermos. Also consider brewing ...
Eco-friendly baby products
- October 19, 2015
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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 and the waste caused by purchasing all of those little jars, buy a baby food grinder. After pureeing items, you can also make extra ...
The Jewish Veg Event of the Decade
- October 4, 2015
Eden Village Camp is hiring a Farmer/ Educator
- September 10, 2015
Eden Village Camp is Hiring! About Eden Village Camp: Eden Village Camp aims to be a living model of a thriving, sustainable Jewish community, grounded in social responsibility and inspired Jewish spiritual life. By bringing the wisdom of our tradition to the environmental, social, and personal issues important to today’s young people, we practice a Judaism that is substantive and relevant. Through our Jewish environmental and service-learning curricula, joyful Shabbat observance, pluralistic Jewish expression, and inspiring, diverse staff role models, we foster our ...
Rosh Hashanah Message: Shifting Our Imperiled Planet Onto a Sustainable Path
- August 31, 2015
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Rosh Hashanah commemorates God's creation of the world. The “Ten Days of Repentance” from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is a period to evaluate our deeds and to do teshuvah (repentance) for cases where we have missed the mark. Sukkot is a holiday in which we leave our fine houses and live in temporary shelters (sukkahs) to commemorate our ancestors journey in the wilderness. Hence, the upcoming weeks provide an excellent time to consider the state of the planet's environment and what we might do to make sure that the world is on a sustainable path. When God created ...
Going Green when you Remodel Your Home
- July 1, 2015
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Many home remodeling efforts take place in the summer and fall. Before you begin a home remodeling project, consider ways you can remodel to make your home more “green.” This can include everything from using eco-friendly products to improving energy efficiency. Being eco-friendly when you upgrade your house is one way to honor the Jewish principle of baal tashchit (not wasting). In addition to being a good steward to the environment, homeowners who go green in their remodeling efforts will often see more green in their wallets. Even the smallest green ...
Eco-Friendly Summer-2015 Edition
- June 2, 2015
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June marks the official beginning of summer. What a great time of year to get outdoors and practice the principles of reducing waste and honoring G-d’s creation, the Earth. Here are a few suggestions of summer activities to reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment. Use natural methods to protect against the sun: Use of sunscreens is commonplace from May through August. Many sunscreens, however, contain chemicals and may be harmful to the skin and the environment. Look for a sunscreen made with organic ingredients and no chemicals. Read the ...
Alon Tal tells why it is important to vote for Green Israel Now!
- April 27, 2015
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Last chance to help us make Israel a greener, environmentally healthier land: Until the end of April you can vote online for the upcoming World Zionist Congress. The results determine, among other things, the division of power at the Jewish National Fund’s international board. For the past decade I have sat on the JNF board, largely because of the support and intervention of the Green Zionist Alliance – a wonderful group of young environmentalists who decided to get involved and improve Israel’s environmental performance. This support has allowed me to ...
Vote for Green Israel in the WZC Election before April 30th!
- March 27, 2015
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You can support the Israel you want to see. All American Jews can vote in the World Zionist Congress election going on right now. One of the most common questions, we get is why it costs $10 to vote. As Mirele Goldsmith, a Green Israel slate member answers: "The American Zionist Movement has contracted with an independent company to run the online election. This is to insure that the election is fair. The registration fee is being used exclusively to pay for the election. It is not a donation to the WZO. I wish there was no fee, but it is a small price to pay ...
From Uncertainty to Action: What You Can Do About Climate Change
- March 27, 2015
The Jewish Climate Action Network (JCAN) is sponsoring its first conference, a time for community members from across New England concerned about climate change to come together. The conference will focus on a Jewish response to climate change, ideas for action, and how climate change is fundamentally a social justice issue. It will provide organized opportunities to connect with others interested in working together. Summery of the conference: Panel exploring what Judaism adds to our understanding and ability to respond to climate change Two rounds of workshops, ...
Going Green for Valentine’s Day
- February 4, 2015
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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 ...
