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Taking the Plastic Free Challenge: Green Living February 2019
Taking the Plastic Free Challenge: Green Living February 2019 By Suki Wessling When my kids were young home- schoolers, we spent a lot of time with a group of families that did activities together. One of the families that immediately caught my attention was the Panttaja family of Santa Cruz—mom Melody, dad Jonathan, and kids Gloria and Corey. Not only were Melody and the kids doing car-free homeschooling (quite a challenge in our spread-out county), but the family had taken a challenge to live life as free of disposable plastic as possible. In this age of Amazon.com and triple-wrapped everything, that’s quite a challenge. What follows is a conversation I…
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What is Precycling: Green Tips February 2019
What is Precycling? Green Tips February 2019 By Meredith Keet, founder of The Zero Shop I’m calling it now…Precycling is going to be the new buzzword of 2019, to sit alongside single-use as the word of the year from 2018. So what is it? Well, in- stead of purchasing an item and then figuring out whether it belongs in the re- cycling or the ol’ landfill bin, precycling is the act of considering where that item will end up before you’ve purchased it. While grocery shopping, you may be faced with two different types of pack- aging for the same item. As someone who precycles, you may pick up each…
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Green Living January 2019
Green Living January 2019 By Suki Wessling Question of the month: What do you do to save energy during the cold months? With the rain coming in, lots of Santa Cruz families start to hunker down. “Warm socks, extra blankets, windows closed,” says Charlotte Thornbrugh of her family’s approach. “Before we turn on heat, we make sure we’ve done all that.” Taylor Darling of Santa Cruz Green Builders has some more specific advice about how to make your home more energy-efficient. “People should start by trying to reduce their energy demand,” he explains. “Here is a partial list, starting with the low hanging fruit, and progressing to more advanced projects.”…
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Make a “Green Resolution” for 2019: Green Tips January 2019
Make a “Green Resolution” for 2019: Green Tips January 2019 By Meredith Keet, founder of The Zero Shop Have you considered which resolutions you want to take on for 2019? You may have already made a few, but we’re encouraging you to resolve to make you daily choices a little more “Green” this year. Recently I’ve had a lot of folks tell me that they really want to be more eco-friendly or try to cut down the waste they create, but they just don’t know where to start. It can be daunting, especially if you aspire to do too much too quickly. So start small. Set yourself up for success…
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Refuse: Green Tips
Refuse: Green Tips Our busy lifestyles often make is hard to “be green”. We each do what we can. One of the simplest things we can all do, no matter our pace of life or budget, is to simply refuse to allow single-use plastics or other easily disposable items to enter into our lives. Plastic is a miraculous material- it lasts thousands of years and costs almost nothing to make. But sadly, the vast majority of plastic waste actually can’t be recycled, including straws, coffee cups and lids, and most food packaging. This is a recipe for disaster for our landfills and oceans, which are being filled with plastic and…
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New Monthly Feature: Green Family Living!
New Monthly Feature: Green Family Living! NEW MONTHLY FEATURE! Green Family Living is Growing Up in Santa Cruz’s new monthly feature—and we need you to help us out. We will feature tips each month to help families do their part to live responsibly in a warming planet. What does your family do to save gas? What do you do to bring down your utility bills? Do you have a great water conservation tip? How about a tip on how to get your kids to turn off lights when they leave the room? Please email your tips to [email protected]. We would also like to feature businesses that help families make green…
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Think Holiday, Buy Locally
Think Holiday, Buy Locally By Delphine Burns As the holidays approach, it’s tempting to scour Amazon for easy gifts for friends and family. Although online shopping can be enticing, Santa Cruz County is full of unique gift-giving potential. Instead of browsing online this year, support local businesses, find special gifts and explore your community all at once. This gift guide highlights local businesses countywide to help you bring a little piece of Santa Cruz County to your holiday celebrations. Santa Cruz Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge If you need to get creative in a time crunch, Petroglyph is the place for you. At this local paint-it-yourself pottery studio, simply select a piece…
