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20 Dec 04 - deconstruction; bags; holidays; subscribers
** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM **
-- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition
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Forum archive: http://www.nwpcarchive.org
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Link to the 2004 Directory of Wood-Framed Building Deconstruction and Reused
Building Materials Companies (forwarded by Julie Rhodes to the Reuse
Development Organization listserv):
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fpl_gtr150.pdf
This national
directory was published in July, 2004, by the Forest Products Laboratory of
the U.S. Forest Service.
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Excerpted from an article by Aviya Kushner, posted 12/15/04 on the
Bankrate.com website (forwarded by Angie Timmons):
WHICH IS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, PAPER OR PLASTIC BAGS?
Bill Rathje, a fellow at the Archaeology Center of Stanford University and
director of The Garbage Project, and a leading authority on what is in
America's garbage, has this response: "In a normal, well-run landfill, paper
bags do not biodegrade any faster, over at least 40 years, than plastic.
Paper bags are much bulkier than plastic, so they fill up more landfill
space. They're three to five times bulkier than plastic, and you can see
that yourself at the grocery. Landfills are closing down because they're
full. From that perspective, plastic is much better than paper."
But Rathje adds that regardless of your bag choice, it's what you do after
you pick up that initial bag that makes a difference. "Take a bag when you
go to the store that you can reuse for something else. The more you reuse
it, the better it is. Even if you take your lunch in a paper or plastic bag,
that's good. The goal is to use it again for something else. If it's easier
for you to do that with plastic, take plastic. If it's easier with paper,
take paper," Rathje says. "The bottom line is that paper takes up more
volume in landfills, but you should use what you can reuse."
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Link to Colorado artist John Boak's "Wrap Art" website:
http://www.boakart.com/wrap/WrapArt.html
The theme of this website is,
"How to wrap presents creatively, using fragments of paper and miscellaneous
items from around your house." Each of the six photo galleries has stunning
ideas for wrapping presents with reused or scrap materials.
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Link to an extensive list of ideas for reducing waste during the holiday
season, on the website of the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance:
http://www.moea.state.mn.us/reduce/nowaste.cfm
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Excerpted from a 12/11/04 article by Mark Clayton in the Christian Science
Monitor (forwarded by KaDeena Lenz from the GreenYes listserv):
DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS
Along with the 5 million extra tons of trash generated between Thanksgiving
and New Year's, there are signs that the environment will be getting its own
kind of Christmas bonus. Many people want to "go green."
Two forces - voluntary simplicity and environmental concern - are boosting
the market for alternative holiday gifts. For example, sales at
Greenhome.com have grown 25 percent over last year, says Lawrence Comras,
president of the 5-year-old ecogift company. Hot ecogifts this season
include LED outdoor holiday lights that use 1/50th of the electricity and
last 20 to 30 years. At $10 to $15 a string, they cost about five times as
much as regular lights, but they save money in the long run, Comras says.
Other popular buys include heavy canvas shower curtains, handbags made from
recycled rubber tires, and organic textiles including hemp and organic
cotton.
Consumers also are helping the environment by pursuing simplicity. "My
husband and I have been working over the past few years to simplify
Christmas, both for our bank account and our environment," says Melissa
Podeszwa, of Auburn, WA. Two years ago her family capped per-person spending
at $100. They cut it to $50 last year, with the proviso that everything fit
in a stocking. Gifts include family members' time (giving a trip to the zoo,
for example), handmade cards, ornaments, and recycled bags decorated with
holiday stamps and stuffed with symbolic gifts. A homemade sun ornament
represents a solar-panel donation, for example.
Environmental groups are also gearing up for a green holiday. The
80,000-member Citizens Campaign for the Environment has launched its third
annual push for "ecologically conscious holiday shopping." On its list of
gift ideas: A block of wind-generated electricity, a hybrid car, even whale
adoption.
Even holiday wrapping paper is scrutinized by some ecogivers. "I guess it
was about a decade ago that I saw how our garbage and everyone's garbage at
least tripled Christmas week, most of it boxes, wrapping, packages," says
Paul Fehringer of Buffalo, NY. "It really upset me. I thought 'We can do
this with a lot less waste.' " So the Fehringers, including their son and
daughter, began wrapping gifts in recyclable newspaper or brown paper with
no dyes and metals - all tied with bows kept from the year before. Gifts
have also become fewer, smaller, and often handmade. Christmas cards are
e-mailed to friends.
Ultimately, such steps reflect a growing dissatisfaction with the holiday
status quo, say some observers. "People are beginning to understand that the
world is not working in lots of ways," says Bill McKibben, scholar in
residence at Middlebury College and author of "Hundred Dollar Holiday - The
Case for a More Joyful Christmas."
"Overconsumption is the great North American environmental problem, and
Christmas kind of baptizes that overconsumption, sanctifies it," says
McKibben. "And people are beginning to wake up to that."
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The 12/3/04 "Science Matters" column by David Suzuki, which is published
weekly in newspapers across Canada (forwarded by Angelique Mullen):
CHRISTMAS COMPLAINTS MISS THE POINT
It started over a month ago - even before Halloween. The television
commercials, the flyers in the mail, the decorations in the mall. Christmas
is now a two-month event - one long blowout sale.
But there's also no shortage of people decrying the commercialization of the
holidays. The criticism itself is nothing new. People have been complaining
about it for decades. Every year, the Christmas season gets a little longer
and every year people complain about it a little more.
It's certainly a valid criticism, one that I can't help but make myself. As
the holiday hype escalates, so too does our accumulated waste. The roads
become packed with anxious shoppers, driving from mall to mall in search of
the right gifts. The malls become stuffed with Christmas goods and trinkets,
all vying to catch the shopper's eye. And the shoppers themselves become
stuffed with holiday sweets and extra-large gingerbread lattes. The whole
enterprise is a monument to excess.
For some, this excess typifies everything that is wrong with the developed
world. We consume far more than our share of the world's resources. We
create huge amounts of waste. We obsess with fads and fancy while species
die out, pollutants seep into the food chain and the climate changes.
Christmas is the pinnacle of our hyper-consumptive lifestyles, so it's easy
to point a finger and condemn the whole stressful, chaotic, overindulgent
experience.
But the real question is why? Why do people put themselves through all the
stress and pressure? Why do they go into debt so they can give gifts that
the receiver probably doesn't even need? Why do they complain about the
excesses of Christmas and then fall for it again every year?
I believe they are trying to fill a void. With fewer and fewer people taking
part in the religious aspects of the holidays, many are looking for other
rituals to take their place. Humans have an innate need to connect to their
families, their communities and to the rhythms and cycles of nature.
Throughout human history, we've done that with celebrations and rituals to
reflect the changing seasons, the lunar cycles and important stages in our
lives.
But today's world is very different, very new and in many ways runs against
millennia of the human experience. This new world runs 24/7. This world is
built on consistency and uniformity, rather than reflecting natural rhythms,
local cultural or geographic differences. This world has few rituals to
reflect the stages of our lives, the changing of the seasons and the passage
of time. It doesn't matter if it's dark outside. We just turn on a light. It
doesn't matter if it's cold outside. We just turn up the heat. The seasons
may change, but our work schedules stay the same. Fresh vegetables and
fruits are available year-round regardless of whether or not they are in
season or grown anywhere nearby. A Big Mac is a Big Mac, here or in Turkey.
This world we've created is hard on the planet and it's hard on ourselves.
We've tried to isolate the human experience from the rest of nature, but
it's an impossible task. Humans are a part of nature. Whether we like it or
not, our bodies respond to changes in the natural world. The more we try to
deny who we are, the less connected we will feel and the more damage we will
do to the planet.
In the absence of God or spirituality, in the absence of a capacity to
respond to seasonal patterns and natural rhythms, and in the absence of
meaningful social rituals, people are grasping onto whatever they can to
help ground them in their communities. If that means spending days at a time
in a crowded mall, then that's what we do. That becomes the ritual. That
becomes Christmas.
I think people are hungry for change, but feel trapped. We are yearning for
meaning, but accepting baubles and trinkets instead. Until we stop denying
our biological roots and embrace our humanity, we will never find the
meaning we seek. It's just not something you can pick up at the mall.
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From Tom Watson, King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle, WA, and the
National Waste Prevention Coalition:
As 2004 draws to a close, I'd like to say THANKS to all of you for being a
part of the Waste Prevention Forum. As we do every year at this time, we're
running the list (below) of the names of all the subscribers to the Forum.
It's interesting to see who is on the list (and keep in mind that even more
people than this end up reading the Forum, because many people forward it to
others). If you know of anyone else who would like to join the Forum, just
have them e-mail me.
Have a wonderful holiday season and a terrific new year! Thank you all for
everything you do to make the world a better place. - Tom
E-mail: tom [ D O T ] watson [ A T ] metrokc [ D O T ] gov
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Current subscribers to the Waste Prevention Forum:
Abell, Nancy; Abrams, Heather; Aguiar, Victor; Aldridge, Mahlon; Alekel,
Dale; Alexander, Gemma; Alexander, Michael; Allaway, David; Allen, Dave;
Allison, Peter; Ambrose, Frances; Amicucci, Michelle; Anthony, Richard;
Antonakos, Jetta; Apotheker, Steve; Ariella, Raya; Arner, Rob; Artley,
Tracy; Assmann, David; Atkins, Katie; Auld, Mary; Ayde, Mary;
Baasch-Everett, Gail; Bailey, Ryan; Baker, Tanya; Bakke, Rory; Balek, Joyce;
Balsley, Rachel; Barto, Debra; Barton, Paul; Becker, Charlotte; Becker,
Steve; Bell, Carole; Bennett, Jim; Bernthal, Tim; Betz-Zall, Jonathan;
Biddle, David; Bircher, Maria; Bisson, Connie Leach; Bitansky, Anna
Traktoueva; Blais, Lorilee; Blakely, Val; Blickstein, Dena; Blue, Dan;
Blythe, Sue; Boeshans, Angela; Bogar, Janine; Boisson, Edward; Brawer,
Wendy; Brewer, Gretchen; Brockmeier, Sara; Brown, Ken; Bugbee, Beth;
Bushnell, Vicki; Cable, Alison; Cahillane, Jamie; Capek, Sonya; Carveth,
Deanna; Case, Melanie; Cassidy, Colin; Cecil, Rika; Cera, David; Chidsey,
Molly; Chin, Yen; Christiansen, Pete; Christmann, Holly; Clark, Jack;
Clarke, Marjorie; Clayton, Mark; Cloak, Connie; Cohen, Laura; Cohen, Steve;
Cole, Michelle; Cosgrove, Darin; Coville, Gerty; Crisley, John; Crockett,
Judy; Cubic, Aaron; Cucina, Hope; Culver, Alicia; Cuyler, Alex; Danovitch,
Alex; Daoust, Ruth; Daudon, Marc; Davidson, Cathie; Davis, Gina; Davis,
Michele; Deardorff, Julie; DeBell, Jack; deForest, Russell; deGrassi, Dan;
Deller, Kinley; Deschambault, Lynda; Desmond, Roberta; Devine, Paul;
Diangson, Ticiang; DiCarlo, Yvette; Diccicco-Craft, Dee Dee; Domres,
Patrick; Donnette, Rachel; Dorn, Betsy; Drew, Eron; Dubois, Peter; Dunn,
Judi; Dunn, Paul; Durbin, Dennis; Durham, Karyn; Dutton, Lea; Eade, Teresa;
Eckl, Beth; Ellis, Todd; Eskridge, Anne; Estes, Tom; Etienne, MaryEllen;
Ewing, Bill; Ferris, R. C.; Fiedler, Karen; Fife-Ferris, Susan; Fikejs,
Matt; Fine, Polagaya; Fisher, Sally; Fisher, Steve; Flite, Sondra; Foecke,
Terry; Fogel, Shira; Foss, Scott; Fowler, Angie; Friedman, Eric; Friend,
Gil; Friend, Lisa; Frierson, Barbara; Frost, Crystal; Fuller, Brian; Fultz,
Dixie; Gable, Cate; Gaisford, Jeff; Gaither, Michelle; Gard, Judi; Gardener,
Christine; Gavin, Megan; Geissinger, Karen; Giernet, Jeanne; Glaser, Lise;
Goldsmith, Leslie Bullock; Goldstein, Steve; Gondringer, Linda; Goodwin,
David; Goring, Rick; Graves, Beth; Gregg, Jennifer; Grimm, Sarah; Grodinsky,
Carolyn; Grose, Bretnie; Gruder, Sherrie; Guiao, Christine; Gustafson,
Laurie; Guttentag, Roger.
Haas-Wajdowicz, Julie; Hagston, Bart; Hakenkamp, Carrie; Halenar, John;
Hales, Karen; Hallett, Mckenna; Hamilton, Jill; Hamilton, Karen; Hammer,
Steve; Hamner, Burton; Hanna, Christine; Hanscom, John; Harder, Greg;
Hardison, Jeanette; Harris, Greg; Harrison, Ellen; Harrison, Keefe; Havens,
Jennifer; Havstad, Cynthia; Hawkins, Gina; Hawley, Robin; Hayes, Priscilla;
Haynes, Jim; Healey, M.L.; Henager, Bill; Henderson, Mary; Hetzel, Colleen;
Higgins, Karen; Hill, Jim; Hill, Marc; Hlavka, Rick; Hlavka, Sharon; Hollan,
Nadia; Hood, Timonie; Hopkinson, Tim; Horan, Wendy; Houser, Rhonda; Howard,
Linda; Hughes, Wilson; Hunt, Susan; Hursh, Carl; Hurst, Andrew; Hyland,
Sarah; Ingle, April; Isaacs, Colin; Jaber, David; Jensen, Katie; Jimerson,
Joyce; John, Jodi; Johnston, Carlyle; Jones, Falaah; Jones, Linda; Kaufman,
Pat; Kazmann, Reena; Kingsbury, Tony; Kinsella, Susan; Kinzer, Paula;
Kitchell, Margaret; Kiwala, Kathy; Knorek, Martha; Kochan, Leslie; Koenenn,
Connie; Konlock, Mark; Kontovrakis, Andriana; Kriegerfox, Melissa; Kroeger,
Christy; Kroening, Paul; Kunde, Jenna; Kunz, David; Lange, Robert; Laufle,
Jeff; Lawrence, Bill; Lee, Eugene; Lenz, KaDeena; Leopold, Lynn; Lhotka,
Susan; Lien, Doug; Lilienfeld, Bob; Linsin, Monica; Lobin, Peter; Long,
Stacey; Long, Stephen; Longfellow, John; Lono, Maile; Lucke, Jan; Luxton,
Janet; Lyman, Francesca; Lynch, Jim; Lynch, Meg; MacCauley, Catherine;
Machuca, Desmond; Malaret, Nancy; Marr, Andrew; Marschalek, Courtney;
Mastny, Lisa; Matsch, Marti; Maxwell, Leslie; May, Ginger; May, Karen;
McCabe, John; McCabe, Michael; McClure, Shelly; McConaghy, Rich; McDade,
Keith; McDonald, Kevin; McEntee, Ken; McLaughlin, Anne; McReynolds-Pellinen,
Mary; McVay, Brian; Mele, Suellen; Mellem, Suzy; Mercer, Dwight; Meyer,
Glenn; Meyer, Leanne; Mihalenko, Alyson; Miller, Judie; Miller, Kivi Leroux;
Minas, Ed; Mingo, Jerry; Minion-Pierce, Colleen; Mobley, Jim; Mojo, Steven;
Mooney, Susan; Morris, Jeff; Moser, Misty; Moxley, Chuck; Muldoon, Bob;
Mullen, Angelique; Munroe, Glenn; Murphy, Ann; Murray, Katherine; Nader,
Jeanne; Nagalski, Beth; Neely, James; Nelson. Eric; Nelson, Tiffany;
Nesheim, Barb; Newenhouse, Sonya; Newman, Edward; Newman, Gretchen; Nordman,
Bruce; Nussbaum, Sandra Thorp.
O'Hagan, Erin; Okun, John; O'Neal, Bob; Orloff, Alan; Orman, Spencer;
O'Sullivan, Babe; Packard, Ben; Palmer, Tom; Parks, Carla; Patton, Betty;
Pederson, Meadow; Perkins, Ronald; Peterson, Thor; Phillips, Becky;
Phillips, Melissa; Pitcher, Eugene; Plagenz, Joel; Plunkett, Nancy; Pogue,
Kyle; Pollack, Sasha; Pollard, Stephan; Pollock, Blair; Pond, Julie; Ponzi,
Jean; Portman, Michelle; Powell, Jerry; Pratt, Wendy; Rae, Angela; Raine,
Woody; Reed, Michael; Reed, Bill; Rhodes, Julie; Rhodes, Tom; Rifer, Wayne;
Roe, Elizabeth; Rogers, Ben; Rogers, John; Roloff, Dan; Rosenberg, Betsy;
Rosenfield, Josh; Ruby, Mike; Rutan, Marcia; Salterberg, Susan; Sandlin,
Erv; Sarafides, Athena; Schaefer, Tanya; Schmid, Dave; Schneider, Ann;
Schneider, Robin; Schoenecker, Colleen; Schrock, Jim; Seattle Solid Waste
Advisory Committee; Seeger, Bernard; Senseman, Brenda; Sepanski, Lisa; Seto,
Patricia; Severson, Kent; Sheehan, Bill; Sheffer, Samanthe; Shelby, Rebecca;
Shelton, Christy; Shepard, Jay; Sherf, Barbara; Shimada, Shirley;
Siegelbaum, Heidi; Silveria, Kathi; Simmons, Alan; Skony, Wendy; Smedberg,
Jeffrey; Smirin, Dana; Smishek, Mark; Smith, Bill; Smith, Rita; Snow, Chris;
Spille, Tom; Stapp, Eileen; Stein, Kathy; Steinberger, Mo; Stewart, Nicole;
Stirnkorb, Holly; Stitzhal, David; Stole, Lori; Stone, Nancy; Straus, Gary;
Strauss, Nancy; Stuart, Deb; Sturm, Nate; Stutzman, Crispin; Sullivan,
Chery; Sullivan, Meribeth; Sutton, Todd; Swart, Dave; Taitt, Jodi; Talbot,
Jim; Tang, Scarlet; Tanzi, Carol; Tatham, Cindy; Thompson, Alexandra;
Timmons, Angie; Todd, Shawn Casey; Toney, Melissa; Tresko, Suzanne; Trump,
Roger; Truth, Caroline; Tumarkin, Jeff; Van Deventer, Mary Lou; Van Dyke,
Donald; Van Orsow, Rob; VanDuyne, Vikki; Vernon, Gwen; Vigoren, Margie;
Vinson-Peng, Thomas; Virostko, Cynthia; Wainstock, Linda; Walden, Linda;
Warnberg, Larry; Warner, Kate; Watson, Tom; Webber, Bonnie Lane; Weber,
Lori; Weimer, Sarah; Weisenburger, Emily; Wells, Kate; White, Jeffrey;
White, Jesse; White, Tamar; Whitworth, Janis; Wiggins, Susanne Brunhart;
Wilder, Sam; Williams, Sue; Williman, Muriel; Wilmot, Tiffany; Wilson, Amy;
Wilson, Warren; Wing, David; Woestwin, Carl; Wollner, David; Woske, Dianne;
Wozniak, Jessica; Wyss, Cassie; Youdelman, Michael; Young, Susan; Ziolko,
Susan; Zuhlke, Amber.
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