News Archives » Ecology
Best Practices from Oblate Parishes February 27th, 2011
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Laredo, TX
“Greens of Guadalupe”: Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Laredo, Texas
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Laredo, Texas prides itself as a leader in promoting a healthy community environment. Greens of Guadalupe is a parish group at Our Lady of Guadalupe. The group is supported and led by members from the parish. Greens of Guadalupe at Our Lady of Guadalupe is an example of parish best practice organizing.
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Recycle Paper – Save Trees February 27th, 2011
If everyone in the U.S. recycled their newspapers (including the comics), we would save 500,000 trees every week. We can recycle all kinds of paper, cereal boxes, note paper, bags, newspaper, etc.
These are some of the benefits of recycling paper:
- Conserves resources
- Prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants
- Saves energy
- Supplies valuable raw materials to industry
- Creates jobs
- Stimulates the growth of greener technologies
- Reduces the need for new landfills and incinerators
Kids: Pass on Your Stuff and Help Save the Earth February 7th, 2011
Kids, wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to help save the Earth, get rid of stuff you don’t want, and make someone happy, all at the same time? There is. Instead of throwing away your old things, you can find a new home for them. Pass on to someone else those old board games you don’t play with anymore, books you outgrew, and puzzles that are now too easy for you.
Eco-tip: Prevent Litter, Protect Animals January 26th, 2011
Flickr Creative Commons license: epSos.de
Cigarette butts, snack wrappers, take-out boxes, and drink containers are our most common liter. Each one can hurt animals in a different way. Little animals like squirrels and skunks sometimes stick their heads in small plastic containers (especially yogurt containers) trying to get the food that’s left, and get stuck there. Deer and other animals often cut their tongues on half-opened cans. Six-pack rings of soda cans can trap and strangle birds, fish, and other animals. Animals mistake cigarette butts which are made of plastic and eat them, which can kill them.
So, when you go hiking take a trash bag to collect your trash and other trash along the way. The animals from the forest will greatly appreciate it.
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These Come From Trees! January 10th, 2011
Do you want to save trees – and money – at the same time? Check out the blog “These Come From Trees” – which describes itself as “An experiment in environmentalism, viral marketing, and user interface design with the goal of reducing consumer waste paper!
The group sells inexpensive, but durable stickers that look like this:
A single “These Come From Trees” sticker can save roughly a tree’s worth of paper, each year!
The project has indeed gone viral, with stickers appearing everywhere from the Denver airport to Seton Hall University. Schools can order them for free, and the project has developed a simple lesson plan which guides students through calculations of paper and money saved.
People often accidentally over-consume paper products, without intending to do so. A friendly reminder at the right time can help us to pause and consider how much of that item – whether a paper towel, napkin, or photocopy – we really need. The stickers wind up reducing consumption by as much as 30%, and at no cost to the user!
