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Green Tips: Supporting & Protecting Amphibians During Breeding Season

Spring is here, and with it comes the amphibian breeding season. Amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates which include frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. Amphibians often start their lives as water-dwelling, before undergoing a metamorphosis into land-dwelling adults. For example, frogs start their lives as pond-dwelling tadpoles. There are numerous amphibian species present in New York, the most prevalent of which are the spotted salamander, northern redback salamander, eastern newt, wood frog, northern spring peeper, bullfrog, green frog, and eastern American toad.

Amphibians breathe through their skin, which must remain moist to allow them to do so. Their skin produces proteins, which help them transport oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide, as well as fight off infections. The importance of amphibians’ skin makes the animals especially sensitive to changes in their habitats, including physical disruption and chemical contamination. This sensitivity, combined with human activity, can have devastating results: over half of the world’s frog species are threatened with extinction. An amphibian’s sensitivity to environmental changes make them good “indicator species,” species whose prevalence and health provides insight into the health of an entire ecosystem. Because some amphibian species are threatened, there are things we can do to help them, especially during their breeding season.

How to Help

Many of the following tips are best practices throughout the year, but deserve special attention from March to June, during the amphibian breeding season. The National Wildlife Federation suggests a number of actions, including:

  • Protect natural areas, and educate others on how and why to do so.
  • Protect watersheds. The Nature Conservancy has a list of actions to achieve this:
    • Conserve water whenever possible.
    • Keep toxic chemicals out of your drain.
    • Do not unnecessarily use fertilizers. Doing so causes nutrient pollution.
    • Never dispose of used oil or antifreeze onto the street or into storm drains.
    • Install permeable surfaces on your property where possible.
    • Clean up after your dog.
    • Reduce emissions by biking or walking instead of driving.
  • Help scientists track and save amphibians by participating in monitoring projects such as the NYSDEC Amphibian Migrations and Road Crossings program. This program involves documenting where migrating amphibians cross roads and helping the amphibians get across safely when you spot them.
  • Provide a habitat for amphibians through building a backyard pond or marsh. Click the links for information on how to do so.
  • Construct or purchase a toad-abode. Take a ceramic flower pot, turn it upside down, and make a toad sized hole in the side. Since toads enjoy digging, there is no need to include a floor. Place the abode in the shade close to the water.
  • Watch for and control invasive species. This website is a useful resource that includes a list of and information about invasive species in New York state.

Amphibians are some of the most unique animals on the planet. By taking just a few simple steps, you can help conserve and protect these beautiful creatures for years to come. We hope you enjoyed reading this week’s Green Tips!

Green Tips: Managing Snow

New York has seen quite a lot of snow recently! While snowstorms are magical to watch, with the fluffy snowflakes gliding beautifully through the air, they can also be quite a pain to clean up. While we have devised approaches like salt spreaders and snow-blowers to ease the burden of managing snow, some of these methods unintentionally harm the environment. Read on to learn more about how to deal with snow in a more eco-friendly way.

Ditch the Gas-Powered Snow Blower

Since their advent in 1925, snow blowers have made the arduous task of cleaning up snow much less time consuming and labor-intensive. However, gasoline powered snow blowers have an impact on the environment. In fact, they produce the same amount of carbon monoxide in an hour that a gasoline-powered car does to drive 70 miles. Fortunately, there are ways you can cut down on this pollution:

About Road Salt

Like snow blowers, road salt has been used for a long time, since 1938 to be exact. Road salt is composed of a mineral called halite, which is what table salt (sodium chloride) is purified from. To make the road salt easier to distribute, other chemicals such as sodium hexacyanoferrate (II) and sugar are often added to it.

Road salt lends itself to a cool trick of chemistry. Rather than melting the ice itself, salt prevents melted ice from refreezing. As a result, the freezing temperature of water is lowered. This phenomenon is known as freezing point depression.

Although effective, this process lends itself to some pretty nasty public health and environmental impacts. Water with high concentrations of salt accelerates corrosion, damaging cars, bridges, and roadways. At best, this corrosion necessitates costly repairs, and at worst, it causes potentially-deadly structural failures. Because road salt works by being dissolved in water, it can increase the salinity of the water supply. For example, potentially dangerous concentrations of sodium have been found in over 50% of drinking water wells that were tested in East Fishkill, NY. This is especially concerning for individuals with health conditions such as high blood pressure. It is likely that over the course of decades, sodium leaches into groundwater before gradually making its way towards surface water, meaning that we haven’t seen the full extent of damage from the salt that has already been spread.

Road salt also seeps into nearby soils, throwing off their chemical compositions and disrupting nearby plant life. An accumulation of salt can harm aquatic ecosystems by causing oxygen depletion. Furthermore, chloride ions from the salt make their way into bodies of water, hampering the growth and reproduction of wildlife.

One area where these effects have been particularly felt is the Adirondack region of the state. Fortunately, Governor Cuomo recently signed into law the Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act this past December. The legislation outlines a pilot program in reducing the amount of salt spread on Adirondack roadways, while keeping the roads safe during icy conditions.

Using Snow Melt

Our best advice is not to use more deicing material than you think is necessary, because any deicer has the potential to harm the environment in large quantities. Also consider more environmentally-friendly rock-salt alternatives, including calcium magnesium acetate, calcium-chloride, or a blend containing calcium-chloride. Calcium magnesium acetate works best at temperatures above 15 fahrenheit, while the other two options are effective at lower temperatures. An alternative is to simply shovel the snow or use an electric snowblower.

Thank you for reading this week’s Green Tips. We hope you’re staying safe and warm during this snowy winter season!

Green Tips: Eco New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! Do you have a resolution in mind this year? Many set goals around money, health, or family. We’d like to inspire our members with New Year’s resolutions that are not only eco-friendly, but can also help your wallet, health, and increase quality time with loved ones! Check out some of our ideas below for Eco New Year’s resolutions. 

Green Your Transportation

Want to reduce your impact on air pollution? Follow one or more of these tips to move around in a more environmentally friendly way. Even better if you get a neighbor, friend, or family member involved in your goals!

  • Walk or bike to a destination at least once a week.
  • Use public transportation when traveling to dense metropolitan areas. 
  • Switch to a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle.
  • Carpool or rent an electric vehicle for every (or at least one) road trip this year.

Go Solar

Want to green your energy source and save money on your energy bill? Installing solar panels on your roof could be a great way to achieve both of those goals. The US Department of Energy has a useful guide on whether your house is suitable for solar panels and how to install them. You could save over $30,000 on energy bills over the next 20 years while reducing carbon emissions from power generation. If installing solar panels on your home is not feasible, switch your source of energy to renewable through your utility provider. 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The three Rs: we all know them, but have we been doing all we can to follow them? Let this year be the year we reduce our burden on our limited landfills!

  • Reduce: Before buying something, ask yourself “Do I really need this?”
  • Reuse: Think about ways to reuse things before throwing them out, especially unrecyclable things which take long periods of time to decompose.
  • Recycle: Read through local recycling laws to get clear on what can be recycled in your town. Find them by typing “[name of your municipality] what can I recycle?” into your search engine.
  • Teach the children in your household how to sort recyclable items and make recycling a family-wide goal! You can also do some upcycling crafts with the family! 
  • If you missed our Reducing and Recycling E-Waste Green Tips from last month, be sure to check that out.

Green Your Diet

If a healthier diet is your New Year’s Resolution, you can accomplish your goal while being more sustainable.

Enjoy Natural Areas

Want to get outside more often? Start hiking in state and national parks! In addition to healthy exercise, you will get much-needed mental respite. Bask in the wilderness while showing your support for open spaces. Of course, remember to leave no trace!

We hope you enjoyed this week’s Green Tips, and we wish you a wonderful start to the new year!

A Guide to Recycling Batteries

As the holiday gift-buying season continues, New Yorkers may be replacing batteries in new electronics. Do you know how to recycle your batteries? 

Batteries have been around since the beginning of the nineteenth century, and are a staple of everyday life. A battery is a packaged chemical reaction that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Unfortunately, many of the chemicals found in batteries are toxic and need to be carefully disposed of. A few toxins found in batteries are ammonium chloride, sodium hydroxide, and potassium hydroxide, all of which are dangerously corrosive. If batteries are improperly disposed of, toxins will seep into the soil, air, and groundwater, heavily polluting the environment. To learn how to properly recycle your old batteries, read this week’s Green Tips.

Non-Rechargeable (Single-Use) Batteries

Single-use alkaline batteries are the most likely type of battery to be encountered when buying batteries (AAA, C, 9V, etc.) at a convenience store. Unlike their rechargeable counterparts, it is not illegal to throw single-use batteries in the garbage in New York. However, many municipalities offer programs to recycle these alkaline batteries. Before chucking them in the garbage, check to see if your municipality has a program for recycling them. We recommend Googling “[name of municipality] alkaline battery disposal.”

Rechargeable Batteries

It is illegal in the state of New York to throw rechargeable batteries in the garbage. These include, but are not limited to, lithium ion, nickel-cadmium, sealed lead, nickel metal hydride, and all other rechargeable dry cell batteries. If improperly disposed of, the materials in these batteries can be even more harmful than those in single-use batteries. Luckily, properly disposing of these batteries is quick and easy: retailers that sell rechargeable batteries are required by state law to accept them for recycling. The most environmentally friendly brand of rechargeable batteries is Energizer, whose “Recharge Universal” batteries are 4% recycled batteries. 

To properly dispose of rechargeable batteries, go to any retailer that sells rechargeable batteries (such as Staples, The Home Depot, Best Buy, Lowes, and CVS) and dispose of either:

  • Up to 10 batteries per day, or
  • As many batteries as you are buying

Even recycled batteries generate some waste. As a result, the fewer batteries we use, the better. Here are a few steps we can take to maximize the lifespan of rechargeable batteries:

  • Avoid overcharging
  • Only charge batteries using manufacturer-recommended chargers
  • Do not mix brands while charging
  • Store batteries at or around 59 °F
  • Store batteries (dead or alive) away from metal to avoid sparking

We hope you enjoyed reading this week’s Green Tips. Stay tuned next week for more environmentally friendly tips!

Reducing and Recycling E-Waste During the Holidays

The holidays are here, and that means that many of us will be pouncing on holiday electronics deals. Many of these new devices will be replacing older devices, creating a massive amount of e-waste. It is estimated that in 2016 alone, the United States accumulated a staggering 6.9 million tons of e-waste. Even worse is that e-waste is incredibly toxic, since it includes mercury and lead, among a host of other dangerous chemicals. These chemicals can have devastating effects on our health and the environment if e-waste is improperly disposed of. From landfills, e-waste toxins can enter the groundwater, pollute aquifers, and enter the food chain. Additionally, when burned, some e-waste can release carcinogenic dioxins into the air. Because of these toxins, it is especially important that we reduce and correctly dispose of electronic waste. For tips on how to do so, check out this week’s Green Tips below. 

Keep What You Already Have

You know the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” It applies to electronics just as anything else in life. The best way to reduce electronic waste is not to generate it in the first place. If your old television still works, take a pause before buying a new one. Likewise, if your phone is still getting software updates and can hold a charge, consider the true need for a new phone before buying. Keeping your older functioning electronics benefits both the environment and your wallet.

Buy Refurbished Electronics

While some people may get queasy at the thought of buying refurbished electronics, fearing that they will malfunction, it may be helpful to know that when purchased from a reputable seller, refurbished devices will work just as well as new ones. Buying refurbished from these reputable sellers can sometimes net you a discount of over 50%. Another example of how eco-friendly practices with your electronics can save you considerable amounts of money. From an environmental perspective, each refurbished device represents one piece of electronics kept out of an e-waste bin, or worse, a landfill.

Get Broken Electronics Repaired when Economically Viable

Often, especially with expensive devices such as laptops, getting your broken electronics repaired can be cheaper than buying a replacement. Many manufacturers, such as Dell, Samsung, and Apple, offer repair programs. Additionally, don’t be afraid to pursue third-party repair from a reputable source, because a third party repair can fix some issues that the manufacturer themselves will say they cannot.

Properly Recycle Your E-Waste

Inevitably, all electronic devices will stop working. That’s why it is always smart to back up the information you have stored on them. When the time comes to lay your old device to rest, make sure to dispose of it properly. Because of the dangerous nature of e-waste, New York State has laws regarding its disposal. In New York State, e-waste must be disposed of through either a Manufacturer’s Takeback Program or at an e-waste Collection Site. If you plan on using a collection site, make sure you call ahead of time to ensure that they will accept your specific products. New York State has created a list of tech companies and how to contact their electronic waste collection programs. Be sure to follow the instructions that the company provides. There’s also an interactive map of disposal sites within New York City.

Thank you for reading this week’s Green Tips! 

Green Tips: Shopping Smart for the Holidays

The holiday season has begun, which means shopping for presents…and lots of it. The top 10 busiest shopping days of the year will all be within the next two months, so it’s a good time to green our shopping habits. Not sure where to start? Check out some of our tips below for shopping smart for the holidays. 

Shop Eco-Friendly

Shop eco-friendly this holiday season! If you are making purchases from stores that are near or on the way to one another, try consolidating your shopping into one trip to reduce emissions. Another way to cut down is to go shopping with a friend and carpool. Greenhouse gas emissions aren’t the only negative environmental impact of shopping: Americans use a startling 100 billion plastic bags per year. Bringing your own reusable bags when you go shopping is an effective way to cut down on the waste.

Ordering Online

Buying online is a convenient and safe way to shop this year. We recommend purchasing from sustainable websites, like Earth Hero or Ecoroots that have an enormous variety of sustainable products to choose from. There are numerous other sustainable online stores out there as well. To figure out if a retailer is sustainable, check the materials they use and how they source them, look for environmentally-friendly terms such as “made from 100% recycled material” on their website, and see if their environmental practices are certified by a third party.

Express delivery has made online shopping much more convenient than it used to be. However, this easy delivery comes at significant cost to the environment. Express delivery often involves air travel, which has a greater carbon footprint than ground delivery. Additionally, express delivery often results in fewer packages loaded onto every delivery van, which in turn leads to more trips on the road and more emissions. When you return items ordered online, they have to be shipped, adding to transportation greenhouse gas emissions and cardboard waste. For this reason, try to cut down on the number of items you return. That’s not to say you should throw out an item you ordered that was defective and generate more waste in the landfill. When you do return an item, be sure to return it in the packaging it shipped to you in.

Online shopping has its costs. Each year, one billion trees worth of cardboard is used to ship online packages. There is a way to cut down on this waste, however: have your entire order ship in just one package. Some retailers like Amazon try to do this automatically, but one of the best ways to ensure fewer packages is to make fewer but larger orders. Making a list is a great way to keep track of your online-shopping needs while you wait to place a bigger order.

Second Hand Shopping and Upcycling

As we mentioned in our Green Tips a couple of weeks ago on Shopping for Winter Coats, one of the best ways to be environmentally friendly is to buy second hand. Whether through a thrift store or ebay, buying second hand helps reduce manufacturing emissions and reduces the demand to produce new goods. Don’t be afraid to get creative if you can’t find exactly what you want second-hand. For example, you can sew an old hoodie into a backpack. Alternatively, a quilt can be made out of thrifted T-shirts. Buying and crafting with second-hand items can be both fun and something the recipient will appreciate!

Give Experiences instead of a Product

While this may be hard during COVID-19, giving an experience can be much more meaningful than giving a material item, in addition to being better for the environment. For instance, if your child likes trains, take them to the Transit Museum instead of buying them a model train set. Their memories of exploring the museum with you will last a lifetime.

Thanks for reading this week’s Green Tips. We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Green Tips: Reducing Food Waste Around Thanksgiving

Last week, we discussed the environmental impacts of Thanksgiving and what you can do to mitigate them. Perhaps the most astonishing statistic from last week’s Green Tip was that Americans throw away 200 million pounds of turkey every year. Food waste releases greenhouse gases when it breaks down in a landfill, and in recent years, over 30,000 tons of food waste have been landfilled in the United States. We’ve outlined a number of ways to cut down on unnecessary waste ahead of, during, and after the big meal this year.

Prepping for the Meal

You can reduce your Thanksgiving waste before even serving the dinner. By anticipating how much you need to serve and saving unused food scraps, you can make sure your food finds its way into your stomach instead of the landfill. Here are some tips:

  • Buy only what you need.
    • The general rule is to buy 1 pound of turkey per person.
    • If you plan on having plenty of turkey leftover for future meals, buy 1½ pounds of turkey per person.
  • Save food scraps while preparing the meal.
    • Save food scraps in the freezer for future dishes.
    • Make a vegetable stock using leftover vegetables.
  • Stay away from buying paper and plastic plates, cups, and utensils.
    • Disposable items like these may seem like less work to wash, but they add to landfills. 

During the Meal

It is easy to overlook any waste that is generated while celebrating the holiday and enjoying the meal. This makes it extra important to stay mindful about how much you are throwing away. Just by following these simple steps, you can significantly reduce how much you throw out:

  • Serve the meal in courses rather than putting everything on the table at once. 
    • You can keep track of how much people are eating and adjust how much food you put out in future courses accordingly.
    • Leftovers from one course can be incorporated into a later course.
  • While at the table, don’t put more on your plate than you plan to eat.
    • Uneaten, served food is much more likely to be thrown out than uneaten, unserved food.
    • As a host, ask each guest how much food they want before serving them.
    • As a guest, if the host is serving you too much, don’t be afraid to say so!

After the Meal

Even after you finish your meal, it isn’t too late to cut down on your Thanksgiving waste. In addition to cutting waste, cooking with leftovers can be a great way to discover new dishes you may enjoy. 

  • Save leftovers rather than throwing them away!
  • Put unwanted Thanksgiving leftovers in your compost bin. To prevent contamination, only include fruits and vegetables, while avoiding dairy, meat, and bones.

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s Green Tips, and look out for next week’s topic: Shopping Smart for the Holidays.

Green Tips: Thanksgiving 2020

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Unfortunately, like many holidays, celebrating this one can impact our environment. Check out our tips below to find out how to make it more eco-friendly.

Travel   

Interestingly, Thanksgiving travel has a larger carbon footprint than the dinner itself. If you have to travel for Thanksgiving, try to avoid using your car, or if possible, carpool with close family members. While travelling by car may reduce exposure to and transmission of COVID-19, using public transportation isn’t as risky as you may think. Just be sure to follow the proper safety precautions when riding public transportation. If you’re still uncomfortable using public transportation, consider renting an electric vehicle (EV) instead of using a gas-powered car. There are plenty of EV charging stations to work into your trip. 

The Meal

The carbon dioxide emissions from a 16-pound turkey equal the combined emissions from nearly all dinner sides, as well as the apple pie! Meats and animal products in general have a larger carbon footprint than plants, so the least emission-intense Thanksgiving meal is a vegetarian or plant-based one. Consider Turkey alternatives, or avoid food waste by saving leftovers and putting on your plate only what you will eat. Americans throw away an astonishing 200 million pounds of turkey every year! Also consider buying an organic turkey, which forego harmful antibiotics and pesticides. Conventional turkeys can promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 

Support Local Farms & Food Markets

Buying locally raised turkeys is beneficial for a number of reasons. For one, transportation emissions are lower for local turkeys. Additionally, visiting a local farm to buy your turkey supports the local economy, and you can inquire about the use of sustainable or organic farming practices. Click here for a list of turkey farms in upstate New York. 

On your way to pick up the turkey, be sure to stop at a local food market! Locally-grown fruits and vegetables are fresher and more nutrient-dense than the supermarket alternative. Click here to find a farmers market in New York State. 

Spread Awareness about Environmental Issues

Consider using mealtime to discuss environmental issues that are important to you. Inform family members of sustainable practices or pressing environmental issues and come prepared with statistics or tips. Don’t forget to give thanks to the planet that sustains us…even better if sharing the gratitude with loved ones! 

Thanks for tuning in for this week’s Green Tips! Be sure to come back next week for how to reduce food waste this Thanksgiving season.

Green Tips: Winter Coats

It may not feel like it lately, but winter is right around the corner, which means frigid temperatures and probable snow storms. Winter coats are a must to keep warm during the frosty season but did you know that not all materials used to keep you warm are so eco-friendly? Check out our Green Tips on which winter coats are less harmful choices for our planet.

Down Feathers

Winter coats can be made with numerous materials. One of the most popular materials is down, which is an insulating material made from the shorter and softer feathers found on the chests of ducks and geese. There are aspects of the down industry to consider when opting for products with down, and we recommend conducting research before making a decision. 

If you’d prefer avoiding down, there are several down alternatives. If down alternatives are not an option, opt for brands that use “ethical down.” To ensure that your down is produced ethically, we recommend products that have been certified by the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and/or the Global Traceable Down Standard (Global TDS). The following companies have made public commitments to follow the RDS. 

Natural Fabrics

Coats can also be made of a host of other natural materials, including wool, leather, and cotton. There are a few things to keep in mind about these industries when shopping for cold weather clothing.

Wool production has ecological impacts, as the animals release a large amount of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) and need a lot of land to graze on, contributing to deforestation and desertification.

Another popular material used for coats is leather, made primarily from the hide of cows, sheep, and goats. Just like the cultivation of sheep for wool, the cultivation of livestock for leather leads to the release of methane and deforestation. However, the production of leather includes an added step of tanning to avoid the decomposition of the hide. This process has been restricted in the United States and Europe because it produces toxic chemicals, among them chromium, a carcinogen. In developing countries where the tanning process is unregulated, toxic chemicals are often released into waterways and the workers at tanneries are at risk for developing short- and long-term ailments. Consider environmentally conscious leather manufacturers before purchasing a product made with leather.

Cotton production has environmental impacts, as well. It is very water-intensive to grow cotton. The production of just one kilogram of cotton uses 20,000 liters of water, and more than 250 billion tons of water are used to produce cotton every year. The cultivation of the cotton crop frequently involves the release of pesticides and other toxins into the environment. We recommend opting for sustainable or organic cotton.

Man-made Fabrics

Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and acrylic are manufactured from oil and produce a significant amount of greenhouse gases during their production. Opt for biosynthetic fabrics made from corn, plant oils, and sugar can instead of petroleum. 

Decrease the Demand

Every consumer has the right to decide what is best for them, and we hope the information above is helpful. Considering the environmental impact for many common winter coat materials, we recommend second-hand shopping. Reducing the demand on manufacturing and preventing a coat from entering a landfill is a great way to keep warm and reduce environmental burden. Consider shopping at a thrift store this season or doing a clothing swap with a friend. If you have any coats that can go to someone in need, we encourage you to donate! 

Thank you for reading this week’s Green Tips! Be sure to check in next week for more eco-friendly tips! 

 

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