Happy New Year!
On Friday we had a fantastic meeting of the eco-minded which gave us another reason to be so impressed with the members of Green Club. Thanks to those who were able to make it to the computer lab to help get this project started off on the right foot.

The Club's New Year's Resolution this year is to educate and encourage our grown ups to turn off their vehicle while parked. This is called IDLING. By definition,  Idle (idling) means using fuel to run a motor or machine while it is not in gear or moving. -Beginner Dictionary, 1979)

An easy way to remember to turn off one's vehicle is this:
RULE OF THUMB: 

If you're in a drive-through restaurant/business line or waiting for someone and you'll be parked and sitting for 10 seconds or longer... turn off your car's engine.

Why??

For every two minutes a car is idling, it uses about the same amount of fuel it takes to go about one mile. Research indicates that the average person idles their car five to 10 minutes a day. 

-ComsumerEnergyCenter.org 

We are well on our way to a positive and productive "No Idling Campaign". Signs were made that will be posted around school to help reinforce the message. Information via the Thursday mailing will be sent out over the next few weeks that include myths, facts, and other fun ways we can all do our part to protect the planet.
We just might have a few more tricks up our sleeves as well....Stay tuned for more info in the coming weeks!

Ecologically yours,
Jamie Hasemeier + Amy Bartucci

Waste Management: Recycle America Field Trip

The SPC Green Club on a Magic School Bus ride to.....

A Landfill!

Our trip on 12/5 focused mainly on learning about and witnessing recycling as well as understanding recyclable commodities. We learned that being green and thinking green really make sense in this economy!  It was explained to us that our economy can be more enhanced, not threatened, by green initiatives.

Our presenter, Rori, was exceptional and she helped us clearly understand the tasks at hand in regards to recycling and why we need to recycle and recover items throughout our daily lives. She explained what a "bale" is and we talked about some green jobs related to the facility.  Ask any Green Club student about the specifics of "The Rule of Palm" or why the landfill workers set off firecrackers from time to time.  The club might even be able to tell you what the layers of a landfill are: does a landfill use dirt or crushed wood in the layering process?  We touched on the topics of decomposition and learned the difference between aerobic and anaerobic. The questions the club asked during the lecture were outstanding. The students were attentive and it was such a worthwhile trip. Our awe and pride in the members of Green Club continues to grow.

We are hopeful the Club will remember a lot of these facts throughout the holidays as more and more "things" come into our homes.

Where is AWAY?  That is the question!

   

A GREEN CLUBBER'S NOTES OF INTEREST FROM OUR TRIP
Commodities-  the end product that is sold once recycleables are sorted & baled.
 "The Rule of Palm"- if the plastic cap of a container is smaller than your palm, put it back on the container.
Prepare- PLEASE clean out your recycleables as dirty items end up in a land fill
Separate- be sure to take that metal lid off of the glass jar before tossing in the recycling bin
Empty- be sure to empty out the aluminum can before it's tossed in the recycling bin (added liquid could impact the final sale of a bale. If too much liquid exists in the cans, the bale will be rejected.)
Bale- many recycleables are crunched into large squares for ease in transport and selling.

Our presenter also stressed how important our decisions are even before we purchase an item 

DURING THE HOLIDAYS, REMEMBER TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS:

-Does this item have too much packaging? (the less packaging, the better)

-Do I really need it? (or will it end up in the landfill in a month?)

-Did I remember my reusable bags? (just say NO to plastic bags!)

Wishing you a very Green and thoughtful Christmas Season!

What a busy day we had yesterday to celebrate AMERICA RECYCLES DAY!

The Green Team challenged St. Paul of the Cross students (and parents!) to pack a waste free lunch for an extra day in honor of America Recycles Day and we are happy to report that many families rose to the challenge! SPC accepted no lunch trash in our big red cans. There were buckets to collect compost-able materials near most of the trash cans and they were filled to the brim. A big THANK YOU to Mrs. Niego who was kind enough to collect those buckets to use for her compost bin. That will be one lucky garden in the spring! WAY TO GO, SPC!

Then the Green Club met in the library to have lunch together and celebrate this "high holiday". As usual the conversation was lively and the enthusiasm was palpable. We watched a really cool short video about speaking out about issues that are important to us. Check it out if you have time (it's only about 5 minutes) www.storyofstuff.org  This group of eco-conscience students is an incredible example of using ones voice in a positive manner to affect change. What an inspiration they are to all of us. Thank you to Mrs. Whalen who was there to help during our lunch meeting! We have a lot of exciting plans for the future, so stay tuned!


To round off a busy and fun filled day, a Group of Green Clubbers and some friends headed to the Trashy Fashion show put on by SWANCC at the Skokie Holiday Inn. The Clubbers were incredibly helpful in handing out programs to the guests and assisting in seating. In true SPC style, they were respectful and well behaved. We are so proud of this Club! We watched a fantastic show of garments made from garbage-REMARKABLE! So inspiring in fact that we wouldn't be surprised to see a few entries from our Clubbers next year!

We are so thankful for the opportunity to work with your children and to be in a community that has open minds and hearts. Together we can all work to better our world for today and for generations to come. Wishing you a Thanksgiving break filled with love and family. May God continue to bless the families of St. Paul of the Cross.

With Affection,
Jamie Hasemeier + Amy Bartucci

Hello From the One Earth SPC Green Club!

It is almost November and we have  a lot of reminders for you!  Please excuse this interruption.

November is the month of America Recycles Day!  Let’s do our BEST effort with recycling as well as packing waste free.  REMEMBER:  WASTE FREE WEDNESDAY!  Please get those containers out as a reminder to take care while packing your lunches!

On America Recycles Day we will be having an EXTRA WASTE FREE DAY.  IT IS A THURSDAY!  November 15th.  Please mark your calendars and check the website Thursday mailings to make sure you pack waste free to honor this day.  WE WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY TRASH ON NOVEMBER 15th DURING LUNCH.  You are asked to bring a waste free lunch with any recyclables.  Any trash will be sent back home.  WATCH THE CALENDAR!

We are collecting $1 til November 15th to help purchase a recycling receptacle for outside the EGC.  Please be a good steward and bring a dollar to help our campus continue to answer the call to care for CREATION.  More info is in the Thursday Mailing.

Lastly, WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 7th is a very important GREEN CLUB MEEETING.  Please make sure past and present members plan to attend during lunch and recess as we will be handing out permission forms for a few activities.  This may be the only way to get your permission form!  Events are coming up FAST!  The Trashy Fashion Show and a Recycling Plant are two of our next events.

THANK YOU!

NO IDLING STUDY BY ONE EARTH GREEN CLUB STUDENTS AT SPC!

You may have seen a scientific study being conducted around our campus in October at dismissal.  It was very eye opening!  One Earth Green Club students are collecting data three times this year in order to report findings on idling at pickup and increase awareness of our school's No Idling Campaign.  The main objective is to create a positive atmosphere while adding scientific facts about a very common problem in our society.  The info below is inspiring and is being posted as a reminder that efforts placed this year are meant to create a healthier environment for our children and our future.  This is not a lesson in becoming a judge of others or meant to criticize our community.  This is a lesson in taking care of our planet and changing habits one day at a time!  

http://www.cleanaircampaign.org/Blog/Students-Choose-Clean-Air-As-Part-of-Clean-Commute-Week#.UIFXKW_LSM5

We have posted this information before, but it is very worthy of an extra click these days as we will start to feel the cooler temperatures and chill in the air!  This is the truth about idling.  This is why we hold on to our mission and find various ways to improve our sustainability efforts on campus.

http://www.cleanaircampaign.org/Your-Air-Quality-Transportation/The-Truth-About-Idling

NO IDLING CAR MAGNETS ARE AVAILABLE!  Please consider adding your support to our effort and become a leader on our campus.  We need all the clean air we can get!  See Amy Bartucci for further info or email aeb925@gmail.com

hi one earth club & friends!

this is a great outing for us all to enjoy.  we will pass out permission forms at our next meeting on 11/7.  if you need a ride, we will have a place on the form to indicate that - so don't worry!

just please keep the date open if you're interested in seeing some awesome trashy fashions and getting inspired by super eco-conscious people.

***we will be wearing our OWN fashions to the event!***

 please make sure you have purchased a 

SPC One Earth T Shirt (any of the 3 styles works!) so that we can take our annual group photo at the show.

contact amy bartucci for sizes and styles.

t shirts are $14

Get Your Green On!

We had an exciting and thoughtful discussion today at Green Club. Thanks to all who packed waste free!

We tried but failed to watch a super cool video recently given to us by SWANCC. We thought posting it here would be helpful for all who want to see it.
http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-change/         


Did you know that plastic does NOT bio-degrade? It photo-degrades, meaning that it only breaks down into smaller pieces and never goes away. It's a daily challenge to live life with less plastic. I try so hard every day to see where I can cut plastic out of my life, but sometimes it's so difficult! Here's an interesting vid that will get you thinking the next time you reach for a plastic water bottle.
http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-bottled-water/

In fact, this whole website is worth a stroll....http://www.storyofstuff.org/

Hope you have a fantastic week!
Ecologically yours,
Jamie Hasemeier + Amy Bartucci