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760.832.0105 • calisolearning@earthlink.net
Celebrate the Earth, her children, her gifts.
| WHAT YOU CAN DO |
"Blue Marble" composite image generated by NASA in 2001 |
RIGHT NOW |
| WATER COOLER | ACTIVITIES | |
| ECO-STATS | ARTICLES / Miscellaneous | |
| TAKE OUR POLL | NATURE QUOTES | |
| LIVE GREEN | RECYCLING CENTERS
|
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Determine your ecological footprint http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp
Learn how to fight global warming! Begin by calculating your carbon impact http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/carboncalculator.cfm or http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/
Learn more...watch and discuss, Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth with friends and family, then take action!
Garden for wildlife. Certify your backyard as a National Wildlife Federation backyard habitat. Take this quick quiz to see if your yard is ready now! Visit http://www.nwf.org/ for global impact information.
Educate yourself on recyclable materials, check out this great website http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/common.html ; know what type of recyclables your city recycles and what it might not take.
Keep tabs on our government.. See what congress is up to by checking out these two valuable resources posted by reporter and guest columnist for the Environmental Defense Action Fund, Mark Macleod in a EDAF network blog, "Climate 411." He posts:
When it comes to global warming, this is looking to be an action-packed Congress. There are no fewer than seven global warming
bills under discussion. While the titles make the bills sound very much alike, they differ in both subtle and significant ways. Our
climate policy team put together two resources to help keep it all straight:
The elements of strong climate policy. The most important job of climate policy is to cut emissions enough to avoid the worst consequences of a warming planet.
Policies that include all four of these elements will allow us achieve that most efficiently.
A comparison chart of the bills in the House and Senate. This is a quick summary of the major proposals, with key characteristics called out in a consistent format.
RIGHT NOW:
Earth Day Student Challenge
Middle School and High School students
·
Replace a
regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about
300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
·
Take a
shower instead of a bath
A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximise the energy
saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and
provide the same comfort.
·
Plant a tree
A
single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade
provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%.
·
Reuse your
shopping bag
When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of
accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and
methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.
·
Buy organic
foods as much as possible
Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils
from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically,
we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere! Plus,
organic food is great for you!
·
Buy fresh
foods instead of frozen
Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
·
Buy locally
grown and produced foods
The average meal in the
·
Seek out and
support local farmers markets
They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you
by one fifth. You can find a farmer’s market in your area at the USDA website.
·
Keep your
car tuned up
Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When
just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of
carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.
·
Buy
intelligently
One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three
bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90%
less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests
worldwide. Also, choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills
when you can. By doing so, you will also cute down on waste production and
energy use!
For more Environmental Tips, check out http://www.earthday.net/involved/envtips/default.aspx
What else can I do right now?
Forward this site to friends and family!
Learn more about environmental threats.
Write to our leaders.
Research
information you are given. Who's publishing the information? Who's
financially responsible? Is this a reputable source? What are the short term
vs. long term affects? How reliable is their research? Who is funding their
research?
Sign up for e-elerts and newsletter from the Environment Defense Fund: http://environmentaldefense.org/home.cfm
WATER COOLER
<script src="http://www.earthgauge.net/facts/fact.php" type="text/javascript"></script>
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ECO-STATS and FACTS
The
Seven Types of Plastic
Use this breakdown of plastic types to better navigate what type of plastics your city recycles (and accepts in your container) as well as keeping tabs on important issues that affect your family’s health…
Article from: Earth 911
Why
are most plastics marked with a number inside a recycling symbol? The simple
answer is that each number represents the type of resin made to
produce the plastic. Because each resin is different, these numbers affect how
and where you can recycle plastics. You don’t have to remember the name.
Plastics are identified by numbers 1-7.
#1
PET (Polyethylene
terephthalate)*: soda bottles, oven-ready meal trays and water bottles
#2
HDPE (High-density
polyethylene)*: milk bottles, detergent bottles and grocery/trash/retail bags
#3
PVC (Polyvinyl chloride):
plastic food wrap, loose-leaf binders and plastic pipes
#4
LDPE (Low-density
polyethylene): dry cleaning bags, produce bags and squeezable bottles
#5
PP (Polypropylene):
medicine bottles, aerosol caps and drinking straws
#6
PS (Polystyrene): compact
disc jackets, packaging Styrofoam peanuts and plastic tableware
#7
Other: reusable water
bottles, certain kinds of food containers and Tupperware
*PET
and HDPE are the most common forms of plastic, so they are the easiest to find
recycling locations
GLOBAL WARMING BY THE NUMBERS
200 Million. Number of people who could be displaced globally by extreme droughts, sea level rise and flooding by 2080.
358. Number of U.S. mayors (representing 55 million Americans) who have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement pledging to meet or beat
Kyoto goals in their communities.
80. Percent decrease in US's global warming pollution required by 2050 to prevent the worst consequences of global warming.
76. Number of days by which the U.S. fire season has increased over the past 20 years - tied closely to increased temperatures and earlier snowmelt.
20. Percent increase of US's carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since 1990.
15. Percent increase of US's carbon dioxide emissions forecasted by 2020 if we do not cap pollution.
1. Rank of 2006 as hottest year on record in the continental United States.
1. Rank of US as top global warming polluter, emitting almost as much as the European Union, Russia and Japan combined.
0
1.
Number of times President Bush has mentioned "climate change" or
"global warming" in his previous six State of the Union speeches.
0. Number of federal bills passed by Congress to set a mandatory, economy-wide cap on US's global warming pollution.
SOURCES: http://www.earthfair.com/ ; The U.S. National Climatic Data Center, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Environmental Protection Agency, the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, Science, U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
Running
the Numbers
An
American Self-Portrait
--Chris Jordan
Copy and paste the following address to your internet search bar: http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=7
"PLANT A TREE FOR YOUR TOMORROW"
The impact of just one tree affects you, our planet, our
future.
ONE TREE WILL:
Absorb
more than a ton of carbon over its lifetime.
Improve
water quality by slowing and filtering rain and protecting aquifers and
watersheds.
Remove carbon dioxide
pollution from the air.
..
Produces
nearly 260 pounds of oxygen per year…
Control
$31,500 worth of soil erosion over 50 years.
Source: EPA and the National Arbor Day
Foundation
"TRANSPORTATION
BY THE NUMBERS"
Facts
and figures from the Environmental Defense website
9/19/07.
According to the Environmental Defense website, “Transportation
is one of the biggest causes of global warming pollution in the
239 million
Number
of cars and light trucks on
2.7 trillion
Total
vehicle miles traveled in the
160%
Increase
in the amount of miles driven since 1970 in the
$66.3 billion
Amount
spent by local, federal and state governments on
5%
45%
28%
Percent
of
15
Number
of states that have adopted
3
The
Big Three car companies (GM, Ford and Chrysler) that have joined USCAP, a
partnership calling for a
0
Number
of federal bills passed to cap and reduce
SOURCE: http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=7007
RECYCLING CENTERS and other RESOURCES: Composting / Stewardship / Recycling Centers / Research Tools / Recommended Links
Online guides to composting; vermicomposting (composting with worms); compost troubleshooting...
http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/planning/compost.aspCoachella
Valley Compost Facility
87011
Landfill Rd
Indio, CA, 92201
(760) 863-4364
Earth Day Network
Riverside County Recycling Guide for Residents and Businesses
Riverside Recycle Booklet 6-05.indd
S.C.R.A.P. Gallery
Waste Management educational and kid friendly resources.
http://www.wm.com/WM/community/Resources.asp?id=sub6
World's Shortest and Most Comprehensive Recycling Guide: good recycling vs. bad recycling.
http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/shortest.html
Recycling Centers: Please check your local city recycling programs for lists and guidelines for materials accepted
[skip to materials list and facility locations]
Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services:
Cathedral City Palm Desert
Coachella Rancho Mirage
Indian Wells Salton Sea
Indio Thermal
La Quinta Twentynine Palms
Mecca Yucca Valley
Oasis
Palm Desert office(760) 340-2113;
Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms (760) 365-2015
Toll free 1-877-505-6445 (Palm Desert office)
Desert Hot Springs: Desert Valley Disposal
4690 East Mesquite Avenue
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 329-5030
http://www.desertvalleydisposal.com/
Palm Springs: Palm Springs Disposal
4690 East Mesquite Avenue
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 327-1351
http://www.palmspringsdisposal.com/
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A.B.O.P. (items accepted Antifreeze, Batteries, motor Oil, latex/water-based Paint)
http://www.palmspringsrecycling.org/oil.html
California Materials Exchange (CalMAX): classified reuse ads for California business; helping find markets for material that may otherwise be discarded. Integrated Waste Management Board.
Toll-free: 1-877-520-9703
"Sharp's Program:" Used needles, syringes and lancets can and should be recycled. This service is available and confidential. Please call Indian Wells City Hall for further information regarding the
"Sharp's Program" available free of charge in cooperation with area pharmacies.
(760) 346-2489
fax: (760) 346-0407
Appliances / Cardboard / Electronic Equipment / Green Waste / Scrap metal recycling / Scrap tire recycling / Wood waste
Appliances
Palm Springs Recycling (two locations)
280 Oasis Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 325-3377
36630 Sunair Plaza
Cathedral City, CA 92234
(760) 321-4987
fax: (760) 321-0494
Riverside Scrap Iron and Metal
86015 Ave. 52
Coachella, CA 92236
(760) 398-7772
http://www.riversidemetalrecycling.com/
Valley Scrap
48100 Harrison St
Coachella, CA, 92236-1214
(760) 398-5651
Cardboard
Palm Springs Recycling (two locations)
280 Oasis Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 325-3377
36630 Sunair Plaza
Cathedral City, CA 92234
(760) 321-4987
fax: (760) 321-0494
Recycle America
41800 Corporate Way
Palm Desert, CA 92261
(760) 340-2113 x3308
fax: (760) 346-9253
Electronic Equipment
Waste Management of
the Desert (now Burrtec Waste and Recycling)
41800 Corporate Way
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 674-1043
http://www.burrtecdesert.com/
Green Waste
California Bio-Mass
83109 62nd Ave
Thermal, CA, 92274-8708
(760) 399-4128
fax: (760) 399-4131
http://www.californiabiomass.com/index.html
Colmac Energy, Inc.
62-300 Gene Welmas Dr.
Mecca, CA 92254-0758
(760) 396-2554
fax: (760) 396-2834
Recycle America
41575 Eclectic
Palm Desert Ca 92260
Southern California Recycling
29-250 Rio Del Sol
Thousand Palms, CA 92276
(760) 343-0499
fax: (760) 343-3004
Scrap metal recycling
Adams Steel
Palm Springs Recycling (two locations)
280 Oasis Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 325-3377
36630 Sunair Plaza
Cathedral City, CA 92234
(760) 321-4987
fax: (760) 321-0494
Ramsey Recycling
1243 Ramsey St.
Banning, CA 92220
(951) 849-5997
fax: (951) 849-8399
Riverside Scrap Iron and Metal
86015 Ave. 52
Coachella, CA 92236
(760) 398-7772
http://www.riversidemetalrecycling.com/
Southern California Recycling
29-250 Rio Del Sol
Thousand Palms, CA 92276
(760) 343-0499
fax: (760) 343-3004
Valley Scrap
48100 Harrison St
Coachella, CA, 92236-1214
(760) 398-5651
Scrap tire recycling
Tire Amnesty Collection Events
(909) 486-3200
Wood Waste
Recycle America
41800 Corporate Way
Palm Desert, CA 92261
(760) 340-2113 x3308
fax: (760) 346-9253
Southern California Recycling
29-250 Rio Del Sol
Thousand Palms, CA 92276
(760) 343-0499
fax: (760) 343-3004
The Canadian Information System for the Environment (CISE) is a gateway to environmental data. Learn about trends in environmental issues,
search for data and maps, or take in an on-line learning session for technology buffs.
http://www.cise-scie.ca/english/home.cfm
U.S. Geological Society; environment, ecosystem health.
http://www.usgs.gov/themes/environ.html
Ecology Center (Berkeley)
Earth Day Network
Stop Global Warming
Earth 911: Making Every Day Earth Day
Climate Crisis: Inconvenient Truth
Consumer Recycling Guide
http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/common.html
http://wrcog.cog.ca.us
World's Shortest and Most Comprehensive Recycling Guide: Good
Recycling vs. Bad Recycling.
http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/shortest.html
Waste Management educational and kid friendly resources.
http://www.wm.com/WM/community/Resources.asp?id=sub6
S.C.R.A.P. Gallery
CREEC
NSCDR Natural Science Collaborative of the Desert Region – Multi resource for environmentally- based programs year round.
http://www.naturalsciencecollaborative.com/
LIVE GREEN:
The BoTANative Garden: The Value of Creating a Backyard Habitat
Earth911's 8 Ways To Green Your Garden
National Geographic: The Green Guide
ACTIVITIES:
ROCKU
Collect stones from your yard* and write earth friendly words on each rock with a permanent marker. Here are some starter words: earth, green
quiet, protect, rain, desert, nurture, mother, breath, fiery, flowers, sigh, sun, planet, recycle, promise, walk, fresh, night, song...Provide a large shallow dish or tray, fill with white or black birdseed, or fine sand. Place your stones in the dish and arrange them to create your own earth poems or earth quotes. Perfect for relaxing outside...creations are endless. Use birdseed and leave your "rockus" outside for birds to enjoy as well! Do not use rice!
*If you choose to collect rocks from trips or hikes, make sure you have permission to do so if needed, and that you are not in a protected area where collecting of any kind is prohibited.
For educators:
The natural world can offer endless bounty in providing opportunities that guide the next generation toward responsible stewardship of our environment.
The following activity promotes up-close, inquiry-based exploration of a child’s backyard, school yard or larger natural environment while learning to
combine both scientific and artistic observation with creative expression.
Plan a school yard “hike,” or off-site trip to explore details in nature. Guide students to describe details in color, texture, and/or patterns. Focus on trees,
rocks, animals, wildflowers, etc. for your lesson. Outside, or back in class, provide a river stone for each student. Have students record on their rock one
word that they like that describes something they learned about during their trip. As a class, or in groups, students can arrange rocks to create poems
daily. Other ideas: as groups exchange rocks with other groups and create poems using their words; or randomly pick 10 rocks at a time and create class
poem for the day. If you choose to collect rocks during your hike, make sure you have permission to do so, and that you are not in a protected
area where collecting of any kind is prohibited.
PRINT-N-PLAY
How Many Words Can You Make~ENVIRONMENTAL
PLANET PROMISE PEBBLES
*If you choose to collect rocks from trips or hikes, make sure you have permission to do so if needed, and that you are not in a protected area where collecting of any kind is prohibited.
TREE COOKIE PLEDGE: Reduce, Reuse, Treecycle!
MISCELLANEOUS: History of Earth Day / Articles / Symbols / Nature webcams
History of Earth Day
Source: earthday.net
Earth Day -- April 22 -- each year marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
Among other things, 1970 in the United States brought with it the Kent State shootings, the advent of fiber optics, "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Apollo 13, the Beatles' last album, the death of Jimi Hendrix, the birth of Mariah Carey, and the meltdown of fuel rods in the Savannah River nuclear plant near Aiken, South Carolina -- an incident not acknowledged for 18 years.
It was into such a world that the very first Earth Day was born....read more (this will take you out of the Caliso Learning website)
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Anti-Recycling Myths Commentary on "Recycling is Garbage" (John Tierney, New York Times Magazine, June 30, 1996) by Richard A. Denison, Ph.D, Environmental Defense Fund
Climate Changes Shift Springtime The BBC News reports on a Europe-wide study which shows human-induced climate changes are affecting the ecology of seasonal cues that species depend on for survival.
Flower
Power A National Wildlife
Federation eNature article: Is it possible that certain plants can rid
the soil of contaminates?
Protecting Our Tortoise Habitats Desert Sun report: More public research needed to manage desert reptiles.
Seven
Misconceptions about Plastic and Plastic Recycling
Misconception
# 1: Plastics that go into a curbside recycling bin get recycled. Not
necessarily.
What Will Global Warming Inaction Cost? The financial burdens of doing nothing explained. Article by the Environmental Defense online (work doc.)
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The sunflower is the internationally
recognized symbol of Green politics.
"Don't
blow it - good planets are hard to find."
~Quoted in Time
Web cams that monitor natural habitats provide a valuable research tool for wildlife biologists and other scientists. They are also a
great way for the rest of us to glimpse animal behavior, undisturbed, in their natural habitat--sometimes witnessing behavior never
before seen. Click here to see some of our favorite online cams.
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