Our Blog - SUSTAINABLE NEWTON

Arbor Day: Look Back & Pay It Forward

2/20/2020

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.
-- Greek Proverb

Tomorrow through next weekend, communities across Newton County will host Arbor Day celebrations to plant trees and pay homage to their benefits. Especially in this age of climate change and forests lost to development, agriculture, drought, and fires, the replanting of trees has never been a more necessary act.

But, there's something deeper, more essential, and even perhaps spiritual about giving life to a tree that will likely outlive its planters to shade, shelter, and serve generations yet unborn today.

As the Greek proverb says: "Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in." The awareness that actions we take (or don't take) today have consequences for generations to come is at the heart of why Sustainable Newton exists. As our motto says: "There 's no time like the present to give our children a better future."

Unlike Johnny Cash, I've not been everywhere man. But, I have lived a lot of places, planting and leaving a lot of trees. Today, thanks the magic of the internet, I can still see their shade.

We Support EtO Legislation for Georgia

2/19/2020

By the Sustainable Newton Board of Directors

We added a new word to our vocabulary in 2019 -- more accurately, an acronym. That acronym was "EtO," short for ethylene oxide.

This was an unfamiliar term for nearly everyone in Newton County, but news coverage of releases of this known carcinogen from the Becton Dickinson (BD) facility in Covington soon had everyone talking and local governments pressed to act. In October, we commended the Covington Mayor and City Council for their response to the situation.

Much has happened since, with BD eventually resuming operations at their Industrial Boulevard facility with new air quality testing in place. However, in late December, BD was again cited by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) for not reporting the existence and release of EtO at a warehouse in Covington's Lochridge Business Park.

Getting a Charge from Expectations Met

2/11/2020

By Julius J. ("JJ") Hayden, Sustainable Newton Treasurer

It is great when projects turn out like you intended and do what you expected.

We participated in the Solarize program in 2019 and upgraded our existing small, grid-tied solar system to a bigger and more capable system. The goal was to supply about 50% of our monthly electric power consumption and to have batteries to supply power at night. Not only at night, but also on that rare-for-us occasion the grid power goes out.

Our solar panels and batteries have been living up to our power generation expectations. And, then came this month's flooding and eight hours of no power coming from the grid. I was working here at the computer when our power went out the first time, and I didn’t even notice it was out, except that the lights went dark in the other rooms. The next morning, I heard the gas furnace and blower come on, and I thought “Great – that’s just what I expected.” I then checked on our refrigerators, and they were operating just fine.

It's just so great when a plan comes together and works as expected.

So Far, So Good on Those Resolutions

2/10/2020

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

Vegan Black Bean & Kale Soup with Meatless Chorizo Sausage (7 Weight Watchers Points)

With January safely in the rear-view mirror, perhaps it's not too risky to mention how those New Year's resolutions are going. I'm referring to the sustainability actions I committed to at the end of last year, along with my fellow Sustainable Newton board members.

For me, the focus was reducing my carbon footprint by driving more fuel-efficiently and adopting a plant-based diet one day a week. Overall, I'm happy with results so far, but neither resolution has been without challenges. (As it should be for any changes worth making.)

Today is my fifth "Meatless Monday." I was traveling in early January, so I elected to start my new regimen on Monday, January 13. But, since then, I've opened every week with a vegetarian (but not always vegan) diet. I'm allowing myself eggs and dairy products, but no beef, poultry, seafood, or other meats.

Here comes the Bag Man

1/1/2020

On New Years Day, we bring you another installment of our series focusing on personal resolutions Sustainable Newton Board members are making for 2020 to increase our efforts to live more sustainable lives with less negative impact on our planet and those who will inhabit it when we are gone.

By Julius J. Hayden, Sustainable Newton Treasurer & Lois Upham, Sustainable Newton Board Member

As some of my friends know, I have been on a crusade to raise awareness of the problems caused by plastic bags used to collect and transport our purchases. I am an old man and don’t mind playing the “ole’ geezer” card to make a point and perhaps change a mind -- if not, then raise awareness -- of the dangers of plastic endemic in our environment.

Almost without exception, I ask every clerk and bagger if they can tell me the source material for plastic bags. (It's petroleum or natural gas.) I go on to tell them, especially the young ones, that they will someday tell their grandchildren “we used to give away plastic bags by the handful, and that if they just had some of those bags now, how lucky they would be.” (Shades of back-to-the-future.)

Less Lead Foot, More Green Meals

12/30/2019

Phrases like "climate crisis" and "tipping point" are scientifically sound descriptions of our current moment. But, such talk can also overwhelm us and lead to despair. It's tough to muster an appropriate sense of urgency and yet still maintain hope.

We founded Sustainable Newton determined to reject helplessness and convinced individual actions matter immensely, as we've stated elsewhere on this website. As board members, we've been sharing personal resolutions for 2020 this week. We're not asking you to emulate us, but we do hope we've encouraged you to find your own ways to make a difference. Happy New Year!

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

My resolutions for the new year focus on two areas: food and transportation. The first is a common theme for nearly everyone come January 1. The latter carries over something I started this year. Let's tackle that one first...

Transportation: More Miles and Smiles per Gallon

In mid-December, circumstances put me in the market for a new car for the first time in 22 years. I was keenly interested in an all-electric vehicle (EV) to cut my carbon emissions to zero, so I talked with friends who'd made the transition with great results. But, I wasn't sure I could live within the mileage range most EVs provide between charges. With more time to investigate, I'm confident we could have made it work. But, needing a new car quickly, I compromised by choosing a hybrid.

To Air Is Human; To Also Give Is Divine

12/29/2019

Today's New Year's resolution inspiration comes from Sustainable Newton Vice President Theodosia Wade. Our board members are sharing personal commitments in hopes of giving our followers ideas for meaningful, but realistic actions you might take in your own life.

By Theodosia Wade, Sustainable Newton Vice President

I have never been one to make New Year’s Resolutions -- I just never wanted to set myself up for failure! However, I often think about ways I want to change for the better as the yew year arrives, and others around me are making their own resolutions. So, maybe those “thoughts” are my New Year’s resolutions. Lately I have been thinking it is time to offset my carbon footprint in a tangible way.

My husband Billy and I had a wonderful trip to Italy this fall, but I have been concerned about the carbon footprint created by our flight. Jets have a huge environmental impact. So, do we just stop flying like Greta Thunberg? I am not so sure I'm ready to make that commitment.

It's the Last Straw for the McQuaides

12/28/2019

As we continue sharing New Year's resolutions from our Sustainable Newton Board members, today we hear from Mike McQuaide. Everyone's next best step is a personal choice, but we hope you each find a meaningful action to take in 2020. We strive to lead by example, but you can find many great ideas here.

By Mike McQuaide, Sustainable Newton Board Member

Many of us have been captivated by David Attenborough’s documentary films featuring various dimensions of the natural world. What is less well known is Attenborough has received considerable criticism from environmental activists for his lack of attention to threats to the sustainability of the natural environment caused by human activity.

My wife and I watched Attenborough’s most recent series, and it was obvious the criticisms had found their mark. Each installment featured graphic assaults on the natural processes of the earth. Some films were difficult to watch, as mother seals would not abandon their dead pups killed by plastics found everywhere in the oceans. After we watched Attenborough’s documentary on the state of the oceans, our conversation turned to the predictable question of “what can we do?”

Seeing the Light in 2020 Means LEDs

12/27/2019

With holiday decorations safely stored (right!?), our thoughts drift between reflections on the year just passed and anticipation for a new one fast approaching. It's a time for resolutions -- small and sometimes large promises to ourselves regarding changes we want to make in the new year. At Sustainable Newton, we see the impact our actions have on our environment and our neighbors. Our board members are going out on a limb to share our resolutions in hopes you too will embrace small changes that together make a huge difference.

By Sara Vinson, Sustainable Newton Board Member

One of my resolutions for 2020 is to finish transitioning our household light fixtures to light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs. Honestly, I thought this was something my family had already done. However, when a light bulb over my bathroom sink recently went out, and I had to change it, I noticed that it was a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb. Then, I looked around and found that we still have a good mix of CFL, incandescent, and halogen light bulbs in the house.

Why go to the trouble and expense of switching to LEDs? According to the Consumer Energy Alliance, LED bulbs produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs and 80% more efficiently than CFLs. Since my family is trying to reduce energy use, this sounds good.

A Burden to Share, Not Bear

12/12/2019

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

Plastic waste is a deepening global crisis. A video Op-Ed published Monday by the New York Times explains how we got here and what must change.

The "Shifting the Burden" Model

As the video shows, consumer product manufacturers have long played a complicit role in causing and exacerbating current woes. It's a perfect example of what Systems Thinking practitioners refer to as a "Shifting the Burden" scenario.