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SUSTAINABLE NEWTON
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Let Us Make Our Shoulders Strong

7/26/2020

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By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President
I’m making my shoulders strong for the young to stand upon,
Stepping lightly on the backs of those who hold me up.

Those lyrics from singer/songwriter Susan Osborn were on my mind this week as I remembered someone whose shoulders carried all of Newton County a decade ago.  As I relayed in a personal Facebook post on Thursday, that man was former Newborn Mayor Roger Sheridan.

Earlier this month, the City of Covington announced plans to pave portions of the Cricket Frog Trail inside city limits, finally bringing closure to an effort begun well over a decade ago to convert an unused (and nearly abandoned) rail corridor across Newton County into a multi-use trail.

Beginning in 2009, I became one of the vocal, persistent advocates pressing the City of Covington and Newton County to carry through on plans initiated in 2005 by prior administrations to acquire the corridor from Norfolk Southern and pave it for a trail. 

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Covington Commits to Sustainability

4/21/2020

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By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President
PictureThe Triple Bottom Line
From our early days as individuals uniting to change our world by acting locally in our community, Sustainable Newton has defined sustainability along two dimensions:
  1. Applying the "3 Ps"  or "triple bottom line" to important decisions and actions, giving the same consideration to people (society) and planet (environment) that we give to profit (economy)
  2. Making choices and acting in ways that consider long-term implications for generations who come after us.
We believe this philosophy can guide individuals, households, businesses, and local governments to make better choices for the overall health and well-being of our society.  Last night, the Covington City Council made a clear statement they agree, by committing to these same principles in the decision making and operational choices of the city.


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Even in Crisis, Hope Takes Root

4/3/2020

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By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President
PictureA petunia growing from a wall above my koi pond reminds me we're made of strong stuff.
It's taken longer than I hoped -- weeks in fact -- to get to where I could organize my thoughts to share a few words about how we persevere with sustainability efforts in these troubling times.  But, I suspect you all understand.

It's a striking reminder how much life changed so quickly to reread my last post about Arbor Day written 43 days ago, on February 20.  It was easy then to imagine young seedlings and saplings growing into mighty shade trees to shelter generations to come.  But, thinking about that future is a more difficult task today.

I find myself spending spare moments on days not occupied by the present to reflect on my past.  Or, more accurately, the past of those who gifted life to me long ago.


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Arbor Day: Look Back & Pay It Forward

2/20/2020

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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."
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We Support EtO Legislation for Georgia

2/19/2020

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By the Sustainable Newton Board of Directors
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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.


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Getting a Charge from Expectations Met

2/11/2020

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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
.
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So Far, So Good on Those Resolutions

2/10/2020

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By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President
PictureVegan 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.


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Here comes the Bag Man

1/1/2020

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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
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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.)




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Less Lead Foot, More Green Meals

12/30/2019

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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
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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.


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To Air Is Human; To Also Give Is Divine

12/29/2019

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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
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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.



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