Blueprint for Action
Ways to Reduce Bnai Keshet’s Contribution to Global Warming:
A Blueprint for Action
Global warming is real, happening now, and poses a serious threat to our future. As Jews, as citizens, as humans it is our responsibility to protect the environment and be good stewards of the earth (of God’s creation). The Greening Synagogue Taskforce is committed to help reduce our carbon dioxide “footprint”- the amount of carbon dioxide we produce from our consumption of energy. Carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas and the biggest contributor to global warming. The most effective ways of decreasing our carbon footprint are Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. The following is a list of actions that we can take as a synagogue to decrease our carbon footprint, and they are also things that we can do at home.
(1) Use compact florescent (CFL’s). Every time a bulb burns out at BK we replace it with a CFL. High quality and discounted CFL’s are also available to members. As a bonus, every purchase you make includes a small contribution to the BK greening effort. Contact Elise Aronov to order your bulbs.
(2) Lower the heat in the winter and to keep the synagogue less cool in the summer. Readjusting the thermostat 1 to 2 degrees results in lower energy usage and increased savings.
(3) Use bioplastics (cornbased rather than petroleum based plastics) and paper products with high recycled content also helps to reduce energy consumption and cut down on the amount of waste that we generate.While there is often an additional expense to purchasing greener products, we need to demonstrate our commitment to protecting the earth by using only environmentally friendly products.
(4) Change our lawn care practices. Our current lawn service applies six applications of insecticides and pesticides to keep our lawn weed and crab grass free. Besides the monetary costs, these applications have great environmental costs and implications. Our recommendation to the Board to begin using an organic lawn care service was approved and is being implemented.
(5) As a community we need to consider ways to reduce our consumption and the amount of garbage we generate. One way to reduce waste is to buy in bulk rather then individually wrapped items such as juice boxes. Do our children really need to drink from a juice box? How about buying family-sized juice bottles and serving them juice in recycled paper cups. The same goes for the snacks the children eat during Hebrew school: are individual servings of goldfish-size bags environmentally/ economically sound choices? What message does this send our children about living in a disposable world? Though “snack” may seem like just a snack, we can use this aspect of our children’s experience at BK to help them understand the importance of making good choices when it comes to caring for the earth.
(6) Recycle, Recycle and Recycle. Unfortunately we have developed poor recycling practices. Garbage is frequently thrown into the recycling bins and if this garbage is not removed then the recycling will not be accepted by the town. In the kitchen there is a blue recycling can for all mixed plastic (i.e., any plastic container labeled with the number (1) or (2), glass and metal. Juice boxes and other tetrapak-type containers should be disposed of in this blue can. When the recycling can is contaminated by regular garbage it is rejected and burned as garbage at the Newark incinerator. Please, please, please take care regarding your recycling practices at BK (and at home, of course). Paper recycling has been more successful at BK, with bins in the office and throughout the school. Let’s make a commitment to improve our recycling habits. We need to set an example for our children who model their behavior on what they see us doing and practicing.
(7) Buy more clean and renewable energy through NJ CleanPower Choice Program to help us further reduce our carbon “footprint”. We currently purchase $20 a month of electricity generated by wind power to meet our energy needs. Let’s increase out commitment to purchase more renewable energy.
(8) Did you know that transportation usage is the largest producer of carbon dioxide? 52% of our state’s carbon dioxide production comes from transportation (i.e., cars). As a community we can reduce emissions from transportation through car pooling more, using mass transit, riding our bikes and walking. Ride your bike or walk to synagogue and lower your daily carbon footprint.
(9) Politically, we need to call on Governor Corzine to pledge to reduce New Jersey’s global warming emissions 20% below current levels by 2020 and 70% by 2050. Show support for the Global Warming Response Act (A3301/S2114) which requires a cap on global warming emissions. This bill was introduced in the state legislature by Asw. Linda Stender and State Sen. Barbara Buono. On the federal level support Barbara Boxer’s bill to reduce global warming emissions.
Now is the time to take action, change our habits, and join forces with other houses of worship to protect our planet. We need your ideas and your help today-Join us at the next Greening Synagogue Task Force meeting. Contact Kevin Fried for more information.
For more information, please visit the websites of the following organizations:
COEJL at www.coejl.org/
GreenFaith at www.greenfaith.org/
NJ Wind at www.njwind.org/
Arava Institute at www.arava.org/
TEVA Learning Center at www.tevacenter.org/
A Blueprint for Action
Global warming is real, happening now, and poses a serious threat to our future. As Jews, as citizens, as humans it is our responsibility to protect the environment and be good stewards of the earth (of God’s creation). The Greening Synagogue Taskforce is committed to help reduce our carbon dioxide “footprint”- the amount of carbon dioxide we produce from our consumption of energy. Carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas and the biggest contributor to global warming. The most effective ways of decreasing our carbon footprint are Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. The following is a list of actions that we can take as a synagogue to decrease our carbon footprint, and they are also things that we can do at home.
(1) Use compact florescent (CFL’s). Every time a bulb burns out at BK we replace it with a CFL. High quality and discounted CFL’s are also available to members. As a bonus, every purchase you make includes a small contribution to the BK greening effort. Contact Elise Aronov to order your bulbs.
(2) Lower the heat in the winter and to keep the synagogue less cool in the summer. Readjusting the thermostat 1 to 2 degrees results in lower energy usage and increased savings.
(3) Use bioplastics (cornbased rather than petroleum based plastics) and paper products with high recycled content also helps to reduce energy consumption and cut down on the amount of waste that we generate.While there is often an additional expense to purchasing greener products, we need to demonstrate our commitment to protecting the earth by using only environmentally friendly products.
(4) Change our lawn care practices. Our current lawn service applies six applications of insecticides and pesticides to keep our lawn weed and crab grass free. Besides the monetary costs, these applications have great environmental costs and implications. Our recommendation to the Board to begin using an organic lawn care service was approved and is being implemented.
(5) As a community we need to consider ways to reduce our consumption and the amount of garbage we generate. One way to reduce waste is to buy in bulk rather then individually wrapped items such as juice boxes. Do our children really need to drink from a juice box? How about buying family-sized juice bottles and serving them juice in recycled paper cups. The same goes for the snacks the children eat during Hebrew school: are individual servings of goldfish-size bags environmentally/ economically sound choices? What message does this send our children about living in a disposable world? Though “snack” may seem like just a snack, we can use this aspect of our children’s experience at BK to help them understand the importance of making good choices when it comes to caring for the earth.
(6) Recycle, Recycle and Recycle. Unfortunately we have developed poor recycling practices. Garbage is frequently thrown into the recycling bins and if this garbage is not removed then the recycling will not be accepted by the town. In the kitchen there is a blue recycling can for all mixed plastic (i.e., any plastic container labeled with the number (1) or (2), glass and metal. Juice boxes and other tetrapak-type containers should be disposed of in this blue can. When the recycling can is contaminated by regular garbage it is rejected and burned as garbage at the Newark incinerator. Please, please, please take care regarding your recycling practices at BK (and at home, of course). Paper recycling has been more successful at BK, with bins in the office and throughout the school. Let’s make a commitment to improve our recycling habits. We need to set an example for our children who model their behavior on what they see us doing and practicing.
(7) Buy more clean and renewable energy through NJ CleanPower Choice Program to help us further reduce our carbon “footprint”. We currently purchase $20 a month of electricity generated by wind power to meet our energy needs. Let’s increase out commitment to purchase more renewable energy.
(8) Did you know that transportation usage is the largest producer of carbon dioxide? 52% of our state’s carbon dioxide production comes from transportation (i.e., cars). As a community we can reduce emissions from transportation through car pooling more, using mass transit, riding our bikes and walking. Ride your bike or walk to synagogue and lower your daily carbon footprint.
(9) Politically, we need to call on Governor Corzine to pledge to reduce New Jersey’s global warming emissions 20% below current levels by 2020 and 70% by 2050. Show support for the Global Warming Response Act (A3301/S2114) which requires a cap on global warming emissions. This bill was introduced in the state legislature by Asw. Linda Stender and State Sen. Barbara Buono. On the federal level support Barbara Boxer’s bill to reduce global warming emissions.
Now is the time to take action, change our habits, and join forces with other houses of worship to protect our planet. We need your ideas and your help today-Join us at the next Greening Synagogue Task Force meeting. Contact Kevin Fried for more information.
For more information, please visit the websites of the following organizations:
COEJL at www.coejl.org/
GreenFaith at www.greenfaith.org/
NJ Wind at www.njwind.org/
Arava Institute at www.arava.org/
TEVA Learning Center at www.tevacenter.org/
