May 22, 2011
Green announcements from your Creation Care Ministry
You planted your flowers, herbs and veggies. What to do with the pots, cell packs and trays? The Missouri Botanical Garden operates the most extensive public garden recycling program in the nation. The Plastic Pot Recycling program collected a record 138,000 pounds of horticultural waste in 2010. You can help reduce the amount of this waste in landfills by recycling your plastic garden pots, polystyrene cell packs and trays at the Garden and other locations throughout St. Louis City and County. April 4 – October 31, 2011 at the Monsanto Center. April 4 – September 30, 2011 at other locations. Find them here: http://www.mobot.org/plasticpotrecycling/
May 15th, 2011
The average US home has enough air leaks to equal an open window.
Sealing and insulating your home can save you up to 20% on heating and cooling costs, and upwards of 10% on your total energy bill (Energy Star). Find an experienced certified contractor, or follow Energy Star’s do-it-yourself guide to sealing and insulating: http://tinyurl.com/da73fp. May 1st, 2011
Feeling the pain at the pump? Getting the best gas mileage: According to Consumer Reports these tips should help you save gas and money. 1) Don’t speed: Driving 55 mph instead of 65 decreases aerodynamic drag, taking less fuel to power the car. 2) Avoid hard acceleration and braking if possible. 3) Take off that car-top carrier device: Even empty car racks reduce fuel economy! 4) Keep tires properly inflated: Underinflated tires run much hotter, which can lead to tire failure and reduced gas mileage. 5) Avoid idling: you are getting zero miles per gallon. Idling a V8 engine for 10 minutes takes a pint of gas.
April 10th, 2011
Spring Cleaning with the CARDINALS!
Are you going to a game AND wanting to help out in an easy way? Clean out your closets because you are going to have a ‘ball’ giving away your unwanted shoes and electronics! On Tuesday, April 19th, and Sunday, April 24 bring your old shoes and drop them off throughout the Busch Stadium. Shoeman Water Projects will use the money from the resale to purchase well-drilling rigs and water purification systems in developing countries! On Monday, April 25 (12 pm to 6pm) and Tuesday, April 26 (7am to 6pm) bring your unwanted electronics to the Ballpark Village Lot, located across from Busch Stadium. No fees apply and ALL electronics will be accepted. For more info go to: http://tinyurl.com/3mlvfbr
March 6th, 2011
The next Top 5 ‘Great Things to Buy Used’ List – Part II
Items that already exist are the best choice to purchase. Here are the next 5 in our list:
6) Formal Dresses – Vintage formal gowns are in! Teens attending a festivity in a gown that was probably worn only once before. Pay it forward and donate it after the prom.
7) Furniture – Get deep discounts considering floor models. You can find quality used furniture that needs only upholstering or a little sanding or paint. Liquidations, Closeouts and plenty of resellers make finding used furniture easier than ever.
9) Houses – Many older homes are often better constructed than their newer counterparts. Building new means using many resources while buyers of older homes usually get more character with the house.
10) Textbooks – They are expensive, so between libraries, used bookstores, garage sales and thrift stores, books can usually be found much cheaper or even free. Donate unwanted books at Better World Books. http://www.betterworldbooks.com/
February 13th, 2011
Green announcements from your Creation Care Ministry
The Top 5 ‘Great Things to Buy Used’ List – Part I
The greenest item you can buy is one that already exists. So here is a list of the top 5 things that ‘www.earth911.com’ likes best.
1) Books - Books are often read only once or twice. A gently used copy can be purchased for pennies.
2) Cars - With a little research you can find a great used car with safety, fuel efficiency and performance as a new model at a much cheaper price tag. It takes a staggering amount of energy to make a new car. Buying used can be a good choice.
3) Kid’s clothes and shoes – Kids grow out of their clothes so fast! There are plenty of good-as-new- kids’ clothes in thrift-stores. Or how about setting up a clothing-swap party with family and friends?
4) Cds, DVDs, and video games - Often you can purchase used entertainment items at a fraction of the cost of new stuff. AMAZON and eBay even offer used items for sale by owner.
5) Toys and games – Toys will be cherished by the new owner that once lay forgotten under the bed. Cleaned with a non-toxic cleanser, they are ready for play!
February 6th, 2011
When thinking about really easy ways to lower our carbon footprint, a change of lights is one of the first low hanging fruits you should consider. But what happens to those twirly CFL’s when they are broken or just don’t work anymore? We cannot recycle them in our household recycling because of the mercury content in these bulbs. Even though they are minimal we don’t want to contaminate our landfill even more. So, next time you are planning a trip to Home Depot, Lowe’s or Westlake Ace Hardware, just bring your old CFL’s and they will take care of them properly. When you are in the market for even better light options, check out the LED section. There are amazing (yet mostly still expensive) alternatives and once you have LED’s installed they are guaranteed to outlast any other lights in your house.
January 16th, 2011
Green announcements from your Creation Care Ministry
Our meeting is TODAY in the Kean Library at 11:20.
Please join us talking about all things sustainable. Interested in a community garden at Grace? Then this meeting is for you!
Keep your car tires properly inflated especially in this winter weather. According to the NRDC this can boost your MPG by 2%. A tune-up could boost it anywhere from 4 – 40% and a new air filter could get you 10% more MPG.
December 19th, 2010
Green announcements from your Creation Care Ministry
The Rams Team have a Green Team – Calling you to watch the 49ers and volunteer!
The St. Louis Rams are looking for friendly volunteers to join the Rams Green Team and help collect recyclables from fans during the Rams home game on December 26th against San Francisco 49ers! All you have to do is walk down the aisles in between quarters collecting recyclables. Volunteers are asked to arrive 1 hour prior to game time for a brief training session. All supplies will be provided for you, including gloves, bags and a t-shirt. In exchange for your services, you will be able to watch the game in the Bud Light Party Zone and receive a special Rams Green Team t-shirt. There is no age limit, however, minors need to be accompanied by adult chaperones. To sign up, e mail lboaz@rams.nfl.com and indicate your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Spots fill up quickly! Go Rams!! Go Green.
December 2010
A very special Christmas tip from your Creation Care Ministry
Holiday Light Recycling Drive
Presented by Wal-Mart you can recycle your broken strings of Christmas Lights at 18 participating Wal-Mart store locations, including the Kirkwood store! People are encouraged to recycle old lights and extension cords. Whether from your tree or outdoor decoration, these lights can be taken to Wal-Mart and other places. Just go to the holiday department and look for the big box that is labeled for recycled lights. Wal-Mart takes the lights until December 12th but there are more locations that accept drop offs until January 31. Find out more on this site: http://tinyurl.com/yjvc49w
November 21, 2010
Green announcements from your Creation Care Ministry
EXTRA – EXTRA
All homeowners, this is BIG!
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced last Monday that it has selected grant awards totaling $7.75 million for the Energize Missouri Homes - Homeowner Upgrades and Geothermal Program.
Through this program homeowners will receive funding for energy audits and energy efficiency upgrades such as weather stripping, insulation, efficient heating and cooling systems and installing geothermal systems. How exactly does it work? 1) Schedule an energy audit. This will reveal how much your savings can be if you upgraded your HVAC or put new windows in etc. 2) If your energy savings, for example, is at 25%, you can qualify for $7,000 in grant money from the DNR. In addition, Ameren has instant rebates. The catch: All the audits and paperwork have to be done by December 31. Hurry!
Learn more about the program
July 18, 2010
Green tips from your Creation Care Ministry
A Healthy Home checklist:
1) Do you know what's in your cleaning products? Avoid toxic ones, and choose green-certified products whenever possible. Your children and pets will thank you!
2) Do you drink bottled water? Kick the habit and get a reusable water bottle, like stainless steel or BPA free plastic (like Camelback) for water on-the-go.
3) Did you know that personal care products containing 'fragrance' don't have to disclose what it actually contains? To be safe, choose fragrance-free ones.
For more information visit our Creation Care Ministry blog: http://gracecreationcare.blogspot.com/
May 30, 2010
Green tips from your Creation Care Ministry:
Save big this summer with energy saving ideas
1) Turn off lights when leaving the room. Easier said than done, but it pays to remember to make the 'switch'.
2) Completely stop power to game consoles with Smart Strips. Most electronics continue to draw power when in standby. This is called 'Phantom or Vampire' power. Xbox, PS3 game consoles can draw as much energy as a small refrigerator when left in standby mode continuously. So, plug them into a smart strip and turn it off after you are done playing.
3) Turn down the water heater when you are on vacation. This will help immensely when you are gone for weeks at a time.
For more information or to leave a green tip yourself, visit our Creation Care Ministry blog: http://gracecreationcare.blogspot.com/
Green bullets for May 16th, 2010
Your Creation Care Team has put together three green tips that benefit our environment. We hope you can use them! Let us know if you have any tips you want to share.
1) Throw a party! BBQ and cookouts are already a big hit this spring. Now, which is more eco-friendly? Charcoal or LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)? Wouldn't you know that if the the two grilling methods were defined by their overall footprint, with charcoal using 2200 lb of CO2, almost three times more than propane, which comes in at 769 lb. Just exchange your empty tank for a great discount on your next tank and the environment will thank you!
2) Spring Cleaning: Declutter your life: The idea is to think and act. Keep what you have used in the past year, donate those 'what-was-I-thinking' items. That way you keep them out of overcrowded landfills and help organizations that can really use these items. Recycle it: Commercial mail, magazines, unread books - all of these common clutter items can be recycled. A family of four uses 1.25 tons of paper per year on average. Recycling 1 ton of paper saves enough energy to power the average American home for six months!
Compost: Food scraps like apple cores can produce methane when tossed into the landfill. A better idea is to compost. Trash it: Your last resort. Landfills should be used for items that truly have no other useful purpose.
3) Spring clean the natural way: Buy green or natural cleaning products at your grocery store. But you can save money and make your own cleaning product from supplies you already have. For Spray cleaner: Combine and store in a spray bottle 2 cups water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 tsp. tea tree oil; 1/4 tsp. lavender oil. Voila!
For more information or to leave a green tip yourself, visit our Creation Care Ministry blog: http://gracecreationcare.blogspot.com/
Green bullets for May 9th, 2010
Your Creation Care Team has put together three green tips that benefit our environment. We hope you can use them!
Household Chemical Collection event
Do you still have some left over paints in the basement? How about motor oil or anti-freeze liquids that you don't know what to do with? In May, there will be two opportunities to get rid of these hazardous chemicals the right way:Bring these materials to Parkway Central High School, 369 North Woods Mill Road on Saturday, May 15th.The events will take place from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, regardless of weather. Acceptable materials: paints, stains, varnishes, pesticides, herbicides, poisons, gasoline and other fuels, solvents and strippers, aerosols, motor oil and filters, gas cylinders (BBQ-pit size or smaller), fluorescent tubes, rechargeable batteries, anti-freeze, brake and transmission fluids, pool chemicals, and other acids and bases, car batteries, wood preservatives, driveway sealant, liquid mercury and items containing mercury (such as thermometers, thermostats, and mercuric salts.
Plastic flower pots
can be recycled at HOME DEPOT or most of the local nurseries. The Missouri Botanical garden has created raised bed gardens from the recycled pots. Now that is a great idea!
Did You Know?
Americans could save more than 400,000 trees if each family bought a roll of recycled toilet paper-just once....
For more information visit our Creation Care Ministry blog: http://gracecreationcare.blogspot.com/
Green Bullets for May 2nd, 2010
'Turn over a new leaf event' is still happening!
If you haven't filled out a leaf yet, don't worry. There is still time to think about a lifestyle change that you can write down on a leaf and hang it on our tree in the Narthex.
Many parishioners took the time to think about what it means, to care for God's creation.
Some ideas that are written on a leaf are: ' Take shorter showers', 'Grow food to share with others', 'recycle more'. All these things make our planet healthier and safer for us and the next generations.
Household Chemical Collection event
Do you still have some left over paints in the basement? How about motor oil or anti-freeze liquids that you don't know what to do with?
In May, there will be two opportunities to get rid of these hazardous chemicals the right way:
Bring these materials to St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley Campus (270 between Elizabeth & Pershall Road) on Saturday, May 8th
or to Parkway Central High School, 369 North Woods Mill Road on Saturday, May 15th.
The events will take place from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, regardless of weather.
Acceptable materials: paints, stains, varnishes, pesticides, herbicides, poisons, gasoline and other fuels, solvents and strippers, aerosols, motor oil and filters, gas cylinders (BBQ-pit size or smaller), fluorescent tubes, rechargeable batteries, anti-freeze, brake and transmission fluids, pool chemicals, and other acids and bases, car batteries, wood preservatives, driveway sealant, liquid mercury and items containing mercury (such as thermometers, thermostats, and mercuric salts.
Gazelle.com wants your old iPod, laptop, digital camera and pay you for it!
Gazelle wants to change the world – one cell phone, one laptop, one iPod at a time.It is their purpose to provide a practical, rewarding way for people to finally rid themselves of all those old cell phones, digital cameras, and gaming systems that they no longer use, but can't seem to find a way to let go of. Gazelle will pay you decent money for all those gadgets you don't have time to auction off. They will resell, recycle and are pretty green while doing business. Go to http://www.gazelle.com/ to find out more.
Visit http://gracecreationcare.blogspot.com/ to learn more about your Grace Creation Care Ministry
April 25, 2010
From your Grace Creation Care Ministry:
Celebrate Earth Day with a lifestyle change that will benefit God's planet! Our Sunday School children have been busy learning about ways to reduce our impact and improve our relationship with Mother Earth. Here are some tips for you and your family:
1) You can save up to 950 lbs of CO2 per year by just turning off your computer overnight and put it into power save mode during the day.
2) Save about 500 lbs of CO2 a year by skipping the hot water on at least 2 laundry loads per week.
3) When shopping, choose products with minimal packaging and bring reusable bags.
April 18th, 2010
Creation Care Ministry meeting is TODAY in the Kean Library after the 10 o'clock service. All those who wish to learn more about sustainable choices at our church are invited to come and join us.
1) Electronics Recycling Drive, April 17 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kirkwood High School
Items accepted in any condition: Computers, laptops, keyboards, televisions, VCR players and tapes, stereo equipment,Cell phones, mP3 players,Blenders, microwaves, toasters,refrigerators, washer/dryers, dishwashers,batteries, lawn equipment, old tools and more!
No charge for this event - Just drive through and drop them off. It's that easy! This event is held on the Dougherty Ferry Parking Lot - ENTER off Essex and drive down fire lane.
Don't toss, recycle! Keeping these electronics out of the waste stream will save the community resources and money. Computers will be refurbished and given to schools that have none. Metals are extracted and put to use again in other electronics. These potentially hazardous materials when going into the landfill will be put to great use.
2) How to save $1.2 million? The Ford company just introduced the simple step of 'powering down' laptops and desktop computers in its corporation and estimates that it will save a fortune. At the same time, powering down all those computers will prevent almost 25,000 metric tons of CO2 to be released into the atmosphere.
If all parishioners of Grace could power down their computers at night, we could make a huge difference. So, don't stand-by, power down!
3) It's tax time: Save energy, saves taxes: Money saving tax credits: These products are eligible for a 30% tax credit, up to $1,500, as long as they meet energy-efficient standards:
- Heating, Ventilating, air condition (HVAC)
- Insulation
- Roofs (metal and asphalt)
- Water heaters
- Windows and doors
These products are eligible for 30% tax credit with no maximum:
- Geothermal heat pumps
- Small wind turbines (residential)
- solar energy systems (photovoltaic as well as solar thermal to heat water)
See more info at: www.energystar.gov/taxcredits
Remember it's Earth Day on Thursday. Be good to God's creation and think about how some of your lifestyle changes can benefit our fragile planet!
April 11th, 2010
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Electronics Recycling Drive
April 17 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at Kirkwood High School
Event held on the Dougherty Ferry Parking Lot - ENTER off Essex and drive down fire lane.
Integration Controls and Web Innovations and Technology Services are once again partnering together for the second annual Electronics Recyling Drive for Kirkwood and the surrounding communities. ALL DONATED ELECTRONICS ARE TAKEN FOR FREE -- NO FEES!
Items will be refurbished and redistributed to under-served populations or will be recycled appropriately with a 0% landfill policy.
Items accepted in any condition:
Computers, laptops, keyboards
Televisions, VCR players and tapes, stereo equipment
Cell phones, mP3 players
Blenders, microwaves, toasters
Refrigerators, washer/dryers, dishwashers
Batteries, lawn equipment, old tools
ETC.
Just drive through and drop them off. It's easy!
Also see the flyer in Albright Hall for more details.
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Recycled Metals for Medals!
The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games medals contain recycled materials! Gold, silver and copper were reclaimed from CRT glass, circuit boards and other computer parts. We can make a difference! Just think about all the electronics you don't need anymore and are just collecting dust in your basement or garage. Don't throw them into the waste pile. Come and recycle them so they can be put to a greater use, like Olympic medals!
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April 4th, 2010 - Easter
Caring about God's creation as much as God cares about it:
Easter gives us a wonderful opportunity for renewal. As we are renewed in our hope to be with Christ forever we also want to remember that our Creator has always had a vision for his Creation. As Earth Day is approaching on April 22nd we are renewing our call for environmental stewardship. On Sunday 25th we will have our first 'Turn over a new leaf' event, where we will write a lifestyle change for the better on a paper leaf and attach it to a paper tree. The whole congregation will be involved. Here are three suggestions:
- Plant a vegetable garden. An easy and inexpensive way to do that are the 'squarefoot gardens'. No weed pulling, little watering and no fertilizer is needed when using this method. Check out http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ for more information
- Better yet: Join our efforts to plant our own community garden here at Grace. Sign up at our blog: http://gracecreationcare.blogspot.com/
- Turn off those 'Phantom power' devices. Phantom or vampire energy is used whenever you have plug-ins. Cell phone or MP3 chargers draw energy even when not connected to their devices. XBOX, PS3 and similar consoles draw as much energy when in 'standby' mode as a refrigerator. You can save up to 8% on your electricity bills when unplugging those vampires. Get a power strip, connect your computers, TV's, game consoles etc and at the end of the day just turn off the power strip. Now you made sure that it's truly turned off!
March 28, 2010
Would you like to reduce the number of catalogues you receive in the mail? www.cataloguechoice.org is a website that allows you to request that companies (you choose which ones) stop sending unwanted catalogues to your address.
Have you ever been frustrated waiting for a coal train to make its way across Kirkwood Road? If you replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents and turn off the lights when you leave a room, the coal trains will become shorter!
Before you begin buying plants for your yard, check out grownative.org to find out about plants, shrubs and trees native to our area. They often require less water and care than non-native species, and they help protect Missouri’s biodiversity.
March 21, 2010
Making a difference is as easy as reducing our impact on our natural resources by thinking about:
1- Getting off junk mail lists. All those catalogs you don't want or need are made from trees.
2- Washing your laundry in cold water. Today's detergent is engineered to clean the laundry even when you don't use warm water.
3- Using refillable bottles instead of buying bottled water. Bottled water is often tap water in disguise, while paying 1000 times more for bottled than our great St. Louis tap water. The resources to create bottles are immense. By using refillable bottles like 'camelbaks' for example you and your family can make a big difference.
March 14, 2010
Did you know:
- Recycling 1 glass bottle can save enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours? So go ahead and feel good about yourself!
- If every household in the U.S. would change just one incandescent (the Edison type) for one CFL light bulb we would save enough CO2 equivalent to taking 1 million cars off the road? Even though there is a trace of mercury in the CFL (it's what makes it so efficient) the CFL light bulbs help reduce mercury that is created by burning coal. Using less energy = less pollution
- more than 40% of all food in the United States gets thrown away? Composting instead of throwing wasted food is a great way to give back to nature that knows no waste...
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