Sustainability Tip of the Week
A simple wish for a better tomorrow.
Show love for the Earth this Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14 is a day filled with cards, sweets, flowers and gifts. Like many holidays, its celebration can create unintentional environmental side effects, such as the consumption of natural resources and the generation of solid waste. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
When showing their affection for each other, Americans tend to go all out.
For example:
In 2018, about 250 million roses were produced exclusively for Valentine’s Day. Growing and transporting these flowers has a large carbon footprint!
People planning to spend money has actually decreased from 55% in 2018 to only 51% reported plans on celebrating Valentine’s Day in 2019, which may indicate we are becoming more aware of the commercialization of V-day. At the same time, planned spending increased from $144 to $162 per person.
Here are some suggestions for showing the Earth some affection, while celebrating with those near and dear to you:
Send an e-Valentine in lieu of a paper Valentine. If sending a paper Valentine, be certain to send one that is printed on paper containing recycled-content. Don’t forget to recycle Valentines you have received that you aren’t keeping!
Give organic or locally-grown flowers, a potted plant, a tree seedling, or a perennial plant instead of the traditional bouquet of flowers. Trees well suited for the northeastern United States include Beech, Flowering Dogwood, American Hornbeam, Northern Red Oak. American Mountain Ash, Quaking Aspen, American Sycamore or Red Maple. Perennials suitable for the northheastern United States include astilbe, spiked speedwell, coral bells, bleeding heart, cranesbill geraniums, columbine, daylilies, peonies.
Give organic or fair-trade chocolates. Organic chocolates are produced in an eco-friendly manner without the use of pesticides, and fair-trade chocolates ensure that cacao farmers work in healthy, sustainable, and safe environments while receiving a fair wage for their products.
Make a donation to an environmental organization on behalf of your Valentine, such as the Arbor Day Foundation. You can plant a tree online!
Plan a trip to a wildlife reserve, park or natural area. Your business will help support the running of such establishments. Several destinations you might consider include NY State Parks, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in NY, NY Natural Areas Program, NY Sustainable Tourism, and U.S. National Parks in NY.
Arrange dinner at a local restaurant that specializes in organic or locally-grown food, or make your own romantic meal with locally-grown ingredients. Eating locally reduces the number of miles that your food travels to you and supports local establishments. Cooking your own meal will also save gas and money while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions.
Commit to going green at work and home. Several easy ideas include turning lights off when leaving the room, shutting down your computer at the end of the day, creating a dedicated home recycling area, washing only full loads of dishes and laundry, moderating your thermostat when leaving your house or office for extended periods of time, unplugging appliances not in use, and printing or using both sides of paper when possible.
Faculty, staff and students please share your sustainable ideas for our weekly tip to j.coons@hvcc.edu.
Published: Mon, 10 Feb 2020 12:52:43 +0000 by j.coons