Saguaro National Park has long been committed to recycling plastic and aluminum, saving 61,500 pounds of recyclable waste from landfills in 2010 alone. However, transporting disposable bottles to be recycled also costs money, time and gasoline. The park could eliminate up to 40% of what is currently recycled; about 15% of the park’s total waste stream. Saguaro conducted a thorough analysis of the potential impacts of eliminating the sale of disposable bottled water and soda, and determined that the more sustainable solution is to provide new water bottle filling stations for visitors to refill their own reusable containers.
“The use of disposable plastic bottles has significantly greater environmental impacts compared to the use of local tap water and re-fillable bottles”, said Superintendent Darla Sidles. “Implementing this action will help the park reduce its environmental footprint”.
There are new water bottle filling stations located at each visitor center as well as the Rincon Mountain District bike ramada. BPA free, reusable water bottles are available for purchase in either visitor center.
In June 2011, after purchasing the property located at 825 Berkeley Street, with his partner, Adam Corlin wanted to bring awareness to the impacts that are occurring in the world’s oceans. After much thought, Adam decided that installing a public art display would be a great way to impact the greater community by bringing the vision of Restoring and Protecting the World’s Oceans. In doing so, Adam Corlin contacted his friends at Heal the Bay and outlined his thoughts and ideas for the project, which would ultimately become, Oceans @ Risk.
Once Heal the Bay was on board, Adam set out to find the artist to complete the project. Through a mutual friend, Randy Wild, Adam was introduced to Kelly “RISK” Graval, who agreed to join in the project. Adam approached “Risk” after reading a disturbing interview about “Risk” and fellow artists facing resistance from city officials, to paint legally in Los Angeles. When Adam approached Risk about painting his home to make a statement, he was shocked when Risk replied “that’s cool but let’s do something for the greater good.” So the two formed the AT RISK foundation and committed to make a difference.
Since 1985 Heal The Bay is committed to protect Southern California’s coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay. Our rivers, beaches, and beautiful oceans are at risk. We are proud to bring light to this subject and make a substantial contribution via this Mural. All three of us are committed to helping Heal The Bay meet this incredible challenge.
Are you here to save face? Or are you here to save us?
On Wednesday 20 June, 2012 17-year-old Brittany Trilford of Wellington, New Zealand addressed 130 heads of state at the opening plenary of the Rio+20 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is her speech.
My name is Brittany Trilford. I am seventeen years old, a child. Today, in this moment, I am all children, your children, the world’s three billion children. Think of me for these short minutes as half the world.
I stand here with fire in my heart. I’m confused and angry at the state of the world and I want us to work together now to change this. We are here to solve the problems that we have caused as a collective, to ensure that we have a future.
You and your governments have promised to reduce poverty and sustain our environment. You have already promised to combat climate change, ensure clean water and food security. Multi-national corporations have already pledged to respect the environment, green their production, compensate for their pollution. These promises have been made and yet, still, our future is in danger.
We are all aware that time is ticking and is quickly running out. You have 72 hours to decide the fate of your children, my children, my children’s children. And I start the clock now… tck tck tck.
Let us think back to twenty years ago – well before I was even an inkling in my parents’ eyes – back to here, to Rio, where people met at the first Earth Summit in 1992. People at this Summit knew there needed to be change. All of our systems were failing and collapsing around us. These people came together to acknowledge these challenges to work for something better, commit to something better.
They made great promises, promises that, when I read them, still leave me feeling hopeful. These promises are left – not broken, but empty. How can that be? When all around us is the knowledge that offers us solutions. Nature as a design tool offers insight into systems that are whole, complete, that give life, create value, allow
progress, transformation, change.
We, the next generation, demand change. We demand action so that we have a future and have it guaranteed. We trust that you will, in the next 72 hours, put our interests ahead of all other interests and boldly do the right thing. Please, lead. I want leaders who lead.
I am here to fight for my future. That is why I’m here. I would like to end by asking you to consider why you’re here and what you can do. Are you here to save face? Or are you here to save us?
This infographic features several useful representations of data where we can see just how much garbage is ending up in our world’s oceans and exactly how that can negatively affect the seafood we eat.
Collaborative consumption is all the rage these days, but for every internet-enabled sharing economy start up, there are hundreds of other forms of sharing that simply involve neighbors doing what they have always done—pooling resources to ensure their mutual well-being.
From a group of neighbors who removed their fences and started a garden, through a household that turned a parking strip into a garden growing free produce for their neighbors, to sharing gardens that offer free food to all who need it, Peak Moment TV has been a great source of inspiration for people who believe that much of the solution to our current crisis may in fact be found in our past. By sharing what we have, we build social equity which in turn comes back to benefit all of us.
