EVENTS COMING UP

Thursday, November 15 @ 7:00pm - Residential Solar Presentation @ Christ Church Summit

Have so many questions about installing solar panels on your home? Us too! Sean Frusco, a Project Manager at Public Service Solar, will speak about solar panel options available to homeowners in New Jersey. This event is hosted by Green Summit and the Summit Area GreenFaith Circle. RSVP greensummitnj@gmail.com

Tuesday, November 27 @ 8:30am-11:00am - Postcard Power Hour @ 350 Springfield Ave. #200

Drop in this morning to write postcards to your NJ legislators in support of the single use plastics restriction bill! It's an important time to let your representatives know your opinion on this bill.

Thursday, December 6 @ 8:00pm - Save the Date: Green Drinks! 

Stay tuned for location and details. Let's gather friends and neighbors together to have a drink, and share ideas about sustainability and climate locally and globally. 

GREEN TIP

What am I supposed to use if not a plastic straw? Thankfully there are some good options. Having a party? Check out paper straws or opt for no straws at all. For general use, check online for stainless steel or silicone straws available in different sizes. Tuck them in your bag for use on the go. Many sets also come with cases for clean storage.

IN THE NEWS

SUMMIT AREA 

The City of Summit and the Summit Recycling Advisory Committee have announced the Skip the Straw initiative to reduce the use of plastic straws in Summit and stop this pollutant at its source. This is a voluntary effort and community partnership of residents, businesses and organizations. Businesses will be asked to make a voluntary commitment to serve straws by request only or switch to an alternative to plastic straws. Residents are encouraged to order drinks without a straw or to carry a reusable straw.

Also it's great news that Trex's Bags to Benches program will now also have a collection bin at the Transfer Station of thin film plastics. Visit this site to see what specifically can be recycled. 

NEW JERSEY

New Jersey has developed a fund with the $72 million received from the Volkswagen emissions cheating settlement. The draft plan is to use these funds to reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and focus on promoting electric vehicles particularly in urban areas. Transportation is NJ's largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and the largest contributor to ground-level pollution. This plan is still open for public comment until this Wednesday, November 7 - there is a form you can fill out and email with your comments on the use of funds.

NATIONAL

The New York Times has created an interactive map of the United States where you can see your town's historical and projected temperatures. Check out where you live, and share with friends.

As part of Trump's rollback of regulations, the federal government has been auctioning off drilling rights for oil and gas development.  12.8 million acres this year, to be exact. In some areas, this is resulting in a doubling of drilling operations and changing the landscape of these federally owned lands. 

GLOBAL

The European Parliament approved a ban on single-use plastics. The plan is expected to go into effect by 2021, and has widespread public support. What exactly are they banning? The directive bans specifically the most frequent polluters of European waters, and items for which there are readily available alternatives (such as straws, plates, cutlery and cotton buds). It also calls for a dramatic reduction for other items, which are not easily replaced at this time but are significant pollutants (such as food containers, ice cream containers, and cigarette butts).

GREEN VIEWS

"Wasted! The Story of Food Waste" (2017) explores food waste with renown chefs, exposing the issues of food waste, how it contributes to climate change, and what each chef in their home can do to deliciously minimize food waste. This film will be shown at MONDO by Summit Film Society, Friday, Nov. 30 at 8pm. Tickets $12 in advance, $14 at the door - email summitfilm@gmail.com to reserve your advance tickets.