December 2009
Cool plans
While the United States participates in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark and contemplates strategies for addressing climate change, Pennsylvania—responsible for 1% of the planet’s man-made greenhouse gas emissions—is finalizing its own Climate Change Action Report. The report identifies 52 specific actions that would result in nearly 100 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent reduction in the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Click here to view the draft report. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is also analyzing opportunities for storing excess carbon underground and on the landscape (trees and forests). Learn more here.
Lay off the salt
More than just a factor in hypertension, excess salt (sodium chloride) and other deicing chemicals can harm stream life, impact drinking water supplies, and damage vegetation. Tune up your winter physique by shoveling snow before it turns to ice. If driveways and walkways glaze over despite your best intentions, try sand or sawdust as environmentally-friendly deicing alternatives. Other options include calcium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate. Ask for these products at a hardware store near you.
Plow into this
When working on your holiday shopping list, don’t forget to check out www.plowhearth.com. TreeVitalize has partnered with Plow & Hearth, Inc. of Virginia in support of their “Campaign to Reforest America”. Through December 31, all orders placed through Plow & Hearth’s mail order catalog and website comes with an extra gift! Customers will have an option to select one of three state-based tree planting programs and have a seedling planted in the state of their choice. In Pennsylvania, support of the TreeVitalize program will allow trees to be planted along streams, restoring habitat for trout and other aquatic life while improving air and water quality.
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Congratulations to Gretchen Gretsky from Lafayette, New York, the winner of the monthly drawing from the SEEDS subscription list. Ms. Williams receives a copy of the book It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth Friendly Living.
Sign up if you received this e-mail from a friend and would like to add yourself to the Seeds mailing list.
iConservePA is a program of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Edward G. Rendell, Governor.
PAiCon of the month
Meet the fifth graders from Iron Forge Elementary School in Boiling Springs who care for the earth through an impressive list of individual actions. Beginning in January, middle schools and junior high schools across Pennsylvania can take collective action for the planet by taking part in the Earth Day 40 Schools Challenge – a meaningful way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day!
Did you know?
An artificial Christmas tree may have to be used 10 or more years to leave an environmental footprint as small as a natural Christmas tree. Balled or potted trees can be planted after the holidays, mulched for compost, or converted into a brush pile that creates habitat for wildlife. For the greenest impact, search for an organically-raised tree. Find the tree you are looking for close to home.
Spotlight on…
All the iConservePA partners, especially the non-profit organizations who benefit from your support of their conservation work. A gift membership or contribution is the perfect way to capture the spirit of the holiday season. Let nature sing!
© 2007 Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources