Elon Environmental Watch

Heal the Land - Air Conditioning - BioDiversity - Butterflies - Coffee -
Pesticides - Easter - Mother's Day - Spring Cleaning - Composting -
Recycle - Valentines - Water - Sky - Trees - Flowers -Plants -Mountains -
Water Conservation - Food - Paper - Animals

Elon University Interns -
Jaclyn Koehn - Chris Myers - Brittany Siciliano - Matt Williamson

• 1, 000 - 2,000 pounds of paper
• 942 100-page books
• 61,370 Number 10 Business Envelopes
• 460,000 personalized checks
• 1,200 copies of National Geographic
• 2,700 copies of a daily newspaper

As you can see, this is a lot of products that can come from one cord of wood. However, now just imagine how many cords it takes to keep everything running daily. It would take a massive amount of trees to sustain our needs. According to the same website, "the U.S." forest community plants some 1.5 billion seedlings." Averaged out, that is about 4 million new trees planted every day; and that is not including the number of trees that grow naturally in the woods.

To help reduce the number of trees cut down, please remember to recycle all your paper products. It it is at all possible, buy things printed on recycle paper. This can help reduce the amount of new paper needed each year.

Source: http://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/earth_answers/EarthAnswers_HowMuch.pdf

Then shall the trees of the forests sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the Earth.
Chronicles 16:33

Remember to always eat your fruits and vegetables. By replacing one meat dish with a vegetarian dish, you can save the resources put into meat dishes. Cows eat away vegetation and use up a lot of grain and water to maintain a healthy weight that is eventually brought to your plate.

When looking at the sky or pictures of the sky, you can see how beautiful it is. However, when looking at a city such as New York or Los Angeles, a haze of smog can been seen covering the skyline. The smog can come from many sources, such as; burning of different fuels for energy, smog from cars, burning of wastes, and other sources. The United States lets out billions of pounds of carbon dioxide annually. This is one of the many gases that are released into our atmosphere each year. By trying to reduce our carbon footprint, we can help keep our air and our Earth cleaner.

There are many things you can do to minimize your impact.

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Tips:

1. Do not burn your yard waste. Simply compost it to use as fertilizer later.

2. Use public transportation or carpool. This will help eliminate the amount of cars on the road and the emissions they let out.

3. Turn off and unplug appliances when they are not in use. When appliances are off but plugged in, they still use energy. By turning off things when they are not in use, you will not need as much energy from the power companies.

4. Plants a lot of trees and other plants to help cleanse the air.

To calculate your carbon footprint and other things you can do to help, just visit http://www.whatsmycarbonfootprint.com/ .

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning - the second day

Genesis 1: 6 -8
Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

Heal the Land

My first major task as an intern for this church is to organize a tree planting of 2,000 seedlings in order to Heal the Land of Alamance County. Consequently, I have decided for my first weekly environmental tip, to discuss the benefits of planting trees. In the environmental sense by planting trees you can alter the environment in which we live by moderating the climate, improving air quality, conserving water, and harboring wildlife.

Did you Know?

For example, in 50 years 1 tree can remove 60,000 lbs of air pollutants. Similarly, a single row of trees can reduce street dust by 25% and 2 mature trees can produce enough oxygen for 4 people.

Matthew 13:31-32:
“Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in the field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants and grows into a tree where birds can come and find shelter in its branches."

Air Conditioning

Air conditioning does more than cool the air. It truly "conditions" it by removing dust and dirt as the air is drawn through a filter. Air conditioning also lowers the humidity, making the air more comfortable at any temperature. These benefits, however, can be costly. Depending on your region of the country, air conditioning can account for anywhere from 5 to 50% of your household budget. Because an air conditioner is such a sizable investment, you can save money and energy by carefully operating your air conditioner.

Good conservation habits also help hold down electric bills. For instance, only use your unit when the temperature is above 78 degrees F. Close windows and draw drapes and shades during the

day to keep out the heat. At night, open the windows and turn on window or attic fans to draw in the cooler air. In addition, passive cooling techniques such as shading, ventilation, and vegetation can reduce your cooling needs.

In addition to saving your wallet, you would also be doing a service to the environment. On average, air conditioning accounts for 15 percent of home energy use, but can increase to over 40 percent in hot and humid regions. Thus an effective air conditioning system is an important part of an energy-efficient home. The more energy we use cooling our homes the more coal gets burned, which pollutes our atmosphere.

Living in North Carolina, you know how hot it can get during the summer. It is said in Genesis 8:22

"As long as the earth endures seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

And according to recent global temperature and climate trends the summers are not going to get cooler any time soon. So, in my opinion it would be smart to have an efficient air conditioning system. Stay cool!!

BioDiversity

Bio-diversity is the variety of plants, animals and other living things in a particular area or region. It encompasses habitat diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity. Bio-diversity includes: the diversity of genes within all living organisms; the diversity of species; and the diversity of ecosystems.

Bio-diversity is important in all ecosystems, not only in those that are "natural" such as national parks or natural preserves, but also in those that are managed by humans, such as farms and plantations, and even urban parks. Bio-diversity is the basis of the multiple benefits provided by ecosystems to humans.

For example, plants, animals and microorganisms in wetlands act as sponges to filter sediments and toxins from inflowing waters. Fist and other marine animals provide 20% of animal protein consumed, at a value of $50-$100 billion annually. Finally, 118 of the top 150 prescription drugs in America contain chemicals derived from plants, fungi, and other species.

God tells us of the importance of diverse creatures of the earth in Job 12:7-10:

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, the birds of the air, and they will tell you, ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every living thing and thebreath of every human being.

Our growing population and increasing consumption of natural resources places enormous stresses on natural ecosystems and species within them. Loss of damage to habitants, over-harvesting, introduction of nonnative species to new areas, and climate change are major causes of species extinction and endangerment.

To help preserve bio diversity, fall back on the old Boy Scout slogan of leaving an area cleaner than when you found it. Any way to decrease our influence and impact on the environment will definitely help the earth's inhabitants in surviving.

Butterflies

As a child, I remember seeing many butterflies of all sorts of varieties. There were so many that they hardly gave you pause for consideration, unless they were particularly large or grand. Granted, I live in a different state now, and perhaps butterflies aren't so prevalent here, but there's over 27,000 species globally, so usually there's a common butterfly variety wherever you are.

I've dug around the web a little and found that I'm not imagining things - butterfly decline is real and a global phenomenon. The problem is particularly severe in the UK, where 25% of all native butterfly species have declined by over 50%, and strategies to protect endangered butterflies are failing. Five species have become extinct in the last 200 years.

Butterflies perform a couple of important roles in the ecosystem. They are not only food for other creatures, but are also pollinators, much like the bee; assisting all sorts of plants in their reproduction. Without pollinators, biodiversity suffers through declining numbers of plant species.

What Can You Do to Help?

Something we can all do to help preserve butterflies starts in our own back yards and gardens; by selecting compatible plants. Adult butterflies feed on nectar from flowers and caterpillars mainly eat leaves. Because butterflies can be quite picky, it's important to have the right plants in order to attract them and provide the appropriate environment for breeding. So this spring mix it up a bit with your planting variety.

Isaiah 61:11
"For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness sand praise to spring forth before all the nations."

Coffee

The popular trend towards flavored coffees originated in the United States during the 1970's. The coffee craze that has taken the Western world by the throat in recent decades has like any other booming industry an enormous environmental impact. An acre of coffee trees can produce up to 10,000 pounds of coffee cherries. That amounts to approximately 2,000 pounds of beans after hulling or milling.

Most coffee is transported by ships. Currently there are approximately 2,200 ships involved in transporting the beans each year. All of this transportation takes large amounts of fuel and produce even larger amounts of pollution. Keep these tips in mind next time you've got a hankering and you'll help to avoid many of the problems.

Make it yourself. Wait until you get where you're going. The best way to cut down on waste is to avoid it altogether. Brewing a cup at home or at work in your own mug means considerably less waste: not just the disposable cup, but also the lid, the stir stick, the sugar packet, the packaging from the single-serve milks, and so on.

Ask for a mug. When you do go out for coffee, ask for a mug instead of a cup. Many cafes will carry both but use disposable cups unless asked otherwise, to avoid dishwashing. Or, if you're on the go, bring in your own travel mug; many coffee shops offer discount incentives to encourage conscientious customers.

Buy a reusable filter. At home, replace your disposable paper filters with a plastic or stainless-steel reusable filter, or trade in your drip coffee machine for a different style that doesn't require a filter to begin with.

By reducing your ecological impact, you really will be doing a great service for the environment. After all there is only one world.

This is stated in Genesis 13:15

“ All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever”.

This being said remember that we need to take care of our land if we want our future generations to be able to enjoy the Earth as we were able to do.

Pesticides

Americans spend over $1 billion and apply over 70 million pounds of pesticides to suburban lawns each year, making storm-water runoff a leading source of water pollution.

Pesticides kill thousands of beneficial insects, destroy the environment, and collect in the tissues of animals and humans. Biomagnification is the increase of the level of contaminants and toxic substances that occurs within an organism as the result of consuming other contaminated food species within the food chain.

For example, suppose that a farmer sprays his or her fields with a pesticide designed to control insects that destroy his or her crops. A small amount of that pesticide will be washed off into rivers, streams, and lakes near the field. The pesticide will be ingested by fish living in those bodies of water. Those fish, in turn, may be eaten by larger fish, by birds, by bears, by humans, and by higher-level carnivores. In one study, scientists found a concentration of pesticide 630 times greater in herring gulls than in primary consumers, such as zooplankton found in the lake.

It is simple enough to eliminate pesticide use in your home, and yard, and practice natural pest management. Natural pest management utilizes simple, environmental safe and effective practices to control pests while maintaining the diversity and balance of the ecosystem. For example here is a quick and easy way to make an insect control spray from things around you home:

Oil Spray for Insect Control

I would like to end with a passage from:

Malachi 3:10-12 (New International Version)

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

Easter

Good Morning All!! HAPPY EASTER!! Sorry that I am not here today but I am back home celebrating Easter with my family in Maryland. Today I would like to discuss how you can make your Easter Holiday a bit greener.

This year bring your environmental practices with you as your prepare your Easter Celebration. If you don’t have any environmental practices to bring with you yet and would like a few tips to start you off on the right foot take a look at the Green Easter tips below.

For Easter Basket grass use shredded paper instead of the green plastic grass. Look for green pictures in magazines or use scrap pieces of green construction paper and shred it. There is also the option of using real grass from your lawn. Just make sure not to cut and place the clippings in the basket until Easter day so that the grass looks fresh and green.

Now let’s consider Easter Eggs. Avoid using plastic eggs, but if you must use plastic eggs grab the ones from last year and use them again or fill the baskets with organic eggs from your local farm. In addition you can add fake paper-mache eggs.

If you choose to go with plastic eggs fill them with organic chocolates, money, stickers on recycled paper, or other environmentally friendly toys. Avoid filling them with plastic toys. These easily get lost and thrown away, even when they don’t break.

Last but not least, the ever popular colored Easter Eggs. You don’t need to buy a package of artificial color dye. Instead use natural colors from everyday foods to dye the eggs.

Easter is a time of renewal, a time of new life, at time to begin all over again.  It is a time to be joyous that God is alive, and that he died so that we may live.

As it is said in 1 Corinthians 15:10-11:

“ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.”

Remember that God has saved us all for a purpose. I believe that part of that purpose is to help clean up His earth. So continue to make your lives a bit greener and we will all be blessed.

Mother's Day

Mothers are pretty special people; toiling away for our benefit for many, many years; well past our childhood and teenage trials. If your Mom is someone who cares about you and the natural world as so many mothers do, buy her something which reflects that?

Local flowers
I have yet to meet a woman, especially a mother, who did not appreciate receiving flowers, whether it be on Mother’s Day or Tuesday.

Cut flowers are usually a winner with moms; but so many flowers are imported from other states and sometimes internationally. This requires extra resources in terms of fuel for transportation, refrigeration and at times other treatments to keep them looking fresh. If you decide on flowers as a Mother’s Day gift; try to buy ones that are grown locally. Better still, perhaps potted flowers, herbs or decorative plants that can be planted in the garden - that way she'll have a gift that won't wither and die within a short time.

Candles
Another Mother's Day favorite - but did you know that many candles are made from crude oil byproducts? Burning candles releases all sorts of nasty stuff; including benzene, styrene, acetone and particulate matter. The wicks on some candles may even contain lead! Additionally, scented candles may contain more synthetic chemicals. As a more earth friendly and healthy choice, soy candles or candles made of beeswax are the way to go and for scented candles, look for soy or beeswax ones that incorporate essential oils - and have a non-lead wick.

Kitchenware and appliances
If you're game enough to buy your Mother a gift that has anything remotely to do with domestic chores, good luck to you and tread carefully :). When purchasing electrical equipment, try to find items that consume as little power as possible and have recyclable components.

Mother’s are wonderful people, and it is no surprise that we have a day dedicated to them. I would like to end with Proverbs 31:10-12 and 25-31
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also,
and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive,
and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Spring Cleaning

Along with the wonderful flowers and fragrances of Spring comes the horrifying spring cleaning. I am already dreading the last week of school where I will have to unpack my room and deal with packing all the stuff that I had no idea I'd hoarded all year long. And I'm not going to lie, some of that will be junk that I had no right hanging on to.

If you're about to move soon or just a major house cleaning and are thinking about getting a dumpster in; ask the company what they do with the junk. Also try to avoid throwing chemicals and items such as batteries into the dumpster. These items should really be disposed of at toxic waste depots.

Whilst on the topic of "junk"; if there's something I've increasingly become aware of in recent years, thanks to my few years living on my own in college, it's "stuff" certainly doesn't make you happy; so in the future, I'll be more careful about acquiring stuff.

Stuff costs money;
We have to work hard to buy stuff
Stuff then needs to be stored; requiring more room
Stuff needs to be cleaned and maintained
Stuff breaks
Stuff needs to be fixed; more money
Stuff then usually needs to be disposed of.

Enough with the stuff. The less stuff we want, the less we need to work, the less worry - leaving us with more time and energy to enjoy other things.

I'm not about to shed all my worldly belongings and hit the road; but often when I look around me and think about the task of shifting house and cringe at the pile of junk growing gout back, nostalgia of that movement in time flares up. I again question the all too common practice of accumulating things we don't really need or for that matter, really want when it comes down to it.

This cleaning will also allow you to concentrate more fully on the Lord. It will allow you to clean out the dirt and trash in your life, as well as your heart. It will remind you of what is said in Psalm 23: 1 - 3:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

So just remember the difference between wanting and needing, when you begin your own spring cleaning, both spiritual and physical.

Composting

Compost benefits the soil where it is used by improving drainage and moisture absorption, especially in soils that are otherwise poor quality. This makes growing in various types of soils easier and more productive.

Compast also benefits the plant matter grown in the soil by providing nutrients to the plant's growing area. Compost helps reduce runoff, making the use of fertilizer more productive and keeping it out of the water.

TIPS:
Making your own compost pile is very simple. Start with a layer of chopped leaves, grass clippings and kitchen waste like banana peels, eggshells, coffee grounds, and whatever else is available. In fact about two-thirds of our trash is biodegradable and could be composted. Keep adding materials until you have a six-inch layer, and then cover it with three to six inches of soil. Continue this layering process for enough good soil to enrich your lawn.

Mark 4:3-8
"Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yield no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

Recycle

Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. In addition, it generates a host of environmental, financial, and social benefits. Materials like glass, metal, plastics, and paper are collected, separated and sent to facilities that can process them into new materials or products.

Recycling is one of the best environmental success stories of the late 20th century. Recycling, including composting, diverted 82 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2006, up from 34 million tons in 1990.

By 2006, about 8,660 curbside collection programs served roughly half of the American population. Curbside programs, along with drop-off and buy-back centers, resulted in a diversion of about 32 percent of the nation's solid waste in 2005.

God did not make the earth "disposable." The scriptures reveal a God who intends to restore all things to the beauty and wholeness God created in the beginning. Theologians describe the biblical concept of fire "not as a fire which destroys but one which cleanses and purifies."

Zechariah 13:9
“I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire.”

The Spirit disposes of waste (sin) by reincorporating and transforming (recycling) human weakness into spiritual renewal and growth (the end of recycling is new re-incorporation into the new life of growth).

Valentines

Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 and while it has a very long history dating back hundreds of years. Some fast consumption related facts about Valetine's Day are: Around a billion valentines are sent each year globally, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. Twenty-five percent of all seasonal cards annually are valentines. Over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year. Valentine's Day is the top holiday for fresh flower purchaeds with red roses being the most popular.

Valentine's Day is big business and as such has the potential to have substantial impact on the environment. For example, the one billion cards laid end to end would stretch around the world 5 times! That's a lot of trees. If Valentine's Day is an important day for you or the one you love; then you can show a bit of extra love for the environment by carefully considering what you buy.

Here are some ideas:
Cards made from recycled or tree-free papaer. Choose organic and/or locally grown flowers. Here's a good one for the guys - instead of buying a card, make one using recycled or natural materials. It's pretty unique when you think about it; after all, how many guys would go to that trouble? I bet you'll score incredible points with that one as long as your significant other has a green streak.

If there is one message that is preached throughout the Bible is is definitely love. Love God, one another and your enemies. The more you love the better you life becomes because with love comes knowledge and understanding. So this Valentine's Day, spread the love and be understanding if you don't get your favorite chocolates.

Philippians 1:9-11
"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glorg and praise of God."

Water

Saving water around the home is simple and smart. The average household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bill, but could save about $170 per year by retrofitting with water-efficient fixtures and incorporating water-saving practices.

TIPS! One simple method of saving water is turning off the tap while you brush your teeth or shaving. Another is to repair dripping faucets and showerheads. A drip rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water per year.

But by far, my favorite creative solution to conserving water is using rain water for watering your flowers. Simply place a bucket underneath your rain spout and once the storm is over use that water to refresh your indoor plants.

John 4:14 “ But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Elon University Interns

Jaclyn Koehn
Elon First Baptist Church Intern
Heal the Land Project Coordinator
Leadership Fellow Class of 2010
Elon University Class of 2010

Let me start by thanking everyone who came out yesterday. You did a fantastic job and made the Heal the Land Project a success. Now I start my work on another assignment for this Church. We are working to get the Old Church Building placed on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks. In order to do that my job is to gather research and interview congregation members about their knowledge, as well as stories of the church.

This being the case I found it fitting for my topic today to be about the importance of environmental preservation. Environmental preservation is the strict setting aside of natural resources to prevent the use or contact by humans or by human intervention. In terms of policy making this often means setting aside areas as nature reserves, parks, or other conservation areas. These areas usually restrict or prohibit activities that may cause damage to habitats or wildlife. Such activities may include: logging, hunting, fishing, mining and so on.

Did you know that Grandfather Mountain, in North Carolina, which is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge, is the only private park in the world designated by the United Nations as an International Biosphere Reserve? Grandfather Mountain has been a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve for over 100 years. The management of the Mountain seeks to steward the property in a way that protects the natural wonder of the geographic landmark and offers the general public access to its fantastic scenery.

Environmental preservation is mentioned in Leviticus 25:23-24, where it says

“The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.”

By preserving land we can ensure the success of struggling species, and ecosystems. Anything that we can do to leave the natural world natural and unaffected by the negative impact of man is always a plus.

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Brittany Siciliano
Elon First Baptist Church Intern 2009

Brittany Siciliano is a sophomore at Elon University from Madison, New Jersey. She is a transfer student from Coastal Carolina University where she studied Marine Sciences. After joining an environmental interest group on Coastal's campus, she knew that she wanted to study the environment and work with it closely. Now an Environmental Studies major at Elon, she is very interested the preservation of land and learning about environmental issues. After being offered a spot as a Heal the Land intern, she was excited to get started right away. One of the things she was most excited about was writing up environmental tips for the people of the church. She is very anxious to see how the planting day turns out and is mostly excited to see how everyone in the community comes together for this great project!

Chris Myers
Elon First Baptist Church Intern 2009

Chris Myers, from Oxford, MD, is a sophomore at Elon University; he is majoring in Business Administration with a Political Science minor. Growing up on the water and being raised outdoors, he has a strong interest in protecting the environment. After taking Professor MacFall's Environmental Studies class, he was approached about heading up the "Heal the Land Initiative" with two classmates-he was excited for the opportunity of helping the local environment, while interacting with new people. He is eager for tree planting day to come and looks forward to watching the program grow during his duration at Elon and after graduation in 2011. He is grateful for the chance to work on this amazing project and thanks all of those involved.