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96 gal recycling cans come to Discovery Bay, CA

Three years ago the Garaventa Family, owners of Mt Diablo Recycling Center

in Pittsburgh, CA had a grand vision and this month in Discovery Bay we get the opportunity to participate in their vision and help make it a reality.

As our bins are being delivered over the next few weeks we have choices to make that effect the way our community embraces and accepts the responsibility that has been bestowed upon us. As in “Field of Dreams,” The Garaventa Family built a state of the art 90,000 square foot recycling facility now it’s our turn to keep it busy.

Choice #1 - Are we going to challenge ourselves to truly reduce our waste? Discovery Bay Disposal is offering all residents three different sized garbage waste containers. Most of us are probably comfortable with the 96 gallon container just in case we need it. But what if we can get by with a smaller container such as a 64 gallon or a 32 gallon container? The benefits are you’ll save money on your garbage bill and more importantly you’ll divert garbage going to our local landfill. Think about it. How much garbage do you think we can sustain in Contra Costa County before we eventually reach capacity? We might not run out of capacity in the next few years but our children may have to deal with it when they are older.

Choice #2 - Are we going to change our habits? If you were going to look through your garbage today and actually separate it into the proper containers you’d be amazed. Here is a list of four types of garbage that could be either diverted or not used at all.

1) Vegetable table scraps -Store them in a waste container underneath your sink until you take the trash out. You can throw them in the yard waste or start a compost pile.

2) Paper towels and napkins - How often do we use paper towels or napkins to just wipe up a quick spill or wipe a dirty mouth. Maybe cloth napkins or hand towels could replace them and it would save money too.

3) Cardboard boxes - If you accumulate a lot of useable cardboard boxes post them on Freecycle.org and someone in your local neighborhood will pick them up to use for moving etc.

4) Plastic grocery bags - stop using them at the grocery store instead bring your own bags. There is a great website called “Bagnetic” that sells bags that hang on a hook so they don’t take up much room in your trunk.

Choice #3 - Teach our children the importance of recycling. We need to lead by example and encourage them to separate the trash. After all it’s probably one of their chores anyway. Mt Diablo Recycling offers school presentations and tours of their recycling facility in Pittsburgh. Talk to your children’s teacher about organizing a field trip or plan a family or neighborhood trip of your own. Contact Nicole Adler at (925) 692-2224, or email her at nicole@garaventaent.com.

In conclusion, let’s get excited about this new recycling program by taking action and changing. By the way did you know that currently 30% of our garbage in Contra Costa County is being diverted from the landfill at the Mt Diablo Recycling Center? Wouldn’t it be great to get it up to 50% or higher?

I invite you to post comments and ideas on what works for you.  What changes are you making to make a difference.

You can buy safer cosmetics. Read this.

Are you grossed out by all the nasty products used in our cosmetics to make us beautiful? Do you think you don’t have any ability or resources to purchase safer cosmetics? Well, if you are willing to check out a website called

Environmental Working Group, you may be pleasantly surprised. This dedicated organization is actively researching what goes into our cosmetics.  Their goal is to provide us with safer cosmetic options.

Since 2004, the Environmental Working Group has been working on a Skin Deep database. They are a founding member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics which helps protect the health of consumers and workers by encouraging companies to phase out the use of dangerous chemicals and replacing them with safer alternatives.

More than 1000 companies have committed to producing safer cosmetic products by signing the “Campaign for Safe Cosmetics” and by voluntarily publishing their safety data.

The Environmental Working Group reviews are thorough and assigned specific and meaningful categories to insure fair and consistent scoring. They specialize in analyzing product types, use and composition, the target demographic, special product claims, brand and company information as well as animal testing.

Review their website and research how safe are the cosmetics you are currently using. If the cosmetics you are currently using don’t meet your expectations, The EWG skin deep database has plenty of new options for you to explore.

Check out these lipstick options

Revolution Organics

Read the EWG review here.

Boots Mineral Perfection Lipstick

Read the EWG review here.

Green home remodeling in California

Homeowners interested in remodeling their homes in California should check out www.greenremodelforum.com. This locally managed website specializes in showcasing homeowners in California that are remodeling responsibly and with a conscience. Green Remodel Forum is quickly becoming a go to resource for useful information about green building methods as well as products and services to support your green remodeling project.

It’s free to join the forum. Some of the benefits of becoming a member of the Green Remodel Forum include:

• Connecting yourself with like minded people and affiliating yourself with known local experts.

• Collapse time and research by seeing what your neighbors have accomplished through the question and answer discussion forum.

• Easily locate green professionals in the building and energy management industry.

• Become savvy and knowledgeable about energy efficiency and how you can work towards a Zero Net Energy Home.

• Learn useful green tips of the day.

For most of us our belts are tightened due to the economy. We need to spend our money wisely. Usually our home is the biggest financial investment we make. Therefore, it is important to realize we are empowered to make positive changes in our purchasing power by supporting green building methods. As homeowners in this current market there are so many financial incentives to do the right thing such as focusing on significant energy efficiency rebates through PG & E, and leasing solar panels through Sungevity.

Green remodeling is a positive step that should be part of your decision making process. I challenge you to put more thought into what materials you buy for your next remodeling project and who is going to do the work. Your final objective is to remodel responsibly so that your home is not only visually pleasing but also a healthier and more energy efficient place to live.

Go to their Website Greenremodelforum.com

Find them on Facebook

Jet skis are harmful to the environment

You know jet skis are dangerous (and loud), but did you know that they leak as much as 30% of the fuel directly into the water? Ditch the machine in favor of a pedal boat or kayak and you’ll be doing the environment (and your waistline) a favor. ITbikes.com has several models (including a water bike!).

We have to remember and be reminded to be good stewards of our earth. We cannot continually follow our selfish pleasures and desires without experiencing consequences. The choices we make today to live a more sustainable life is not only good for today, it has a lasting impact on the future. Our children need to know we are protecting the earth and their future.

By making the decision to own a man powered boating vessel you have the opportunity to be aligned with nature without consuming, reducing or contaminating natural resources. What a great way for families to slow down and truly enjoy what nature has to offer.

Once you proudly own a man powered vessel. you need to visit Discovery Bay, CA where you have an opportunity to participate in the annual Paddle For Fame. It’s usually held in June at the end of the month.

According to the Delta Sun Times, Discovery Bay broke it’s own World Record Saturday, June 25th, 2011 for the largest raft-up of man-powered vessels. The unofficial count is 492, which beats last years record by more that 100 paddlers.The

Write Your Way to Social Change!

Let’s face it. Virtually everyone working for a social or environmental cause has to do some writing at some point.

You may be like I am, and love committing words to paper. If so, you are always on the lookout for new ways to bring your writing to life.

Or, you may never have intended to become a writer at all. You may be one of the many people who got into this field for other important reasons: an interest and passion concerning a certain issue, an urge to give something back to your community, a perspective you want to share, etc.

Either way, the fact remains: You may produce great work or come up with outstanding ideas but if you present those achievements or thoughts poorly they will not get very far. Effective writing engages your readers, provokes their critical thinking, and compels them to take meaningful action. It also leaves them wanting more. And the better you can do that, the deeper and broader your impact will be.

In the marketplace of ideas, those who can write well are seen as the “experts” at much more than putting words on a page. (Interestingly, the words “author” and “authority” come from the same Latin root!)

So, to get started on the right track, keep in mind the 3 fundamentals of effective social change writing, or what I call the “ABC’s of Copywriting”:

A: CREATE AND ADVANCE YOUR BRAND

Every piece you write—whatever its own individual purpose—should have one overarching goal: to help promote your “brand.” That’s your essence, your identity, your personality, your promise, your reputation. It is what your organization stands for.

Ask yourself: When someone hears about your organization, what set of images, attributes, feelings, and ideas do you want them to associate with it?

The answer is your brand. To promote it, you will need to:

• Emphasize your uniqueness.
• Show that you share goals and values with your readers.
• Give your readers good reasons to trust you.
• Project professionalism.

B: ENGAGE YOUR SPECIFIC READERS

Your writing must be reader-centered and not writer-centered. You have to shift your attention, and your pre-occupations, from yourself to your readers. After all, they care about themselves, their communities, and their impact much more than they care about you or your organization.

To write is to engage in an intimate conversation with your readers. And for that you need to know whom you are addressing, and—most importantly—what they want to get out of conversing with you.

C: EMPHASIZE BENEFITS MORE THAN FEATURES

Do you know the big question on the mind of every reader of your organization’s material? It’s this: “What’s in it for me?” As far as your readers are concerned, it’s all about the benefits you can offer them.

Ask yourself: How will your service or product improve the lives of your readers and their community, in the short and the long term?

Our stakeholders want to find ways to benefit both themselves and the world around them. So we might want to edit their big question to now read: “What’s in it for me and us?”

So my friend: the world needs to hear from you—now! Sharpen your pencils, check the ink in your pens, or get cozy with your keyboard. Practice, practice, practice and get as much feedback as you possibly can. Just don’t forget to be patient with yourself and to celebrate your successes. Happy writing!

Dalya F. Massachi is the author of the award-winning book, “Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact.” Check out her website: www.dfmassachi.net.

(Uplifting Green Guest Blogger)

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