Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)?
Where can I recycle batteries?
Where can I get a rain barrel? Are they hard to maintain?
What is permeable paving? Where do I get some?
How difficult and complicated is composting?
How do I invest money to make a difference in the environment?
How do I stop all these catalogs from coming in the mail?
What can I do to “take it outside”—to volunteer on an outside environmental project?
What does “be an ambassador” mean?
What can I do to reduce my use of gasoline?
What is a solar attic fan and how do I get one?
Can I generate wind-power electricity at home?
I’m not “political.” How can I encourage elected officials to act environmentally?
Where can I recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)?
Most Walgreens and Home Depot stores take them. Ikea and some True Value hardware stores also take them. For recycling questions of all kinds, a great source is www.earth911.com. Enter your Zip Code and the type of material and they will point you to locations near you.
Where can I recycle batteries?
Most Walgreens, Ace, and True Value stores accept them. Again, check www.earth911.com for recycling questions of all kinds.
How do carbon credits/offsets work?
If you want to buy organic milk, you go to the store and buy a carton. You pay a little more because it’s more expensive to produce organic milk than chemical milk. But what if milk came from a faucet in your house? And the milk in your faucet was a mix of organic and chemical milk? You couldn’t buy organic milk from an organic dairy, just as you can’t buy a carton of solar- or wind-powered electricity. If it was milk, you would figure out the cost difference to produce organic milk, and send a check to an organic dairy to cover the amount of milk you drink. It’s the same thing with electricity; find a non-profit that promotes the production of non-fossil fuel electricity, and send them a check for the cost of producing all the electricity you use by solar or wind power, or otherwise soak up the carbon that your energy use puts into the atmosphere. One website you can use to calculate your total carbon dioxide production is www.fightglobalwarming.org. Figure out your number, and go to one of these websites to buy carbon credits: www.atmosclear.org; www.terrapass.com; www.carbonfund.org; www.e-bluehorizons.net. There are others if you search the Web.
We live near one the world’s largest fresh water sources, the Great Lakes. While Lake Michigan seems like an infinite source of water, it’s not bottomless. People are taking out more water than flows in, and the Great Lakes states and Canada are working hard to establish limits. Besides, fluctuations in lake water levels damage ecosystems at the shore; and water that you send down the drain or that washes down the storm sewers ends up in the Mississippi River, increasing flooding downstream. Using a rain barrel and permeable paving, and conserving water, all help keep fresh water in the lake and out of New Orleans!
Where can I get a rain barrel? Are they hard to maintain?
You can set up a rain barrel wherever you have a downspout. It takes a couple of hours and the hardest part is cutting your downspout and re-fitting the elbow and extension. It has a connection for a garden hose and you can easily connect two or more together. After it’s set up, just remember to drain it before winter. There are many sources for rain barrels on the web. One such site is www.urbangardencenter.com. Cook County residents can get a discount from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, at www.mwrd.org.
What is permeable paving? Where do I get some?
Unlike solid paving surfaces that allow water to run off into streets and storm sewers, permeable paving surfaces allow natural drainage of water into the earth below. Large manufacturers like Uni-Lock and Paveloc make many varieties. Our own landscape architect, Charlie Fischer, at www.charlesfischer.com, can provide technical assistance.
How difficult and complicated is composting?
Not at all! The amount of work and knowledge involved is vastly overstated. Set up a compost bin the size of an outdoor garbage can, throw leaves, weeds, and kitchen scraps in, pour some water in once in a while, and turn it a couple of times a year with a shovel or a rake, and compost comes out the bottom. It doesn’t smell bad; garbage smells bad because of rotting meat; so don’t throw meat in the compost bin. Compost smells like a freshly-turned garden. You can get a small kitchen scrap bin on Amazon (look up “kitchen compost bin”) or just use a plastic juice pitcher with a tight lid. One source for an outdoor compost bin is www.peoplepoweredmachines.com, and there are lots of others.
How do I invest money to make a difference in the environment?
We are not investment advisors and you should consult your own advisor on the wisdom of any particular investment. However, part of UCH’s Green Sanctuary program is to encourage every member of the congregation to invest five or ten percent of their retirement funds in environmentally responsible funds.
A few that we have heard of are the following:
PAXWorld funds
Winslow Green Growth Fund
Green Century Funds
Sierra Club Stock Fund
PowerShares Clean Energy portfolio
How do I stop all these catalogs from coming in the mail?
Catalogs use up trees and pollute water to make the paper, petroleum-based ink for printing, and fuel to be delivered to your house; all so you can page idly through before throwing away (or at least recycling). One sure way to stop them from coming is to contact the catalog retailer directly. Visit the company’s website and find the “contact us” or “customer service” button. There will be an e-mail form; write in it “Remove me from your paper catalog list” and be sure to include the catalog code that appears in the box near your name and address on the catalog. You don’t have to do every catalog at once; that would be overwhelming. Just stop one catalog a week. OR, go to a site such as www.catalogchoice.org, register, and choose the catalogs you wish to stop.
What can I do to “take it outside”—to volunteer on an outside environmental project?
The Cook County and DuPage County Forest Preserve Districts have extensive habitat restoration projects that always need helpers—and they meet just about every weekend. In Cook County, go to www.soclose2you.org for a county-wide map and schedule; or go to www.restoringnature.org for the nearest sites, right here in the western suburbs. In DuPage County, visit www.dupageforest.com/volunteer/nrm.html. For other environmental cleanup opportunities, the Sierra Club is always a good source.
What does “be an ambassador” mean?
We have asked every UCH family to be an ambassador for environmental action by working with their school, workplace, or a local business to set up an environmental program. At work, set up a box next to the copier for extra copies and bring the paper to the bin outside of church (UCH gets paid for the recyclable paper), or put a recycling can in the kitchen for cans and bottles. Or get everyone to set their computers to sleep mode during the day and turn them off at night. At school, join the environmental club; if there isn’t one, talk to the school, by yourself or with a friend, about setting up a recycling program, planting native plants, composting, or using compact fluorescent bulbs. Ask your local grocer to carry more organic products—or replace light bulbs with CFLs—or even turn off some lighting.
What can I do to reduce my use of gasoline?
Slow down. If your commute is 20 miles per day, slowing down from 70 to 60 mph will save about 1.3 gallons a week. Empty the trunk. Change oil on schedule, keep your car tuned, and check the tire pressure (recommended pressure in on a sticker inside the driver’s side door, and in the owner’s manual). Combine errands. Walk or ride a bike to nearby stores. Carpool to work. Carpool with other parents to school. Every bit helps; if every driver in America saved just one gallon a week, we would reduce our gasoline use by 10%.
What is a solar attic fan and how do I get one?
An attic fan is a good idea because your attic gets HOT in the summer and, no matter how good your insulation is, a hot attic means more electricity to air-condition the house. A solar fan uses no electricity and is most effective in the hottest part of the year. It takes no wiring and can be installed by any trusty roofer. A good source for solar attic fans is www.solaratticfan.com.
Can I generate wind-power electricity at home?
Unfortunately, probably not for now. A wind turbine needs to be high enough to get consistent strong winds, so this means above the tallest trees. Also, to power your home it needs to be quite large. For home use in the western suburbs, you would not recoup your costs for many years. There are compact wind turbines available, but they produce only enough power to recharge car or boat batteries.
I’m not “political.” How can I encourage elected officials to act environmentally?
You’d be surprised how much effect a simple letter has, especially to a local elected official—much more than an on-line petition with huge numbers of signatures. You may not know an elected official yourself, but maybe a friend or family member does. Letters to the editor also make a difference. Even if you think you’re not the best writer, look at it this way: Editors publish letters that represent a large volume of opinion. If a newspaper gets your letter, it may not print it; but it is more likely to print a similar letter from someone else.