We hosted two lovely events in August that focused on landfill reduction, allowed the community to learn and share knowledge, and brought people together to focus on creating a more sustainable civilization.
8/16 – Backyard Composting Workshop with Joan Irwin, Master Gardener: Did you know that Compostable organics make up 30% of California’s overall waste stream, contributing over 12 million tons annually to our state’s landfills, and producing significant quantities of methane? Workshop participants found out how they, personally, could help to do their part to mitigate greenhouse gas emission through backyard composting. Find out more about the benefits of composting here.
8/23 – Community Council: On a gorgeous summer day in August 8 people came inside to sit in council together to tackle the difficult question of how to create less waste and live more lightly in a single use society. We reflected on how we came to understand the problems of waste and over-consumption and how this knowledge has impacted our lives.
How, we all asked, did we get into this cycle, and how do we extricate ourselves, or at least lessen our impact on the planet we love and free ourselves from the influences of excess? Reconnecting to the natural world, that in our backyards and the remaining wilderness around us, and more intimately, by reconnecting with the nature we carry within us as mortal beings, were suggested as gateways to a deeper consciousness about this issue. We also acknowledged the difficulties of being conscious consumers and attending to the day to day tasks of proper disposal of waste while we lead busy lives.
We look forward to the wisdom and plans for action that will emerge from our monthly councils. Again, many thanks to Teya Valentina Chavez for co-facilitating and sharing her lovely Sol Studios for this event, and to Rachel McKay for facilitation and vision.