Green Gifts Guide

Friends, family, hot chocolate--this is why they call it the most wonderful time of the year. Unfortunately, however, it can also be one of the most wasteful & expensive times of the year.

Making homemade gifts through upcycling instead can be a great way to make something cool out of old junk instead of buying something new. Here are some gift ideas that are unique, creative, and cheap too. Your loved ones will appreciate the thoughtfulness, and you might find that you enjoy the creative process!

1. Recycled Paper Baskets
Make something useful out of old newspapers, magazines, and even (clean) food packaging.

2. You could also try a recycled paper and cardboard photo frame

hipster child not included

3. Teacup Candles
Make something useful and pretty out of those matchless teacups at the thrift store.

4. Cassette Tape Flash Drive
For bonus points, you can put music on the flash drive--a new mix tape from your old mix tape.

5. Milk carton art supply bucket

click to see larger size

5. Make mittens from an old sweater

6. T-shirt Bracelets

7. Make a new camera strap from an old belt

8. Turn a plastic bottle into a cool hanging lamp

9. Make a wallet out of an old book cover or other scrap paper

10. Give the gift that keeps on giving all month with a homemade advent calendar

This one is made of a muffin tin

Or... for those who can't do... there's always Etsy.com! It's a great place to shop for handmade (often recycled) items and support an artist.

For more recycled arts and crafts ideas you can check out UpcycleThat and Instructables.

If you have other ideas, suggestions, tips, or examples, please send them to ssu_environmentaldepartment@soka.edu

Zero Emissions Day

Did you know...that September 21 is Zero Emissions Day?

If you don't know what greenhouse gases are, you can learn more about them and where they come from here.

You can also check out this cool CO2 emissions simulator.

Don't forget about World Car Free Day tomorrow!

Happy Earth Day!

Please enjoy these pictures that show off why nature is so cool.

http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/04/09/photo-of-the-day-best-of-march/?source=podcarousel

http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/03/24/big-win-for-sea-turtles-in-puerto-rico/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140321-insects-fossil-camouflage-mimicry-pictures/

The Grand Canyon

http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/04/09/photo-of-the-day-best-of-march/?source=podcarousel

http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/04/09/photo-of-the-day-best-of-march/?source=podcarousel

http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/03/04/photo-of-the-day-best-of-february/?source=podcarousel

Energy Challenge Results

Yesterday marked the last day of Sustainability Committee's Energy Challenge . For a week and a half, we used the Soka Energy Dashboard to measure the energy use of each of the resident hall buildings. The building that reduced its energy use the most during the challenge will get Cha for Tea as a prize!

Read on to find out who won!

Download to see full size!

Because the number of residents per hall varies (ranging from 50 to 30), it seemed unfair to decide the winner based on the hall's total use. Obviously, dorms with more people will use more energy. So, we divided the building's total energy use by the number of residents.

We decided it also wasn't enough simply to be the hall with the lowest energy usage per person. (305 was obviously consistently the highest.) The challenge was to use less energy than before. Therefore, the winning hall was the one whose net energy use per person was the lowest--in other words, the hall that was able to reduce its use the most from where it started.

Before we announce the winner,
we'd like to congratulate everyone for their hard work!

This is per building, NOT per person per building; this ranking has nothing to do with the final winners.

300 consistently used the most energy all week... but it also reduced its energy use the most. What a bunch of studs.

Almost all halls decreased their total energy use by at least 100 kWh between 4/11/14 and 4/19/14. This resulted in a cumulative 1968.3 kWh saved by all 8 buildings!

This is important not just because it means that someone will win boba on us but because it represents reduced greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation.

To put it into scale...

Source: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html
Download for full view!

Let's save that much energy and avoid that much green house gas emission every week!

And now... the moment you've all been waiting for...

The winner...

of the ENERGY CHALLENGE 2014

is...

Second runner up: 315 with a net energy saving of 1.5 kWh per person

First runner up: 300 with a net energy saving of 1.6 kWh per person

and in 1st place....

310! Congratulations!

Not only did 310 have a low energy use all week, but you guys also reduced you net energy use by 1.9 kWh per person. Nice work!

Sometime after Capstone is over all your Sustainability Committee Chairs have a life again, we'll set a date for your Cha party, guys.

We hope everyone had fun and learned a little more about saving energy. Please comment below with any suggestions for improving this challenge in the future.

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To keep up to date with Soka's energy use, check out the Energy Dashboard any time.

username: soka

password: dashboard1

You can also use the EPA's greenhouse gas equivalency calculator to get some context for those numbers.

DIY Deodorant Followup

I'm talking the talk and walking the walk, guys.

Back in January, I shared this recipe for making your own deodorant at home. ...And then TODAY this happened:

Empty deodorant container

So I decided that it was time for me to try out the recipe myself! You know, for science. I already had most of the ingredients for the second, simpler recipe, so that's what I did.

The Process

Ingredients: baking soda, cornstarch, coconut oil (4:4:6).

 Why would this work? Baking soda removes odors. My roommate and I have been using it in our bathroom cleaning for over a year now. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer--and it smells good too.

STEP ONE
Mix baking soda and cornstarch.

STEP TWO
Add coconut oil. Stir thoroughly.

Looks like ice cream

STEP THREE

Put in containers

Ta-dah!!!!

I had enough left over to share:

Re-purposing old tins

The Result

It's much softer than what used to be in my deodorant roller--I could just as easily rub it on with my fingers--which might be different from what some of you were hoping for or expecting. I also suspect that in the summer it'll be prone to melting...

But it definitely seems to be working so far--I smell like coconuts! :)

And if you already buy deodorant without aluminum from Sprouts or Wholefoods, its a cost effective-solution. One deodorant roller from Sprouts can easily cost $7, which is about how much I paid for a biiiig jar of coconut oil at Ralph's. One jar of coconut oil = LOTS of deodorant. Moreover, making your own reduces the number of plastic rollers that you have to throw away when they're used up. I used my old roller to hold my new batch of deodorant. Last but not least, this gives you complete control over the ingredients. All of the ingredients are simple, non-toxic and (although you wouldn't want to eat them by the spoonful or all together) harmless if ingested.

I highly recommend trying it.

Sustainability Committee Chairs 2014-2015

It's official!

Wee Leng Cheong (2015) is currently abroad in Spain. Study abroad isn't just about having a good time for her--she also received the SSU grant to attend a conference in Europe!

Lance Sierra (2015) is abroad in Argentina. He's been an member of Environmental Department for a long time and is particularly knowledgeable about green planning.

Danny Smyth (2016) is a goalkeeper for Soka men's soccer. He'll be studying abroad half the year next year.

And most importantly, they're all very excited to make Sustainability Committee more accessible and personable than ever. Please congratulate them! Talk to them. Be their friends--they're nice.

Until then, stay tuned for updates on the Energy Challenge!

April's Green Superstar: Kayleigh Levitt

GREEN SUPERSTAR

SEPTEMBER 2013

Kayleigh Levitt

Even if you haven't had time to go to the Soka Instructional Garden (SIG) yet, you've probably at least heard about it by now. The SIG has been very active this year, offering more opportunities for student enjoyment than ever: there have been garden parties every Sunday, weeding Wednesdays, a Full Moon Drum Circle Planting Party, a fermentation class with Chef Glen, shed painting, the Soka pallet sessions, and the Garden Show with Hip-Hop Congress and Edna the Tea Bus.

We've already featured one of the student garden managers, Leia from the class of 2014, here on our blog, so Sustainability Committee decided to invite the second student garden manager, Kayleigh Levitt from the class of 2016, to share her experiences working and learning in the garden.

Sustainability Committee: What has been your favorite of all of the events the SIG has hosted this year?

Kayleigh Levitt: The Garden Show was so much fun. It had music, food, lots of different people from a bunch of groups at Soka--all of my favorite things.

SC: What is your favorite part about working in the garden in general?

KL: Working in the garden is helping me do what I want to do for my career, but on a smaller scale. It's practice in building community around food and food production. It has brought me so much joy. Sometimes I'm in complete disbelief that I get paid to be there! Sometimes I just don’t want to leave. The work is really gratifying. I get to eat things right off the vine.

SC: What's the hardest part about working in the garden?

KL: I guess the amount of time that it takes up. The plants require daily attention. Also pests. Pests are the worst.

SC: Had you gardened much before coming to Soka?

KL: No. Not in the slightest way possible.

I learned a lot in Dr. Robert's Sustainable Agriculture Learning Cluster. Then I forgot some parts and re-learned by making mistakes. Dr. Robert helps us a lot too. You have to get into the rhythm of it. Gardening isn't that hard once you get the soil nutrients balanced--it’s just putting plants in the ground, watering them, and protecting them from pests. But I still have so much to learn! All I know how to do is grow plants from a nursery. After Soka I’d like to take a Master Gardener’s course and learn how to start plants from seed.

SC: There have already been a lot of changes at the SIG just this year. Could you talk about some of those changes and how you think they're going?

KL: Lots of change this year!

This year we started square foot gardening, which is basically planting more densely. The only problem is that we need to be more on top of harvesting. We have to harvest pretty much every week. One of the plots was such a jungle we almost didn’t notice a rattlesnake under the leaves! We called security and there was no problem, but it shows how important it is to keep the plants under control.

We've also started companion planting. In permaculture, plants are grouped into "guilds" or groups that support each other in different ways when they're planted near each other (flavor, pest resistance etc.) Some plants definitely shouldn't go together, so we don't plant those next to each other. It seems to be working, but it might not be doing anything. We still do have pests. But all the plants are really flourishing regardless. Someone asked me “Why are your plants on steroids?”

We also did some planting with the moon's cycles. We don't know if that helps or not. It's all a big experiment.

We've really increased our community activity with our events and our interactions with Bon Apetit. When we serve garden food at our events, we serve only food that we grew—no outside food. We've had a lot more participation. So there are more opportunities for everyone to benefit.

SC: What other changes would you like to see implemented in the garden?

KL: You want to really know the future plans? 

We want a cob solar oven with cool glass art built into the sides. Counter space for preparing food. More native plants. A rainwater harvester connected to native plant garden (which will be where Soka pallet sessions currently happen. Vertical growing. Working with the aquaculture center that’s next door. A retrofit of the community space on the left hand side (where the tables are). Hammocks.

SC: Are there any crops that are not currently grown in the garden that you would like to see next year?

KL: We’re growing pretty much everything right now. One student complained that we grow unpopular vegetables, so maybe we need to grow popular vegetables, whatever those are. Maybe fruit trees. And more native plants.

SC: Do you have a favorite vegetable?

KL: French breakfast radishes because they’re not too spicy and they’re really juicy. But I also love chard for how easy it is to grow, how quickly it replenishes, and it’s a great staple food.

SC: Why do you think it’s important for schools like Soka to have a garden?

KL: It’s important for people to have a more personal relationship with food and vegetables and experience eating fresh, local, organic food. And to experience growing food. It makes Soka a better place. Gardening is also good for getting people outside, away from homework, which is really healing.

Next year, Leia will have graduated but Kayleigh will still be a garden manager, when she's not studying abroad in Ecuador. Next spring, Dr.Robert will also be teaching a full, semester-long sustainable agriculture class, which will do a lot of work in the garden.

For more information about the Soka garden you can check out Robert Lawson's Green Superstar feature or the SIG facebook group.

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 If you know someone who deserves recognition as a GREEN SUPERSTAR in the coming months, please message us below, on facebook, or at SSU_EnvironmentalDepartment@soka.edu .