#grokgreen

3/3 There are options. So many.
- Use glass, metal, and wood in the kitchen.
- Buy toys that are wood or paper (or anything but #plastic).
- Wear clothes of wool, linen, cotton, reused.

Make a tiny change. And then another.

And #recycle this shameful, plastic-crap full mailer.

#grokgreen
2/
Read “The Problem with Plastic” by @judithenck.bsky.social - realize there is no “safe” plastic.

- Burning it = more CO2 than not.
- Forever chemicals like #PFAS are killing us and our children.
- And it’s an excuse for #fossilfuel companies to mine more and make $$ in death.

#grokgreen

1/ This one inspired by #amazon, truly.

#plastic
I once thought plastic was ok if used in long-lived things, such as insulation in buildings (foam). Maybe recycled into plastic and wood composites. Or waste-to fuel might be ok at a last resort…

But the reality is:

2/2 #grokgreen

My take is that #climatechange is actually happening FOR us (not to us). It is #Nature schooling us about her limits and her potential.

We need to learn to work with her to succeed and prosper.

So, what have you learned, lately, from our incredibly knowledgeable Mother Earth?

#grokgreen

1/ This one is heavy - #climatechange

It is about shifts in trends. Over a period of time the average temp if the planet is slowly increasing. Some places may be cooler, though, which is confusing.
In NYS, by 2079, we expect to normally have the temps of Georgia. And much > rainfall.

#grokgreen
More on pervious surfaces and benefits.

We (UpstateNY) have a pervious asphalt driveway. It cost about 10% more 8 years ago. It reduced basement flooding and is lasting great.

We use our leaf blower in reverse 2x a year to clean it. Less shoveling in the winter, no $ on salt or sand.

#grokgreen

“Pervious” - #water can flow through. Most concrete, asphalt, pavers, and hard packed soil is impervious. The rainfall runs off, and never soaks into the soil.

A complete cycle means water gets into the soil and is filtered naturally. This helps #soil quality and #aquifer resilience.

#grokgreen This impacts EVERYONE in cities. #UHI - Urban Heat Island impact.

Dark surfaces and impervious areas (no water can drain) + lack of plants to help transpire water to air, raise the ambient temp in cities 15-20 degrees.

Plants, lighter colors, pervious hard surfaces, are all a benefit.

#grokgreen
1/ Just saw a post about insulation. “R -value” is the resistance to heat transfer through materials. Often used 4 insulation: energy code “prescriptive” method dictates only insulation performance (so far). But insulation is used in walls with studs (wood or metal) which have crappy Rs.

#grokgreen

RECs (renewable energy credits) track the production and use. RECs can be a carbon offset strategy.

RECs can be falsely sold while the electricity is used by the owner of the panels. Also some RECs are “outdated”.

The best RECs are 3rd party certified and invest in NEW production.

#grokgreen

Remember - it’s now #grokgreen

Hah! Better (I changed my mind) it will be #grokgreen. So much better.

“Decarbonization”. In buildings and in policy, this is about #electrifying the existing systems.

Reducing #energy use, then replacing heating and cooling as well as cooking(!) with electric systems.

Electricity can transition to all renewable sources, over time. Fossil fuel can’t. #grokgreen