Friday Funny

Safe Havens

By Bill Holbrook, dist. by King Features Syndicate

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/earth-day-cartoons-47042126#ixzz1vso3z0S6

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

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Tree Thursday - Spanish Stopper

Spanish Stopper

Eugenia foetida

 
 The Spanish Stopper is a wonderful native small tree or large shrub.   Spanish Stopper typically grows to 15 feet high. The growth habit is columnar and it has small leaves in that grow in a tight formation.  The flowers are fragrant and the tree is salt-tolerance.  Spanish Stopper will grow in  part-shade to full-sun.  (http://www.plantcreations.com/stoppers.htm ).  In Fort Lauderdale, you will find them planted in the medians of the Gateway intersection (Sunrise Blvd and North Federal). 

Traditional remedy or use: Wood of this genus was used for bows and various items. Used to treat colds, and diarrhea (hence the name ‘stopper’).  Mixed with Bourreria ovata as an energy booster. Commonly used as an aphrodisiac and to enhance virility and as a tonic for bathing.   Modern remedy or use: Used in Caribbean countries as roof rafters and animal traps. Being studied for its antioxidant properties.    (http://medgarden.org/plantfiles/eugenia_foetida.html )

Growth Rate – Medium

Salt Tolerance – High

Drought Tolerance – High

Great for birds and butterflies

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

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Refilling one plastic bottle

I thought this was an excellent way to look at "being green."

"There are approximately 300 million people in the US. Let's lop the youngest and oldest 10% off just to avoid people complaining that I am asking infants and great-grandparents to compost or something. That leaves us with 240 million. Now let's eliminate the richest and poorest 10%, because one group can't afford bottled water and the other has their water brought to them in crystal glasses by hired help. So we're down to 190 million people who, in this day and age, we can safely assume have bought one bottle of water this year.

Now I am not even asking us all to stop buying water. It'd be great, but let's use realistic baby steps, OK? If every person who bought one bottle of water at some point this year, filled it up at the sink once before throwing it out, that's 190 million plastic bottles we keep out of the waste stream. Current stats show that around 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled, so in one tap-water refill we have kept 152 million plastic water bottles out of dumps and landfills.

That's the point I am trying to make here; if we acknowledge that we are all someone's child, that many of us are someone's parent, that we are all part of the human chain, then even a tiny single walk to the sink can make a huge difference.

So that's my pitch. Look around you, inside and out. Look at the planet we walk through and appreciate it, and look at everyone around you every day and realize that we are all in this together, and that we have, as our greatest strength, our numbers. Buy a reusable bottle, walk to lunch and skip the elevator, tell the guy at the deli you don't need the plastic bag, and, when you get a rare opportunity like this one tonight, spend your hard-earned cash on worthy causes like the WAVE Foundation, ..."

From Holter Graham's Speech at the Wave Foundation Nauti Nite, the fundraising gala for the WAVE Foundation at the Newport Aquarium in Newport Kentucky.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/wasted/holter-graham-speech.html

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!

Tap Water

Trust Your Tap Water

by Josh Peterson
Los Angeles, CA, USA | Mon Sep 22 2008

 

Remember that day years ago, when your father or grandfather spied bottled water in the supermarket? I bet he laughed. "Who would buy that?" he asked. "What a scam." Now, it's like twenty years later, and bottled water has become an environmental scourge. It was a bad idea taken to an extreme. It almost seems like it should be a plot from a really bad science fiction novel that stars a character named Dirk Dashing.
Tap water gets a bad rap. Maybe it's all the fluoride that they put in tap water that makes our wills weak enough to pay a premium for something that is plentiful and cheap, but that's a theory for a different blog in the nether recesses of the internet.
Ninety percent of all tap water in the United States is safe to drink. If there are problems with your tap water, then your local water supplier is bound by law to inform you of it.
The EPA has a higher standard for tap water than the FDA has for bottled water. Tap water is screened more often for chemical and viral contamination. City water is tested hundreds of times a month, but bottled water is tested only once a week. Carbonated water is never tested.
One fourth of all bottled water is repackaged tap water. The bottled water companies have lied to you, but you trust them over the city water company. Why is this? What has the water company done to you?
Our water is still safe. So drink it. Don’t drink bottled water. Trust your tap water.

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

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Mulch with Newspapers

One man's trash is one plant's treasure.

By Josh PetersonLos Angeles, CA, USA | Fri Apr 10 2009

Reuse, in most cases, is a fair bit greener than recycling. That's not to say recycling isn't green. It's green and it is awesome. But reusing an item significantly reduces the overall footprint of the item. It takes energy to recycle but much less than the energy it takes to create anew.

One of the most common day-to-day items that quickly turns to trash are newspapers. Once the day is over, the news is old. (and probably still bad.) The good news about newspapers is that it is an organic material (wood) and not toxic. Old newspapers had some crazy chemicals in their inks, but today’s black-and-white gazettes are usually made from soy-based inks. That means you can mulch the old news.

Green Benefits

You'll essentially be recycling the old newspaper yourself and turning it into new plants. You'll keep the old picayunes from a landfill fate. It's a chemical-free form of herbicide and a way to conserve water. Gardens are a great way to cut down on food miles, too. Hey, this is some ultra-green stuff right here.
Here's how to do make mulch from newspaper:

• Lay down 2-5 sheets of newspaper.
• Leave three-inch diameter holes for the plants.
• Throw a two or three-inch layer of mulch on top of the newspaper: Grass clippings, straw, leaves, etc.
• Harvest food.

The newspapers decompose before next season.

Gene Dempsey,  City Forester
GDempsey@FortLauderdale.gov

Promoting the optimum health of our land through the use of earth-friendly materials, recycling and conservation practices.

THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT!

Friday Funny

Family Circus By Bil & Jeff Keane, dist. by King Features Syndicate

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/earth-day-cartoons-47042122#ixzz1vsldCiVB

Have a great weekend!

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!

Tree Thursday - Pigeon Plum

Pigeon Plum   

Coccoloba diversifolia

Pigeon Plum is one of my favorite South Florida native trees.  It’s a small to medium size growing tree, usually growing to about 25 feet but in rare cases to 35 feet perfect for most South Florida yards.  It requires minimum pruning to maintain a beautifully shaped tree (see picture below).  The species name ‘diversifolia’ describes the leaf characteristics of the Pigeon Plum.  The size of the leaves adjust to the amount of sunlight that they receive – a little sun, big leaves; a lot of sun, small leaves. 

The Pigeon Plum is a ‘cousin’ of the Sea Grape with similar fruit and thick leaves.  Birds love the fruit and if left on its own, the tree can be self-mulching with its leaves.  The tree does have attractive bark that peels revealing different textures. 

Growth Rate – Medium (up to 3 feet per year)

Salt Tolerance – High

Drought Tolerance - High 

For More Information:

http://www.plantcreations.com/coccoloba_diversifolia.htm

http://www.floridaplants.com/Reprints/Coccoloba%20diversifolia%20Pigeon-Plum.htm

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!

12 Step Program Part 2

The 12 Step Program for Going Green Steps 5 through 12

Published by Justine Burt on July 29, 2008 in Green 101 and Green Lifestyle.

Amazon Green Scene recently profiled a man named Wade in Seattle  (http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK3H63NHNB6NWVB) who wanted to go green. He was tired of feeling guilty for throwing away all his recyclables, concerned about $4/gallon gas and wondered if people embracing organic food were onto something.

He didn’t know how to do it, though. “Man, I need a 12-step process or roadmap on how to be Green. Can somebody help me with that?”

Wade, Greenwala.com is here to assist you. Follow this program and in a few months you’ll enjoy financial and health rewards as well as peace of mind knowing you’re contributing to the solution. Keep in mind that the hardest part of a 12 step program is often step one.

5. Optimize energy use – Implement energy conservation then energy efficiency opportunities. After you’ve reduced your energy demand as much as you can, purchase green energy (solar for your home or renewable energy from a green energy supplier) and finally, offset any remaining energy supplied by fossil fuels with renewable energy credits.

6. Reduce the impact of your transport – When you need to move yourself to another place, first consider options at the top of this transportation hierarchy and work your way down: walking, bicycling, electric bicycling, using mass transit (trains, buses), carpooling, riding in a single occupancy vehicle, and flying.

7. Food – Substitute a vegetable protein for a meat protein once in a while. Look for opportunities to buy locally-grown, seasonally-available organic produce.

8. Building – Downsize your living space so you only have as much space as you need.

9. Waste – Before buying something, consider if the item is durable, recyclable, compostable or reusable.

10. Start with no-cost changes – Work your way up to low-cost green changes and then investment-grade changes.

11. Commit to continuous improvement – Remember that sustainability is a journey not a destination.

12. Help others – Share green tips you have learned in a positive, hopeful way that inspires others.

http://greenwala.com/?p=97

Gene Dempsey, Parks Supervisor - City Forester
GDempsey@FortLauderdale.gov
954.828.5785 --- 954.828.5799 fax

THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT!

Greenwala's 12 Step Program

Constantly forgetting to recycle? Can't seem to stop driving a block to the convenience store? Does nothing seem to relax you like the smell of burning styrofoam? Not to worry. Our friends at Greenwala have laid out 12 step program for those of us sharing an addiction for decidedly ungreen practices. While it is a humorous approach to the obligatory tips post, there is some good information in there about embarking on a new green lifestyle. I especially liked the inspiration links they provided to well-known and respected sustainability gurus.

 

The 12 Step Program for Going Green

Published by Justine Burt on July 29, 2008 in Green 101 and Green Lifestyle.

Amazon Green Scene recently profiled a man named Wade in Seattle  (http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK3H63NHNB6NWVB) who wanted to go green. He was tired of feeling guilty for throwing away all his recyclables, concerned about $4/gallon gas and wondered if people embracing organic food were onto something.

He didn’t know how to do it, though. “Man, I need a 12-step process or roadmap on how to be Green. Can somebody help me with that?”

Wade, Greenwala.com is here to assist you. Follow this program and in a few months you’ll enjoy financial and health rewards as well as peace of mind knowing you’re contributing to the solution. Keep in mind that the hardest part of a 12 step program is often step one.

1. Admit you have a problem – Take the Ecological Footprint  (http://www.myfootprint.org/en/) quiz to learn about your environmental impact. The quiz tells you how many planets would be needed to support your lifestyle if everyone in the world lived like you. If your impact is more than one planet, we have some work to do.

2. Commit to finding sweet spots – Many changes you can make to help build a sustainable future also have direct benefits for you. Locally grown, seasonal organic produce tastes better and has more vitamins. Carpooling to work with someone who lives and works near you can save you money on gas and maintenance and, if there are HOV lanes on your trip, help you arrive at work faster.

3. Commit to “solving for pattern” – Rather than worrying about the many environmental and social problems our planet faces, support solutions that will address multiple problems at the same time. Raising the average fuel efficiency of American-made cars will create more jobs in the U.S., reduce the trade deficit, reduce air pollution, reduce hospitalizations for childhood asthma, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help address climate change. Wow!

4. Find inspiration – Learn about ideas from major sustainability visionaries:

· Janine Benyus - Biomimicry  (http://biomimicry.net/) author who explains the lessons Nature offers about how to harness energy, grow food, manufacture, and recycle wastes.

· William McDonough – Cradle to Cradle  (http://www.mcdonoughpartners.com/) co-author and architect who designs elegant, healthy buildings that are integrated into their natural surroundings.

· Paul Hawken – Blessed Unrest  (http://www.wiserearth.org/) author who describes the millions of sustainability non-profits worldwide who serve as a metaphorical immune system to restore the health of our planet.

(Steps 5 though 12 tomorrow)

http://greenwala.com/?p=97

Gene Dempsey, Parks Supervisor - City Forester
GDempsey@FortLauderdale.gov
954.828.5785 --- 954.828.5799 fax

THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT!

Make your own pollution prevention video

Pollution Prevention Week 2012 Video Contest

In celebration of National Pollution Prevention Week (September 17-23), DTSC and the Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN) are asking people to make a short video that shows how making small changes in our daily lives can have a positive impact on the environment. 
The theme of the contest, “What's your footprint?”, is about exploring how lifestyle choices can create a net positive impact on the environment. We hope this contest encourages you to share your own experiences on how to reduce your environmental footprint while learning what others are doing. Videos submitted for this contest should encourage the audience to make choices that support pollution prevention. For examples of pollution prevention, click here.

YouTube Video on Contest

Read the script or visit our YouTube contest site to reply to this video.

Want some tips on how to spice up your video?

Check out these instructional videos on Adobe TV!

The Competition

National Pollution Prevention Week is about renewing our efforts to protect the environment and human health. This year we are again asking for videos of 60 seconds or less that focus on the key elements of pollution prevention:

• Generating less solid & hazardous waste
• Using less toxic chemicals (safer ingredients and products)
• Conserving water & energy
• Reducing air pollution
• Conserving natural resources    

All you need to do is:

1. Fill out the submission form,
2. review the rules,  
3. submit your video response on or before Sept. 12, 2012, to our promotional video on DTSC’s YouTube contest site, and
4. send out the contest flyer to all your friends!

The best videos will be featured throughout Pollution Prevention Week on the DTSC Web page.

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!

Friday Funny

The Other Coast by Adrian Raeside  May 06, 2012

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!

Tree Thursday - Royal Poinciana

Royal Poinciana

Delonix regia

Royal Poinciana trees are currently in bloom with a brilliant display of red flowers throughout South Florida.  The Royal Poinciana is also known by other names around the world, such as flamboyant tree, flame tree, and peacock flower.  Royal Poinciana gets 30-40 ft tall, but its elegant wide-spreading umbrella-like canopy can be wider than its height. Royal Poinciana is deciduous in climates that have a marked dry season, but in Florida and other areas where the winter is not that much dryer than the summer, it is a semi-evergreen tree.

Royal Poinciana is native to Madagascar. It is widely cultivated and may be seen adorning avenues, parks and estates in tropical cities throughout the world. A casual visitor might think the Caribbean Islanders invented this tree they call simply "flamboyant." Poinciana frequently escapes cultivation and establishes in frost-free climates, including extreme southern Florida. (information taken from http://www.floridata.com/ref/d/delo_reg.cfm)

This photograph was taken on Wednesday, June 13, 2012, in the Croissant Park area (Fort Lauderdale, Florida). 

Growth Rate – Fast

Salt Tolerance – Medium

Drought Tolerance – High

Wood is weak and tree can be considered messy.

For more information:

                http://www.floridata.com/ref/d/delo_reg.cfm

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delonix_regia

Social Values of Community Trees - Calming Traffic

Calming Traffic

Trees help bring calm to traffic two ways.  One are their effects on reducing driver frustration levels, or in other words reducing the likelihood of road rage.  The other is the physical calming of traffic by incorporating trees into street design.  According to studies cited by the Colorado Tree Alliance, a treeless street enhances the perception that the street is wide and free of hazard, thereby increasing speeds and leading to more accidents.  Trees, on the  other hand, have a slowing effect by giving the perception of a narrower street.  Trees also forewarn drivers of upcoming curves, leading to slower speed and greater caution, and trees can protect bike lanes and pedestrians on sidewalks. 

 (Taken from the Tree City USA Bulletin – 2007 Annual Report.  Published by the National Arbor Day Foundation)

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!

Social Values of Community Trees - Helping Children

Helping Children toward better lives

Trees are beneficial to children in many ways.  There is the physical benefit of shading that helps prevent skin cancer.  A California health official reports that 90 percent of all skin cancer is caused by sunlight and that 80 percent of a person’s sun exposure occurs during childhood – with the damage taking its toll later in life. 

There are also mental health benefits.  Again, the work of Drs. Kuo and Sullivan provides a long list.  One of these is that activities in green settings help reduce the symptoms of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder .  Another showed that inner city girls who lived in apartments with greener, more natural views scored better on tests of self-discipline than those living in barren landscapes.  Self-discipline, of course, is the key to success in school and in avoiding a variety of high-risk behaviors.  Trees are also an important part of re-connecting young children with nature through programs like Nature Explore, the intent being to establish the bonds that lead to environmental stewardship later in life. 

 (Taken from the Tree City USA Bulletin – 2007 Annual Report.  Published by the National Arbor Day Foundation)

Comments and Questions

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!

Social Values of Community Trees - Health Benefits

Mental and Physical Health Benefits

Studies by Dr. Roger Ulrich at Texas A&M and others have shown that hospital patients who can see trees have less anxiety, recover faster and exhibit fewer complications than patients in windowless rooms or who must look at the built landscape such as parking lots.  Positive effects on mood and improved worker productivity have also been documented. 

Reducing Crime

The research team of Drs. Frances Kuo and William Sullivan at the University of Illinois  - Urbana-Champaign has found evidence that trees around apartment complexes help reduce domestic violence and child abuse, improve neighborhood relations, and decrease police calls and social service costs.  In fact, buildings with high levels of greenery had 48 percent fewer property crimes and 56 percent fewer violent crimes.

 (Taken from the Tree City USA Bulletin – 2007 Annual Report.  Published by the National Arbor Day Foundation)

Questions and Comments

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

Think before you print!

Friday Funny

Curtis by Ray Billingsley, dist. by King Features Syndicate

 
 

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/earth-day-cartoons-47042121#ixzz1vslLiJc3

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!

Values of Community Trees - Energy Savings

Shade and Energy Savings

Summer shade is pleasant (in South Florida it’s pleasant year-round), but it is far more than that.  According to American Forests, properly planted trees can save 58-65 percent on air conditioning costs.  If applied nationwide to buildings not now benefiting from trees, shade could reduce our nation’s oil consumption by 500,000 barrels of oil PER DAY.  In Sacramento, California, a conscious effort is being made to plant trees in an effort to delay or prevent the construction of additional power plants to meet energy demands.   Shade also can cool parking lots, reducing fumes given off from heated engines and fuel tanks, and it can extend the life of pavement surfaces by 10 years. 

(Taken from the Tree City USA Bulletin – 2007 Annual Report.  Published by the National Arbor Day Foundation)

Questions and comments

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

The Values of Community Trees - Storm Water Runoff

Storm Water Runoff

According to Dr. Kim Coder of the University of Georgia, for every 5 percent of tree cover added to a community, stormwater runoff is reduced by approximately 2 percent.  Trees break the force of rainfall and help to slow runoff.  They prevent soil erosion and allow water to infiltrate into the soil.  Importantly, the urban tree canopy reduces the need for expensive infrastructure like huge sewer pipes and catchment basins. 

Great interactive poster on Trees and Stormwater

(Taken from the Tree City USA Bulletin – 2007 Annual Report.  Published by the National Arbor Day Foundation)

Questions and Comments

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

Your final Green commitment

Okay, it’s not something we like to think about but with proper planning, you can go green in the end.

What is a green burial?                   

Simple and natural.  Green burial, or natural burial, ensure the burial site remains as natural as possible in all respects.  Interment of the bodies is done in a bio-degradable casket, shroud, or a favorite blanket.   No embalming fluid, no concrete vaults. 

Why have a green burial?
It is clear that nature has intended that our bodies be reunited with the earth.  All organisms that have lived, have died and returned to the soil...only to be recycled into new life.  Constant microbial activity in the soil breaks everything down.  Nature creates no waste.  Everything is recycled. 
In keeping with your personal values, a natural burial site for you, family, even pets, promotes growth of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers, in turn bringing birds and other wildlife to the area.  Water is not wasted, nor are pesticides and herbicides used in attempts to control nature.  Instead, a green cemetery allows nature take it's course. Planting native trees, shrubs and flowers in your loved one's honor promotes habitat restoration.  To encourage land preservation, a green cemetery grants a conservation easement for the burial site.

Burial vs Cremation

A green burial is a cremation alternative, and a viable alternative to  "traditional"  burial practices in the United States.  It is an earth friendly option when considering burial vs cremation.  Many families choose cremation because it's seen as more environmentally friendly than traditional burial.  Embalming, expensive sealed caskets and burial vaults are not required by law.  Though traditional memorial parks may require them, a green cemetery or memorial nature preserve does not.  The simplicity of a green burial is in tune with nature and need not be expensive.
Until recently, interment in an environmentally friendly burial ground was not an option.  Now we can consider and encourage a natural burial, helping to preserve open spaces throughout the United States.  This will increasingly become a cremation alternative.
Choosing a green burial now relieves your loved ones of the distress that comes in having to make difficult, and often costly, decisions after your passing.  Involve your friends and family now, so difficult decisions do not need to be made in a time of grief.   http://www.greenburials.org/ 

ECO-CIZING

(Sun-Sentinel/John L. White / December 22, 2006)

Green funerals, or alternative burial options, are gaining popularity and Florida is among only a handful of states (South Carolina, Texas, California and New York) that "host" natural or green burial sites. (I’m sure by now, more states have this option.)
The Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve in northwest Florida's Watson County is the only site in the state set up for "green" funerals.

Thought: Pine or wicker boxes are low-cost alternatives to traditional caskets and preferable in green burials. (Go to greenburialcouncil.org for more information)

Questions and Comments

Gene Dempsey, Parks Supervisor - City Forester
GDempsey@FortLauderdale.gov
954.828.5785 --- 954.828.5799 fax

THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT!