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Did you know?
Green – It’s not only a
color, it’s a way of life…
What do you know about
becoming “green”? The word “green” has become synonymous with
conservation, recycling, and taking greater care of our
environment and planet. The City of Riverbank has sponsored the
Sam Jackson Riverbank Spring Clean (previously known simply as
Spring Clean) for over ten-years. Last year, a new event –
Beyond Earth Day was born, and a miniature city was set up under
a big tent at Galaxy Theatre featuring environmental awareness
programs of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Modesto
Irrigation District (MID), Stanislaus County, Riverbank-Oakdale
Transit Authority (ROTA), Toyota, and many others. Both events
center around our environment with the annual Spring Clean
focusing on cleaning our local parks and streets, and Beyond
Earth Day working towards cleaning the Earth. This is where you
come in.
There are hundreds and
hundreds of ways to be a “greener” consumer. You can recycle
all the aluminum cans (think sodas or beer) that your family
consumes; you can recycle all the magazines and newspapers you
read each week and the cardboard boxes that your cereal comes
in; you can replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent light bulbs; and plant more trees around your home!
Even planting a summer or winter garden, which could provide
your family with fresh fruit and vegetables year-round, would
help you cut down on the gas you would use to drive back and
forth to the store and you would save money, too!
As the summer weather is
winding down, it is time to adjust your watering frequency for
your landscaping needs. Automated sprinkler systems have timers
and water day schedules that can be readjusted for minimal use
during the cooler months of fall, winter, and spring. Instead
of watering your lawn four or five-days a week, you can now
safely cut back to two-days a week.
When you mow your lawn and
trim your trees or shrubs, add the cuttings to a mulch pile.
Developing a mulch pile does require a little work and it is
something you will want to research before you begin. You can
also leave the grass clippings on the lawn when you mow, as they
will break down and provide needed nitrogen to help your lawn
stay green.
Collecting aluminum cans,
glass or plastic bottles, paper products, and other recyclable
materials isn’t that hard but will require storage containers of
some sort to manage the collection. Be sure to rinse the
containers before storing them, which will help avoid a variety
of pests in your storage area.
There is an amazing amount of
information on the Internet which can help you learn about
recycling, conserving energy, gardening, and becoming a “greener
consumer”. Google the word “green” and you will be on your way
down the Information Highway.
PS ~ One of my favorite "green" websites is
www.thegreenguide.com - please sign up for their free weekly
email newsletter and you will receive a wealth of green
information!
What’s coming up next?
Is there any thing about Riverbank that you would like to
know more of, and it hasn’t been covered yet? Let me know!
Send an email to me at
lbain@riverbank.org.
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