04-23-1990 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Earth Day. continued Earth Day Minncsota-Style Locally, Minnesota Earth Day organizers plan to capitalize on the state's water resources. A parade from the St. Paul Cathedral through downtown St. Paul and ending with a .-ally at the State Capitol will be a ma jor Minnesota focal point. Officials hope to gather 10.000 jugs of water tc symbolize each body of water for wnich the state is noted. The jugs will line the capitol steps and serve as a backdrop for speeches and entertainment that is planned for the rally, which begins at 3 p.m. In addi tion various organizations will have booths set up on the capitol grounds with information on how to save the environment. Freshwater’s Earth Day Weekend The Freshwater Foundation has designed an Earth Day weekend full of fun activities to encourage in dividuals and families to make Earth Day every day. Activities begin on Saturday, April 21 with an Earth Keeper’s Workshop. This event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will be held at Hopkins West Junior High School and is open to educators, children and their families. The event is designed to demonstrate ways in which we can better care for our planet through a series of day-long interactive ex periments. simulation games and other hands-on activities. Included are sessions on recycling, water and the food chain, how we can keep tox ins out of the waste stream, the Earth Pledge and 10 simple steps we can all take to save the earth. Visitors are invited to come and go as they wish. This event is free. On Sunday, the Foundation has scheduled an open house from 10 a.m, to 5 p.m. At the open house visitors can try their hand at a com puter water quiz, make a water art project to take home, learn about ham radio operations and make con nections with other Earth Day celebrators around the world, find out what sports are "environmentally friendly" and learn about the latest product developments for these sports. Along with these activities. Education Director Jim Gilbert has developed a "Signs of Spring" booklet that details what to expect from nature in the coming days. This 10 Steps to Save the Earth ■''hese are just a few helpful hints to make you a better Earth Keeper. Try some of these suggestions and you W’i see you can make a dif ference. 1. Buy recycled, recyclable, reliable, repairable, refillable or reusable products: avoid disposables such as plastic plates, cups and utensils. (U.S. citizens use 2.5 million plastic bottles EVERY HOUR: only 5 percent of which are recycled.) 2. Separate your recyclable gar bage (paper, glass, aluminum and compost waste if you have a garden): only send to the land fill what you can't reuse. 3. Use public transportation, car- pool, bike or walk. Drive a fuel- efficient car. 4. Eat lower on the food chain- vegetables. fruits and grains. Decrease consumption of meat and animal products. 5. During the winter, wear a sweater rather than turning up the heat: in the summer, if you have home air conditioning, turn the thermostat up a few degrees. Close off and do not heat or cool unused rooms. 6. Hang your clothes in the sun to dry. 7. Install faucet "low-flow" aerators and water-efficient shower heads. These use two to five times less water with no noticeable decrease in perfor mance. Do not let water run while showering, shaving, brushing teeth or hand-washing clothes or your car. 8. Don’t throw any kind of battery into the trash: save them until recycling is possible. You may have to hold on to them for a couple of years until technology catches up to our recycling needs. Recycling programs for button batteries are now under way in many communities. 9. Educate yourself and others on environment issues. Join credi ble conservation organizations. 10. Plant at least one tree per year and nurture it until it is able to survive on its own. guide and literature on what we can do to help the environment are free. Also at the open house will be a display of Earth Day posters. Jim Gilbert has been working with area schools to participate in a poster/slogan campaign for school- aged youths, teachers and adults. "Making an environmental poster with or without a slogan will gel a person thinking about some en vironmental problems and possible solutions," Gilbert says. Several posters from each age or • nry will be mounted on the "ws': distinc tion." Sunday evening, the Foundation will host a fund-raising "Happy Earth Day Party" at Rupert's Night Club, -ated on Highway 12. (See article o. 'ront page for details). Rupert’s ana it's orchestra, led by Dick Whitbeck. are donating their time for this event, which is open to the public. Ticket prices are $25 for in dividuals or $40 per couple, with tickets available through the Founda tion and at the event. If you cannot get involved in Earth Day celebrations either at the Freshwater Foundation or elsewhere, this issue of Facets is packed with helpful environmental hints. Use them as a guide and create an Earth Day celebration oi your own. lessen Goes to Washington Freshwater Foundation CEO Mar ty Jessen spent two days in Washington DC last month briefing U.S. Senate and House staff members on the impact of agricultural chemicals on ground- water. The Congressional Research Service, the research arm of Con gress, invited Jessen and Research Director George Orning to share the information as it relates to the up coming Farm Bill, In his presentation Jessen stress ed that wiser use of chemicals will mean less chemicals applied to farmland. And, research should look at alternative methods to control weeds and pests. The Freshwa'er Foundation was asked for input because of its com mitment to help policy makers develop environmentally sound and realistic water policy alternatives.