Living Desert Alliance

Keep our Desert and Community Livable and Thriving

January 16 , 2025

Benefits of

Food Waste Recycling


Food waste recycling salvages lost food and its associated resources. Wasted food isn’t just about the food; it’s also water, transport, energy, and labor. Recycling food waste can create tens of thousands of jobs, drive innovation, generate clean energy, boost soil health, and generally improve the standard of living for innumerable individuals.


"If food waste were a country, it would be third only to China and the United States in terms of greenhouse gas emissions,” says Dr. Frank Mitloehner, a professor at UC Davis. Food waste in the United States is responsible for massive GHG emissions, generating 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, matching the annual output of 42 coal-fired power plants.”


What do you mean, it’s just a banana peel, for goodness sake?


Ok, let’s talk bananas. Bananas are one of the most consumed fruits in the United States. Though consumption has fluctuated since 2000, as of 2022, banana consumption was about 26.62 pounds per person. Comparing this to the current population of the United States, estimated at 34,196,500 at the time of this report, that equates to 910,310,830 pounds per year. That’s a lot of banana peels in our landfills. Add all the other foods tossed out annually and you get the drift. It’s a lot of methane gas spewing into our air. Click here for more detailed information.


How to act locally!


Learn more from the city of Tucson’s January 25th FoodCycle at Home Training Event at Reid Park Zoo and join the Food Waste Collection Program. Just sign up here for a 30-minute information session to learn the basics, complete the training and receive a free home kitchen compost pail to collect food scraps, receive the code to access the container lock at drop off city collection sites. The EGSD will collect the food waste and use it at the composting facility at the Los Reales Sustainability Campus.


Another resource is Desert Compostables. They provide a fee-based food waste pickup service on a mission to return food waste and other organic materials to the Earth. Their service area stretches as far south as Drexel and Alvernon Way all the way up to Northern Marana. Click here to learn more:


And remember you can always compost on your own at home. Click here for more information:


Start composting food waste today. Together we can work to improve our Sonoran Desert air quality, create landfill space, decrease food waste contaminates and Keep our Desert and Community Livable and Thriving.


Picture Rocks

Final Cell Tower Review Scheduled

 

Save this date: February 4th

 

Last October the Pima County Planning & Zoning Commission voted to DENY the permitting of an 8-story cell tower next to homes on W. Massingale Rd., in Picture Rocks and adjacent to Saguaro National Park EastSaguaro National Park West.


Now the matter is scheduled for review by Pima County Board of Supervisors (PCBS). This is a make-or-break meeting that finalizes a decision whether this unnecessary tower will be constructed or not.

 

The Picture Rocks community is asking that we join them in this struggle by participating in person. This is necessary because the PCBS does not recognize participants who attend, or comments submitted via Zoom. This is unfortunate, but true.

 

Let’s support our neighbors by attending this meeting in person and stop this tower from being constructed. You do not need to speak unless moved to do so. They are hoping to have 100+ participants in the chambers to emphasize community rejection of this needless tower.


Please plan to attend. Forward this newsletter to family and friends who can help fill the chambers. There is power in numbers!

 

Meeting Details:

Date: 02/04/25

Time: 9 a.m.

Place: Pima County Administration Building: 130 W. Congress St.

1st Floor, Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, Tucson, AZ 85701

 

Community support and attendance are crucial

to defeat the permit proposal.

 

We’ll keep you posted!

Environmental Day at the

State Capital.


Wed, Feb 12, 2025; 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM


Mark your calendars and join the Sierra Club, Chispa Arizona, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, AZ Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) for Equity, AZ Youth Climate Coalition, the Living Desert Alliance, and many other groups for the annual Environmental Day at the Arizona Capitol.


Meet with your legislators, hear great speakers, and connect with others who are doing advocacy work both inside and outside the Arizona Legislature for a cleaner environment. RSVP so they have enough materials, can put you in a team for legislative meetings, and can plan for food.


A chartered bus with limited seating is still available, so act now!


Event sponsored by the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club

Save Water

Save $$$

with Marana Water

High Efficiency

Toilet Rebates


Rebates - Town of Marana, AZ


Toilets can be silent water wasters that become less efficient over time. Replace outdated toilets with MaP Rated (maximum performance) Premium High Efficiency Toilets. MaP toilets. They produce 1.1 gallons per flush, are WaterSense certified, and have a high flush performance score. Then apply for your Marana Water rebate. You can save up to $150 per toilet with a maximum of two toilets.


Click here for Toilet Rebate Application.

Click here for more information and rebate requirements.

Reminders

2025

Desert Fence Busters Events



Help the Desert Fence Busters remove outdated barbed wire fencing for wildlife.


This important work removes barriers to wildlife movement, particularly between large intact habitat blocks. By participating, you assist in accomplishing a positive and lasting improvement to the landscape and directly help area wildlife by increasing connectivity between protected open spaces!


Current 2025 Schedule:

  • Saturday, January 18th
  • Friday, January 24th*
  • Saturday, January 25th*
  • Friday, February 21st*


If you are unable to assist, please forward this newsletter to someone you know who might be interested.

Upcoming Workshops and Classes


Explore water conservation strategies and join upcoming workshops and classes offered by Watershed Management Group, with opportunities to support their mission and learn sustainable management techniques.


  • Consider registering for the Water Harvesting Certification course here
  • Register for the In-Person Rainwater Harvesting Class here
  • Consider signing up for the Virtual Rainwater Harvesting Class here
  • Consider signing up for the Virtual Greywater Class here
  • Register for the In-Person Laundry to Landscape Greywater Class here
  • Attend the River Run Network Restoration Workshop here
  • Learn how to build healthy desert soils with the free class, register here
  • Register for the Living Lab & Learning Center Tour here
Living Desert Alliance Website.Stop by for a visit 

Living Desert Alliance