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SCOCO Insights - September 2020
YOU Inspire US!!
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12th Annual Awards Presentation - ONLINE!
It's time to come together for the 12th Annual Leadership in Sustainability Awards Presentation on September 17th to celebrate and honor those who demonstrate outstanding commitment and leadership in making Contra Costa communities healthy, beautiful, clean, and resilient. This year we've cooked up an inspiring and engaging FREE online event to showcase our wonderful winners and connect with the community. County supervisors John Gioia, Diane Burgis and Candace Andersen will be with us to recognize all the honorees and we will hear from the Sustainability Award winners who are doing this great work.
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SIP Wine & Beer Reception
Make sure you're in on this special fundraiser happening before the awards event:
We may be staying at home, but we won't miss the opportunity to enjoy delicious food and wine, while supporting Sustainable Contra Costa's work in the community! The SIP Reception is a very exclusive event with limited tickets, taking place before the awards presentation (separate registration) on September 17th at 6:00 p.m. Your ticket gets you a bottle of wine (or beer for two) and a delectable vegetarian snack plate from our local partners While you enjoy your food and beverages we'll connect with the winemakers and brewer and learn about their sustainable practices and fun ways to become better "locavores."
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Clean & Green: Sustainable Hygiene!
As we continue to attend school or work from home, many of us are nesting in place and going on house and yard improvement jags that include more earth-friendly actions (especially during the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge!). But what about eco-friendly self-care? Here are a few ways to practice sustainable personal hygiene. It's good for your body and good for the planet! Be sure to check back for an article on "sustainable sex" in the February 2021 issue! Feminine Hygiene Products - Menstrual CupsThe average woman uses 300 pounds of disposable period products (tampons and pads) in her lifetime. Environmental alternatives have become available, such as insertable reusable flexible cups that catch and collect menstrual flow. One of the better-known brands, the Diva Cup, is made of 100% medical grade silicone and is BPA free, with no chemicals, plastics, or dyes. You empty and wash the cup 2-3 times daily. It provides up to 12 hours of protection, comes in three sizes, and can be used for one year before replacing, so it's both eco-friendly and cost effective (around $40). You can buy menstrual cups online or at your local drugstore. Learn more and compare various brands here, Organic tamponsThose who aren't comfortable with inserting a device can still be eco-friendly. Check out companies like Cora, Lola, and Natracare, which make both BPA-free applicators and applicator-free tampons using organic, bleach-free, and plastic-free cotton. They offer "no strings attached" subscriptions that deliver monthly kits...
Continue reading for options in toilet paper, soap, shampoo,etc.
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Environmental Activities for Kids
The school year may look quite different this year, but kids can still have fun learning about our environment this fall! Here are some neat ideas to engage your little ones:
Virtual Regional Park Tours & Ranger Videos for Kids
Learn about the natural resources, wildlife, and history of the East Bay Regional Parks. Take virtual reality tours of selected parks. Watch cool videos of storytelling and singing by park naturalists. Learn about bats and lizards! Start exploring here.
Backyard Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are almost always a crowd-pleaser. Sit down with your family and list things you think you will find outdoors. Write out the items on pieces of paper and provide pens, markers, or stickers to everyone so they can mark what they've found. Now, go out and try to find them! And you can turn it into a game of bingo. Whoever gets bingo (or finishes their scavenger hunt first) gets a prize...
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Sustainable Leaders in Action: September Newsletter
Sustainable Leaders in Action, or SLIA, is the newly formed youth leadership branch of Sustainable Contra Costa that is 100% youth-led. SLIA works to promote the Cleaner Contra Costa Platform and to educate youth on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle. The team has created an e-newsletter to further educate ourselves and our readers on what's going on in today's world. Read the September newsletter here
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Energy-saving action from the "Teachers Take It On" team
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As a Contra Costa community, we have made huge progress in saving water, energy and money in our homes through the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge. We have also been able to have an impact by saving 172 tons of carbon dioxide!
Participants in the Spring/Summer Challenge completed over 250 Actions, including the following:
Did you participate in the Spring/Summer Challenge? Learn how to claim your free yard of mulch from EcoMulch with our Prize Information.
Thank you for all your work to make our communities and world a better place and make a difference! Stay tuned for an announcement for the upcoming Fall Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge.
Over the course of the Spring/Summer Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge, participants have saved 25 tons of carbon dioxide! We will announce winners this week with a follow-up email. The top team in each region will be recognized by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors as well as receive a Tread Lightly Toolkit...
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Update Your Home to Save Water and Energy!
Have you been spending extra time updating your home recently? Now more than ever, it's important to increase home efficiency to create a safe living environment, and save energy and money.
If you are experiencing common home efficiency issues like drafty rooms or old/inefficient heating and cooling, you can learn more about money-saving upgrades through BayREN, the Bay Area Regional Energy Network.
Another common issue in the home is inefficient water use. However, if you purchase a new clothes washer with an Energy Star rating, you can save up to 9,000 gallons of water and up to $200 in energy costs each year, compared to older machines! For more water savings, check out the Water Upgrades $ave program from BayREN. Learn more about this option through the Challenge Action guide!
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MCE Off-Grid
Battery Program
Are you prepared for a power outage? If you depend on electrical medical equipment, skip the fossil fuel generator and instead apply to get your back-up electricity from a clean, non-polluting, off-grid battery from MCE. Apply ASAP to connect to the Independent Living Resources of Solano and Contra Costa. They can help you save money on your electric bill with Medical Baseline, create a disaster plan, and can review your situation to consider you for a back-up portable battery to shelter-in-place safely during an outage: Apply here.
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You can find virtual and remote-learning options for many wonderful events. Here are a few...
Are you interested in developing your career? Do you want to learn from the top professionals in their industry? Then tune into our monthly Climate Career Panel! On September 8th we feature an informative panel on career development in administration and clean energy. Guest starring Kimberly Lam from Republic Services and PG&E's Darren Deffner! Presented by SCOCO's youth team, Sustainable Leaders in Action.
Tuesday, September 8th
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Online event
FREE
In this increasingly chaotic world of never-ending disasters, we must be "ready for anything." Join the NorCal Resilience Network and Local Clean Energy Alliance to learn about one of the most promising and equitable approaches to scaling up local resilience. You'll hear inspirational stories from Reslience Hub organizers who are working in neighborhood sites and learn from top community energy experts about how you can get involved in the campaign to bring off-grid electricity to hubs.
Wednesday, September 9th
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Online event
FREE, but donations requested
Join us for this free, monthly live broadcast. Episode 6: We're excited to showcase the winners of the 2020 Leadership in Sustainability Awards. Each of these dedicated individuals and organizations have inspired us with their hard work and creativity in helping to build a more sustainable and resilient community and planet. We'll get to hear their stories and learn how we can take action to join them.
Wednesday, September 23rd
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
FREE online event
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Please take a moment to support Sustainable Contra Costa. Donate to help us engage thousands of residents of Contra Costa in new and exciting ways to help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Together we can make a difference!
We also encourage you to shop locally when you can, but if you need to use Amazon, don't forget to use Amazon Smile, and your purchases will support Sustainable Contra Costa! AmazonSmile is now available in the Amazon app.
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We are so grateful to our sponsoring Partners. Please thank and patronize these businesses and organizations!
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Lyn & Brian Hirahara
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Nick & Laura Neuhausel
Ellyn Gelson & Bill Roulette
Kim & Gerry Overaa
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Sustainable Contra Costa | info@sustainablecoco.org | http://sustainablecoco.org
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