America Recycles Day

Celebrate
"America Recycles Day"
@ the Paul A. Biane Library

Saturday November 15th
2-4 PM

Please join us for this special Family Saturday event,
featuring: games, crafts, & prizes for the entire family.

Trade in 10 clean plastic shopping bags for a Healthy RC reusable bag!
Limit 1 bag per person while supplies last.

Recycle

The last step in the three R's, is to RECYCLE! Recylcing is the process of converting used material into something new. For example we can convert paper into cardboard, plastic bottles into plastic crates, tires into playground flooring, and glass into bottles or jars. Electronics like computers, batteries, T.V.'s, and radios can all be recycled as well. Recycling is a lot easier than it used to be a few years ago. Most cities now provide curbside pickups for recycling as well as recycling centers or events within the city. Here are some interesting facts about recycling, brought to you by Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo:

• Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.
  
• You can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one new one.
  
• In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times his or her adult weight in garbage. This means that each adult will leave 90,000 pounds of trash for his or her children.
  
• Recycling all of your home's waste newsprint, cardboard, glass and metal can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds a year.
  
• Each person generates on average 4.4 pounds of waste per day. Enough energy is saved by recycling one aluminum can to light one 100 watt bulb for 20 hours.
  
• Annually, enough energy is saved by recycling steel to supply Los Angeles with electricity for almost 10 years. Five recycled plastic bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski jacket.
  
• Americans will throw away over 1,000,000 tons of aluminum cans and foil, more than 11,000,000 tons of glass bottles and jars, over 4,500,000 tons of office paper, and nearly 10,000,000 tons of newspaper.
  
• Recycling decreases the unemployment rate; incinerating 10,000 tons of waste creates 1 job; land filling the same amount creates 6 jobs; recycling the same 10,000 tons creates 36 jobs.

Reuse

The second step in the three R's is to Reuse! Basically what this means is to use products more than once. When thinking about reusing products, it's our chance to get creative! We can use products for purposes other than what they were originally intended for. It's quite easy to make a difference on the impact we have on the environment. Here is a list of just a few items that can be reused:

• Plastic Containers
• Plastic grocery bags can be reused as trash bags or as packing material
  
• Razors
• Toner and ink cartridges can be refilled instead of purchasing a new one every time
• Laundromat coat hangers
• Old t-shirts can be reused as rags
• Use paper that is only printed on one side as scratch paper
• Egg Cartons can be reused for storage of ornaments, as bird feeders, to start seedlings, shipping, and firing up the grill.
• Baby wipe containers can be reused to store arts & crafts supplies, office supplies, thread, and needles
• Film canisters can be reused to store buttons, paperclips, and thumbtacks
• Baby food jars can be reused as candle holders or storage containers

Leave a comment and let us know about what you like to reuse!

Reduce!

We’ve all heard of the three R’s, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, but do we really know what they mean?

Reduce is the first step to lowering the amount of waste that gets to the landfills. We can help lower the amount of trash that goes into the landfills by being conscientious about what we are using and throwing in the trash. Here are just a few simple steps to take to help reduce waste:

· Sign up for online versions of your bank, credit card, and phone statements.

· Do not buy one-time use products like razors, batteries, and plastic cutlery. Refillable and reusable products are the way to go!

· Don’t buy things that you don’t need.

· Buy larger sized bottles of things like shampoo, conditioner, and soap.

· Go to the library to browse and checkout magazines instead of subscribing to them.

· Cancel your newspaper subscription if you don’t read it.

Make a pledge to help reduce waste by leaving a comment about the things you do to reduce waste.

Chew, Chew, Chew

We have all probably heard the recommendation to chew our food at least twenty to thirty times, but most of us don’t. We eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the go and try to eat as fast as we possibly can so that we can still have time to make that phone call.

Just how important is it to chew thoroughly? Well for one, you will actually be able to taste your food. Besides breaking down the food in size, you are also adding saliva and starting the initial digestion process. Digestion begins in the mouth, so if you chew your food thoroughly, your stomach won’t have to work as hard. If you’re looking to lose weight, keep in mind that by eating slowly, your body thinks it’s eating more. Your body absorbs the nutrients easier when it is partially broken down.

Not chewing food thoroughly is often the cause of incomplete digestion, which is the precursor to health problems such as bacterial overgrowth, excess gas, and an upset stomach. Most of us probably want to avoid that, so just SLOW DOWN and chew longer.

It might be hard to get into the habit of chewing thoroughly, but all you really have to do is remember to do it and it will quickly become a habit for you. Happy Chewing!

Eat This, Not That! by David Zinczenko

If you’re looking to shed a few pounds or are looking for healthy alternatives when eating out, then this is the book for you! Being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and even cancer, so we should always be conscious of what we eat. We don’t necessarily have to stop eating all fast food, ice cream and chocolate; we just need to be smart about what we eat. This book compares various fast food and supermarket choices to help you make the best decision. This is a great book to read while waiting in a line or on a break. There are lots of pictures and colorful blurbs. You can also check out the website at www.menshealth.com/eatthis for quick searches.

Green Vacation

If you are making an attempt to be green, there is no doubt that it is in the back of your mind all the time, even when traveling. Here are some simple steps to take before you leave your home and some things you can do if you’re staying in a hotel.

Before You Leave Home:

• Turn water heater to lowest setting.
• Turn off AC/heat.
• Turn water off at outside connection, this will prevent flooding if a pipe were to break.
• Appliances, such as TVs and cable converter boxes, should be unplugged because they can use as much as 40 watts per hour even when they're off.
• Turn icemaker off to prevent flooding should it break while you're away.
• Lower the temperature of waterbed heaters.
• Call your newspaper to stop delivery while you are away. Stop your newspaper. You may be able to donate it to a school.

While Traveling:

• Take walking tours instead of bus tours.
• Walk when you can.
• Use public transportation instead of renting a car when available.
• If you are taking a taxi, try to share it with others.
• Check with the hotel you are staying at to see if they offer shuttle services.
• If you do rent a car or are using your own, turn your motor off when idling

At the Hotel:

• Let the hotel know that you do not want your sheets and towels changed every day.
• If you are sharing a room with others, you can make your towels easy to identify by color coding them with a safety pin and a small ribbon.
• When showering or bathing, try to limit yourself to 5 minutes or less.
• Turn off the AC/heat, lights, TV and close the drapes when you leave the hotel room.
• Locate recycling bins and try to recycle as many things as possible.
• Bring your own shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap so that you don’t have to use the hotels travel sized ones.
• Carry a permanent marker with you to write your name on your bottled water and cups.
• If you don’t like sleeping with all the lights off, pack a night light.

When Eating:

• Carry a reusable bottle of water with you at all times.
• Keep plastic bags with you for carrying leftovers.
• Don’t take condiments that you will not use.
• If you don’t think you’ll finish your entire meal, consider sharing with a friend or family member to avoid using Styrofoam take out containers.
  

Soaring Gas Prices

As we have seen recently, gas prices are on the rise. If you are like most people, you are probably looking for ways to make your fuel last. Here are just a few ways you can save yourself a few dollars and help the environment.

Drive Less

• Try to avoid driving when you can ride your bike, walk, take the bus, or carpool.
• Move closer to your place of employment, or find a place of employment closer to home. This will save you some time as well.
• When you are running errands, try to do them all at once so you avoid driving all over town more than once. Call ahead and make sure the place you are going to is open so you avoid those wasted trips. If the places you are stopping are near each other, park in between the two places and walk between each spot.
• Don't spend your fuel on trying to find a parking spot, instead just park in the first spot you see. If the parking spot is far, just think about how good exercising is for you.
  

Find Good Prices

• Here are three websites that allow you to to find out which gas station has the lowest prices in your area: Gas Buddy, Mapquest, and Gas Price Watch.
  
• Some credit cards will give you points or reward you with gasoline rebates when you use your card to make purchases. These credit card programs are similar to cards that give frequent flyer miles.
  
• Don't use the higher octane gas unless your car requires it. Check your owners manual to find out what type of gas your car needs.

Buy Smarter

• When you go to the gas station, fill up all the way. This will save you time and money in the long run. Your trips to the gas station won't be as often.
  
• Fill up your tank at least 3 days before a holiday because gas prices tend to go up right before holidays.
  

Car Maintenance

• Keep your car in good working condition by getting regular tune-up.
• When getting your cars oil changed, use synthetic oil instead of mineral oil. Synthetic oil will give you better mileage.
• Make sure your air filter is clean and get it changed often. A dirty or clogged air filter will cause your engine to have to work harder and uses up more fuel.
  
• Check the air pressure in your tires every week and ensure that they are properly inflated to the pressure recommended for your specific tires.
  
• Don't carry unnecessary items in your car. The lighter your car, the less fuel you will use. Remove bike and ski racks when you are not using them. They cause drag and lower your mileage,

Drive Smarter

• Don't idle. When your car is on and not moving, you are still using fuel. Instead of using the drive-thru, park your car and go inside the restaurant.
  
• Try to use your cruise control when you can. Avoid hard braking and fast acceleration.
  
• Slow down!!! The faster you go, the more gas your car will use up. Try leaving your home early so that you don't have to rush.
  
• Park in the shade when you can. Gas evaporates out of your tank a lot faster when you are parked directly in the sun. The inside of your car will also remain a lot cooler from parking in the shade and you won't have to blast the AC.
• Instead of driving in rush hour traffic after work, avoid it by finding something to do near your work until traffic dies down.
  

Even just doing a few of these things will help lower your fuel costs!

Paper or Plastic

How about none? You can save oil and trees by using reusable bags. Most grocery stores and even department stores are now offering reusable bags for purchase, so they are not hard to obtain. Most of these reusable bags hold more items than a regular sized plastic grocery bag, so you will even save on trips to your car when unloading the groceries. Keep the bags in your car so you are always prepared for your shopping.

Another alternative to paper or plastic bags is to keep a few cardboard boxes in the trunk of your car. Let the cashier know that you don’t need any bags. They can just load your groceries directly into the basket. You can then unload your groceries directly into the boxes.

If each person in New York City used one less plastic grocery bag per year, it would reduce their waste by 109 tons!!! For each ton of plastic bags that are reused or recycled, you are helping to save the equivalent energy of 11 barrels of oil.

As for paper bags, if 1 tons worth of bags were reused or recycled, we would be saving 3 cubic meters of landfill space and saving 13-17 trees from being cut down. In 1997 alone, 995,000 tons of paper bags were used in the United States. If those were all recycled, we could have saved 12,935,000- 16,915,000 trees!!!

Remember that if you do use paper or plastic bags, you can still always reuse and/or recycle them. Many grocery stores not have bins just outside their entrance to collect the bags. Please share any alternatives you have for using paper and/or plastic bags.

Spring into Summer

Family Saturday’s are geared towards the entire family. Our activities are meant to entertain everyone and give the adults an opportunity to work with the children! Family Saturdays consist of two sessions, one at 2 pm, and another at 3 pm. To find out more about our story times at the library check out our website.

Our Family Saturday Program for May 31^st is themed “SPRING INTO SUMMER.” This weeks sessions will be very health and earth oriented. We have lots of fun activities planned for this event. You’ll have an opportunity to win prizes by knowing the right answers for questions in out Fruits and Vegetables Trivia Game. Before you come into the Story Theater, pick up a book near the reference desk on Fruits and Vegetables and find out what the difference between them is so you’ll be ready to win!

After our fun trivia game, we will all be making a terrarium! Once our seeds begin to sprout in a few days, you can replant it and start your very own garden at home! Plants are very beneficial to our health and our environment, to find out how, check out some of our books on plants!

The Library is GREEN!

The Rancho Cucamonga Public Library offers HEALTHY programs just for you! Check out our Calendar to see all of our events.

We want the library to help you do your part in keeping your Mind, Body and the Earth Healthy. Here are just a few ways the library is participating in the citywide effort:

• By using our materials like books, magazines, CD’s, DVD’s, and computers you are reducing your carbon footprint by not having to purchase your own copies or equipment.

• We offer a comfortable atmosphere. In extreme temperature weather, instead of using your air conditioner or Heater at home, you can visit the library and help conserve energy.

• Our collection is very diverse and you can find lots of materials on nutrition, exercise, sports, health, wellness, psychology, reducing stress, how to be green, travel, beauty, parenting, gardening, and cooking.

• There are library transfers made twice a day between the Archibald and the Paul A. Biane Library. These transfers reduce all of our carbon footprints by allowing patrons to transfer materials from one library to the other instead of having to drive there. Patrons may also turn in their materials at either library.

• Patrons can send us an e-mail or give us a call if they have a question instead of having to drive to the library.

• Our library catalog and online databases are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection!
• Our study rooms and copy center have motion sensors for the lights to help conserve energy when they are not in use.

• Our Story Times often include topics that will provide information on health, safety, wellness, and the environment. Here are just a few themes our story times have had: Gardens, Water Safety, America the Beautiful, Caring for our Pets, Sports, Animals, and Veggie Tales.

• Our Adult and Teen Programs have included: Caring for Your Skin, Feng Shui, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Online Job Searching. These programs are all great ways to take some time out for yourself, learn something new, and make new friends!

We’d love to hear what you are doing to be green, so add a comment to this blog and let us know!!!

Green Computer Tips

There are many ways you can help conserve electricity, some are drastic changes, and others simply take just a few steps. If you use a computer, there are many things you can do to save yourself a few extra dollars on your electric bill and help the earth at the same time. Here are just a few ideas out of the many things you can do

Shut down your computer when not in use!

If you prefer not to shut down your computer, another option is to put it on sleep or hibernate mode. This will save energy. Your computers operating system should have an option to change the power settings. Changing the power settings can include putting the monitor to sleep, spinning down your hard drives or putting your computer to sleep automatically when not in use. If you have the option between hibernating and sleeping, set your computer up for hibernating since it conserves more energy. For anyone who is downloading a file or needs to access their computer remotely, you can set your computer to shut down, sleep or hibernate after a set amount of time or at a certain hour.

If you’re like most people, you have to use an outlet strip to plug in the many accessories that go with the computer. It is a given that your monitor and printer should be shut down when not in use, but even then they often use energy by being in stand by mode. If possible turn the power outlet off when you’re not using your computer.

Curious about how much energy your computer uses? Here are the average watts per hour your computers and monitors use (please note that the amounts will vary from computer to computer):

Desktop computers……………........60-250 Watts

Computer on screen saver…………60-250 Watts

Sleep/Standby………………………....6 watts

Laptop………………………………........15-45 watts

17” CRT Monitor…………………….....80 Watts

17” LCD………………………………........35 Watts

Sleeping Monitor (dark screen)……0-15 watts

Monitor Turned off at Switch………0-10 Watts

If you’d like to now how much it costs to run your computer use this formula:

Watts x Hours Used
________________ x cost per kilowatt-hour= Total Cost

1000

On average, each kilowatt costs about 12¢ to 15¢ per hour.

Healthy Cities

If you read Rancho Cucamonga’s quarterly recreation guide, The Grapevine, then you have probably heard of the Healthy Cities program. For those of you who haven’t heard of the Healthy Cities program, it is something fairly new that the city is taking on to improve the overall well being of everyone in the community. The program is still in the works and will soon have a two-year action plan. For now, the city is including three major components to the program: “Mind, Body and Earth.” The three components go hand in hand. If the mind is under stress, and anxiety it affects the way our body feels in a negative way. The image we have of our body will also affect the way we think and feel about ourselves. With that in mind, we should all make the commitment to take care of our mind and body so we can be happier and more energized. The “earth” aspect to the Healthy Cities program is that we want to try to live in a more sustainable community and be as “green” as we can be. People are realizing that health is not just about medical care anymore; in order to be healthy we need to live in a nurturing environment. We hope that you will join us in this new and exciting lifestyle for a healthier future.