September 2021
Sustainable Warwick Minutes
Wednesday September 15, 2021
Meeting chair: Bill Greene
Our apologies for holding a meeting on a night when many of our members were observing Yom Kippur. We promise to do better planning in the future.
Committee Updates
Book Club: The Book Club just finished a lively discussion of “Nature’s Best Hope” by Doug Tallamay, a book that urges us all to found Homeground National Park by replacing our lawns with native plant species and habitat that’s friendly to local animals and insects. The next book for discussion (on Tuesday 10/12 @ 3 PM) is “The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World,” by Jeff Goodell. BookClub@sustainablewarwick.org
Zoom Garden Plot: Chad Pilieri reported the Zoom Garden Plot is going strong with discussions on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month about local gardening topics. We have experienced gardeners, we have new gardeners, and we have fun. GrowLocalGWL@gmail.com You can see videos of all of our past meetings on the SW website.
Membership: The Membership Committee will be rejuvenating the membership list by contacting active and inactive members and asking them to renew. (Note: everyone is free to stay on our email list without becoming a member.) SteeringCommittee@sustainablewarwick.org
The Green Screen Committee will be interviewing candidates for the Warwick Town Board for the election that will be held in November. If you are interested in helping with this committee, contact Bill Greene. drwsg123@gmail.com
The Triple Win Campaign has come to a close. By mid-August we had helped 38 families sign up for community solar, helping six nonprofits earn almost $4,000 in referral bonuses. The Village of Warwick will receive a $5,000 grant for its role in this community solar campaign. Some of the nonprofits we worked with are still using their connections with the community solar companies to continue fundraising. An official press release is in the preparation stage. CleanEnergy@sustainablewarwick.org
New Business
The launch of the Sustainable World Podcast Club is scheduled for Tuesday, October 26, at 7pm via Zoom. Similar to the Sustainable World Book Club, this new club will listen to podcasts on environmental topics and discuss them. Podcast listeners of all ages are welcome to participate in this new club. Email Green Future to participate or learn more. greenfuture@sustainablewarwick.com
HOLD ON TO YOUR TOOTHPASTE TUBES!
TerraCycle is an international nonprofit that helps recycle many things that cannot be recycled through most recycling streams. Working with the Ramapo Catskill Library System and through the Albert Wisner Public Library, Teresa Vela-Hayes has organized a dozen local libraries to participate in “The Great Give Back - TerraCycle Program.” In this program, toothpaste tubes and the packaging from other oral care products that are not normally recyclable will be collected at Albert Wisner Public Library. Likewise, razor blades and all of their associated packaging and paraphernalia will be collected. See the attached brochure for full details of what will be collected between October 16th and Earth Day 2022 at the library. The Ramapo Catskill Library System is providing logistical support by moving collected bins of items among libraries, and SW’s Green Future group has also helped make posters and will be doing other hands-on work for this project. tvelahayes@rcls.org
Exploratory Committee Forming: Sustainable Warwick is looking to team up with the Orange County Audubon Society, Grow Local Greenwood Lake and others to help Warwick get on the list of towns that are Pollinator Pathways. If you wish to be on the exploratory committee for this project, please let us know. SteeringCommittee@sustainablewarwick.org
Climate Change Webinar: On Monday, October 18, at 8 PM, Sustainable Warwick’s Climate & Energy Committee will be presenting a webinar entitled “Climate Change: Meaningful Solutions at Home and in Your Community.” This will be part of the Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Week, which you can read about at hvclimatesolutionsweek.org. Please check out the offerings in Climate Solutions Week, and sign up for the SW webinar. CleanEnergy@sustainablewarwick.org
What can we do? As forest fires, droughts and floods become more frequent, increasing numbers of citizens and voters are becoming concerned about how climate change is affecting our world and our own lives. The Climate & Energy Committee will be sending regular messages to our email list about connecting with our elected officials and expressing opinions on the pressing matter of climate change. Please contact us if you are interested in helping with this project. CleanEnergy@sustainablewarwick.org
