Reserve a Bed in the Community Garden
Interested in growing something in the community garden? Open beds will be available to all Chapman students for reservations at the beginning of the Spring semester, so keep a look out for the reservation form on our newsletter and Instagram.
A Green Guide to Gifting and Wrapping
Every year, about $16 billion dollars’ worth of holiday gifts end up in the trash after receipt. A significant portion of unsold holiday clothing inventory ends up in landfills as well. We’ve put together some resources to help you reduce your ecological footprint this holiday season!
Gift Wrapping Tips
Wrapping paper with glitter or tape is not recyclable at all. Even with recyclable wrapping paper, additional chemicals are needed to extract fibers for recycling because of how much ink is typically in gift wrapping paper. Here are some tips on reducing your gift wrapping waste:
Zero waste gift wrapping – use old newspapers or comics rather than buying wrapping paper. Or, decorate a paper grocery bag, such as bags from Trader Joe's.
Reuse old gift bags or containers that could be used to present gifts.
Use scarfs or clothing articles as part of the present to wrap gifts in.
Sustainable Gift Ideas
Beauty: Shampoo and conditioner bars, Activist skincare (refillable skincare)
Clothing: Go thrifting!
Make a homemade gift: Themed personal playlists, digital photo albums or scrapbooks
Support local, small businesses: Buy something from a local vendor at a market, craft fair, or store
Pets: Homemade dog treats, Beco Pets natural rubber dog treat ball
Other ideas: Experiences (concerts, trips, etc.), e-gift cards
Environmental Injustice in a Community Near Chapman
Maya Cheav ’22, now a Community Science Organizer for Orange County Environmental Justice, explains the soil lead issue in Santa Ana.
Article Picks
On the Big Island of Hawai’i, a 124 foot volcano has recently erupted with lava traveling downhill, overtaking roads and posing a few risks to nearby communities. The Keeling curve represents measurements of carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, which indicates the impacts of fossil fuels on atmospheric conditions since 1958. However, the eruption caused a power outage at the monitoring lab nearby that tracks these measurements.
Solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources are expanding at such a rate that it is predicted they will become the largest source of global electricity generation, surpassing coal. Countries are embracing new low-emissions technology as a result of high fossil fuel prices, but more work is still needed to reach the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal to stop the rise in global temperatures.
World leaders are gathering in Montreal to negotiate the future of the planet and discuss new targets to expand protected areas. This includes acknowledging which species are important to protect and how to improve biodiversity. The Steller’s Sea Cow is an extinct manatee that played a major role in making kelp forests, which is currently being researched to learn how it can help protect ecosystems from climate change.
Happy Holidays from the Office of Sustainability!
