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PrintJoin us on Tuesday, June 18 at 7pm for the first Northbrook screening of Food Patriots. Local filmmaker Jeff Spitz will be present to discuss his documentary about how food-borne illness caused his family to rethink their eating habits.
Watch the trailer below:
We've compiled these lists of easy things you can do to help the environment:
Adjust Your Refrigerator and Water Heater
Water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home, typically accounting for about 18% of your utility bill. The Department of Energy recommends setting the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F to get comfortable hot water and reduce energy expenditure.
The Department of Energy suggests setting your refrigerator to between 37°F to 40°F and the freezer to 5°F for optimum efficiency. Make sure the doors seal properly. Keep your refrigerator a few inches from the wall and vacuum its condenser coils every year to help it run more efficiently.
Try composting as a way to use your kitchen and yard waste to benefit your garden. Not sure how to get started? Check out these composting resources at the library.
Reduce Plastic Waste
Plastic Bags:
The library has started recycling newspaper bags. You can do the same by bringing yours to the Bag2Bag recycling bin at Sunset or another participating store. They also accept dry cleaning bags and other plastic bags and some shrink wraps. See the Bag2Bag site for more information on what they recycle.
Plastic Bottles:
It is estimated that 17 million gallons of crude oil are used on an annual basis to produce plastic bottles, and 22 billion water bottles end up in landfills every year. Instead of bottled water, keep a pitcher in the fridge at home or fill a reusable bottle or cup from the cooler at work.
Reduce Paper Waste
Pay your bills online and switch to paperless statements.
Register at www.catalogchoice.org and www.dmachoice.org to stop getting catalogs and junk mail you don’t want.
Think before printing. Set your printer default to double-sided and use Print Preview to print only the pages you need. Save files on your computer instead of printing them for your records.
Switch to cloth napkins, and reduce or eliminate your use of paper towels. Use sponges or washable cloths to clean up messes instead.
Go Green at the Grocer
Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste.
Concentrated detergents save on plastics and water.
A carrot typically travels 1,838 miles to reach your table. Shop at your local farmer’s market in season, or check for signs in your grocery store indicating locally grown and made foods.
Buying organic produce helps reduce pesticides and groundwater contamination.
And of course, Bring Your Own Bag!
Northbrook filmmaker Jeff Spitz discusses food, health, and the environment. Sparked by his son's struggle with foodborne illness, Spitz created Food Patriots, a humorous documentary on nutrition and the people who are leading the good food revolution. Last year Spitz sparked discussion of raising backyard chickens, a topic which is featured in the film.
This will be the first viewing in Northbrook. A question and answer session will follow the screening.
Do you have piles of unfiled papers, waste time trying to find what youre looking for, and have a hard time deciding what to keep? Professional organizer Bonnie Hillman Shay will share practical techniques to help you get organized. Learn how to reduce the amount of paper you receive, how to sort your papers and set up a filing system, and how to build habits to help you maintain your new system.
