Tonight’s Sustainable Tucson meeting will feature local experts discussing Sustainable Economics. How do we create a sustainable thriving economy without growth? Engage with the people planning a sustainable future for all.

May Sustainable Tucson General Meeting
Monday, May 14th
6:00 pm
Joel D. Valdez Main Library
101 N. Stone, Downtown (free lower level parking off Alameda St)

From the Sustainable Tucson website:
Prosperity Without Growth – What does it look like?

Please join us at Sustainable Tucson’s May meeting to hear local experts talk about Sustainable Economics, and share your thoughts about what this looks like and what it entails. Help us engage the planners with solutions appropriate to our time.

Planning efforts in Tucson (including Imagine Greater Tucson) assume growth to be inevitable and good.

Until recently, there was no reason to question that belief. With a seemingly endless supply of resources and space to dump waste products, there was no feedback raising our awareness, nor reason to ask questions.

Now, however, the pinch has begun. The high carbon energy fuels upon which we have built our modern civilization are not only becoming more problematic to supply, but the effects of their combustion are destabilizing the climate, decimating biodiversity, disrupting food security and beginning to affect social cohesion. The problem is the result of the collective impact of our human species. Our numbers have increased to the point where our resource consumption and related waste is beyond the planetary ecosystem’s ability to continue to supply and absorb them.

If the planet were our house, the debt we have accumulated is coming due, foreclosure is on the horizon, and we may soon lose our home.

Ecological economist Herman Daly notes that growth can become “uneconomic” when the “bads” accumulate faster than the “goods”, the “illth” faster than the wealth.

What are the alternatives to Growth?
What positive vision can lead us away from the “inevitable”?

Doors open at 5:30 pm.
The meeting will begin promptly at 6:00 pm.

Got electronics lying around the house gathering dust? There’s a free recycling event for your e-waste at the Whole Foods Markets in Tucson on April 7th from 8 AM to 1 PM.

You can recycle the following items at the event:

• TVs
• Computers
• Monitors
• Printers
• Batteries
• Chargers
• Cell phones
• VCRs
• CD players
• DVD players
• Fax machines
• Small appliances
• Cables & cords

WHEN: Saturday, April 7
WHERE: Whole Foods Markets, Tucson
7133 N. Oracle Rd. & 3360 E. Speedway Blvd.
TIME: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information call (520) 795-9844

This event is sponsored by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Whole Foods Market, World Care and Westech Recyclers.

You can find the press release about the event here.

Saguaro National Park is banning the sale of disposable bottled water and soda in vending machines within the park. They join a number of parks and universities no longer selling products in plastic bottles.

Saguaro conducted a thorough analysis of the potential impacts of eliminating the sale of disposable bottled water and soda, and determined that the more sustainable solution is to provide new water bottle filling stations for visitors to refill their own reusable containers.

There are new water bottle filling stations located at each visitor center as well as the Rincon Mountain District bike ramada. BPA free, reusable water bottles are available for purchase in either visitor center for as little as $1.99.

The EPA estimates that less than 15% of plastic water bottles are recycled, which means the rest are thrown away and go into landfills.

Click here for the Saguaro National Park announcement.

Today is World Water Day. To celebrate, here’s a pop quiz: do you know how much water you use every day? It may be more than you think as the average American household uses 350 gallons per day. This is my shocked face :-O

As desert dwellers, we’re hyper-aware of our precious water. Plus saving water means saving money and who doesn’t like that? Here are twelve ways to conserve water, save some sheckels and earn a little smug self satisfaction for your eco-groovy self.

1. Fix that leak. A leaky faucet can drip away over seven gallons of water a day. Fixing the leak will save 5o bathtubs of water each year – that’s a boatload.

2. Turn water off while brushing your teeth. This is the easiest fix of all and can save up to eight gallons per day. What’s not to like?

3. Install low-flow showerheads and aerator faucets. Easy to install and many low-flow showerheads are under $10 at your neighborhood hardware store. This simple step can cut your water usage by as much as half.

4. Skip the bath, take a shower. Showers save water. A five minute shower (or long ten minute shower with a low-flow showerhead) uses about one-third of the water you’d need to fill the bathtub. A bathtub takes 60+ gallons of water and a shower only about 20. Do the math and you’ll find some serious savings.

5. Dishwasher vs. hand-washing dishes. It’s dishwasher for the win! If you fill up the dishwasher, it’s no contest that this saves money over hand-washing. And don’t bother rinsing off the dishes first, just scrape the plates and most dishwashers can handle the rest. This simple step alone can save you 20 gallons per load. And you avoid dishpan hands.

6. Washing machines like a full load. Washers are most efficient when you run a full load. One large load uses about 40 gallons and two medium loads use roughly 60 gallons. Ka-ching.

7. Use the broom. Instead of hosing off the driveway, sidewalk or patio, grab the broom instead. This saves 150 gallons or more each time.

8. Capture tap water. While you wait for hot water in the shower or at the sink, catch the flow in a watering can to use later on house plants or your garden. Saves over 200 gallons per month and your perky plants will thank you.

9. Harvest rainwater. Want free water? You got it! Just put the water running off your roof to good use. A simple way to harvest rainwater only requires a barrel at the end of a gutter downspout. The captured water can be saved to water the garden or wash the car.

10. Install gray water irrigation. This project may require a plumber, but it can save you a lot of the water by irrigating your yard with the not-really-dirty water from showers and washing machines. Think of it as free water the second time around.

11. Choose water-saving appliances. The Energy Star label will help you pick dishwashers and washing machines that use up to half the water of less efficient models. Less water, more savings. How zen.

12. Install a dual flush toilet. Even better than a low-flow toilet, it allows you to use just the right amount of water depending on what kind of waste you’re flushing.

What is your favorite water saving tip? Do you know how much water you use at home? Share with us in the comments.

Photo by Kate Kaemerle

Creating a sustainable Tucson is going to take the cooperation of residents, government and organizations. Tonight’s meeting features a conversation with Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothchild and Council Members Regina Romero and Karin Uhlich about building a sustainable future.

The meeting is tonight at 5:30 PM at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

From the Sustainable Tucson website:

Taking on the challenges of creating sustainable cities in the 21st century, University of Arizona Downtown has launched a new partnership to address the many complex issues of crafting a sustainable future for Tucson while leading the way for other cities.

The Sustainable City Project will address many areas, including renewable energy, climate change, economic development, affordable housing, transportation, water management, public health and ecosystem conservation.

From the UA News:

Through the UA partnership, the project is designed to build and support teams composed of University faculty members and students representing a diverse array of academic disciplines – architecture, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, environmental science, geography and development and public administration – and representatives from local and state agencies, community groups, developers, business and industry.

“This initiative is a great opportunity to make UA research on sustainability – especially in climate, solar energy, water and ecology – more relevant and accessible to our local community and for the University to better understand the needs and future of our city,” said Diana Liverman, co-director of the Institute of the Environment.

The Sustainable City Project is based at UA Downtown in the historic Roy Place Building at Stone Avenue and Pennington Street in Tucson. There, UA faculty members and students can connect with city officials and staff, community leaders and project developers for dialogue, vision, analysis and development of sustainable scenarios for the future.

UA Downtown also serves as a forum where academic, civic, cultural and business leaders can meet to discuss sustainability scenarios for the future of Tucson and Southern Arizona.

For the rest of the article, click here.

The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification to the University of Arizona’s two newest residence halls. This is the first residential project in the state of Arizona to earn the highest LEED rating.

From the UA News:

Eureka! I hit the mother lode of recycling guides and am sharing the wealth. Looking for a place to recycle some old cell phones, I discovered this invaluable online resource.

The Tucson Clean & Beautiful Recycling Directory features a comprehensive list of places to recycle everything from the usual aluminum, appliances, computers and batteries to the unusual. Who knew there were places to recycle your musical instruments, eyeglasses and tallow?

The link to the Tucson Clean & Beautiful Recycling Directory is here.

Below is a list of the categories they feature in their directory.

• Aluminum Cans and Scrap Metal
• Appliances
• Art/Antiques and Collectibles
• Automobile Parts
• Batteries – Automotive
• Batteries – Household and Specialty
• Bicycles
• Books and Magazines
• Building Materials – Reused/Environmentally Sustainable
• Cardboard
• CDs/Music/Videos/DVDs and Game Systems
• Cellular Telephones
• Christmas Trees
• Clothing and Housewares
• Composting/Mulch and Yard Waste
• Computers and Electronics
• Diapers
• Environmental Resources and Community Programs
• Eyeglasses
• Food – Environmentally Sustainable
• Food – Reuse
• Furniture and Equipment – Home/Office
• Glass
• Greeting Cards
• Hearing Aids
• Household Hazardous Waste
• Landfill and Waste Transfer Stations
• Light Bulbs
• Linen and Uniform Services
• Medical Equipment
• Musical Instruments
• Oil – Automotive and Auto Fluids
• Oil – Cooking/Grease and Tallow
• Paint
• Pallets
• Plastic
• Printer and Copier Cartridges – Laser and Inkjet
• Public Recycling Drop-off Stations
• Solar and Alternative Energy
• Sporting Goods and Outdoor Equipment
• Telephone Directories
• Televisions
• Tires
• Waste and Recycling Collection Services
• Water Harvesting and Conservation

The University of Arizona has earned its gold – a STARS Gold Rating that is. And UA is one of the few institutions in North America to gain this prestigious sustainability rating.

UA earned gold for their campus-wide sustainability efforts in three areas: education and research, operations and administration.

From UA News:

The University of Arizona has earned a STARS Gold Rating in recognition of its campus-wide sustainability efforts from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, a group that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

The UA is one of only 30 institutions in the U.S. and Canada to receive the association’s gold rating.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, known as STARS, counts 173 institutions as members. Institutions do not have to be members to receive ratings.

AASHE’s STARS program is the only one of its kind that involves publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in three overall areas: education and research; operations; and planning, administration and engagement.

Read the entire UA News article here.