EARTHWEEK DAY 5: Happy Earth Day

"The earth is what we all have in common." ~ Wendell Berry

Please join us as we celebrate Earth Day with a composting demonstration by our Upper Elementary students, and a display of earthly thoughts by the students as well. At 3PM we will meet at our newly approved garden plot behind the school for a brief overview of what is to come this fall. Your soil donations can be brought to the school in the morning or the afternoon. Either way, we're going to get you dirty!

OUR GREEN SCHOOL

MdTL set up its first compost…well, when many of us were still in school. Today through a commitment from faculty and staff and a little guidance from two allstar parents, nature’s quiet march is turning yesterday’s lunch scraps–and Lemody’s scat–into tomorrow’s clean earth. Two of our Green Committee members, Jenn and Alex Bottmeyer, and MdTL’s own Business Manager Karen Walls, decided that it was time to perfect the school’s composting efforts. When many of us were enjoying a day off, our faculty and staff were learning all about successful composting techniques; their little investment in time has spawned another compost bin, and united a movement with our neighboring Christ Presbyterian Church, to co-compost with us.

The last several months have been a period of tremendous learning for the MdTL Green Committee; with PG&E Audits, Marin Municipal Water Audits, and Solar Audits teaching each and every one of us how very necessary and simple conservation efforts can be. It’s also been a very reaffirming time because as parents we’ve been able to see how ‘green’ this little school of ours is. We’ve learned that MdTL has been: serving wholesome and organic foods, using non-toxic cleaners, biodegradable soaps, energy efficient light bulbs and fixtures, water tap screens to reduce waste, low-flow toilets, heating timers, power shut down policies and composting–all before it was in vogue to do so.
It’s only fitting that our beautiful little school should be recognized as a Certified Green Business; and the Green Committee has been working with the Marin Green Business Program to do just that. Montessori de Terra Linda has embodied a true commitment to children and to the environment for a long time, and their efforts shall be duly recognized.

So you see, as parents and committee members extending green practices to our community and our social functions, we are simply just trying to keep up with our forward thinking school. The composting, the cutting back on paper products, the sharing of information–it’s our own little way of matching your pace MdTL, and saying: Thank you Montessori de Terra Linda, for setting the bar so high.

by Amy McKelvey

BIOBAGS

GREEN TIP
Brought to you by the MdTL Green Committee
Did you know that MdTL uses Biobags instead of plastic garbage bags? Here’s why…
* Plastic bags are littering our landscape and putting toxic chemicals into our waterways.
Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide, which comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year. According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. alone each year. Plastic bags break down into small toxic bits that contaminate the ground and waterways. These toxic plastic bits enter the food chain when ingested by animals. And hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. Furthermore, plastic bags are a by-product of the petroleum industry, so our constant use of plastic bags has an impact on the cost of oil.
* Biocompostable, biodegradable, corn-based “Biobags” have less impact on the environment than plastic bags.
Biobags use no polyethylene in the production process and are made from biodegradable corn polymer, which is a renewable resource. The corn that is used is not of food grade, so it will not interfere with edible corn supplies or costs. Biobags are GMO free, and the inks and dyes for printing are soy-based. If disposed of in a compost bin, these bags will biodegrade in as little as 30-60 days in composting conditions.
* Make sure to compost your Biobags instead of placing them in the landfill!
This may come as a surprise, but when placed in a landfill, Biobags are actually worse for the environment than plastic bags. This is due to the anaerobic conditions in landfills (i.e. no air because the waste is buried), which causes methane gas to be created when the Biobags decompose. Methane gas is a far more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. So please be sure to dump the garbage from the Biobag into your waste receptacle, and then to place the Biobag in the compost!
* When possible, re-use your Biobags, or use your garbage cans without any liners at all!
Since Biobags are compostable, they will eventually start to break down when in contact with excessive moisture. But until it begins to break down, you can re-use your Biobag as long as possible. In some situations, a liner such as a Biobag makes for much more efficient cleaning, especially at large events or in industrial situations. But at home, consider using your garbage cans without any liners at all. Although Biobags will not affect the environment as strongly as plastic bags, it still takes fossil fuels to grow the “renewable” corn. The best way for us to reduce our use of any kind of bag, whether plastic or Biobag, is to reduce our garbage output!