Observe Earth Day in Capitola-Soquel This Week

Although many residents of Santa Cruz County celebrated Earth Day 2011 in on Saturday, the real Earth Day is still upcoming—Friday the 22, to be exact. With over one billion people worldwide participating in Earth Day related activities and events each year, this is the largest annual international civic observance.

The organization Earth Day Network that sprang up out of the first Earth Day 41 years ago, on April 22, 1970 is a major driving force behind these activities and events, helping people in 192 countries to organize.

This year’s Earth Day theme is “A Billion Acts of Green,” in accordance with the campaign to generate one billion acts of environmental service or advocacy before the Global Earth Summit 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, a conference that will focus on a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. 

Below are a few ways to get involved locally in the green movement, and a few ways to get involved in the global efforts for a green economy. Visit A Billion Acts of Green's Web site to pledge your activity and bring us one step closer to the goal.

1. Shop Capitola-Soquel: Shopping locally reduces the carbon footprint caused by long-distance shipping of food to our local grocery stores. We live in an area surrounded by some of the most abundant farmland in the United States, so shopping locally also makes a lot of sense and is fairly easy to do if you are a conscientious consumer. If you haven’t already introduced yourself to the local farmers markets, stop by the on Saturday or the Live Oak Market on Sunday for a taste of truly fresh and organic produce grown by devoted local farmers.

2. Local Love! Vendor Fair! In an event put together by Whole Foods Market, several local vendors will converge at the Capitola market on Earth Day (Friday) from noon - 3 p.m. The event will feature delicious samples of local food as well as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with local vendors, who have yet to be announced, but will most definitely be good.

Whole Foods Market is at 1710 41st Avenue. 831-464-2900.

3. Free Coffee or Tea at Starbucks: Although it might contradict the previous recommendations to support local and independent businesses, the multinational Starbucks Corporation is giving out FREE coffee and tea all day on Earth Day. If you choose to take advantage of the giveaway, be responsible and bring your own travel mug because if you don’t, you won’t be honoring the Earth in any way, and that’s the whole point. You can get your free caffeine boost at any Starbucks location, like the one at 1955 41st Avenue, Capitola.

4. Spring Garbage Cleanup Week: This week in Capitola, residents are able to leave their larger-than-the-bin trash items (such as old couches and other furniture) for free pick up on garbage day. However, the City of Capitola encourages residents not to throw out those still-perfectly-good large trash items because they will end up in the Marina Landfill. Instead, consider posting your still-use-able but unwanted item on the “Free” section of Craigslist (I just got rid of a prehistoric hot tub this way, with five inquiries on the first day alone), or consider donating it to the local Goodwill store on 1550 41st Avenue, Capitola. 831-462-1300. 

5. Start a Larger Scale Composting Program: Compost takes on a whole new valuable meaning at the dawn of planting season. Clean food waste which has been broken down for a few months is like a protein shake for your soil—something that will enrich your garden vegetables and ultimately benefit your body. Composting at home is easy to do, but composting at larger businesses, restaurants and cafeterias may seem overwhelming. However, it may have just gotten easier:

The local GreenWaste Recovery and Z-Best Composting Facility have teamed up to provide outreach and organics processing services for larger scale food waste systems, such as corporate and industrial campuses and businesses. If your business or a business you know throws a lot of food waste into the garbage, consider starting a composting program. GreenWaste Environmental Outreach will help by providing all of the necessary equipment, multi-lingual fliers, waste can stickers and carts as well as employee training sessions to help your business make the transition into an organic recycling program.

Besides being a community leader in reducing waste, a program with GreenWaste will earn participants a 25 percent discount on the rich compost produced from the waste materials.

For more information call 831-426-2711 and ask how you can get help starting a composting program for your business.