EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | JULY 4 BARBECUES: GAS VERSUS CHARCOAL June 29th, 2022 by David Goldstein As you prepare to celebrate Independence Day with Fourth of July barbecues, consider the example of Ali Ghasemi, the executive officer at the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. “I have two gas barbecues,” he told me. “One…
Greywater: The green way to water every day EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT David Goldstein One by one, local cities have restricted outdoor watering to one day per week. Even cities not receiving water from the Metropolitan Water District are considering similar limitations. Regardless of the restrictions, there is a way to water every day; it’s…
EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | CONDITIONS FOR WATER CONDITIONING WHEN SOFTENERS ARE HARD ON THE ENVIRONMENT 6/1/2022 by David Goldstein Nearly everyone in Ventura County subscribes to trash collection service, requiring three separate trucks to stop at their house each week, but thousands of people also subscribe to another environmental service requiring an additional truck.…
EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | GREYWATER: THE GREEN WAY TO WATER EVERY DAY by David Goldstein Local cities from Simi Valley to Oxnard have restricted outdoor watering to one day per week, and even areas not receiving water from the Metropolitan Water District are considering similar limitations. Regardless of these restrictions, there is a green…
EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | PLEDGE TO BIKE INSTEAD OF DRIVE, WIN $250 By Darrin Peschka and David Goldstein Amid encouraging signs that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, more businesses are re-opening and workers are returning to the office. If you’re among the employees returning to in-person work, even if only a…
EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | LOCAL ZOOS CONNECT PEOPLE TO ENVIRONMENT by David Goldstein Last month, I asked a neighbor if he planned to attend any local Earth Day events. Perhaps in explanation of his lack of interest, he responded, “Shouldn’t every day be Earth Day?” On his next birthday, I plan to tell him,…
EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | FOR ARBOR DAY’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY, VISIT A LOCAL BOTANIC GARDEN by David Goldstein The 150th annual National Arbor Day is April 29, 2022. This holiday is nationally celebrated on the last Friday in April, but some states observe Arbor Day on different dates based on optimal tree planting times or…
EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | COMMUNITY CLEAN UP HAS COME A LONG WAY by David Goldstein Until the 1950s, disposing waste was often a community affair in Ventura County. Neighbors hauled each other’s discards, caravanned or met up at local dumps, sometimes returning home with more material scavenged than disposed. Some of these sites, such…
Eco-tip: Fighting planned obsolescence with extended warranties, right to repair By David Goldstein Special to Ventura County Star Are extended warranties worth the cost? For cars, the question becomes complicated by a wide variety of options, prices and incentives. For other items, such as appliances and cell phones, the choices are simpler. Some people need…
Eco-tip: Recycling promoters target kids — how insidious! By David Goldstein Special to Ventura County Star “You’re insidious!” my neighbor, Jim Polisini, said with a laugh. Insidiousness got a bad reputation after the Star Wars franchise named The Emperor Darth Sidious in the original trilogy. But even before then, I had never heard environmental outreach…