VC Star August 17th, 2024 National Honeybee Day on Saturday has a lesson for Monday’s upcoming National Aviation Day. Considering the way certain types of bee populations have recovered while others are in decline may provide insight into solutions for environmental issues such as the problem of greenhouse gas pollution from air travel. The flight…
VC Star August 10th, 2024 It is hard to muster sympathy for seagulls. If you leave food unattended on your beach towel while taking a dip in the ocean, by the time you’re waist deep in water these rats of the sky will likely have ripped apart your wrappers and flown off with your feast.…
VC Star August 3, 2024 Professional environmentalists in local government used to complain, “I’m sick of writing plans and reports that just sit on shelves and gather dust.” Not only has the dust collection analogy become outdated with the advent of electronic reporting and document storage, but so has the concept of planning and reporting…
VC Star July 27, 2024 Would you be more likely to avoid contaminating your curbside recycling cart with unrecyclable items if you knew contamination could result in your cart being left at the curb, uncollected? Would you regard a lid-flip inspection of your cart to be such an intrusion into your private life that you…
VC Star July 20, 2024 I love my landscape, but it seems important to prepare for drought and fire danger. That is why I use mulch to maintain soil moisture and prevent weeds, and I keep the mulch at least 5 feet away from the walls of my house. About six months ago, I also…
July 10, 2024 Promoting “Plastic Free July,” the website of the Plastic Free Foundation (www.plasticfreejuly.org) issues challenges, requests pledges of action, claims to have “inspired” over 100 million people and promises that “you making a small change will collectively make a massive difference in our communities.” In a countervailing trend, “the global plastics market size…
VC Star June 29, 2024 This Independence Day, some lucky Americans will attend celebrations that not only express the joy of our country’s independence but also show special patriotic consideration for our veterans, our beloved pets and the American environment. This special consideration will be delivered by drones, and Santa Paula is one place where…
VC Star June 15, 2024 Commerce moves on pallets. Those plastic or wood platforms, with side notches for lifting by forklifts, are essential for storing inventory, moving bulky items and shipping products. Following a spike in demand for pallets to accommodate the frenetic pace of shipping consumer goods during the pandemic, businesses have been steadily…
VC Star June 8, 2024 Last weekend, as my kids were playing in our front yard, an old Toyota Camry parked at the curb near them was idling. Concerned about the emissions and curious why someone would be crouched down in the front seat of a car with its engine on in front of my…
VC Star May 25, 2024 Last week was Public Works Week, and at the Ventura County Government Center on Wednesday more than 1,300 students from local schools throughout the county visited dozens of booths and displays, many of which were focused on the environment. The county’s Integrated Waste Management Division, where I work, set up…