The Green Team remains focused on making Ewing an even better place to live than it is now. The public is welcome to join us at our annual retreat to plan for our initiatives for the coming year. Please reference our Strategic Plan for additional information.
Date: January 14th
Time: 9 am – noon
Location: Ewing Senior and Community Center, Board Room, 999 Lower Ferry Road
The Ewing Green Team is pleased to announce that it has recently added a new member to its roster of sustainability advocates in Ewing Township. Garry Keel is a New Jersey native and long term Ewing resident. He is the owner and founder of a small business in town, Money Management Associates, which has specialized in tax preparation and financial services since 1984. Money Management Associates recently received recognition for its sustainable business practices and commitment to the environment with one of our first Ewing Green Business awards.
Dr. Keel received a bachelor’s degree from Rider College (now Rider University), a master’s degree from Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), and a doctoral degree from Fordham University. After working in higher education for many years he is now retired and focusing on his business, giving back to his community and “lots of fun stuff.” He particularly enjoys biking for fun and exercise. This is, in fact, where we first met up with Garry. He joined the EGT for its first Ewing Fall Spin in 2015 and was hooked by both the ride itself and the engagement with members of his community. He participated in planning the 2016 ride and was a ride sponsor. Now that he has been appointed to the green team, promoting the ride will be an area of focus for him.
Besides his numerous other volunteer activities, Garry has focused on establishing practices to make his business more sustainable. He has set up his own “Shred Day” for his customers and community members, where they can bring their important and confidential paper documents to his business to be shredded and recycled. He is also a new advocate for the State of New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program’s Direct Install program for small and medium-sized businesses. This program offers grants of up to 70% of the costs for energy saving building upgrades. He is currently in process with his own building upgrades and will report back to us on his satisfaction with the program. He states that he initially had a hard time believing that the state really pays for 70% of the costs, but seeing is believing as he has recently just written his check for only 30% of the planned upgrades!
The EGT is delighted that Garry has decided to join us in promoting sustainability in our Township. We welcome the perspective a small business owner and biking advocate will bring to our efforts. The EGT asks you too to join with us in our work. Come to a meeting and find a way that you can help us influence others to make needed positive changes for a better tomorrow for our town, our state, our country and our world.
As the old year ends and the new one begins, we frequently resolve to begin anew, to do something better and be better. We asked all green team members to give us some green resolutions for the coming year. We share them to give you some simple ideas on what you can do. What would you add to the list?
Pete Boughton
I resolve to reduce the amount of food waste generated especially within my home. I promise to either consume or give away what is prepared.
Mary Corrigan
I resolve to grow some of my own fresh food at the Ewing Community Gardens. Community gardens improve the quality of life for people in the garden; act as a catalyst for neighborhood and community development; teach self-reliance and expand access to nutritious food.
Evan Crumiller
I will refrain from topping off my gas tank, a practice that is bad for the environment. In case you hadn’t heard of this, our explanation follows:
This leaves room for expansion in your gas tank. It allows the evaporative emissions system of your vehicle to operate properly and re-burn fuel vapors which in turn reduces harmful emissions from our vehicles as well as prevents raw gasoline from entering into the carbon filter. Raw fuel fouls your vehicle’s evaporative emission system and can cause gas to spill on the ground or issues with engine operation, resulting in poor mileage, emissions and overall decreased engine performance. Finally, gas station pumps are equipped with vapor recovery systems that feed back gas vapors into their tanks to prevent vapors from escaping into the air and adding toxic air pollutants such as benzene. So if you overfill your tank the extra fuel may be drawn back into the vapor line and fed back into the station’s storage tanks.
Lisa Feldman
This message is for walkers. I resolve to pick up litter to make sure it doesn’t get washed down the sewers into the waterways as I walk. In addition, I resolve to bring a bag with me on my walks to help pick up more litter. I also like to think people see me doing this and will get the message.
John Hoegl
Whereas a comprehensive home energy audit would help me discover where and how my home is using energy inefficiently and what can be done to rectify the situation, and whereas household energy reduction benefits me and Ewing and the environment, and whereas I can save money by upgrading my home, I therefore resolve to schedule a home energy audit in 2017.
Garry Kheel
In our effort to make Ewing an even “Greener” community, I encourage other business owners to join me in making and following through with each of my New Year’s resolutions: (1) ensure that all proprietary documents and digital records are immediately shredded; (2) purchase a paper cutter and use it to cut all non-proprietary documents into squares and reuse them as note pads; and (3) enroll in the Direct Install program to upgrade and install energy efficient lighting, air conditioning, and heating units within your building.
Garry also provides a bonus suggestion. With the beginning of the new year, many of us will be making a resolution to exercise more regularly. One of the best low impact exercises is bike riding and at the same time of getting in better shape. Bike riding also helps to reduce the auto exhaust into the air, thus helping our community become more green. Bike riding and becoming more green: exercising and breathing better: a perfect combination.
Joe Mirabella
I resolve to mulch my trees properly and to let others know that the habit of piling mulch high around the base of a base of a tree can kill it. Piling the mulch high around the tree base softens the bark. Mice, insects, and fungus then feed on the living parts of the tree, killing tissue, cutting off water and nutrient supply as well as causing other serious problems. Proper mulching insures that mulch is never piled against the bark but kept 6 inches from the trunk and about 2 to 4 inches deep.
Joanne Mullowney
Did you know that the loss of habitat is probably the greatest threat to the variety of life on the planet today ? I therefore resolve to become a better steward of nature on my property by employing eco-friendly gardening principles. I will: (1) eschew the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers that destroy the molecular life of the soil and are harmful to all wildlife, (2) rebuild my soil via composting, using shredded leaves, grass clippings and kitchen scraps, (3) rip out some lawn and replace it with native plants that will assist in providing habitat for wildlife, and (4) include at least one (native) tree in my plantings.
Michael Nordquist
I will work to reduce the amount of waste I produce by simply buying less and buying items with minimal packaging. Most waste is produced through the production process of goods (mining, logging, manufacturing, packaging, shipping) and buying less and more intentionally is necessary to reduce one’s waste footprint. I will also work to transition to eco-friendly household cleaning products, even if it takes more work to clean things.
Caroline Steward
I resolve to create a stronger, more resilient community by participating in my neighborhood association. If there isn’t a association in my neighborhood I resolve to help form one. Good neighbors build strong, and sustainable, communities.
Sarah Steward
I resolve to remember to bring and use my re-usable shopping bags at the grocery and other retail stores to do my part to limit additional plastics in our trash streams and environment!
Mark Wetherbee
I resolve to reduce my home energy usage. I will keep my water heater’s temperature at about 120 to 125° F, the perfect temperature that does not create a thermal loss of the water as it would if folks set it at 150° F. It is also safer for kids. I will also use LED lighting all over the house. Along with the energy savings, there is the life time of LEDs which is about 10 years. They also are great with motion sensors as the CFLs degrade each time they are turned on and off. That reduces their life.
We add one final suggestion. We don’t know what the future holds for us beginning in 2017, but it appears that the roles of the states, local governments and environmental organizations will be more critical than ever in continuing efforts to protect and clean up our environment. So resolve to join with us in our work. Come to a meeting and find a way that you can help us influence others to make needed positive changes for a better tomorrow for our town, our state, our country and our world.
The Ewing Green Team
We love the holidays! It is wonderful time of celebration, of family, of good food and good times. However, despite all of the good times and feelings, it can also be a time of excess, waste, and great stress. With a little thought, we think that you can green your holiday rituals and celebrations and make them more meaningful. Read on for a few tips on how to celebrate the holidays more sustainably.
For more information about the real vs. fake dilemma, read on for this very helpful and informative article from The Nature Conservancy.
These are just a few suggestions out of the many possibilities for minimizing your environmental impact during the holiday season. We think that employing them will help you minimize the amount of waste from your celebrations and also help to minimize your stress levels.
Have a happy and healthy holiday season from the Ewing Green Team!
This year has been one of milestone sustainability accomplishments and recognition for Ewing Township. We received our first Sustainable Jersey SILVER level certification with 460 points. In addition, we received a Sustainability Champion award for earning the greatest number of points for a medium-sized municipality. Actions in five key areas to generated over half of the points for our certification. These included Sustainability Planning, Natural Resources, Brownfields, Land Use and Transportation and Community Partnership and Outreach. Our partnerships with township boards and staff and community organizations played a major role in accumulating points and helping us to create a more sustainable community. The Ewing Green Team plans to celebrate these accomplishments and usher in the holiday season with a gathering of friends and volunteers on Wednesday, Dec 7th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the ESCC. We hope that you will join us for the evening and enjoy the accomplishment.
Date: Wednesday, Dec 7th
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Location: ESCC, Community Room, 999 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing
Sustainable Ewing Green Team 