Earth Day 2011: Five Ways to Help the Environment From Home

In honor of Earth Day this Friday, April 22, we're offering up a few tips on how to be more green at home and in your community. There are many ways, both small and large, to be more environmentally friendly from home. Here's a grab bag of our top five:

1. Recycle
Waste Management has made it easy to do curbside recycling in Arcadia. Items that are accepted for recycling are paper products, including computer paper, catalogs, junk mail, copier paper, phone books, grocery bags, gift wrap and envelops, even if they have “windows”; cardboard, including food packaging such as cereal boxes, cake-mix boxes, frozen food boxes, egg cartons and soda/beer carriers; all beverage containers marked “CA Redemption Value” or “CA Cash Refund”; plastic containers labeled #1-#7; aluminum and tin cans, liquor bottles, empty aerosol cans, pie tins, glass jars and bottles. See the full list here. Just drop the recyclables in the blue bin and put it on the curb on trash day.

2. Replace light bulbs
Buy some compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs) to replace your incandescents when they burn out, or if you're feeling really "green," save some energy and replace them all now. They last a lot longer and save quite a bit on the energy bill overtime.

3. Install a low-flow showerhead
Low-flow showerheads cut down on the amount of water coming out when you shower, but you really can't tell the difference, except for a lighter water bill! They pay for themselves quickly.

4. Ditch your dryer
We pay a lot of hidden taxes for the wonderful sun that we get all year long, why not put some of that instant solar power to work and reap the reward of sun-fresh clothes. The dryer takes a lot of energy to run, so start out trying half-time loads, hanging the clothes out to dry when they're damp, then eventually go all the way and ditch that dryer.

5. Compost
According to the Environmental Defense Fund, 18 percent of the waste in an average U.S. household comes from the yard and garden, a huge amount of mostly bio-waste that can be returned to the garden.

The composting process essentially involves setting aside certain types of organic waste apart from normal trash and collecting it in a composting bin somewhere outside, where it decomposes and becomes a nutrient-rich soil additive or fertilizer.

Not only does this reduce waste in the dumps, it reduces the energy spent to take it there, can save you money on soil and fertilizer, reduces the use of chemical fertilizers, and plants love it!

A lot of kitchen waste (except meats, oils and bones) and most yard waste (except seeds, roots and large branches) can be used. To see a full list of what can be composted, go here, or read the Homeowner's Guide to Composting for even more details.

The City of Arcadia offers 3 x 2 foot compost bins for $30.00. Compost bins with worms can also be purchased for $65.00.

The City of Arcadia's Web site has a very infomative section on recycling, composting and disposing of e-waste that you can view by clicking here.
(Source: http://arcadia.patch.com/articles/earth-day-2011-five-ways-to-help-the-environment-from-home)

History of Palm Sunday: How it starts Holy Week

The week we now call Holy Week, started with Palm Sunday. Why was this week so important that three of the gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) devote a full third of their contents to reporting this week, and The Fourth Gospel (John) dedicates its entire last half? Jerusalem, which had a normal population of about 50,000 at this time, had at least tripled in size because of the influx of pilgrims celebrating the Jewish holiday Passover.

Early Sunday morning Jesus made his baldly public entry into the city. This was the end of all privacy and safety, and the beginning of what would be an inevitable collision course with the religious and political authorities. Crowds began to gather to see the rabbi from Galilee. The procession began accompanied by shouting and singing from the throngs as they threw down their garments on the pathway to cushion his ride – an Oriental custom still observed on occasions – as well as palm fronds, the symbol of triumph.

The Old Testament prophet Zechariah had foretold the arrival of the Messianic king in Jerusalem via the humble conveyance of a colt. Here the crowd hailed Jesus as “the son of David”, a loaded name used at a loaded time. The priestly establishment was understandably disturbed, as the palm was the national emblem of an independent Palestine. These were Jewish flags. What if Jesus should claim to be the heir of King David?

Recent archeological excavations have turned up Roman coins, which have the head of the Roman Emperor Tiberias (considered idolatrous to the Jewish subjects) but overstamped with a palm.

The “conspiracy” against Jesus had been building for at least 3 years, and the sources record seven instances of official plotting against him, two efforts at arrest, and three assassination attempts before this time. This intrigue was no spur of the moment idea. A formal decision to arrest Jesus had in fact been made several months earlier.

The Jewish religious officials were afraid that if Jesus were to continue performing his signs, he would win over the people and the Romans would come in and destroy the Temple and nation. According to legal custom at that time, a court crier had to announce publicly or post an official “wanted” handbill in the larger towns of Judea about forty days prior to a trial. Small wonder that there was some debate over whether Jesus would dare appear in Jerusalem for the next Passover. This discussion ended abruptly on Palm Sunday.

There were political reasons for dealing with Jesus. There had been a dozen uprisings in Palestine in the previous 100 years, most of them subdued by Roman force. Another Messianic rebellion under Jesus would only shatter the precarious balance of authority, break Rome’s patience, and might lead to direct occupation by Roman legions.

Religiously, Jesus was a dangerous item. The people were hailing the Teacher from Galilee as something more than a man, and Jesus was not denying or blunting this blasphemous adulation. Personally, the Pharisees had been bested by Jesus in public debate, being called vipers, whitewashed tombs, and devourers of widow’s houses.

Humiliated, they would be only too happy to conspire with the scribes, elders, and chief priests. There were economic motives for opposing Jesus as well. Seeing the commercialization of the Temple, Jesus had driven the dealers and animals out, as well as turning over the tables of the moneychangers causing a major disruption in business. There were many reasons for dealing with Jesus.
(Source: http://billpetro.com/history-of-palm-sunday)