Special FREE Green Bag!

Is YOUR House Hazardous? Special FREE Green Bag Lecture
March 18, 2010, 5:30 - 7:00 pm at Whole Foods at 400 South and 700 East in Salt Lake City

Toxic Chemicals setting up shop in your household? Not sure? Learn what qualifies as a household hazardous waste and how to properly dispose of them. Dorothy Adams with Salt Lake Valley Health Department will be presenting a Green Bag Lecture on Thursday evening, March 18 from 5:30 - 7:00 at Whole Foods Market (645 East 400 South), discussing hazardous waste materials that can be found in your home. The talk will focus on buying what you need, using what you have, and purchasing products that contain less toxicity.

Dorothy Adams received her B.S. at University of New Hampshire and her Masters at North Carolina, Chapel Hill she as also ran Salt Lake Valley 's House Hold Hazardous Waste program for 19 years.

Thanks to sponsorship from Whole Foods, this event is FREE, though a donation to USEE is suggested. A light dinner will be provided, so please RSVP to charice@usee.org by Wednesday March 17th to reserve your spot (and ensure there is enough food).

Upcoming Green Bag Series

Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education
Tuesday, October 13, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Salt Lake City R.E.I., Wasatch Room

Come learn about the Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education (UPEEE), a research project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help bridge the gap between formal classroom teachers and non-formal Environmental Education (EE) providers. The project identified the needs of teachers pertaining to EE, and assists organizations in forming best practices to meet those needs. The specific goal of the UPEEE was to strengthen the capacity of quality and effective environmental education programs in Utah through non-formal environmental education provider and teacher partnerships. Hear the results of the project and join us for a discussion of how you can improve your EE outreach.

Questions? Email nicole@usee.org. An RSVP is required by Monday, October 12. To reserve your spot, register here! Cost is $5 for members, $15 for nonmembers, and includes a light lunch. (Cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance. Any no shows will be invoiced $5 to cover food costs.)

USEE September Green Bag

Communicating Online: The Social Networking Craze
September 15, 12:00 - 1:30 pm
The USEE Offices, 466 E 500 S, SLC, Downstairs

Can you Twitter or Facebook your way to program and fundraising success?

Social networking--especially recently Facebook and Twitter--have become all the rage. Board members or program participants may suggest you should have a Facebook page. Your young 20-something assistant may insist you need a Twitter account. And then there is blogging--Blogspot, TypePad, WordPress--and you think you should blog, but what about it and how do you carve out time to do it? And more importantly, what does it mean to your fundraising efforts, programming, and constituent building to use Facebook, Twitter, or a blog?

The use of these technologies is definitely on the increase, but organizations should think carefully about a strategy that contributes to their missions and aligns with the resources they have to dedicate to such practices. Third Sun Productions will lead us in this discussion of the pros and cons of implementing social networking from an organizational standpoint and how you might measure success.

RSVP to nicole@usee.org by September 14th to reserve your spot. The cost is $5 for members, $15 for non-members and includes a light lunch. Cancellations must be made 24 hours prior to the event or you will be billed $5 to cover lunch costs.

Your Voice is Heard!

The following article was published in the Salt Lake Tribune and written by one of our members, Susan Dyer, after attending a USEE Green Bag Lunchtime lecture series focusing on "How to Live a Greener Lifestyle." The presentation was given by the Salt Lake City's Mayors Office Outreach Coordinator for the Division of Sustainability and the Environment. Thanks Susan for letting your voice be heard!

Tribune and energy
Public Forum Letter
Updated: 08/10/2009 05:45:04 PM MDT

After hearing a fascinating presentation last week by the Salt Lake City mayor's office on alternative energy and sustainability, I wondered why The Tribune doesn't devote more coverage to environmental issues? The presentation's most important good news/bad news points were: The quality of drinking water in Utah is among the best (no need to buy bottled water), and Salt Lake's air quality is among the worst. The latter is due in part to the city and state's reliance on fossil fuels for energy: 84 percent of Salt Lake's electricity comes from fossil fuels, primarily coal-powered plants; for Utah, it's 98 percent.

It would be helpful if The Tribune could target these subjects more thoroughly, spotlighting increases in alternative energy use, such as solar energy and wind power. Providing more news about developing new energy sources, about the reduction in Utah's reliance on coal, and about the consequent improvement in air quality helps readers connect the dots.

Reports about the impact of citizens' sustainable practices (recycling and ripping up strips of lawn) provide valuable feedback and encourage further efforts. Such information helps readers make informed decisions about increasing their low-impact energy use.

Susan Dyer
Holladay

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