2007 Community Environmental Fair - About US
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Our Mission
"The Community Environmental Fair is a non-profit annual event dedicated to providing environmental information and education to the community. It is our goal to keep people informed, and to encourage informed action, on the important environmental issues impacting our community and quality of life.”

In service to our community, it is our intention to bring together local citizens, environmental groups, business leaders, public officials and industry representatives to increase awareness and bring to light environmental and life quality issues that impact our community and our planet. The fair provides a forum to educate and inspire our community to take responsibility for making the community a better place. We are committed to acknowledging those groups and organizations dedicated to preserving and protecting our quality of life and the quality of our environment.

Take Action - Help your Environment

Our Vision
The Environmental Fair will become a strong voice in promoting constructive and sustainable environmental values, actions, and solutions.

Our Goals
  • CREATE positive public awareness for existing and developing environmental solutions.
  • EMPOWER and ENCOURAGE citizens to take environmental action in their communities.
  • ADDRESS the challenges to the environment by working together to create programs that can be delivered by communities, organizations, and individuals.
  • FOSTER and MAINTAIN the positive celebration of the environment annually.

    Why a Community Environmental Fair?
    Environmental crisis abound because our daily actions pollute and degrade the fragile environment that all life depends upon to survive.

    The Community Environmental Fair can help answer the question “ What can I do?” by providing the opportunity for positive actions and results. The fair promotes alternative ways of consuming, personal wellness, living environmentally conscious, and encourages its participants to make daily and long-term choices that can positively contribute to a healthier environment. The fair also helps in broadening support for environmental solutions, rekindling public support and commitment, and involving a wide range of participants.

    Although there are programs and resources providing year-round assistance and encouragement for people to make environmental “friendly” choices, the once-a-year activities give everyone a chance to focus on environmental issues and their impact on human health.

    What is Earth Day
    First launched as an environmental awareness event in the United States on April 22, 1970, Earth Day is celebrated as the birth of the environmental movement. Earth Day is still celebrated annually on April 22, thus making the Community Environmental Fair a great addition to Earth Day activities but still an environmental awareness event all it’s own.

    The first Earth Day, spearheaded by Wisconsin Governor Gaylord Nelson and Harvard University student Denis Hayes, involved 20 million people in teach-ins that addressed decades of environmental pollution. The event influenced the US Congress to pass clean air, water, and endangered species acts, and establish the Environmental Protection Agency to research and monitor environmental issues and enforce environmental laws.

    In 1990, the first International Earth Day was celebrated by over 200 million people in 141 nations. In many countries, the global event brought pressure on heads of state to take part in the UN Earth Summit to address such issues as climate change and the worldwide loss of species.

    Thirty-seven years after its launch, Earth Day has succeeded in linking millions of people around the world for the purpose of raising awareness and achieving local solutions.

    Planting Trees. Why is it Important?
  • Urban trees help to reduce the greenhouse effect because they can absorb up to 15 times as much carbon dioxide as rural trees.
  • The city is more livable with greenery. Trees and plants block unsightly views and reduce noise.
  • Urban areas are often located in important ecological areas, such as the mouth of rivers. Conserving and enhancing natural areas in cities preserves some of the natural functions that these areas used to perform before development.
  • Humans have drained, filled, and altered the habitat of over 75% of our pre-settlement wetland base. Wetlands are one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. In recent years, a perceived global decline in amphibian populations has highlighted the need to protect amphibians and the wetlands on which they depend.
  • Trees create healthy air by absorbing CO2 and other pollutants, and producing oxygen.
  • Shade trees in play areas will protect children from heat stroke and from UV rays.
  • Trees provide an interesting and soothing environment.
  • Trees reduce soil erosion.
  • When placed near buildings, trees act as a windbreak, which can result in lower heating needs.
  • When planted along roadsides, trees provide protection from drifting snow, which increases visibility and reduces accidents.
  • It takes 500 mature trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by a typical car driven 20,000KM a year.
  • Trees help reduce the greenhouse effect because shade from trees reduces the need for air conditioning which in turn reduces energy consumption.
  • One large tree can provide the daily oxygen requirement of four people.

    Why is it critical to plant native species?

  • A native plant is one that existed in a particular region prior to European settlement.
  • Native plants naturally adapted to the area in which they grow. They require less water, chemicals and maintenance to survive.
  • Native plants support a variety of wildlife, including birds, bees and butterflies, by providing them with food and shelter.
  • A species is not native just because it grows in the wild. Queen Anne’s lace, dandelion and purple loosestrife are all examples of non-native plants.
  • Non-native species often create dense non-cultures at the expense of native plants. As a result, some alien plants, such as purple loosestrife, represent a severe threat because they spread rapidly and out-compete native species.

    Pollution Solutions
  • Organize a curb-side swap. Participants set out usable items on curbs, or in a designated area, for people to take away. At the end of the day, participants take back whatever remains.
  • Refill empty toner cartridges from printers and photocopiers by purchasing reusable cartridges.
  • Got old unwearable clothing? Get creative and make a braided rug….Cut clothes into strips. Lengthen strips by sewing them together. Make three strips and braid them. It might be easier to manage if you lengthen the strips as you go. Coil and sew the braid together on a flat surface.
  • Keep a box beside the printer or photocopier filled with old documents that have only been printed on one side to be used for memos, rough drafts, etc.
  • Create a market for recycled goods by choosing products with the highest post-consumer waste content.
  • Buy in bulk using reusable containers. Ask your local stores to implement a system to facilitate refills.
  • Save money!!!!!!! Use rechargeable batteries.
  • Just say no to junk mail and flyers. Put up a no flyers sign.
  • Does it have to be brand new? Reused goods are less expensive than new ones, which means you can afford to buy a higher quality (and presumably more durable) item. Plus, used goods require fewer resources than manufacturing new or recycled ones.
  • Take your own clothes bag shopping. One study showed that if every person in New York City would take just one less bag per week, the city’s garbage could be reduced annually by 2,500 tons.
  • Ask questions….What materials were used to make this product? Where did it come from? How were the materials collected? What impact did collection of the materials have on the environment?....How can this product (and its packaging) be disposed of once it is no longer useful?
  • Don’t be idle. Idling your automobile for more than 10 seconds wastes more fuel than restarting your engine.
  • Save money by replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent….They use one-fourth the energy, and last up to ten times longer. While they’re more expensive than their inefficient counterparts, they save money in the long run. Save on the initial expense by buying one at a time, and replacing only as the old incandescent bulbs burn out.
  • Never flush old medications down the toilet. Return out-dated and unused prescription and non-prescription medications to your local pharmacy. Many pharmacies will accept unused portions of prescriptions to ensure they are disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner.
  • Got a problem with outdoor mosquitoes? Attract bats by installing a bat house. An average bat eats the equivalent of its own weight in insects per night. That equates to 3,000 mosquitoes.
  • Vinegar, with hydrogen peroxide, kills bacteria more effectively than commercial cleaner. All you need is two spray bottles, one filled with a three per cent solution of hydrogen peroxide, the other filled with white vinegar. Spray the area to be disinfected with one, and then the other. If you like, rinse with water. Studies have shown that it does not matter which of the two sprays you use first. This combination kills both E. coli and salmonella more effectively than chlorine bleach, and can be used on both food and surfaces (including wood cutting boards).

    Taking Control of Your Food
    Food- it’s everywhere! Sometimes it seems as though our lives revolve around food and eating. Eating to little, eating to much, eating the right things……But we tend to think more about the purchasing, cooking and consuming, and less about the growing, processing and distributing of food. Most of us don’t know the farmers who grow the food we eat, or what methods and chemicals may have been used to grow it. Agriculture is a very pesticide-intensive business, with millions of kilograms used each year on farms to eliminate unwanted organisms (insects, plants, fungi, rodents, etc.). Many commonly used pesticides are highly toxic and they contaminate our air, soil, and water, poison wildlife and threaten human health. Fortunately, pesticides reduction and elimination is possible, and awareness about the value of organically grown food and the demand for it is growing.

    What does “ORGANIC” Mean?
    Certified organic foods are grown using absolutely no synthetic pesticides on land that has been pesticide –free for at least three years. Organically grown food may not always look as “perfect” as food grown with chemicals, and may not be as cheap, but it generally tastes better and more importantly, it’s healthier for you and the environment.

    Why is organic better?
    By choosing organics, you not only ensure that you eat safe, healthy food, but you support farmers who are committed to stewardship of the soil and land. And when you support local growers by buying directly from the farm, farmer’s markets or roadside stands, you reduce the amount of energy expanded during transportation. (Also, some imported foods may have been grown in countries that still use pesticides that are banned from use in the United States.)

    What can I do?
    If you don’t see organically grown foods (fresh and processed) on your grocery store shelves- ask for them. Advocate restaurants to serve them. And call the makers of your favorite brands of foods (using the toll-free number provided on the labels) and urge them to adopt organic food purchasing policies. A complete shift from chemical farming and processing begins and ends with consumers. It’s all about supply and demand. When more people buy and request organic goods (not just fruits and vegetables, but grains, herbs, honey, coffee, wine, cotton, wool, fertilizers, etc.), more will be produced. And that will mean a healthier environment for wildlife and people.

    Did you know: According to a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group: “More than half of the dietary risk from pesticides….was concentrated in just 12 crops. The pesticides that were found in these foods are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as probable human carcinogens, nervous system poisons and endocrine system disrupters.”

    Twelve most contaminated foods:
    1. Strawberries
    2. Green and red peppers
    3. Spinach (tie)
    4. Cherries (U.S.)
    5. Peaches
    6. Cantaloupe (Mexico)     		7. Celery
    8. Apples
    9. Apricots
    10. Green beans
    11. Grapes (Chilean)
    12. Cucumbers

    Actions to Help the Environment. Start Today!
    Modify your transportation habits-Use your car less. Try walking or biking. Take public transit to work or set up a carpool.
    Reduce the energy use in your home-Turn off lights, office equipment and computers when not in use.
    Cut back on your consumption of meat-Try eating meat free for one day a week.
    Buy local-Buy local foods to support your local farmers & industry.
    Think before you buy-Check out your local re-use center. Rethink gift giving and purchase with the environment in mind
    Try reusing instead of throwing away-Avoid using disposable products and re-use what you can.
    Start composting-Put a composter in your backyard to reduce waste.
    Explore nature-Visit the local parks and trails near you. Plant a tree in your backyard, neighborhood or community.
    Clean up-Get together with friends and family to clean your local park/waterfront.
    Promote anti-idling-Turn off your car engine if you are stopped more than 10 seconds.
    Reuse-Use a rain barrel to collect and store water for your garden.
    Conserve water- Water your lawn in the early morning & evening to prevent water loss.
    Spread the word-Support the cause.

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    Page: about_us.htm
    Date Last Modified: 2/8/2007