Green Initiatives Newsletter - Volume 10

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2019 | VOLUME 10

GREEN INITIATIVES NEWSLETTER A Quarterly Newsletter by the City of Hallandale Beach

MORE ARTICLES:

Volunteering - 2

Seaweed Overload - 3 DIY Toothpaste - 4

How To Conserve Water It may rain a lot in summer, but its more important than ever to conserve water Water is a finite natural resource which makes life on Earth both a possibility and reality. Only about 1% of the water on Earth is fresh and not frozen in glaciers. As we continue to pollute our limited freshwater resources and as precipitation changes with global climate change, water resources available to us may change. Here are some easy ways for you do your part for the environment.

Kitchen If you’re a resident of Hallandale Beach, get your free water conservation devices (showerheads, hose nozzle, kitchen and bathroom aerators, etc.) by calling (954) 457-1617.

Use the dishwasher.

Use the garbage disposal less, try composting your food scraps!

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Bathroom Put a bucket in the shower while you’re waiting for the water to warm up and use the water you catch to water plants, flush the toilet, or for cleaning.

Shower more and bathe less. The average bath uses 35 to 50 gallons of water whereas a 10-minute shower with a low-flow showerhead only uses 25 gallons.

Replace your old (pre-1994) toilet with a water efficient one and get a $100 rebate at Conservationpays.com Practice “if its yellow, let it mellow” and don’t flush things down the toilet to dispose of them.

Outdoors Most potable water in the US is used for irrigation, consider replacing some of your grass with less water intensive landscaping like xeriscaping or even a rain garden.

Broward County does not allow watering on Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays. Residences and businesses with an odd-numbered street address can water lawns and landscapes on Wednesdays and/or Saturdays only before 10am or after 4pm; even-numbered street addresses you may only water on Thursdays and/or Sundays before 10am or after 4pm.

Capture rain water in a rain barrel for watering plants and flushing toilets.

Sign up for the NatureScape Irrigation Residential Rebate Program at Broward.org/irrigationrebate Consider installing a greywater system in your home.

Check your water meter. Pick a time when nobody is going to use water for a while and check your water meter every 15 minutes for a couple of hours. If your meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.

Lifestyle It takes water to make energy and it takes energy to move, heat, and treat water. Cut back on energy consumption to reduce your overall water consumption.

On a larger scale in terms of water consumption, change to a more plant-based diet.

Almost everything you buy has a water footprint associated with it. Do you really need it? Buy quality and reusable products, or buy things second hand.

You can calculate your water footprint at: https://www.watercalculator.org/.

Many of these tips were provided by Water Footprint Calculator.

Volunteer with the Green Initiatives Program Join Community Litter Clean-Ups and/or the Sustainability and Flood Mitigation Advisory Board!

Each month, on an alternating Saturday and Sunday schedule, we will be cleaning up litter within our community.

The tentative summer schedule for the Clean-Ups are: July 20, NW 8th Ave August 25, Atlantic Shores Blvd September 21, South City Beach Park Please email ajoneswood@cohb.org to register.

All participants must be 18 or over or accompanied by a parent or guardian. All participants must sign hold harmless, liability waivers, and photo releases to participate.

As for the Board, if you are an advocate for Sustainability, Green Building, Flood Prevention, and Resiliency apply to be on the Sustainability and Flood Mitigation Advisory Board! Space is limited to 7 appointments and 2 members must be under 18.

Apply at https://hallandalebeachfl.gov/1257/Sustainabilityand-Flood-Mitigation-Advi

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Seaweed Overload Its not "seaweed". Its sargassum.

Hallandale Beach, along with countless communities in Southeast Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean are suffering from a bloom or influx of sargassum. This is the reddish brown plant material showing up on our beaches. Sargassum, in its normal quantities, is an incredibly important part of the ocean ecosystem. In fact, a vast patch of the North Atlantic Ocean was named the "Sargasso Sea" due to the floating mat which provides habitat and important food for marine animals. It provides essential habitat to shrimp, crab, and fish; it provides shelter and food for baby sea turtles; and it is the spawning site for threatened and endangered eels, white marlin, mahi mahi, and some sharks.

Scientists believe that the bloom of sargassum this year is caused by warmer oceans, fertilizer runoff, dust from the Sahara Desert, or some combination of the three.

The City is permitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to manage the sargassum on the beach, under certain restrictions. The City can only collect the sargassum between the high water line (where the wet sand begins) and 10 feet from the dune. Collection and tilling of the sargassum is only allowed after sea turtle surveys have been completed each morning and only with equipment included in the permit (our beach tractor). The laws in place restricting our management of the sargassum are in place to protect the beaches in the long term against erosion and the threatened and endangered species which inhabit or visit the beach.

Next time you go to the beach and see the sargassum, please remember that the beach is an ecosystem which serves many purposes: habitat for wildlife, spawning ground for wildlife, beautiful views and recreation for humans, and protection of human settlements from storm surge and erosion.Â

Please remember that the beach is an ecosystem which serves many purposes...

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Learn & Share As many as one million species risk extinction in the coming decades due to human-related activities, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental SciencePolicy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

At least 80% of the world's plants have a relationship with whats known as mycorrhizae, underground fungus roots which help plants thrive. This year, scientists mapped the mycorrhizae network of more than 1.1 million forest plots spanning over 70 countries.

DIY Toothpaste Save the plastic, make your own Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 tablespoon bentonite clay 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder or ground cocoa nibs 1 teaspoon xylitol 1 teaspoon baking soda Peppermint essential oil, optional for taste

How To: Step 1: Mix together all the dry ingredients. If you’re using cocoa nibs you may want to grind them using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.

Step 2: Add coconut oil, little by little until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Step 3: Store in a container of your choosing, either a silicone tube or a glass jar.

If you're committed to your store-bought toothpaste, know that TerraCycle works with the following vendors to recycle your toothpaste tubes for free: Colgate, NOW, & Tom's of Maine .

Learn more at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades

More than 46% of the plastics found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are from fishing nets and lost fishing gear, according to a study done by the Ocean Cleanup.

Sunscreen chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate have been linked to coral bleaching.

Take the survey here to share your thoughts about this newsletter. Thank you!

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