7: KEARNEY SUSTAINABILITY SNIPPETS

Encourage. Develop. Lead. KSM Volume 1, Issue 10

What is the Kearney Sustainability Movement?

We are a group of individuals who all have a passion for using the limited resources available to us in a wise manner. The goal of the group is to help spread the word about sustainable activities, influence sustainable change in our community, and to continue to grow our knowledge about sustainable practices. We meet monthly, on the third Thursday of the month, at the Kearney Public Library and discuss ways we can help influence and create sustainable practices in the community.

What have we done so far?

KSM had helped make EcoBricks for the Students 4 Sustainability via CCC for their State Fair Project. It was a success with hundreds of EcoBricks being made. Some members of KSM attended UNK’s Blue and Gold days, getting the word out about the group.

What is planned?

KSM is going to participate in Windy Hills’ Trunk or Treat on Thursday, October 12th, 2023. The event is from 5:00 to 7:30pm.

Sustainability Tidbit for the Month:

As fall descends many people get back into the swing of reading and their to be read piles dwindle meaning they go looking for new books to read. Reading is an extremely important pastime, however continuing to purchase new books helps contribute trash after a person is finished with it. So, this tidbit is twofold. One is to donate books to local charities as you are finished and no longer want to hold onto the book. The second tidbit is to purchase your new wants via a recycled program. Locally is best to find books you’re looking for but sometimes you can’t find what you’re looking for locally in a timely manner. There are online options for purchasing recycled books. This is less friendly to the environment due to shipping carbon emissions but does render a better option than buying new.

Fast fashion contributes to huge masses of trash. Fast fashion is clothing that is made cheaply and doesn’t last very long purposefully from the manufacturer. This way people purchase the “seasons fashions” and then can get rid of them quickly to purchase more the next season. This contributes to immense trash and fuller pockets for the fast fashion companies. It’s best, if you can, to purchase sustainably made garments if you can financially. A lot of these sustainably made items are a bit more expensive on the front end because of all that goes into making the items but they do tend to last longer so one doesn’t have to purchase items as often. Another way to fight fast fashion is to purchase things second hand. Local online marketplaces make it a little easier to find things “in fashion” at the time they are still fashionable.

As the weather changes and it gets colder, it’s so tempting to immediately put on the heater. With living in the midwest, we all know “False Fall” can happen and those Summer-ish temps can sneak back in. If the heater is on then you turn it off and turn it back on and that wears on the system in your house but also uses unnecessary energy. For the fall that can change back into somewhat summer it’s best to use extra blankets or jackets to keep warm. If you have animals or sensitive plants that cannot do so, you can set your heater just high enough to keep those things happy and then continue to use the blanket or jacket for yourself.

Our mission is to encourage the spread of knowledge, the development of practices, and to lead our community towards a sustainable and prosperous future.