Earth Month Staff Challenge - The Results are In!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Earth Month Staff Challenge. We had 84 individuals between NPS and the Parks Conservancy submit 281 different entries!

Check out the list of entries to see what your coworkers are saying. Many of the submittals had common themes, so in some cases we have condensed the entries to show the variety of ideas. Our park’s Green Team will look over the list of suggestions and see if we can implement any of these ideas in the coming years.

We also awarded prizes for most participation and held a raffle with everyone who participated. Here are our winners!

Dan Kuja - #1 Participant
Amy Hoke - #2 Participant
Tania Pollak - #3 Participant

 Raffle Winners:


Matt Keene
George Durgerian
Rita Morris

Finally, we don’t want this to be the end of the conversation. Feel free to visit our Earth Month Blog any time to learn more about the resources we presented.

And reach out to any member of the Green Team if you have any ideas for future efforts!

Laura Castellini, Chair, Environmental and Safety Programs Office
Sara Hammond, Environmental and Safety Programs Office
Tony Di Stefano, Environmental and Safety Programs Office
Amanita Cornejo, Environmental and Safety Programs Office
Stef Martin, Business Management Division
Amy Hoke, Cultural resources
Tania Pollak, Planning
Alison Forrestel, Natural Resources
Jesse Fritts, Project Management
Chris Rodriguez, Facilities
Skye Thompson, Facilities
Will Elder, Interpretation and Education
Miguel Dimas, Interpretation and Education
Mary Jo Murphy, Contracting
Michela Gentile, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy rep

Week 4 : Continue The Conversation

 

Overview
 
Welcome to the fourth and final week of the Staff Challenge! This week focuses on “Continuing the Conversation”. We encourage people to continue talking about actions we can take to improve sustainability and address climate change. We want staff to talk to your coworkers, friends, and family (and us!) about what we can do better, and give your overall input on the Staff Challenge itself. This week you can get credit for submitting any ideas, conversations, or actions you’ve taken right in the staff challenge log.
 
 
Did you know:

Two in three Americans are moderately or very interested in global warming, yet 70% do not discuss the issue with friends and family due to a “spiral of silence”.


Why is this important?

Having conversations about climate change and solutions is equally as important as taking sustainable actions. Every individual has a sphere of influence through their colleagues, friends, family, and community. People often think others aren’t as concerned about climate change as they are, making them hesitant to start a conversation. By engaging in discussions with others about sustainability, you help increase visibility of these issues and broaden your impact.

Click Here to learn more about Continuing the Conversation and for more great resources.
 

Week 3 : ''Be Water Wise''

Overview


Welcome to the third week of the Staff Challenge! This week focuses on “Being Water Wise”.
Conserving water benefits natural habitats, reduces the need for costly infrastructure projects, and lowers carbon emissions by reducing the amount of energy used in the pumping and transporting water. Saving water helps reduce climate change!

Why is this important?


Less than 1% of the water on our planet is freshwater and available for consumption. In California, the water system provides water for 35 million people and irrigates roughly 6 million acres of farmland. A growing population increases the demand on water supplies, increasing diversion of water from the ecosystems that we depend on. Rivers, wildlife habitat, groundwater aquifers, and water quality are all affected by these water withdrawals. If we think of freshwater availability as a bank, we are making more withdrawals than deposits, and the balance is shrinking.

Even with recent rains, this year’s precipitation in California remains well below average, and the snow pack is between 35-47% of normal, which could mean less water available in our upcoming dry months.

The production and distribution of drinking water also requires a vast amount of energy. The state of California has one of the most extensive water distribution systems on the planet, moving water from the northern part of the state all the way to the southern border. Moving that water and treating it to drinking water standards uses a lot of energy - almost 20 percent of California’s energy use. Using water wisely helps maintain natural ecosystems, helps ensure water availability during dry months, and reduces CO2 emissions. 

Did you know?


 

Week 2 : ''Close The Loop''


Overview

Welcome to the second week of the Staff Challenge! This week focuses on “closing the loop” by looking at the whole life cycle of the products and materials we use - from the food we eat to the items we buy. The choices we make can reduce environmental impacts throughout the life cycle, from production to disposal.

Why is this important?

We have a lot of power in selecting products and foods that can shrink our environmental footprint. When we select products, we can look for those that were sourced, manufactured, and shipped in sustainable ways. Equally important, we can make sure that the products we use aren’t destined for the landfill but can be easily recycled. Learning to reduce our consumption up front and then properly divert waste from landfills - or worse yet our oceans and environment - will make us better environmental stewards.

How does the staff challenge work?

We want you to share what you’re doing to be a part of the solution! Whether it’s something you’ve been doing for years or a new action you took for the first time, you’ll get credit just for sharing. There are multiple ways to give your input:
  1. Open this online form and submit your actions. Feel free to submit as many entries as you want! You’ll get one point for each submittal, and be entered in a raffle with each entry. 
  2. Download and print this offline form, which you can fill out and return to us by the end of April. Feel free to share with your coworkers who don’t use email.

Did you know?

Earth Month Actions Week 1: Reduce Your Footprint

Overview

Our first week of action focuses on reducing our carbon footprint, highlighting efforts you can take towards energy conservation and transportation.

Why is this important?

When we burn fossil fuels like oil and gas for energy and transportation, we release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which builds up and acts like a blanket that traps in heat. This buildup of heat is resulting in climate changes that are already affecting us and the many species and ecosystems we depend on. Actions you take to reduce the burning of fossil fuels will have the greatest impact on reducing climate change.

How does the staff challenge work?

We want you to share what you’re doing to be a part of the solution! Whether it’s something you’ve been doing for years or a new action you took for the first time, you’ll get credit just for sharing. There are multiple ways to give your input:
  1. Open this online form and submit your actions. Feel free to submit as many entries as you want! You’ll get one point for each submittal, and be entered in a raffle with each entry.
  2. Download and print this offline form, which you can fill out and return to us by the end of April. Feel free to share with your coworkers who don’t use email.
Did you know?

A 3 mile daily bike ride to work can save up to 1,650 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually.



What Can I Do?

The greatest contributions to reducing climate change come from the energy and transportation sectors. Below are some ideas for what you can do, or feel free to share what you’re doing already!



Energy Conservation, Efficiency, and Renewables

Using clean, renewable energy means that your electrical use doesn’t contribute to climate change. But it’s also important to reduce the amount of electricity we use through conservation and efficiency. 

Here are some actions you can take:

Want to go for the biggest impact?
  • Find out if your community participates in a community power program - you can purchase 100% renewable electricity without changing your energy provider. Golden Gate already purchases 100% renewable electricity from our local community choice programs!
  • Upgrade windows or weatherstripping at home to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs. Take a Free Home Energy Checkup and get a list of personalized suggested improvements from PG&E, or get a professional home energy audit.
  • Install Solar Panels on your home. Solar panels generate clean energy derived from the sun. By “going solar’’ in your household, you can reduce your annual energy CO2 footprint up to 80%. Get an estimate for installing solar photovoltaic panels on your home. 
If you can’t quite take the leap... 
  • Upgrade to Energy Star appliances to save both energy and money. Learn more about Energy Star Appliances here.
  • Lower thermostats at work and home, especially if heating is supplied by natural gas. Heating and cooling uses up to 50% of energy of an average household. If possible, replace manual thermostats with energy efficient ones in order to minimize energy consumption - there may even be rebates offered through PG&E!
  • Reduce “vampire energy” loss: Learn more here about how to avoid "energy sucking’’ appliances.
If you’re just getting your feet wet - the basics:
  • Challenge your coworkers to turn off computers at night if possible, or at least turn off monitors. A conventional computer monitor uses the same amount of electricity as a 75-watt light bulb.
  • Join the movement to convert to LED light bulbs at home and work. Lighting accounts for approximately 30% of all electricity in the U.S. LED light bulbs use almost 80% less energy than a traditional light bulb.
  • Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot to cut your energy load in half - or better yet, use the sun to dry your clothes!
 If you want to learn even more, check out some of these websites that have tons more tips:

Fourteen percent of all heat-trapping gases come from the transportation sector. A variety of solutions exist that reduce our contribution to transport emissions - from biking and walking, to ridesharing or public transportation, to using alternative fuel or electric vehicles.
Here are some actions you can take:

Want to go for the biggest impact?
  • Drive an Electric car. Electric cars can run on 100% renewable energy and do not directly emit any greenhouse gases or pollutants. When taking production and external factors into account, studies show that electric cars contribute one-half the greenhouse gases of a conventional gasoline car. There are also a number of rebates available in California.
  • Switch to a more fuel efficient car. One gallon of gasoline generates roughly 20 lbs of CO2 - by switching from a 20 mpg car to 30 mpg, CO2 emissions will be reduced by nearly 200lbs.
If you can’t quite take the leap...
  • Enroll in the park’s transit or bike subsidy programs if you haven’t already. If 20 people opt out of driving one day a week they will collectively prevent approximately 567 lbs of CO2 emissions.
  • Join a local bikeshare program such as FordgoBike, Spin in South San Francisco, and BayBikes in San Mateo. Biking does not emit any greenhouse gases and is great exercise!
  • Join a rideshare program and carpool. By joining up with co-workers and peers, you’ll significantly reduce miles driven and emit less CO2 emissions. Many rideshare apps are available in our area.
If you’re just getting your feet wet - the basics:
  • Drive more efficiently: Follow these tips to drive more efficiently.
  • Consider virtual meetings or conference calls to reduce traveling to meetings. Zoom is one online platform that allows for virtual conference calls.
If you want to learn even more, check out some of these resources that have tons more tips!
  • Calculate your personal carbon footprint to learn where to have the biggest impact
  • EPA’s data on vehicle emissions.
  • COTAP’s guidelines for reducing carbon footprint.

Welcome to the Earth Month Sustainability Staff Challenge!


What is the Earth Month Staff Challenge? Why are we doing this?
The Earth Month Staff Challenge invites NPS and Parks Conservancy staff to join forces to create meaningful and long-lasting improvements in our sustainable practices, both at home and at work. The staff challenge is intended as a fun and encouraging way to share what we are already doing to reduce our environmental footprint and learn new ways to make sustainable life choices, both individually and collectively. This Staff Challenge also fits with the goals set forth in GOGA’s Climate Change Action Plan which calls for increasing climate change education and encouraging park staff to undertake actions on climate change solutions..

Weekly Themes
Each week in April (Earth Month), your park’s Green Team will provide a focused theme and a list of suggested actions related to that theme. Or, be creative and come up with your own actions! You get to record your activities (online or printable form) to earn points for a raffle with prizes. Do as many actions daily/weekly as you want to earn more points - each recorded activity will earn you one point. The actions you and your colleagues take will improve the overall sustainability practices of the park and get us closer to our goal of 80% participation. If we meet that goal, the Green Team will host a get-together to celebrate our achievements.

Recognition
Participants’ efforts will be recognized in a number of ways. The participants with most number of points will win 1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes at the end of the month. In addition, everyone who submits an entry will be entered into a drawing to receive additional prizes. Other activities that will be recognized are:
- Doing an activity for their first time
-The most ‘’creative’’ activity

Celebration
If park staff meet the goal of 80% participation, a celebration gathering will be held for everyone who participated.












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