Category: PACG Event - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

February Green Drinks - PACG Event

1/18/2022

February Green Drinks - Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative
Tuesday, February 1st at 5:00 pm

Environmental Forum

Join us on Tuesday, February 1st from 5 - 7 pm for our February Green Drinks. You will hear from Jennifer Wendt, Mississippi River Cities & Town Initiative (MRCTI), Plastic Waste Reduction Campaign Manager.

In October 2021, many Quad Cities residents participated in this initiative by tracking litter collected along our waterways. Jennifer will summarize the data collected and share the next step for this initiative with us.

Please register in advance at: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/

Susan Leuthauser

America Recycles Day - Environmental Celebration

11/2/2021

America Recycles Day – November 15th
November Environmental Celebration

America Recycles Day was created by the Keep America Beautiful organization in 1997. Each year on November 15th, millions of people participate by raising awareness of recycling, and by purchasing recycled products. Corporate America has done a pretty good job of recycling paper (66%) and aluminum (65%). However, plastic producers and retailers aren’t doing as well, recycling only 9% of plastic products. Part of the problem is that only plastic products with Plastic Recycling numbers 1 and 2 have a strong market for recycling. The other numbers rarely get recycled. Another problem is that recycling is difficult for some residents without curbside options. Recently, the Rock Island County Waste Management Agency eliminated their four drop-off recycling centers, which had successfully diverted nearly 1000 tons of material from the landfill.

Some states recycle up to 75% of their waste, but Iowa and Illinois only recycle 44% and 37%, respectively. We can, and must do better. Materials that are not recycled are taking up landfill space, and are wasted potential resources. According to the EPA, recycling and reuse activities in the U.S. account for 681,000 jobs, $5.5 billion in tax revenues, and $37.8 billion in wages. Recycling also prevents pollution and saves energy.

Take Action Steps

If you aren’t recycling, start now. It’s easy and reduces your trash. You might be able to use a smaller trash bin, which would reduce your monthly fee.
Keep recyclables clean and dry, and empty and flatten cardboard. Keep plastic bags and wraps out of the recycling bin. They get caught in the machinery that sorts the products.
Special products, such as lithium-ion batteries should not go into recycling bins. They require hazardous waste collection points. Regular alkaline and zinc-carbon batteries are usually collected at participating retailers, because they contain metals which can pose a threat to human health or the environment.
Another way to reduce waste is to reuse products, or reduce purchases in the first place.
Ask your city/county public works department to add recycling containers in local parks, and check on recycling programs in your workplace.
Support companies that offer recycling options for their products, such as Crayola, Calphalon Cookware, Nike, Canon, Amazon Kindle, MAC Cosmetics, Crocs, and Brita.
Recycle your food waste by composting instead of dumping it in the landfill.

November Green Drinks - River Action Programs

10/26/2021

November Green Drinks via Zoom
Tuesday, November 2nd at 5:00 pm

Environmental Forum

Kathy Wine from River Action, Inc. is going to speak to us at our November Green Drinks on Tuesday, November 2nd at 5:00 pm.. She'll share with us the work that River Action staff and members have been doing to improve the waterways in the Quad Cities.

Please R.S.V.P. at zoom.us/meeting/register/

Susan Leuthauser

Annual Picnic and Pie Auction - After Action Report

9/21/2021

9th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction - After Action Report

Fejervary Park, Davenport

PACG Board

The 9th Annual Picnic and Pie Auction on Sunday, September 12th was a HUGE success! We had over 60 people in attendance, who were excited to connect with other progressives in person. Picnic goers interacted with each other over a get-to-know-you BINGO game. A delicious meal was provided by Taste of Ethiopia; information about all the great things PACG is doing was shared; Monarch butterflies were released; and, best of all, we raised close to $1400 with our pie auction! It was a great time!

Check out more great photos on PACG’s Facebook page: Here and here.

Allison Ambrose

World Cleanup Event - After Action Report

9/21/2021

World Clean Up Event - After Action Report

Davenport RiverFront Bike Trail

Environmental Forum

We had 7 energetic volunteers on Saturday, September 18th to clean up along the Davenport RiverFront Bike Trail. We even worked our way into the woods on the north side of the trail, finding tires, a foldable chair, and a cooler of empty beer cans. All told, we collected 8 large bags of trash, and had some fun sharing our energy between PACG, NAACP and CCL (Citizens' Climate Lobby) friends! Thanks to everyone!

Lori McCollum

October Green Drinks - PACG Event

9/21/2021

Green Drinks - How to Reduce Food Waste at Home
Tuesday, October 5th from 5 – 7 pm via Zoom

SPEAKER: Kristin Bogdonas, U of Illinois Extension Service

Do you know that two-thirds of the food waste at home is due to food not being used before it goes bad? Kristin Bogdonas, Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness from the University of Illinois Extension, will give us suggestions about how we can reduce food waste at home.

Please register for this event here.

World Clean Up Day - September Environmental Celebration

8/31/2021

World Clean Up Day - September Environmental Celebration
Saturday, September 18th

Environmental Forum

World Clean Up Day is an annual global social action program aimed at combating solid waste and marine debris. Since the origin of this event in 2008, 180 countries and over 50 million volunteers have participated in clean up events. There is beauty in cooperation and collaboration, and by the simple act of cleaning, we can bind groups together throughout the planet. There are a number of local clean up events happening throughout the year, many of them organized by Xtreme Clean-up, through each city’s park services, or by state or county parks. What if everyone picked up one bag of litter? It doesn’t have to be an organized event. You can participate in an informal clean up yourself, or with family or friends. In these days of COVID, it’s a perfect activity to do with your own safe pod of people.

Take Action Steps:

You can participate by joining this mission through their website: www.worldcleanupday.us, and register for an individual or public clean up event, or find a registered clean up near you.
Additionally, upcoming Xtreme clean-up events can be found here http://www.xstreamcleanup.org/upcoming-events.
And, the Waste Commission of Scott County’s environmental outreach program, iLivehereqc.org, offers clean up supplies for FREE to anyone that would like to do a clean up in their community. Get more information at https://www.ilivehereqc.org/. They request that participants send in results after their clean up which can be submitted through the website: https://www.ilivehereqc.org/Cleanup-Events/Report-Results.aspx.

Earth Day Fair 2021 - After Action Report

5/25/2021

Earth Day Fair 2021 - After Action Report

Environmental Forum

On Saturday, May 22nd, PACG's Environmental Forum, along with sponsors, the Freight House Farmers Market and WVIK Quad Cities 90.3 FM, held the third annual Earth Day Fair.

We had such a successful day! The weather was excellent, despite a few sprinkles early in the morning. We had 20 vendors, including conservation, environmental, and outdoor activity organizations. The Metrolink electric bus returned after missing last year due to COVID. The Iowa State University Conservation Station was a hit, with its child-centered activities. We had five different musical groups, as well!

Based on the number of people circulating through the tables and decking, everyone enjoyed the event!

See you all again next year!

See more photographs on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PACGEF/permalink/4041850522573444/

Lori McCollum

What You Can Do Now - Go Plastic Straw-Free with Nicolina

5/23/2021

Earth Day Fair 2021 Was a Huge Success!

A Message from the President

PACG's Environmental Forum organized and presented the Earth Day Fair at the Freight House Farmer's Market on Saturday, May 22nd. It was evident that a lot of work went into making this event a success. Read the After Action Report from the Forum in this WEU, with more details about the incredible day. The linked Facebook post has almost 50 pictures of all of the activity. Thank you to the Freight House for providing the space for this delightful gathering!

In the meantime, I want to highlight one of the most impressive vendors at the fair - Nicolina's Turtle Company!

It was started by Nicolina when she was 8 years old! She was alarmed when she learned about the harmful environmental effects of plastic, and knew that she wanted to do something to make a difference.

One day she noticed her big sister - who was using a stainless steel straw in an effort to cut down on her own plastic footprint - put her straw directly into her backpack. It occurred to Nicolina that it would be a lot more sanitary if the straw could be put in some sort of a bag or container to keep it cleaner. She took sewing lessons and then asked her to mother help her design lined pouches. Nicolina's Straw Pouches were born!

Pouches can be purchased for $10. This includes one stainless steel straw. An extra $3 buys a small brush that can be used to thoroughly clean inside the straws. Each pouch is large enough to carry several stainless steel straws and the brush securely. The fabrics are bright and fun, and the pouches are closed with colorful snaps. Nicolina and her mother have enlisted community volunteers to help make pouches.

But, with the pouches, Nicolina was just getting started on her environmental journey! Merely creating Nicolina's Turtle Company, the pouches, a website and donating to local environmental groups, were not enough projects for her! She decided to approach schools and restaurants to ask them to stop using plastic straws. Restaurants now only offer straws when customers ask for them, and her school has stopped using plastic straws completely!

Nicolina is also working with the QC Straw Free Initiative, sponsored by the Quad City Earth Coalition, to spread this concept across the Quad Cities.

Read more about this amazing young person at her website: https://nicolinasturtleco.com.

By the way, these items are available from Nicolina's website. I bought a bunch of them! They will make stocking stuffers or other gifts for my own (adult) children.

If you wish to purchase larger quantities of stainless steel straws so that you can reduce your plastic footprint, they are available locally at many stores.

If you sew and have scraps of material lying around, consider helping in these efforts. You may also want to make a donation to help her save the environment from plastic and fund local environmental education.

I was touched to see the impact that these children are having on our Quad Cities community. What can you do to help the Earth?

Allison Ambrose

June Green Drinks - Live Lead Free QC Zoom Presentation

5/18/2021

June Green Drinks
Tuesday, June 1st at 5:00 pm CANCELED

Online

Unfortunately Mr. Knobbe is unable to be with us Tuesday. This Green Drinks meeting is canceled and will be rescheduled for a future time. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Environmental Forum

Join us at our June Green Drinks on June 1 at 5 pm on Zoom. Tony Knobbe, President of Live Lead Free QC, will share with us what this group has been doing to address childhood lead poisoning in our area.

Register for the meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGpqTIsH9fD6ssFCjEteY09ZHZ41w6m

Susan Leuthauser