Mission

The mission of the Green Task Force is to identify, advance and promote strategies, policies and practices aimed at minimizing negative environmental impact and maximizing benefits to the environment as a resource for WPRA members and others.

Mandate - The Task Force shall fulfill its mandate through the following:

·         Review and craft strategies for the development of green policies/recommendations for parks and recreation services and operations.

·         Promote environmentally friendly alternatives.

·         Research and investigate other green programs, policies and procedures in other agencies.

·         Develop effective communication methods to share information with the WPRA membership.

·         Develop criteria for a WPRA Green Award.

·         Review and make recommendations to the WPRA President on the greening of WPRA related services and operations.

·         Promote environmentally friendly alternatives in the state association office.

·         Communicate the effectiveness and benefits of a green plan to regional and section members with a view to expanding the program.

 Members 

Chair:  Yvonne Monfils

Vice-Chair: Sasha Snapp

2 times: U.S. food prices are rising at twice the rate of inflation. Co-op prices are generally 10-40 percent below packaged versions of the same items.

4,000 years: Amount of time it takes a glass bottle to decompose in a landfill.

2-3 times: Arctic ice mass is warming faster than the global average.

$364 or 5 percent of energy bills: Amount saved in one year by plugging your power-draining items into a power-string and switching it off when not in use.

$120: Money saved in one year by renting direct-mail movies.

$82: Money saved in one year by switching to eco-friendly cleaning products such as white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and olive oil.

·          Pets exposed to household and lawn pesticides, herbicides and cleaning products have been found to be four to seven times more likely to contract deadly diseases.

·          Beauty products often contain pthalates, formaldehyde, parabens and other chemicals that have harmed animals in lab tests.

·          Pthalates, found in 97 percent of Americans tested, have been linked to liver and kidney damage and effects on baby boys' reproductive organs with prenatal exposure.

Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association

Greening Trends Continue

Since parks and recreation represents a portion of the preservation and environmental movements, it is critical we keep pace with the latest trends in “greening”. As you review these two trends, please consider ways in which your agency can make changes to position yourself as environmentally friendly in a more public way.

Precycling

A new trend called “precycling” is growing among eco-conscious consumers. Early adopters and the eco-conscious are no longer satisfied with using recycling bins for bottles, cans, and papers. These consumers would prefer more sustainable living practices such as bulk buying to avoid excess packaging and reusing water bottles and shopping bags. In its May Cassandra Report, The Intelligence Group found that 45% of trendsetters and 14% of mainstream consumers have "cut down on bottled water purchases" in the past six months. Forty-nine percent and 16% respectively have "cut down on use of plastic bags" over this same time period.

Precycling evolved out of a trend the market research and consulting firm spotted in 2007, which it called “wasted.” It is becoming a more popular viewpoint than recycling cans, bottles, paper and such . Precyclers remove themselves from junk mail lists, read paper-based media online and even carry around “precycling kits” consisting of cloth napkins and silverware—anything to reduce waste and not contribute to the recycling bin.

(Source: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/08/14/more-consumers-precycling/)

Eco-architecture

How does a playground made entirely from trees or a bus stop growing its own shade foliage sound to you? Such possibilities are not beyond consideration but the concept of shaping living trees into useful objects known as "arborsculpture" is not.

Initial projects are now underway in the United States , Australia and Israel include park benches for hospitals, playground structures, streetlamps and gates. “ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164300.htm

 Corporations and the Environment

According to environmental LEADER , the executive's daily green briefing, approximately 25% of Fortune 500 companies now have a board committee overseeing environmental issues. This compares to fewer than 10% having such committees just five years ago.  Marty Kosobucki, President of WPRA in 2009 has already created a WPRA Green Task Force to identify and develop “green” practices that park and recreation agencies can implement.

The purpose of these committees is to ensure decision makers effectively handle conservation efforts, new environmentally-friendly ventures, compliance with environmental regulations and related business risks.

However, there is still a gap regarding industry and the environment. According to a survey by KPMG, less than one-fifth of the energy industries reported sustainability as a permanent agenda item at board meetings and an additional 29% indicated the topic was never raised as board meetings

Source: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/08/13/corporate-boards-paying-attention-to-environmental-issues/

 P please don't print this page unless you really need to

Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association

Make Recycling one of your “working green” resolutions

 As a WPRA member, we recycle:

·        Batteries:  put them in an interoffice envelope marked “batteries” for proper disposal

·        Beverage Containers:  place them in the “beverage containers only” bin in your break room

·        Inkjet & Toner Cartridges:  take them to your mail station where they’ll be picked up.  Some churches recycle these for cash.

·        Paper:  use the “office paper only” recycle bin

·        Cardboard:  break down boxes and leave outside your cubicle for proper recycling

·        Phone Books:  recycle old phone books, use online phone books at http://sacyellowpages.dgs.ca.gov

Find out more at                                                                          

http://workinggreen.dgs.ca.gov