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A letter, the first in a four-part series…

My Kin, I think often about your quality of life and health as I live my own with joy. What we do now will affect you and I’m trying to be aware and base my actions with this knowledge. I’ve worked hard to save natural resources by recycling and preventing our precious planet from filling up with garbage. Turning food waste back into soil has been helpful, but we humans still waste too much and not everything can be reused. My family–your ancestors–has been able to usually succeed in generating one small bag of garbage a week, but I know over time that adds up, and I’m trying to waste less. 

My Kin, we strive to reduce what comes in by taking our own cups, cutlery, bags, and containers to stores, restaurants, and potlucks. I hope you’re not reeling from the repercussions of our plastics, that once amazing invention from the early 1900s that later proved to be environmentally destructive. Can you believe they’re even finding remnants of it in our bodies? Our family tries to avoid this nemesis by using toothpaste tabs, shampoo bars, and metal and glass containers, but it’s challenging–plastics are so convenient and seem unavoidable. We’re decent at not buying special drinks in plastic, drinking our clean tap water, and buying foods unpackaged. Our paper products, like TP, paper towels, and copy paper from our treasured trees are usually made from post-consumer content, and when we can, we try to avoid using them at all (except the TP!). 

My Kin, we sometimes need or like to buy new clothes, shoes, gear, and furniture, and we prioritize thrift stores over buying something new, but it can be challenging. We rarely order anything online, as that results in packaging waste and trucks, boats, or planes polluting our environment to deliver them. When we buy cars, electronics, and homes–immense resource hogs–we try to buy them used, but our generation seems to thrive on consumption, and the responsible choices aren’t always available.

My Kin, I think often about what I have now–clean water and air, trees, wild animals, land and food–and I can only hope you’re experiencing the same. Please know we are all trying… 

By Mary Closser

A few weeks ago, I went to New York to visit some college friends. When I opened their trash can, it was full of cans and plastic jugs. As probably the second-biggest recycling stickler in Park City (close behind the woman who trained me), I had to ask why there were cans in the trash can when there was a perfectly good curbside recycling bin sitting outside the front door. They gave excuses—recycling doesn’t work, it’s a hassle—but later, over a glass of wine, the real reason came out: with so many heavy issues in the world, it just didn’t seem important.

I get it. In many similar conversations with my friends, we eventually get to a point of someone–often, myself–saying “it’s too much”. Too many crises, too many injustices, all piling on until the only response left is frustration or dread. Most days, I turn off KPCW when NPR comes on because I just don’t have the capacity to hear the bad news. And when we’re already stretched thin, it’s hard to hold space for environmental issues on top of everything else.

With so much tragedy in the world, our focus is pulled in a million directions. Climate change, by comparison, feels disregarded or left out, its impacts slow-moving, scattered, and often invisible in the moment. Why pay attention to a slightly warmer summer when the news is full of families being torn apart? I’m not asking anyone to change what they care about—it’s all important. But I do think we need to keep environmental issues in the background, because the background of every other issue is, ultimately, the environment.

If we let the environment slip too far, it becomes harder to deal with other urgent issues because everything depends on a livable planet. You don’t stop changing the oil just because you’re busy with other repairs. If you do, the whole car breaks down.

I think right now, we should all be aiming for maintenance-level engagement when we can. Don’t feel guilty about not doing everything, but don’t give up on everything either. Keep it simple: recycle when you can, pick up trash when you can, eat less meat when you can. Try to find ways to weave the environment into your thoughts or conversations on other topics–there’s always a connection. There’s no social justice without environmental justice.

By Chelsea Hafer

Almonds require an abundance of water to grow. But what about almond milk? Oat, soy, coconut, pea, or… good old dairy? Which is most sustainable? Calculating the water and carbon footprint of milk is complicated, as multiple stages are considered. First, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with raising a cow or plant, turning the raw material into the final product, packaging it, and shipping it is considered.

Second is the water use. Other factors include where the food was produced, how much land was required to grow it, and the use of pesticides, fertilizers, and antibiotics. The following results, through the World Resources Institute, considered the GHG and liters of water needed to produce one cup of milk:

● Plant-based milks typically have 1/3 the emissions of cow’s milk, and most use
significantly less water.
● Pea protein milk wins the prize for most sustainable milk, when considering GHG and water! Results revealed that its water footprint was 86% lower than cow’s milk.
● Soy milk wins second and oat and coconut trailed closely behind.
● Almond milk is good for our climate, but uses similar quantities of water as cow’s milk. This is important to consider if the almonds are being grown in a water-scarce region (eg. California).

Protein content was also measured, especially for Americans, known on average to consume more protein than is needed. Pea and soy milk were relatively high in protein content, like dairy, whereas oat and coconut milks were lower. Almond milk surprisingly contained very little protein.

Our food choices vary, including cost, taste, dietary restrictions, access, nutritional content, traditions, and more. Perhaps it’s time, however, to add environmental impact to this list? Next time at the market, consider trying a milk with a smaller footprint. If cow’s milk is your calling, consider buying it from a local, organic farm.

By Mary Closser

Lunch and Learn Recap: Transportation
“The Future of the Employee Commute” was the topic of the November Lunch and Learn. Some takeaways from our speakers included: 

1. Cultivating a flexible and productive culture in an ever-evolving remote work environment. By ensuring everyone is in the office together at least once a week, allowing more flexibility to those who are unable to work remotely, and maintaining a healthy day-to-day communication, your business can improve retention while also reducing vehicles on the road. 

2. Alternative transportation needs employer support. PC Transportation found that the #1 determinant for commuters to choose alternative transportation was having an employer that supports sustainable commuting. Take Park City Lodging, which provides a $3/day carpool incentive, accessible bike racks, and a shower for the active transporters.

Public transportation in Summit County is expanding with broader routes, more frequent pickups, and improved service. But alternative options go beyond the bus!

In winter, biking and walking can be tough—so why not carpool? Local businesses like Cole Sport and JANS (in addition to PC Lodging) offer cash or store credit incentives ($2–$5 per employee, per day) for carpooling. Employees benefit, traffic and emissions drop, and new parking spots appear—a win win for all!

Visit RideOn Park City to learn more about alternative transportation options in Summit County!