Field Trip
Join us as we tour the new Escondido EDCO Recycling facility on October 5 at 10am. The tour will be approximately 1.5 hours. It will require a bit of walking with lots of steps. The plan is to tour both the recycling processing facility along with the Anaerobic Digester. All participants will be required to wear closed toe shoes.
The 70,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility can process 100,000 pounds of commingled recycling per hour using a series of screens, magnets, high-speed optic scanners and conveyors to separate mixed loads of recyclable material. The material recovery facility was built as part of the company’s effort to work toward the goal of achieving zero waste throughout the region.
Register for the tour, which will be limited to 15 people.
Still Confused About Measure B in the City of San Diego?
Read the Fact Sheet and White Paper at There's No Free Trash on the SEAC page of the LWV San Diego website.
The Effects of Climate Change on Public Health
Dr. Wilma Wooten, Director of Public Health Services for San Diego County, and Kristen Guirguis, Scripps Scientist on regional and global climate change, joined our September meeting to talk about the effects of climate change on public health. WHO, American Public Health Association plus 74 other groups believe climate change and its effect on health is currently one of our greatest challenges and a health emergency. Dr. Wooten focused on San Diego County’s greatest health factors which are extreme heat, wildfires, and vector borne diseases. Kristen focused on extreme weather conditions and the ability to more accurately forecast weather such as heat waves, atmospheric rivers, and Santa Ana winds.
Climate change affects the health of everyone in San Diego County, but in particular, extreme conditions affect the health of the unsheltered population, people who live in areas where there is no tree canopy, and people who live in high heat areas but do not have air conditioning. Wildfires add to air pollution and particulates cause irritation in the eyes, lung, and throat; asthma attacks; heart disease and premature death. The heat, particulate matter, and combustion is ten times worse from fires than any other source.
As individuals, we can check our neighborhood hazards on this website: Cal OES My Hazards. You can check the pollen count or air quality, or be guided in making a disaster plan. Register for AlertSanDiego to be notified via phone of emergencies that might affect your neighborhood. To help get smoking vehicles off the road, take a photo of the license plate and submit it to Report Smoking Vehicles.
Join us as we continue this most important conversation. Let's work on how SEAC can contribute to ongoing education and advocate for safe and healthy neighborhoods in a changing climate.
The Environmental Justice Subcommittee meets the 4th Tuesday of every month at 10:00 am. Join through the LWVSD calendar.
If you would like to view Dr. Wooten’s presentation, click here: Effects of Climate Change on Public Health
Sustainability Tips for Extreme Heat
Thank you to the Red Cross for this information on staying cool in extreme heat or Santa Ana conditions!
Prepare Your Home
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Cover windows with drapes or shades.
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Weather-strip doors and windows.
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Use window reflectors, such as aluminum foil-covered cardboard, to reflect heat back outside.
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Add insulation to keep the heat out.
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Use a powered attic ventilator or attic fan to regulate the heat level of your attic by clearing hot air.
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Install window air conditioners and insulate around them.
Plan to Go to a Cool Place
Spending a few hours each day in air conditioning can help prevent or reduce heat-related illness. If you do not have air conditioning in your home, identify a place where you can spend the warmest part of the day during an extreme heat event.
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Contact a nearby neighbor, friend or relative who has air conditioning.
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Check to see if shopping malls or public libraries are open.
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Find out if your community plans to open public cooling centers.
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Drink plenty of fluids: Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. Avoid sugary, caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. Avoid icy beverages because they can cause stomach cramps.
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Replace salt and minerals: Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from your body that need to be replaced. A sports drink or a snack can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat.
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Keep pets hydrated: Provide plenty of fresh water for your pets and leave the water in a shady area.
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Warning: If your doctor limits the amount of water you drink or has you on water pills, ask how much you should drink while the weather is hot. If you are on a low-salt diet, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic conditions, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage.
Stay Cool
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Stay cool indoors: Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible.
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Wear appropriate clothing: Choose lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing.
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Don't use an electric fan when the indoor air temperature is over 95°F. Using a fan can be more harmful than helpful when indoor air temperatures are hotter than your body temperature. Fan use may cause your body to gain heat instead of losing it. Focus on staying hydrated, taking a cool shower or bath to cool your body, shutting out the sun and heat with curtains, and moving to an air-conditioned place to cool off.
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Use your stove and oven less.
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Schedule outdoor work and other activities carefully. Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it's coolest, such as morning and evening hours. Rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to recover.
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Cut down on exercise during the heat.
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When outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen that says "broad spectrum" or "UVA/UVB protection."
Water Interest Group
by Anne Omsted
Next meeting: Kim Thorner, General Manager of the Olivenhain Municipal Water District on challenges related to climate change, drought, recycling water, federal grants, state laws, and meeting future demands, on Tuesday, October 4 at 3pm. Join with Zoom.
The Water Interest Group had Anne MacKinnon of Wyoming visit with us on Zoom and discuss Colorado River issues from an Upper Basin state perspective. Read more about Anne and her views.