Beth Am Sustainability Update

By Cindy Anderson of Beth Am's Dayenu Circle

As summer winds down and we approach our High Holy Days and times of reflection and awe, we recall that our faith compels us to take care of and restore the land that provides for us and on which we live. Your Beth Am Dayenu Circle has some tips and ideas for easy personal actions you and your family can take to preserve and restore our planet. We hope you will consider doing one or more of the following, in accordance with Pirke Avot’s teaching: "It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it."

1. Turn down the thermostat, check your furnace, or upgrade to a heat pump.
Colder autumn weather and shorter days can lead to increased energy usage, resulting in higher electricity bills. Your furnace is a core component of your house — it keeps you warm. This fall, think about how you can make your home more sustainable by optimizing your furnace and vents. You might also consider looking into upgrading to a heat pump system. Check with Silicon Valley Clean Energy (Peninsula) or with Peninsula Clean Energy (San Mateo County) to learn more and understand rebates. If you are not ready to upgrade or you rent, then consider cleaning and inspecting your furnace to make sure that it is working properly, and that heat is getting to all parts of your home. You can also turn down the thermostat and keep a cozy sweater or fuzzy fleece and some throw blankets handy to save energy. Upgrading, routine maintenance, and lowering the thermostat are all small actions that help you be more sustainable, and you might even save money by reducing home energy costs!

2. Try energy-saving light bulbs and other ways to save energy.
How many light bulbs does it take to start being a little more sustainable? Just one! Start the season with sustainability in mind by swapping out traditional light bulbs for LED or energy-saving light bulbs. You can find them everywhere. LED bulbs are generally the most energy-efficient lighting option you can buy for your home because they provide the most light while using the least electricity. While LED bulbs might have a higher upfront cost, they will save you money in the long run thanks to their durability and low energy use. Shine a light on sustainability by swapping your bulbs this fall. Remember to turn off the lights when you leave the room and to unplug appliances, especially the TV, when you are not using them or are leaving town. That saves energy too.

3. Get educated and shop local.
If you would like to learn more about the things you can do to be more sustainable, useful information and resources are available through the Beth Am Dayenu Circle article Be More Sustainable – Get Involved and Learn About Climate Action, and you can watch a video from our recent event with Rabbi Shelly Lewis sharing information from his book “How Precious the Ground on Which We Stand: Jewish Values that Could Save the Earth”. Check out your local library for many films and books that have great information about how you can become sustainable. The Palo Alto Library has lots of information and some sustainability kits you can check out. As you shop, think about making your weekly routine more sustainable by shopping at local farms, markets, or other places where locally grown foods are sold. There are many year-round farmers markets that we can enjoy. Compared to conventionally-grown foods, locally grown foods require less energy to transport and also generate fewer greenhouse gases when produced. Check out our sustainability partner Right On Refillery in downtown Los Altos or other similar businesses near you for a way to reduce plastics for your liquid products. Simply talking about sustainability with friends and family also keeps it on everyone’s radar and helps us all learn new ways to be sustainable.

4. Practice green cleaning.
With High Holy Day preparations just around the corner, you may already be thinking about cleaning up your home. Consider using green cleaning options instead of chemical-laden products that are harmful to the environment. While you can find plenty of eco-friendly cleaners in most retail stores, you can also easily make your own at home. With just a few ingredients, such as lemons, vinegar, and baking soda, you can make a variety of strong cleaning supplies to tackle the toughest messes in your home. If you use a cleaning service, see if they are willing to shift to more sustainable cleaning supplies as well. It’s healthier for you, your family and your pets and gets the job done. A side benefit is that you no longer need to purchase plastic containers of cleaning supplies repeatedly. 

5. Reduce your plastic — make yogurt the old-fashioned way.
If you eat yogurt regularly and appreciate its nutrition and high calcium content, you can satisfy your appetite, enjoy healthy and delicious yogurt, reduce your grocery budget, and eliminate a significant amount of plastic waste from containers by making your own yogurt! You can use a yogurt maker which is very easy to use. There are many available, including the EuroCuisine Digital Yogurt Maker, a reasonably priced set at around $50 on Amazon that our Dayenu Circle leader Cindy Anderson uses and recommends. (See below for more tips from Cindy on making your own yogurt.) You can find other options online and you can also search for recipes (like this one) that use a Crock Pot to make the yogurt. With either method, the recipe calls for using only milk and a small container of plain yogurt to use as a “starter.” You can create your homemade yogurt. Making yogurt is fun and healthy, and you can add flavoring, honey, your favorite fruit, or whatever you enjoy, knowing that you are eliminating plastics.

6. Please save the date for our Erev Shabbat Service with a focus on sustainability.
Join our Beth Am Dayenu Circle and Sustainability Action teams on Friday, October 17 at 6:15 PM in the Sanctuary for an Erev Shabbat service with a focus on sustainability. Climate change and climate justice are core to our Jewish values, and we will feature some great information and actions you can take to help in this fight against climate change in an effort to preserve our planet. LEARN MORE

To embrace a sustainable fall, focus on conserving energy, supporting local and seasonal practices, and reducing plastics. Every one of us has something we can do, and whatever you do makes a difference! If you want to get involved with our Dayenu Circle, we have lots of opportunities to engage. Contact us at dayenucircle@betham.org and someone will be in touch soon! 

Cindy Anderson's Yogurt Making Tips
I love to eat yogurt and appreciate its nutrition and high calcium content. I did not appreciate, however, all the plastic waste my yogurt containers created. A friend suggested I check out a yogurt maker. I learned it’s incredibly easy to use, less expensive, healthier, and produces much less plastic waste.

I opted to buy a EuroCuisine Digital Yogurt Maker, which was about $50 on Amazon. Alternatively, you can use a Crock Pot, Instant Pot, or other alternative way to heat milk at a constant low temperature for an extended period of time.

To make yogurt, you will need 6 cups of milk and a small container of plain yogurt to use as a “starter.”

Steps:

• Heat up about 6 cups of milk (nonfat, low-fat, or whole) until it reaches a temperature of at least 180 degrees (right before boiling). I heat mine in a microwave and use a thermometer to check its temperature.
• Set the bowl aside and let it cool to room temperature (about 95 degrees).
• Stir in 1 cup of plain yogurt. The yogurt can either be purchased from a store or from a previous batch of homemade yogurt.
• Pour the mixture into the seven jars that come with the system.
• Place the jars, without their lids, into the yogurt maker. Cover the maker with its lid and turn it on for at least 8 hours. (The specific time required depends on the type of milk used.)
• After eight hours, you will have 7 jars of perfect yogurt. You can add flavoring, honey, your favorite fruit, etc. Refrigerate and enjoy the next day!