The votes are in, it’s a draw! Last week, Homer Drawdown gathered to hear the solution pitches and cast votes to decide where the local climate solution community will direct their energy next. Both solutions were popular, and when the time came to decide, the votes came in as an exact tie.
Since both solutions fell under the umbrella of improving our waste streams, the Homer Drawdown group decided to compromise, and move forward working on the most feasible and popular elements of each solution. Our next meeting, during which we will choose which elements to focus on, will take place Tuesday, December 9th at the Kachemak Bay Campus. Come as early as 5:30pm to share a soup supper, our meeting will kick off at 6pm.
Solution proposal #1, entitled SCRAPS, focused on municipal recycling and composting. The Homer drawdown team proposed that we could make a difference through a combination of recycling and composting activities, including:
- Supporting businesses to set up systems to utilize existing can and glass recycling options
- Volunteering at the transfer site to help people sort recyclables.
- Engaging with schools educate youth about recycling and improve their recycling systems
- Mobilizing for composting and recycling advocacy opportunities at the City, Borough, and State level.
The group felt that Solution #1 would be timely and potentially impactful, as community and local government attention on the solid waste department has recently grown after the breakdown of Soldotna’s plastic bailer, and with the loss of tin recycling going away in Homer. It was
Solution proposal #2, entitled Waste Not, narrowed the focus to reducing food waste, and was also popular amongst Homer Drawdown participants because the problem of food waste clearly needs to be addressed. We learned from Project Drawdown that around the world, one third of all food is never eaten. Food waste, is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, from methane released from food rotting in landfills and other supply chain activities. Volunteer leaders proposed we take a multipronged approach to reduce food waste locally. Some tactics the group proposed included:
- Hosting food preservation workshops
- Diverting more food to the food pantry and the free fridge from local restaurants and other institutions
- Targeting fish waste on the spit
- Creating a community compost network resource that identifies organic waste sources and local composters willing to receive organic waste.
There are more ways to get involved than ever! If you are in the Homer area and want to make an impact, join us for our next meeting:
Date: Tuesday December 9th
Time: 5:30pm Soup Supper | 6pm Meeting
Location: Kachemak Bay Campus