Learn about strategic and sustainable solutions!
March 2018
Strategy: May the Forest Be With You
Did you know t here is at least one National Forest in all but ten states: Connecticut , Delaware , Hawaii, Iowa , Kansas , Maryland , Massachusetts , North Dakota , New Jersey , and Rhode Island (although Kansas and North Dakota have national grasslands)? In addition, Puerto Rico contains El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rain forest in the United States national forest system.

According to the Nature Conservancy , forests in the United States:
  • store and filter more than half of the nation’s water supply;
  • provide jobs to 1 million forest product workers;
  • generate $13.6 billion in recreation-based economic activity on U.S. Forest Service lands alone;
  • are habitat to more than 4,000 forest-dependent wildlife and plant species, 27 percent of which are at risk to extinction;
  • offer a million square miles to sportsmen and families for outdoor recreation;
  • are a major carbon sink that sequester 15 percent of all fossil fuel emissions in the United States.

Forest conservation is the practice of planning and maintaining forested areas for the benefit and sustainability of future generations. I n Maryland, forests are being cleared at an unsustainable rate. With the Chesapeake Bay Foundation , the Sierra Club , and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters , on behalf of Pearlstone Center , Joan Plisko joined forces in February to rally Maryland representatives in support of a stronger Forest Conservation Act (FCA) in Maryland! What can you do to promote forest conservation in your state?
Forest Conservationists surround the Lorax, Annapolis, MD
Forest Conservationists gave each member of Maryland's House and Senate a copy of the Lorax
"Unless someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not."
Integration: Get Outside to Combat Nature Deficit Disorder
Need some new ideas to improve your health and well being? Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv brings together a growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. The human brain develops differently when it is exposed to the sights, sounds, smells, and touches of nature. Read this informative book to:

  1. Learn about research that shows direct exposure to nature is essential for the physical and emotional health of children and adults.
  2. Understand the Leave No Child Inside movement
  3. Take action -- there are 100 actions for creating change in your community, school, and family.
  4. Talk Talk Talk About It -- there are 35 discussion points to inspire people of all ages to talk about the importance of nature in their lives.
Red Twig Dogwood at Longwood Gardens, PA
Results: Greenest Cars for 2018
Joan testing out a Tesla, Washington, DC
For 2018, according to Forbes, many of the top green cars are full-electric vehicles (EV). Receiving highest marks, or Green Score, is the Hyundai Ioniq Electric hatchback, with an operating range of 124 miles. Scores are based on vehicle's overall impact to the environment, including manufacturing disposal impact, and energy sources, among other criteria. Interestingly, the environmental impact of a given plug-in model will vary depending on where the car is primarily used, as impact depends on the effect to which the local power source used to generate electricity affects the air, ground, and water. Here is the top ten list:

           (Green Score) Car
  1. (70) Hyundai Ioniq Electric
  2. (68) Smart for Two Electric Drive Coupe
  3. (68) BMW i3BEV
  4. (67) Tesla Model 3 Long Range
  5. (66) Kia Soul EV
  6. (66) Chevrolet Bolt EV
  7. (65) Hyundai Ioniq Blue
  8. (64) Toyota Prius Eco
  9. (64) Ford Focus Electric
  10. (63) Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid
Charging station at Parks and People Foundation, Baltimore
Chargepoint is the the world’s largest and most open EV charging network which allows for a complete and convenient charging experience at home and about town.  There are 16,000 public charging stations in the U.S., with nearly 43,000 individual charging connectors or plugs, based on federal government data.

The federal government and a number of states offer financial incentives, including tax credits, for lowering the up-front costs of plug-in EV. The federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax credit is for $2,500 to $7,500 per new EV purchased for use in the U.S. The size of the tax credit depends on the size of the vehicle and its battery capacity.
 


About Plisko Sustainable Solutions
Joan at Orchid Curtain, Longwood Gardens, PA
Joan Plisko, PhD, President
Marc Plisko, CIH, Vice President
The mission of Plisko Sustainable Solutions, LLC is to catalyze positive health, environmental, and social change through improved customer performance, economic savings, and enhanced social awareness.