Going Green in Herkimer County

Going green can be defined as learning and practicing healthier living habits that produce an ecologically friendlier environment. This is an important concept to preserve our earth.

In Herkimer County, there are a handful of people willing to step up to the plate to inform the public about preserving the earth.  One of them is Jaime Tuttle.  Jaime Tuttle works for Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste and is a School Recycling Coordinator.  She spreads her knowledge in Herkimer County and visits elementary schools, high schools and colleges.  She teaches the importance of putting recyclables in a recyclable bin.  By doing this, the recyclables are then sent to manufactures to be reused.  This lowers the cost of making more products, and is saving space in landfills. The Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority has made is easier and simpler for individuals to become active in recycling.  No longer do we have to sift through our garbage’s and separate, paper, glass and cans, it can all be placed into black bin, provided by your garbage company.  

Other greening efforts in which Jaime Tuttle is participating in is incorporating the Earth Tub in local schools, which is a small scale, in vessel composting system which is used for recycling organic waste materials. It can mix and shred food as well.   This is ideal for large institutions such as businesses or schools.  Another project in which Tuttle is active in is called the Zero Waste Challenge which occurs in local schools.  It involves students learning to make less trash at lunch so in the future they can apply this aspect to their daily life. Whichever school has the lowest percentage of waste, wins. Recycling bins and composts should be available to each school participating in the challenge.  These kinds of environmentally friendly competitions get kids involved in preserving the earth.

Herkimer County Community College is becoming green by taking action by preserving energy.  Thomas Stock, a Science professor at Herkimer College is the director of the Green Club, which implements green practices.  Thomas Stock explained that Herkimer College has changed their light bulbs to fluorescent lights, implements the three R’s, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and even has a compost located on campus. HCCC has also installed sensors in some of the classrooms, turning off lights automatically when no movement is detected.  In classrooms that don’t have sensor detectors, there are stickers on each light informing students and faculty members to turn off lights when leaving the classroom. The school has also installed a new air conditioning system which is more effective and uses less energy.  There is also a Park Pick-Up Day which the Green Club as well as students at the college participate in.  By going green, and taking measures to preserve energy, the college has been able to stay within their budget while helping the earth. 

Christine Shahin is an activist and eco-friendly leader.  She is interested in educating others about going green and preserving the earth’s natural resources.  In her efforts, she has introduced the Green Team, which promotes awareness of going green and educates others in Herkimer County.   She has taught healthier, greening tips to individuals nationally and internationally such as not using harmful chemicals, avoiding plastics, using a compost, and overall producing less pollution.  In the past she was the Executive Director of Kids Against Pollution and taught kids grades 5-12 to respect the environment.   To keep the spirit of greening alive, she awarded the Little Falls Co-Op for practicing healthy lifestyles which helps to preserve the earth’s resources.

Shahin owns a salon in Little Falls at 410 Canal Place, on the second floor, which offers all natural make-up, and promotes eco friendly life styles to her customers.  At Faces of Astarte, Shahin doesn’t use any chemicals in the product she sells, such as shampoos, conditioners, lotions, face creams and make-up.  She uses a compost, and reusable bags at her salon.  Shahin’s long term goals include her Green Team spreading the message across to other local businesses to reduce, reuse, recycle, have a compost, and eventually live off the grid, by means of wind and not fossil fuels. 

Terry Stanly works for Iberdrola Renewables as the Plant Manager of Hardscrabble Wind Project.  His team brought windmills to Herkimer County.   Some individuals are for or against windmills coming into this area for a few different reasons.  Some are against windmills because they may take up space, and disrupt natural habitats. However, windmills are tall, but do not take up a lot of space.    They do not disrupt many habitats when built, and if a habitat is disrupted, then the company is required to make a new habitat a short distance away from the original one.  Windmills are extremely beneficial to Herkimer County and the people who live there because they are energy efficient.  Windmills which are also called wind turbines, which run off from wind, and use hardly any electricity to power themselves. Wind, which is essential to these turbines, is an unlimited, free source of power which produces zero pollution.  Because of windmill’s  their carbon footprint is minimally evasive to the environment. Other benefits include long-run reduction in energy and lower energy expenses.

Herkimer County has taken huge strides in order to preserve our earth thanks to Jaime Tuttle; who is reaching out to students and educating them on the importance of recycling and composting. Thomas Stock, who is passing on his knowledge to his students ad implementing the Green Club. Christine Shahin, a local business owner and advocate of going green and Terry Stanley who helped bring windmills to our community for cleaner and efficient energy.