October’s Breath of Fresh Air
A new month calls for the chance to adopt new habits and seize opportunities to promote cleaner air in North Texas. As we embrace the cooler weather by heading out to enjoy fall events like pumpkin patches and the State Fair of Texas, it’s an ideal time to consider the environmental impact of our choices. Here’s how engaging with your community can lead to cleaner air in the region:
Go Green at the State Fair
The State Fair of Texas is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated events of the Fall. In addition to the savory fried foods and joyful rides, it’s making an impact by creating sustainable lives for the neighboring zip codes by providing support in housing and transportation. The fair website also offers different transportation methods to get to its grounds such as using the Trinity Rail Express, Denton County A-train, and ridesharing!
By sharing a ride, you can contribute to a cleaner atmosphere and reduce traffic congestion. Considering these efforts, look out for recycling bins and be conscious of your waste because you have the power to make an impact too!
Support Local Farms
Attending events requires some traveling which is a great opportunity to practice reduced emission travel alternatives! Getting ready for the spooky season? Combine your Halloween activities into a single trip and use a navigation app to avoid rush hour traffic to help reduce vehicle emissions. Many local farms open to the public to host pumpkin patches and corn mazes. This is a great opportunity to turn up the thermostat, conserve energy and plan a fun outing to a pumpkin patch! Supporting local farms reduces emissions associated with long-distance trips. Here are a few local gems you won’t want to miss:
Blase Family Farm: Located in Rockwall, Texas, the farm offers blueberry picking during the summer and transforms its farm into an eventful pumpkin patch for you and your family.
Halls Pumpkin Patch: If you live on the west side of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Halls is another great family-owned pumpkin patch to check out!
Cleburne’s Pumpkin Patch: For those down in Johnson County, Cleburne boasts a family-owned pumpkin patch dedicated to supporting families in times of need.
October Initiatives
Enhance your green space this autumn by planting trees and shrubs. It’s the perfect season, as it gives trees ample time to establish their roots before spring! If pumpkin carving is an activity for you, consider using all the pumpkin – seeds for snacking or a future pumpkin patch, pulp for a delicious baked good, and skipping the paint to make your pumpkin compostable down the line. Every year more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkin are sent to landfills. This creates methane gas, a greenhouse gas that’s stronger than carbon dioxide.
By supporting local initiatives, we can contribute to cleaner air and a stronger community. This October let’s take the opportunity to uplift our local businesses and integrate the sustainable practices for cleaner air in North Texas.
