VC Star Oct 14, 2025 By David Goldstein Special to Ventura County Star Last month, federal subsidies for electric vehicle purchases ended. Undaunted, the EV Advocates of Ventura County forged ahead with events celebrating National Drive Electric Month, reminding residents that environmental progress can outlast incentives. At the Port of Hueneme Banana Festival on Sept.…
VC Star September 15th, 2025 By David Goldstein Special to Ventura County Star When thousands of volunteers spread out along beaches and inland waterways on 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 20, they will make a visible difference. Cigarette butts, food wrappers, bottle caps and other litter will disappear from the shorelines, reducing hazards to wildlife…
VC Reporter September 30th, 2025 By David Goldstein Regardless of how you feel about tariffs and trade wars, there are at least two things on which nearly everyone can agree. Avoiding waste during times of limited supply is important for the economy, and recycling can avoid waste while also helping the environment. Prices are up…
Special to Ventura County Star By David Goldstein July 30th, 2025 After your summer barbecue, did you regretfully throw away burgers and hot dogs that had been sitting out for too long, but then diligently save watermelon and veggie leftovers and store them in your refrigerator? How long will it be before you look at…
By David Goldstein July 7th, 2025 Special to Ventura County Star • Follow the two hour, 40/140 rule to keep food safe. • Store cold food 40 degrees or below and hot food 140 degrees and higher. • Waste less by freezing foods and making use of what of scraps like celery ends and…
VC Star May 25th, 2025 By David Goldstein Public Works Week, was May 18-24, and the American Public Works Association’s 2025 theme was “People, Purpose, Presence.” These cornerstone ideals explain the value and relevance of many public works programs, including programs that benefit our environment.On May 20, dozens of county workers led interactive activities and…
VC Star May 3rd , 2025 By David Goldstein On vacation in Mexico last month, I thought, at first, that our neighbor to the south has a great recycling system. Looking into it a little deeper, I found Mexico has the same problems we are trying to overcome, but they are approaching it differently. In…
The Acorn March 28, 2025 By David Goldstein Composting, a form of organics recycling, has taken on greater importance with the state’s recent push to reduce the amount of food waste going to landfills—where it is known to release deadly methane gas—and turn the organics into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that helps yards and plants…
VC Star April 12, 2025 By David Goldstein The original Earth Day celebration, on April 22, 1970, was organized in response to a disaster off our coast. In 1969, an oil platform’s spill in the Santa Barbara Channel created an 800 square mile slick, from Santa Barbara to Ventura County, and the resulting environmental destruction…
VC Star By David Goldstein March 22nd Ojai Valley Organics opened earlier this month and C&M Topsoils, another mulch-and-compost-making business, will open soon near Simi Valley. Meanwhile, Peach Hill Soils near Moorpark and Agromin, with locations near Oxnard, Simi Valley and Santa Paula, continue to make mulch and compost every day from the discards of…