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I recently wrote about the exploits of Manny Howard, who attempted to grow all of the food he needed for his family of four in his 20 x 40 foot Brooklyn backyard. And while Manny's experiment went beyond the limits of extreme, it was indicative of the growing national trend to eat locally.
Eating locally is not a new idea, in fact, the opposite is true. When my grandmother wanted tomatoes in the winter, she reached into her cupboard and opened a jar that she canned over the summer. It never would have crossed her mind to order tomatoes from Israel for her holiday menu. Yet today, my local grocery store gives me access to any type of produce I want, regardless of the season or my locality. And this access comes at a hefty price to the environment.
According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, "the vast majority of energy used in the U.S. food system (around 80 percent) goes to processing, packaging, transporting, storing, and preparing food."
In 2001, the Leopold Center created a paper called "Food, Fuel and Freeways," that tracked the distance that 30 items of produce travelled to get to the average Iowans table. According to the Leopold Center, "fresh produce transported to Iowa consumers under the current conventional food system travels longer distances, uses more fuel, and releases more CO2 than the same quantity of produce transported in a local or Iowa-based regional food system." Check out the following graphic to see a summary of their results*.
So what does all of this mean for you and your family? It means that you need to think twice about the foods you choose to bring home from the store. Even produce that is grown organically will cause unnecessary environmental damage if it must be flown from overseas, or trucked across the country to get to your kitchen table. Here are a few great ways to reduce the carbon footprint of your next meal:
- Check out Sustainable Table for a state-by-state list of seasonal produce availability. It's a great opportunity to teach your kids about the types of foods that grow in your area and the seasons they prefer to grow in.
- Talk to your school officials about the Farm To School Program that benefits local farmers while providing fresh fruits and vegetables to schools.
- Plan a 100-mile party with your friends; a potluck where you all bring dishes prepared with foods found within 100 miles of your home.
* Information for this chart is based on the weighted average source distance, a single distance figure that combines information on distances from production source to consumption or purchase endpoint. For these calculations, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service arrival data for 1998 were used to identify production origin (state or country). Distances from production origin to Chicago were estimated by using a city located in the center of each state as the production origin, and then calculating a one-way road distance to Chicago using the Internet site Mapquest (mapquest.com). Estimations do not include distance from the Chicago Terminal Market to point of retail sale. Source: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, "Food, Fuel and Freeways" by Rich Pirog, Timothy Van Pelt, Kamyar Enshayan and Ellen Cook. Graphics by Matt Miller.
The office water cooler is an excellent place for gossip, but not so great for the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency,
Water coolers use 4 billion kilowatts of energy each year, producing annual pollution roughly equivalent to the emissions of over 700,000 cars.
In addition, the agency estimates that Americans spend $300 million each year on utility bills to operate water coolers.
You can eliminate the waste consumption and resource depletion of traditional water coolers, bottles, and fountains by installing an inexpensive water filter on the office kitchen tap. Keep a stash of water pitchers and cool reusable cups and mugs nearby so that employees always have access to cold, fresh, clean water. Make the kitchen area a fun spot for employees to gather (and gossip) and they'll never miss that wasteful old cooler!
Image courtesy of Lotus Head http://www.pixelpusher.co.za
Skip the beef at dinner tonight and opt for a veggie meal instead. A vegetarian diet is not only healthier for you, it is also better for the environment. The production of beef makes more of an impact on the environment than any other type of food. According to a report produced by the World Wildlife Fund, more pasture is used for cattle than all other domesticated animals and crops combined. Cattle also eat an increasing proportion of grain produced from agriculture, are one of the most significant contributors to water pollution, and are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The average American eats roughly 4 servings of beef each week. So hold the beef at dinner tonight and you can reduce your environmental impact by 25%.
Now, I know it can be difficult enough to get your kids to eat veggies as a side dish. If you tell them their dinner is “vegetarian,” you risk an all-out mutiny. But it’s easier than you think to pull off a vegetarian meal. Cheese pizza is popular with kids of all ages, and the same goes for mac and cheese, bean burritos, or spaghetti with a yummy marinara.
If dinner is a hit and you decide to take things one step further, consider taking PETA's "Pledge To Be Veg" for 30 days. Sign up at their website and they'll send you an email loaded with recipes and tips for going veggie. Check out their "Chew On This" video below for 30 reasons to go vegetarian. (Please note...THIS VIDEO IS VERY GRAPHIC. IT IS NOT FOR CHILDREN OR FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.)
Watch more videos at PETA.org
I'll admit it...I hate to clean. I am not one of those lucky folks who finds cleaning to be relaxing or therapeutic. Instead, I think it is a chore. Unfortunately, I am one of those folks who really likes to have a clean house. So it is a chore that I tackle regularly. The good news is that since I have been using eco-friendly cleaning products in place of the chemical stuff you find on most store shelves, I find the chore of cleaning to be much more pleasant. No more toxic chemicals (Click here to see a previous post about the cleaning chemicals to stay away from.) Green cleaning leaves you with nothing but a clean, fresh house that's safe for your family and the environment. Here's what you need to know to get a green clean:
DIY
You don't have to have a chemistry degree to save a bundle in $ and make your own cleaning supplies. In fact, it's so easy, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. You can use simply vinegar and water to get your windows, floors, and countertops sparkling (at least until the kids come along). And a sprinkle of baking soda is all you'll need to clean toilets, sinks, and bathtubs. If you really want to get fancy, try out some of the great recipes I have listed in the book for specialized cleaners (disinfectants, stain removers, carpet cleaners, over cleaners, metal cleaners, etc.)
Products To Try
If DIY is not your thing, you can still get a green clean with a product from one of these nifty companies:
Happy Cleaning!!
Brr...Well folks, summer is officially over and the crisp cool air of fall is moving in. Before you know it, winter will be here, and despite the best efforts of global warming, many of us will still have to deal with snow and ice this season. And while the white stuff isn't falling yet, the temperatures are already dipping into the freezing zone in many regions. So, I wanted to go ahead and post this information about non-toxic anti-freeze solutions that are safer for the environment, your children and your pets.
1. Ice Clear: This solution is a non-toxic, bio-based, food-grade solution that works just as well as conventional anti-freeze for de-icing sidewalks but without the petroleum based, toxic chemicals.
2. Birdseed: Use bird seed on icy sidewalks. It gives you traction, and the birds help to break up the ice while they eat it.
3. Vinegar: Mix up a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water and spray it on your car's windshield before you go to bed. It will keep the ice from forming on your windshield and save you that early morning scraping.
4. Propylene Glycol: For your car, look for an anti-freeze that uses propylene glycol in place of it's toxic cousin, ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol is still petroleum based so it is not great for the environment, but it is non-toxic and safe for pets and children.
Last weekend I had the good fortune to attend the Green Festival in Washington, D.C. where I saw a convention center full of great eco-savvy products and learned the latest in environmental news from incredible speakers like Bill McKibben and Timberly Whitfield. Here are some of the highlights from the event:
Step It Up 2007: Bill McKibben, a true environmental leader and author of the bestseller, The End of Nature, has organized the Step It Up 2007 campaign to demand leadership and action on global warming from our elected officials. In April, 2007, the group organized 1,400 rallies in all 50 states across the U.S., amounting to the largest environmental movement since Earth Day 1970. Step It Up is planning another set of rallies for Nov 3rd of this year (one year before the election). Click here to find an event in your area.
The Hungry Vegan: The Hungry Vegan is a food delivery service offering organic, vegan meals that are already prepared and ready for your freezer or dinner plate. They deliver a week's worth of meals directly to your door (or to your hotel if you are traveling) for an extremely reasonably price ($75/week for 1 person or $140/week for 2). What a perfect gift for new parents, college students, or anyone else who needs a break in the kitchen!
Gaia Girls: From author Lee Welles comes a series of books for eco-savvy Green Kids along the lines of Nancy Drew or Harry Potter. The first book, Enter The Earth, introduces Elizabeth Angier, an average American 10 year-old who grows up on an organic farm and happens to possess the ability to command the "Earth" (soil, trees, etc.) at will. Elizabeth's adventures as an eco-hero leave the reader ready and willing to protect the planet. Subsequent books in the series introduce girls with the power to command air, water, and fire. Kids of all ages will devour these enthralling eco-adventures!
Just a few years ago, the organic section in my small town grocery store was limited to a dated funky looking package of tofu and a few dried up herbs. Now, organic foods are all over the store, from coffee, to eggs, to salad dressing. Organic foods are produced without all of the chemicals and genetically modified ingredients that are common in traditionally produced foods, so they are bound to be better for your health and that of the environment. But if you can't afford to go whole hog (so to speak) and purchase everything with an organic label, use these tips to decide out when to buy organic and when to pass.
Buy Organic
- Fruits and Veggies: Foods such as apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, peanut butter, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries use and retain the most chemical pesticides.
- Baby Food: If you have a baby, find room in your budget for organic baby food, or better yet, make your own homemade baby food using organic ingredients. Babies have fragile, developing immune systems that cannot protect them from the adverse health affects associated with pesticides.
- Meat and Dairy: Beef, poultry, and eggs are also good to buy organic, especially if you and your family eat them frequently.
- Extras: If money is no object, consider purchasing organic processed foods such as ketchup or soup. These foods will contain some, but not solely, organic ingredients.
Don't Bother
- If your budget is tight, don’t worry about organic when it comes to onions, avocado, pineapples, mango, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant as these fruits and veggies contain the least amount of pesticides.
- Don’t even bother with organic seafood as there are currently no standards in place to regulate their labels.
Top 10 Foods To Buy Organic
- Peaches
- Apples
- Baby Foods
- Peanut Butter
- Bell Peppers
- Berries
- Imported Grapes
- Beef
- Dairy Products
- Eggs
One final note: All grocers are legally required to place organic foods (especially fruits and vegetables) where they won’t be exposed to the pesticide-laden water runoff from conventional produce. If your local store has forgotten that rule, remind them. If they still don’t move the organic food, shop somewhere else.
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