Change #1: Food
First, my eating habits.
What I do right:
· I buy locally grown and organic food from farmer’s markets as often as possible.
· In my backyard there is an organic garden with peas, potatoes, herbs, ten types of salad greens, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, carrots, parsnips, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, edible flowers, sunflowers (sunflower seeds), squash, zucchini, pumpkins and more.
· We don’t use any pesticides and we compost as much food waste as possible, using the rich soil to help our garden grow.
But there is one very easy step I can take to decrease my carbon emissions even more.
Go vegetarian for at least one meal a day. As a former vegan I know it can be difficult for people to give up their meat. You enjoy it, heck, I enjoyed it. But by eating a vegetarian meal once a day, whether that means cereal for breakfast instead of bacon and eggs, or peanut-butter and jelly instead of turkey, it’s not too difficult.
Raising animals, including their feed, their shelter, transporting them to slaughter, packaging the meat and finally cooking it at home takes far more energy than it takes to grow crops. Fewer animals raised for meat means less grain for the cows and more grain for us, meaning more people will have something to eat.
What are some of my favorite vegetarian dishes?
Chili – take out the ground beef or turkey and you still have the flavor but it’s better for the environment.
Risotto – though it takes a couple times to get used to the non-stop stirring, it is well worth the 20 minutes. Risotto is thick and creamy but still has a nice texture from the rice. Just buy Arborro rice from the grocery store, a container of vegetable stock or no-chicken chicken broth (trust me it tastes almost the same), and whatever ingredients you like. I usually get an assortment of Greek olives (salty and delicious), some feta cheese and broccoli. An easy to make, one-pot meal that is super filling and tastes just as good reheated for lunch the next day.
Smoothies – ice, fresh or frozen organic fruits (I like strawberries and blackberries), a little juice, a blender and presto! You can also add yogurt, any type of milk (cow, soy, rice), protein powder, even peanut butter for different consistencies and taste preferences.
My goal: get back into my vegetarian and hopefully vegan lifestyle by the end of the summer.
But don’t worry, that’s not for everyone. Start small. One green meal a day will go a long way to lowering that carbon footprint.
Food Continued…
So we covered the type of food you’re going to try to eat, but how else can our eating habits changed to help save the world? Let’s get back our 3 R’s; reduce, reuse, recycle.
Reduce: You’re eating less meat and animal products. You’re purchasing from farmer’s markets, aren’t those strawberries incredible? You’re even trying to eat organic whenever possible. What else can you do?
· Be aware of packaging. Instead of buying those shrink-wrapped bell peppers, buy loose peppers. You can go even further and reuse your produce bags multiple times. Eliminating excess plastic and Styrofoam trays.
· Bring your reusable bags! Many grocery stores now offer discounts to customers who bring their own bags. Whether it’s a ratty old canvas bag like my father’s or a cute b.happybag from one of our stores, it will be perfect for your market adventures.
*If you do forget your bag, get paper bags whenever possible. You can immediately put them in the recycling bin. While the plastic bags can be collected and recycled, they can also fly around in the wind, get caught in trees, and even contribute to potholes.
Another green idea? Bring a waste-free lunch to work or school every day.
· Use a canvas bag, an insulated lunch sack, or a classic Beatles lunchbox.
· Get a reusable drink bottle, stainless steel is my favorite, but I even have a student who uses an empty glass jar with a screw top. Talk about reusing!
· Instead of using plastic baggies, cling wrap, and aluminum foil use stainless steel, BPA-free plastic, glass, or cloth containers.
Come into The Did You Know Store and check out our entire area of lunch essentials and water bottles.
Reuse: Like my student with the glass drink bottle, try to reuse things whenever possible.
· Use glass cooking trays instead of disposable.
· Use yogurt cups that can’t be recycled for children’s art projects (paint water and sculptures), or for starting seeds inside. Put a couple holes in the bottom of the cup for drainage, fill with organic or composted soil, add some seeds, water and sunlight and you’ve got seedlings! The start of your very own organic garden.
Recycle: Of course recycle as much packaging as possible. But there is another way to reuse/recycle. COMPOST!!!! Composting is easy. Any food scraps except for fats and meats can be added to your compost bucket or pile, so it’s less waste, and it makes nutrient-rich soil for your growing yard and garden.
Stay tuned for more information about composting. Or come by one of our stores in East Greenwich and Wakefield and check out our compost buckets, bags and books.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Summer, the perfect time for change
Summer, the perfect time for change.
I have a confession to make. I work at a green store, I recycle, I compost, I shop at farmer’s markets and eat organic food as often as possible, but… my carbon footprint is nowhere near as low as it should be. After using an online calculator I found out that I emit about 21 tons of greenhouse gases ever year. The average American household of 4 emits about 27 tons, so while I am under the average I am not very proud of my accomplishments. You know what the world average is? 5.5 tons! Yes, I emit 14.5 more tons of greenhouse gases a year than the average world citizen, which is almost triple. So, what is a carbon footprint you ask? And how can someone who is already taking the right steps increase her earth-friendly ways without sacrificing some of life’s luxuries? I’ll tell you.
A carbon footprint essentially measures the impact our actions have on the environment. It takes into account what we consume as individuals including how we travel, where we travel to, what we eat, what we buy, where we buy it and what we throw away. The footprint measures our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as well as other greenhouse gases we produce just by living our lives the way we do. We create greenhouse gases from the production of an item, such as a car, from its lifespan, driving a car, until its destruction, once we let the car sit rusting away in an empty lot.
Greenhouse gases are the environment’s kryptonite. Some of these toxins include; carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, etc. I don’t know about you, but I have trouble pronouncing many of those and just like the doctor tells you not to eat anything you can’t pronounce, the earth doesn’t want to eat anything it can’t pronounce.
Now, what can I do to lower my carbon footprint? I need to make the same simple choices that you can make every day. I will tell you how to easily change six areas of your life, keeping in mind the most basic principles of going green: reduce, reuse, recycle.
It is June 1, 2009, my goal is to get my footprint down to 17.5 by September 1, 2009. Three months. Let’s go.
To calculate your carbon footprint visit The Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the Carbon Footprint Calculator. It asks you simple questions and calculates your results, also providing you with tips on how to decrease your carbon emissions.
Find your footprint, set a goal, and let’s have a greener summer.
-Emma
*Thanks to www.treehugger.com for providing more information about carbon footprints.
I have a confession to make. I work at a green store, I recycle, I compost, I shop at farmer’s markets and eat organic food as often as possible, but… my carbon footprint is nowhere near as low as it should be. After using an online calculator I found out that I emit about 21 tons of greenhouse gases ever year. The average American household of 4 emits about 27 tons, so while I am under the average I am not very proud of my accomplishments. You know what the world average is? 5.5 tons! Yes, I emit 14.5 more tons of greenhouse gases a year than the average world citizen, which is almost triple. So, what is a carbon footprint you ask? And how can someone who is already taking the right steps increase her earth-friendly ways without sacrificing some of life’s luxuries? I’ll tell you.
A carbon footprint essentially measures the impact our actions have on the environment. It takes into account what we consume as individuals including how we travel, where we travel to, what we eat, what we buy, where we buy it and what we throw away. The footprint measures our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as well as other greenhouse gases we produce just by living our lives the way we do. We create greenhouse gases from the production of an item, such as a car, from its lifespan, driving a car, until its destruction, once we let the car sit rusting away in an empty lot.
Greenhouse gases are the environment’s kryptonite. Some of these toxins include; carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, etc. I don’t know about you, but I have trouble pronouncing many of those and just like the doctor tells you not to eat anything you can’t pronounce, the earth doesn’t want to eat anything it can’t pronounce.
Now, what can I do to lower my carbon footprint? I need to make the same simple choices that you can make every day. I will tell you how to easily change six areas of your life, keeping in mind the most basic principles of going green: reduce, reuse, recycle.
It is June 1, 2009, my goal is to get my footprint down to 17.5 by September 1, 2009. Three months. Let’s go.
To calculate your carbon footprint visit The Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the Carbon Footprint Calculator. It asks you simple questions and calculates your results, also providing you with tips on how to decrease your carbon emissions.
Find your footprint, set a goal, and let’s have a greener summer.
-Emma
*Thanks to www.treehugger.com for providing more information about carbon footprints.
Farmer's Market
As I look outside our shop doors and see the brightly shining sun and feel the warm breeze reminding me of the summer heat to come, I can’t help but imagine myself at the beach, or park, or even in my own backyard enjoying everything summer has to offer. In a few short weeks the children of Rhode Island will be out of school, parents will be shuttling to camps, play dates at the beach, and evening games at McCoy Stadium. But every once in a while, every family will need a nice night at home, to relax and share a meal together. Why not make this family time even better by making it greener?
It doesn’t take much. You know that corn you’re about to put on the grill? Or the sausage and peppers your mouth is watering for? Or even the yummy bread you plan on serving with a delicious salad? Well you can get all of that from local farms and artisan bakeries here in the Ocean State. Honestly. And chances are you will like the taste of local produce even more than that of the West Coast or South America.
Just check out your local farmer’s market. It’s simple. You get to browse outside in the sunshine, looking at the most beautiful greens, the reddest, sweetest strawberries you’ve ever had, and freshest baked goods you could ask for.
Never been to the farmer’s market before? Don’t even know where to start? That’s ok. Just log onto www.farmfreshri.org and there will be a list of every farmer’s market and CSA in Rhode Island. There are at least five farmer’s markets every day, many open until 6pm for those Rhode Islanders who have to work. The markets are listed by day and include the address, hours of operation and vendors that are present.
Imagine having fresh produce on your table every single day. It’s just as easy as going to the supermarket, but you’ll be supporting local farms, cutting down on emissions, since food does not have to be shipped across the country, and enjoying food that you can feel good about.
Trust me. Once you go local, you’re going to love it.
It doesn’t take much. You know that corn you’re about to put on the grill? Or the sausage and peppers your mouth is watering for? Or even the yummy bread you plan on serving with a delicious salad? Well you can get all of that from local farms and artisan bakeries here in the Ocean State. Honestly. And chances are you will like the taste of local produce even more than that of the West Coast or South America.
Just check out your local farmer’s market. It’s simple. You get to browse outside in the sunshine, looking at the most beautiful greens, the reddest, sweetest strawberries you’ve ever had, and freshest baked goods you could ask for.
Never been to the farmer’s market before? Don’t even know where to start? That’s ok. Just log onto www.farmfreshri.org and there will be a list of every farmer’s market and CSA in Rhode Island. There are at least five farmer’s markets every day, many open until 6pm for those Rhode Islanders who have to work. The markets are listed by day and include the address, hours of operation and vendors that are present.
Imagine having fresh produce on your table every single day. It’s just as easy as going to the supermarket, but you’ll be supporting local farms, cutting down on emissions, since food does not have to be shipped across the country, and enjoying food that you can feel good about.
Trust me. Once you go local, you’re going to love it.
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