shifting values in the produce department

With soaring fuel prices comes the increase in the price of, well, everything else. For many people, this is a time to make some sacrifices. One of the most obvious places to cut back on spending is at the supermarket. Do I really need that $6 bag of Terra Chips? Hmmm, a $7 fifth of Popov or $30 Grey Goose (just kidding... bourbon is my poison).

But seriously, many compromises will be made in the produce aisle -- where organic will lose to conventional. And while I understand that everyone has their budget in mind, there are some guidelines when it comes to choosing one farming method over the other. Conventional bananas, for instance, have less pesticide residue than other conventionally grown fruit. But softer, more permeable fruits -- like peaches and berries -- of the conventional variety are more likely to have chemicals clinging to them.

So if you need to sacrifice organic to save your wallet, here's where you shouldn't skimp in order to avoid the nasties (adapted from The Organic Center):

Fruits

• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Apples
  
• Grapes
• Cantaloupe
  
• Cherries
• Cranberries

Vegetables

• Green beans
• Sweet bell peppers
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Potatoes
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Peas
• Carrots
  

You can also save money by heading over to the frozen food aisle where there are a growing number of organic options. Cascadian Farm (parent company: General Mills) seems to have cornered the frozen produce market.

Also, if you're an omnivore like I am, stick with organically raised meats and dairy products. These have the biggest impact on your health and the planet. Better yet, find some alternatives to meat to add to your diet -- this should save money, your heart, and the earth. Get some ideas for a less-meat diet from the Mayo Clinic. Find vegetarian recipes here and here.

Related posts
dairy-air: milk production sources exposed
pesticides are not so peachy
living off the health of the land

another reason to choose organic

Choosing organic isn't just about not consuming pesticides. It's also a choice that affects the ecosystem, big time. I've mentioned the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico before. Well, I hate to be all doom-and-gloomy, but it's getting bigger -- it'll be about the size of New Jersey this summer, according to the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Runoff of agricultural chemicals is doing the trick. From the New York Times :

The scientists said high nutrient levels in the water stimulate the growth of algae whose eventual decomposition depletes oxygen to the point that most marine life cannot survive.

energenius

Pay attention to this man: Amory Lovins. He knows energy and knows how to move us far, far away from fossil fuels. He was on Charlie Rose last night and it was one of the most engaging interviews I've seen in a long time. (Here's an interview from a 2006 broadcast)

And here's a clip from a Nova program, "Saved by the Sun" (which aired last year):



If we follow Mr. Lovins plans, we'll be independent from oil in about 30 years, by the 2040s. Plus, his plans will help the economy while not hurting our quality of living. Read more about Amory Lovins and The Rocky Mountain Institute here.

go arnie!

Who would have thought that the muscly star of film classics such as "Conan the Barbarian" and "Kindergarten Cop" would have said this about the state of energy in this country? Governator, I applaud you.

SCHWARZENEGGER: (I)t just really means basically this administration did not believe in global warming, or they did not believe that they should do anything about it since China is not doing anything about it and since India is not willing to do the same thing, so why should we do the same thing?

But that’s not how we put a man on the moon. We did not say let everyone else do the same thing, then we will do it. We said we want to be the pioneers, we want to be out there in front. [snip]

Anyone that tells you that drilling, nuclear power, alternative fuels, fuel cells, solar, all of those things will bring down the price right now, I think is pulling wool over your eyes, because we know that all of those would take at least 10 years.

But that should not mean that we should not do those things, because here is the important thing. What’s the biggest problem in America? It’s not that we don’t have any ideas. It’s just that we are not consistent, that we have Jimmy Carter in the late ’70s that came in with a great energy policy, talked about shale oil exploration, giving tax credits for people that were investing in windmills and in solar and all of those things.

Then President Reagan came in and scrapped the whole thing, because the oil price came down and says, “Well, this doesn’t make any sense financially.”

There were many countries all over the world that stayed with the program, that said, “We are going to continue,” even thought the oil price comes down. In Germany with solar, for 30 years they’ve been working on that, and they’re now number one in solar, number one.

I think that’s what we need to do. We need to stay the course.

[George Stephanopolous via Crooks and Liars]

tea for me

It's been almost 3 years since I "quit" coffee (I might have about 3 cups of decaf in a year when the mood strikes). For some reason, it makes me feel ill, like I've taken too many spins on the tilt-a-whirl.

Now that I'm a serious tea drinker, I consume at least 3 cups of the stuff a day. Anything from green to white, ginger to chamomile, rooibos to English breakfast, and the occasional chai latte. And it has to at least be organic, and fair trade if I can find it.


At the office or on the go, I take along a bag of Yogi Tea or Traditional Medicinals and steep it in a ceramic or travel mug. At home, I prefer brewing up a pot of loose leaf in my Bodum pot. (I'm not a fan of the plastic strainer, even though polypropylene has a high melting point, so I'm looking to get a metal replacement.)

Here are some loose leaf teas along with their potential health benefits (according to Teavana):

• Dragonwell Organic Green Tea
• Contains antioxidant properties
• Promotes healthy teeth and bones
• Regulates blood sugar

• Silver Needle Organic White Tea
• High in antioxidants
• Promotes healthy complexion
  

Drink coffee?
Be sure it's organic, fair trade, and/or shade grown. Here are some coffee brands that fit the bill:

• Green Mountain
• Equal Exchange
• Java Trading Company
• Pura Vida
• Jeremiah's Pick
• Grounds for Change
• Dean's Beans

TNT-free demo

In Japan, they're implementing this pollution-saving way to demolition buildings. It's called daruma-otoshi, based on a video game of a similar concept. What they do is take the building apart from the bottom up instead of just blowing the whole thing up, which would scatter debris all over the place. It also saves about 20% of the time of just blowing the building up, as the clean up is more methodical and less laborious.



[Gizmodo via Kajima via Pink Tentacle]

dairy-air: milk production sources exposed

You're in the dairy aisle, trying to figure out which milk to buy. You spot the organic label and think, I can trust this -- it's organic, it's better for me and the environment. And the cows are happily grazing in green pastures. Wrong again! That USDA Organic label is not always so forthcoming, especially in the world of dairy production.

Now you might be thinking, why is she bursting my milky bubble? I thought I had this organic, hormone- and antibiotic-free milk thing figured out. Yeah, me too. Until I started digging a little deeper into the manure pile of dairy greenwashing.

The biggest brands you might recognize in the supermarket milk game are Horizon Organic and Organic Valley. I had heard a couple of years ago that Horizon didn't have the lily white reputation they claimed to have, that they weren't any better than conventional because they sourced their milk from factory farms. So they've been off my list for a while.

But I thought I could trust Organic Valley, with their barefoot CEO reeking of humble beginnings and honest behavior. Boy did I fall for that one! Recent reports say Organic Valley decided to source from a 10,000 head cattle operation in Texas where "some" of their cows are exposed to pasture. Doesn't sound like a small-scale, sustainable family farm to me. Honestly, the news broke my butter-loving heart. And that CEO-sans-shoes, George Siemon, says,

"Sometimes you have to make compromises; that's just the nature of business," ... "I made the decision to buy the product, and I'm willing to take the heat." (source: The Capital Times)

Sorry, George, but that's not a compromise I would have made. I semi-admire Siemon's willingness to "take the heat," but what irks me is his lack of responsibility to his customers who actually care what they're feeding themselves and their families. (More at Grist)

Large-scale dairy production is neither healthy nor sustainable.
Like many things that seem reasonably priced on the sticker, factory farming poses hidden costs to society. Here are just a few (source: Union of Concerned Scientists):

• Water pollution from manure runoff
• Oxygen-depleted coastal regions (from runoff)
  
• Air pollution from manure
• Methane release from manure lagoons
  
• Negative health impact on surrounding communities (plus the smell, egad!)
  
• Antibiotic-resistant pathogens (like MRSA)
  
• Grain subsidies
• Pollution prevention subsidies

So which dairies can you trust?
One way to ensure your hard-earned buck is going toward better milk products is to visit your local farmer's market. There you can meet face-to-face with the farmers and ask them all about their practices. Many farms even encourage visits so you can see first hand where the stuff is coming from.

Find a farmer's market near you

No farmer's market in your area? Here are some small-scale dairy brands (and the products they offer) you may have seen in your supermarket:

• Natural-by-Nature (milk, sour cream, whipped cream, etc)
• Butterworks Farm (yogurt)
• Seven Stars Farm (yogurt)
• Adirondack Creamery (ice cream, NY/NJ/CT area only)
• Ronnybrook Farm (milk, yogurt, ice cream, butter, NY area only)
  

And then there's...
Stonyfield, though recently under scrutiny due to dairy farm wages (and now majority owned by Groupe Danone), maintains their support for small-scale farms.

BAAaaa don't forget goat's milk!
I love goats and anything made with their milk. Goat's milk is said to have greater health benefits than cow's milk, like promoting better mineral absorption (e.g., calcium, magnesium). It's also more easily digested than moo milk. (Other health advantages here.)

Wanna try? Look for these goat-ee-licious brands:

• Redwood Hill Farm (yogurt and cheese)
• Laloo's (ice cream)
• Meyenberg (butter, milk, cheese)

More about large- vs small-scale farming:
If you've got the time, here's a comprehensive report from the Union of Concerned Scientists about the economic and environmental costs of CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations).

A great resource that's keeping organic farmers honest is the Cornucopia Institute, an independent watchdog organization that advocates small farming practices.

Endnote:
Everyone must be on the same dairy wavelength today, 'cause as I was writing this post, this came through from Manhattan User's Guide:

So let's see if we've got this straight: the Monsanto company produces a synthetic growth hormone called Posilac, used by some dairy farmers, which juices cows to produce more milk. Lots of people don't want this in their milk, for compelling reasons. Dairy farmers that do not use the recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) almost invariably state that on their milk carton labels. You, the consumer, get useful info. But since the FDA would not allow Monsanto to ban rBGH labelling nationally, the dirtbags have been going state-by-state to pass legislation that would ban the labelling. They're now trying to do it in New York; they need to be stopped.

future wasteland

What will happen to the thousands of gas stations across the nation once renewable technology replaces the combustion engine? ZeroCarbonista proposes that they will be obsolete and thus become plots of wasted land. It brings to mind the nearly extinct drive-in movie theater, weeds busting through the cracks in the pavement where cars packed with necking teens and families once parked.

But what about all of the antiquated cars? Will there be an opportunity to hack our rides, swapping out the petro-driven engine for a battery-operated one? Or will there be an influx of dated machinery, destined for the scrap heap? Let's hope we have the foresight to find a new purpose for the old machines, and their fueling stations, when the time comes.

[Treehugger's take here]

energy boost

I'm feeling a little lethargic today, but here are some promising developments in renewables to boost my energy, via Gizmodo.

Windows open up to improved solar energy
Engineers at MIT have developed windows that collect sunlight and concentrate the energy at their edges for more efficient (and cheaper) energy capture. They came up with the idea after thinking the same principles from laser and organic light-emitting diode technology -- where different dyes are used to absorb and transport light -- could apply to gathering solar energy. So in the future, instead of having to pile solar panels on your roof or in your yard, your seemingly ordinary windows will collect the energy. [Physorg via Gizmodo]

An image is worth a thousand wind farms
Global satellite imaging from NASA map out where the winds gust strongest, making it easier to determine where wind farms should be placed. The plan is to implement offshore wind farms, floating in the open ocean, which are less impactful on the environment.
[NASA via Treehugger via Gizmodo]

shea butter wonder

I am an avid label reader. I peruse labels on clothing to determine their origin and content, on food to be sure there are no offensive additives, and on beauty products to avoid harmful or polluting chemicals.

So I was delighted yesterday, after getting my haircut, that the stuff my hairdresser was putting in my hair had just a few simple ingredients. Organic shea butter, rosemary, lavender, and bergamot -- that's all that's inside the lovely Amikole Hair Butter. And it's made right here in NYC.

This natural wonder is versatile, too. Want to tame fly-aways or give your hair a bit of texture? A little dab is all you need. Use a little more to create a wet look. Massage it into your scalp and wash out for a therapeutic treatment.

Get some for yourself here. Or at Ultra Salon, 123 Essex St, NYC.

the future of energy determines our fate

At times, I can be rather impressionable. My outlook on the state of the world can dramatically shift depending on what information I'm exposed to. Right now I'm on an optimistic upswing. I've been reading the Economist's special energy report (June 21-27, 2008) and it's stirring hope in me that all isn't lost. Let me explain.

The biggest of big business is jumping on the renewable energy band wagon. GE, historically one of the biggest polluters of our time,[1] is in the wind energy business (the corporate spiel here). GM, makers of the most gas-guzzlingest of SUVs (Hummer, Escalade, Suburban), is putting out a plug-in car (the Volt) for 2010. And they just closed 4 SUV plants and may be selling their Hummer division. (More about the closing plants and future of GM's small cars here.)

The world is finally waking up to the fact that fossil fuels are a finite, and destructive, resource.[2] And if it weren't for the steadily climbing price of oil, the world wouldn't be scrambling to discover the next energy breakthrough. We'd all be continuing at breakneck speed to destroy the planet, sucking up the oil and burning up the coal and forgetting all about climate change.

The future of renewable energy is glaringly bright (grab your shades). And it's not just solar that's shining the way. There's wind, of course, which may have the potential to power 15% of America by 2020.[3] Cellulosic and algael biofuels (a hell of a lot more efficient and sustainable than corn ethanol), improved nuclear, geothermal, wave energy, fuel cell and plug-in cars. There are so many opportunities to develop a mix of sources to feed our addiction to power.

The shift to renewables will create a market explosion to surpass the dotcom boom (and bust), the rise of silicon valley, or any other tech sector boom because our life as we know it depends on it. The expansion of this industry in response to rising oil demand and prices leaves me feeling optimistic.

But tomorrow I could read about how the polar ice caps are all melting faster than we thought and we're all going to hell in a handbasket. Or get bummed out about the administration's plans for offshore drilling in protected waters (which by the way is a big waste of time and natural resources). But today, I'll bask in the sunny optimism of a renewable energy future.

[1] A little support on this claim, from:

• NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)
• New York Times [January 21, 1983]
• Clean Up GE

[2] I'm burying the ugliness of fossil fuels here: wars, human rights issues, oil spills, cancer and poor air quality from coal-fired power plants (coal miners and everyone else), greenhouse gases, coal soot polluting arctic snow speeding its melt, mountaintop mining, peak oil.

[3] Source: Economist. The Future of Energy: Trade Winds. June 19, 2008.

clothing retailers waking up to their impact?

In line with today's theme of responsible apparel comes news that some of the big retailers are planning to meet to discuss their role in the environment. Over 3 days in Shanghai, China, representatives from the companies -- JC Penney, Levi Strauss, Marks and Spencer (UK), and Polo Ralph Lauren -- are pow-wowing in regards to the impact of dyeing in textile manufacturing.

More about the meeting here.

Read about how China is holding manufacturers accountable for their polluting ways here.

[Image: Manufacturing #7: Textile Mill. Edward Burtynsky, The China Series]

eco happy feet

And what about shoes? Here's a roundup of some cute shoes that won't hurt your purse or the earth.

Shore Thing by Patagonia
$59 at PlanetShoes.com
(other colors available)


Ikebana by El Naturalista
$130 at PlanetShoes.com
(other colors available)



Dobamo by Terra Plana
$110 at Kaight
(also in red, more views here)










Gizeh by Birkenstock
$69 at PlanetShoes.com
(other colors available)



Penny Wedge by Form & Fauna
Was $285/Now $213.75 at Kaight













Aphrodite by Earth
Now $54 at PlanetShoes.com



Doll by Terra Plana
Now $77.50 at Shoes.com
(also in black)


Toepaz by Simple
$74.99 at Shoes.com
(other colors available)


Elara by Earth
$88 at PlanetShoes.com



Grass by Terra Plana
$140 at Terra Plana
(other colors available)