the key to sustainable living, simply stated

It starts very simply. Just take a little time to learn more about the consequences of the small choices you make each day. Think about what you wear. Where did it come from? Could you walk or bicycle or take public transport instead of driving? Stop wasting water and don't take it for granted. Don't leave the lights on. Consider what you eat. Where did your food come from? Does it cause huge suffering to animals? Was it the result of child labor? Did it travel far to get to you? Start caring -- and start thinking.

-- Jane Goodall in an interview in Body + Soul Magazine

the winds of change

Lm Otero / AP

When you think of oil in the continental US, you usually think of Texas, right? But what about wind energy? That's right, Texas again. The largest of the contiguous states has already been the US giant of harnessing the power of the wind, and it's just the beginning. State officials just gave the green light to a wind-power line transmission project to the tune of $5 billion. It could be as few as 4 to 5 years before the lines are in service, providing power to an estimated 4 million Texas homes. [MSNBC]

So how can I get me some of that wind power?
You can sign up for wind power, or other alternative energy programs, through your local energy provider. If your provider doesn't offer greener solutions, consider carbon offsets.

(NYC residents, sign up here.)

bees knees (and elbows, and hands, and...)

Before I started paying attention to what was in everything I consume, I would just use lotion that at the very least claimed to be cruelty free. But these days, that's not enough. Going forth with the motto "better safe than sorry" I eschew products that have any suspicious ingredients -- like sodium laureth/laurel sulfate, parabens, petroleum-based glycerin, etc.

There are two products I switch between to keep my skin good and moisturized sans chemicals: Beeceuticals Honey Thyme Lotion and Burt's Bees Honey and Orange Wax Lotion. Both of them are contained in fully recyclable #2 plastic, and both support bees -- a species integral to the production of the world's food supply. But I do prefer Beeceuticals over Burt's Bees for a few reasons: better scent, lack of ambiguous "fragrance" ingredient, and texture.



Beeceuticals Honey Thyme Lotion

• Goes on smoothly, not greasy at all
• Subtly sweet citrus scent
• Contains certified organic ingredients
• Supports fair-trade practices

Burt's Bees Honey and Orange Wax Lotion

• Not greasy, but can be a little tacky
• Neutral honey/orangy scent
• Leaves skin feeling softly smooth
  

cool use for old books

It can be hard to get rid of old paperback books. Second hand bookshops often won't take your unwanted titles. You can try to sell them at your stoop sale. But how about this fun way to repurpose those pages -- a chair. [Rag and Bone Bindery via Make]

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]