Eating Fresh Papaya In Sweden:The Locavore Movement Needs Legs To Stand On
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, The Big Picture | 2 Comments
Along with the words cougar, cloudware, mumblecore and upcycling, locavore made the new Oxford American Dictionary’s list of new words last year. For those playing the home game, a locavore is a person who chooses to only eat food that is grown locally.
Restaurants everywhere are adding locally grown, organic dishes to their menus, farmers markets have spouted up in many cities across the world and in 2007, American schools in over 35 states presented students with locally grown produce for lunch in their cafeterias. It has been decided: eating foods grown within a 100-mile radius of your kitchen is a sure-fire way to ensure that spiking gas prices have less impact on your wallet and allows you tighter control over how many pounds of pesticides you ingest. Great. So grab a trowel, some native plants, create an edible forest in your neighborhood and responsibly choose produce you do not grow from (organic) farms in the region. Continue reading Eating Fresh Papaya In Sweden:The Locavore Movement Needs Legs To Stand On…
Posted on September 12, 2008 |
Permaculture 101: Feed The People: What Everyone Can Learn From The Cuban Oil Crisis
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under The Big Picture | 7 Comments
Another day passes and the buzz about fuel prices and dwindling oil reserves hangs (along with the rush-hour traffic exhaust) in the evening air. The future of our global petroleum-based economy is a picture that not many of us want to paint, yet it is unavoidable not to ask what our lives may look like when the last drop of oil has burned.
In the US, the average person currently requires 7 barrels of oil to operate their home (heating, cooling and electricity), 9 barrels to power their vehicle and 10 to grow and transport the food they eat. Does ten barrels of oil for food sound surprising? The food industry is an extremely energy intensive process that has been expanded and commercialized to a point where industrial-sized machinery and mass production methods such as monopolized corporate farms and indiscriminate pesticide use are necessary to keep up with demand.
Fortunately, there is a country who can provide us with an image of what that the not-so-distant future without oil may look like. Cuba faced a crisis due to oil shortage with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Oil exports abruptly dropped 50% and the country lost 80% of it’s international trade economy.
Food production quickly became Cuba’s number one issue after their oil supply dwindled. Buses stopped running, factories became silent, tractors sat on the side of the road and people began to realize that food was not making the long journey from the farm to the city. People began to starve. Within a few months the average person lost 25 pounds and malnutrition in pregnant women and small children became the dominant issues for the medical community. Continue reading Permaculture 101: Feed The People: What Everyone Can Learn From The Cuban Oil Crisis…
Posted on August 29, 2008 |
Permaculture 101: Designing A Life Beyond Sustainability
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under The Big Picture | 6 Comments
According to the Hirsch Report issued by the US Department of Energy, global oil production peaked in 2005 with the last major discoveries of light crude oil occurring in the 1960s. Regardless, global consumption rates continue to climb 1.5% each year and the UN estimates the world population will hit 9.1 Billion in the next 40 years. It should be glaringly apparent that our world is off balance; what remains unclear is where we should start to stabilize ourselves.
A revolutionary concept developed in the 1970s, dubbed “permaculture,” is rapidly gaining attention as a transformative vehicle for creating holistic, healthy systems from the microcosm of our immediate surroundings to the macrocosm of the planet.
per. ma. cul. ture \ˈpər-mə-ˌkəl-chər\ Etymology: permanent + agriculture
A method for designing human habitats so that all elements integrate to form a simple, non-wasteful, harmless, self sustaining, productive, highly functional system.
The idea of permaculture was developed at the University of Tasmania by environmental psychology professor Bill Mollison and his environmental design student, David Holmgren. In response to the extreme drought conditions of Australia and global dependence on fossil fuels, the two men developed a model that created much needed balance. Inputs equaled outputs and the only “waste” the model created, easily broke down into simple elements that added to the health of their environment. Though the basis of their design has existed in many aboriginal and native cultures for centuries, Mollison and Holmgren devised a way to communicate it to a much broader audience. Continue reading Permaculture 101: Designing A Life Beyond Sustainability…
Posted on August 14, 2008 |
Exposing: The People’s Grocery
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under eCo TV | 1 Comment
Q: What is the second largest cause of death in America?
A: Eating unhealthy food and sitting around
The People’s Grocery is a revolutionary, community oriented, citizen-driven project that began by identifying an opportunity to supply organically produced food to those who could not afford it due to the poorly designed US food system. It has succeeded in creating a thriving urban agricultural landscape in West Oakland, California by educating local citizens on urban farming techniques and thereby increasing the health of the entire community. Inspiring and insightful, this short film by the Global Oneness Project models what can and should be done in most urban settings to offset the effects of exponentially rising transportation costs and live a healthier life.
Click here to check out what else the Global Oneness Project is up to.
Statistical Source: The Center for Disease Control
Posted on August 13, 2008 |
Rebuild This City
By Erin Gallagher
Filed Under eCo TV | 2 Comments
Jaime Lerner wants to challenge the way we design our cities and propose that it can be accomplished within a budget that most urban planners would think completely unrealistic. His innovative, big picture view of efficient energy use, waste reduction, mass transportation and housing development has allowed him to transform gridlocked, clogged arteries of the city of Curitiba, Brazil into smooth flowing, pedestrian filled spaces in record time. Most notably, he has the ability to harness the power of citizens and work with them to create massive positive change. Lerner has deservingly received a United Nations Environmental Award, the Child and Peace Award from UNICEF, and the 2001 World Technology Award for Transportation.
Listen in on this brilliant lecture from Jaime and get inspired to work on redesigning the components of where you live.
Posted on August 5, 2008 |
How To Green Your City
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 1 Comment
A few weeks ago, Pippa Sorley of eCo Times, intrigued, inspired and even disgruntled readers with her announcement of the Top 5 Eco Cities In The US. Though I was indeed excited that my hometown of Boston made the list, it is undeniable that even the “Top 5’s” of the world still have a long way to go. Perhaps it’s time to consider what each of us can personally do to green our own city or town. This article explores direct actions that focus on local, manageable projects we can all do. May the force be with you!
Start At Home
If you truly believe in something, the best way to implement it is to practice what you preach. Making small changes in your daily routine will have a much larger impact than you can ever imagine. Put the car keys down and walk or bike to work. Buy a reusable bag to take to the grocery store, or reuse the ones piled up in your kitchen cupboard. Change your home appliances and light bulbs to energy efficient models. Check out the incredibly fun web game Consumer Consequences from American Public Media and Redefining Progress to find out how resource intense your personal lifestyle is. Then go to LowImpactLiving.com for great green projects you can do to lessen your impact on the planet. The list of small changes that make a big difference is massive, just choose one thing at a time and get started!
Continue reading How To Green Your City…
Posted on July 31, 2008 |
Number 350: Your Life Depends On It
By Scott Badenoch, Jr.
Filed Under The Big Picture | 3 Comments
Bill McKibben’s got your number. He’s got every one of our numbers. At this absolutely crucial time in history, that number is 350. McKibben is one of the leading environmentalists of our time and has created 350.org to make sure that each and every one of us truly grasps why this sum matters and exactly what we can do about it.
McKibben’s position is based on the research of leading climatologist Jim Hansen of NASA, who states that the only way life on this planet can remain similar to what we know now is if there are no more than 350 parts per million of CO2 in our atmosphere. News flash: The Earth’s atmosphere currently has 385 parts per million of CO2.
Ok, the news is stark. We’re past the point of safety and we’re going to need to do an about-face, pronto. As McKibben puts it, “…it’s a tough diagnosis. It’s like the doctor telling you that your cholesterol is way too high and, if you don’t bring it down right away, you’re going to have a stroke.” The “stroke” would be worldwide catastrophes: huge rises in ocean levels, hurricanes that make Katrina look tame, rampant droughts, starvation, and worst of all, the potential creation of a modern day Ice Age.
This is not a science fiction novel or a Hollywood blockbuster. This is not a test.
Now, what does this mean for all of us laypeople? Do we give up our day jobs, sell the house and kids and run screaming for the hills? Well, not just yet. McKibben describes the white knight, “We do have one thing going for us- the Web- which at least allows you to imagine something like a grassroots global effort. If the Internet was built for anything, it was built for sharing this number, for making people understand that “350″ stands for a kind of safety, a kind of possibility, a kind of future.”
Can the human race turn things around? Is it possible to correct the damage we’ve created? McKibben makes it clear: “It’s possible. The United States launched a Marshall Plan once, and could do it again, this time in relation to carbon.” Now, it’s your turn. Begin today. Begin with talking to the people around you. Begin by living a more environmentally friendly life. Begin by making some hard decisions that go beyond changing a lightbulb and start changing the world. Whatever you do, don’t wait any longer, because “climate refugee” and “modern Ice Age” are two phrases best left to Hollywood blockbusters.
Ready to reduce our CO2 level to 350 parts per million immediately? Take action!
- Sign up to receive Action Alerts and news from 350.org
- Share your ideas on how we can reduce our CO2 levels using the wiki platform on CreativeCitizen.com
- Organize a 350 action in your hometown
- Email Bill McKibben’s article to your entire community
- Click on the green icon at the bottom of this post that says “Share This” to spread the word
- Pass on the video below to all your friends and family
Scott Badenoch is the Co-Founder and CEO of CreativeCitizen.com, the wiki for green living, where you can find over 500 Creative Solutions for living more environmentally friendly lives. Scott is a member of the steering committee for Green Business Networking as well as the LA chapter of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE).
Posted on July 24, 2008 |
Get The Dirt On Hand Soap
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, News & Reviews | Leave a Comment
Mothers, doctors, chefs, and hardcore germaphobes-listen up. You like clean hands, yes? With all the options on the market today from hand sanitizer to antibacterial soaps, you’d think that this society would have the cleanest hands in history. Not so. Many of today’s soaps contain some very unhealthy chemicals and surprising animal byproducts.
Soaps are produced by combining a fat source with an alkali, and unless the package specifically states that the product contains no animal ingredients, chances are good that the fat source in your soap is pig fat. Yum. In addition, the chemicals found in soaps penetrate our skin and can cause hormonal disruptions and even cancer. After the soap makes it down the drain, it ends up in our drinking water. Triclosan, the main antibacterial ingredient in many hand soaps, has been found in many streams and rivers and can disrupt thyroid hormone function in bullfrogs. When was the last time a bullfrog did you wrong? Exactly. So what’s the best option for getting your digits squeaky clean, while not wronging any innocent forest creatures or yourself? Steer clear of the antibacterial variety and purchase an all natural version that uses vegetable rather than animal fats as its base, and that doesn’t include any petrochemicals. Here’s our favorite hand soap finds…
Amlavi Hand and Body Wash
Amlavi’s mission is to build a collection of all natural bath products that maintain a connection to the earth, air, and waterways surrounding us. They’ve accomplished that through both their products and their practices (they offer bike-to-work incentives for employees, use recycled office supplies, and use compostable or plantable materials in their product packaging, among other things). Their hand and body washes are superb. They produce three aromatic blends, citrus, sandalwood, and floral. Each blend contains between eight and twelve very pronouncable ingredients in a base of coconut, avocado, sesame, or olive oil. There are no petrochemicals, no animal byproducts, no phthalates and no parabens.
This soap is a little bit less gelatinous than a more traditional, chemical-filled hand soap, but it feels smooth and silky, doesn’t dry out your hands, and smells natural and delicious.
MSRP: $15.95/bottle
Continue reading Get The Dirt On Hand Soap…
Posted on July 22, 2008 |
Art Impacts The Environment: Jeanne-Claude and Christo
By Melissa Vest
Filed Under Arts & Culture | 4 Comments
Imagine a sea of saffron colored panels blowing in the wind. They are almost as light as air, and they are in front of the trees, the sky, and the ground. They are impossible to miss. You move closer to them, and can hear them rippling over the sounds of cars, the birds, and the breeze in the trees. As you walk through each gate of panels you feel them pushing the wind across your face. Your awareness of the space you are in is heightened as you experience these panels, which reach as far as you can see.
The Gates, an artwork by Jeanne-Claude and Christo, transformed Central Park in 2005. Their work was met with a wide array of interest and speculation. No matter your opinion of the work, it certainly altered the way you would experience the surrounding environment. Jeanne-Claude and Christo’s work might be less common in a typical American home than say, the florescent light bulb, Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” or the hybrid car, but it has nonetheless had an impact on the environmental movement.
Continue reading Art Impacts The Environment: Jeanne-Claude and Christo…
Posted on July 18, 2008 |
Earth Cinema Circle: Netflix For Eco Geeks
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Green Living, News & Reviews | 1 Comment
When I first heard of this “environmental cinema club,” it sounded so out-of-date. A book club, a wine club, a DVD club…this was for the Angela Lansbury type, for someone who belongs to the not-busy-with-anything-except-my-rose-garden sort of club. As it turned out, I had Earth Cinema Circle pegged all wrong. It’s like Netflix for eco geeks, well, sort of…ECC curates eight films into 2 DVD’s and sends them your way every other month for twenty-two bucks, including shipping. These DVD’s are a combination of full length features and shorts. The hook is that most of them you’d never get to see without being a member of Earth Cinema Circle. And you get the bonus of carbon neutral shipping and 100% recycled packaging.
In just one rotation of films, I discovered earthships via the Garbage Warrior, deepened my fledgling understanding of biodynamic farming, fell in love with whales, and watched the most delightful cartoon about a man named Fred who folds the modern world origami-style into a wild expanse of nature. The films are insightful, edgy, and educational and just perfect for the nature lover, activist, eco-geek, teacher or cinemaphile in all-strike that-so many of us.
Some of the ECC films are mind-blowing, some mediocre, but all of them are packed with incredible information and inspiration about the world we live in. The beauty of having so many films in each shipment is that you can easily skip to the next one, like I did with The True Cost Of Food…and Ed Begley, Jr.’s intros (sorry Ed-I still love all the great work you do!) The ECC collections are yours to keep, so if you fall in love with a film, like I did with Garbage Warrior, you can host a screening at your house or pass them on to your enviro junkie friends.
If you’re a busy person who cares about the planet and you just can’t make it through your copy of Silent Spring after a long hard day at work, then Earth Cinema Circle might just be the perfect match…
Posted on June 13, 2008 |
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