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 |
Greenify Your Fourth Of July
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, Green Living | 1 Comment
Fourth of July is upon us once again. Who doesn’t like getting together with friends and family, firing up the old grill, enjoying some BBQ, and watching the fireworks after the sun goes down? Picnics, parties, beer to drink, games to be played…good times.
Maybe you’d even like the Fourth Of July reverie, along with that three-day weekend, to last forever. Well, sadly much of the plastic dishware and decorations from the July 4th will do just that…in a landfill. Bummer. Since foregoing your annual patriotic grillfest is simply not an option, here are some easy things that you can do this Fourth of July to lessen your impact on America The Beautiful. Continue reading Greenify Your Fourth Of July…
Posted on July 1, 2008 |
Food Fight: Organic Vs. Conventional
By Sara Yellich
Filed Under Green Living | 2 Comments
So there I am again, standing before my supermarket produce display wondering which one is better: the organic Pink Lady or the conventional Braeburn? What am I buying into when I choose either apple? How am I effecting air, water, soil, and local economies? I am part of a vast interdependent machine more influential than I can fathom with my consumption choice.
I realize my questions arise because I am considered an “ethical eater”. Having the financial ability, educational resources and time to deliberate between organic versus conventional produce is a privilege. And, after my focused deliberation, the difference between organic and conventional is still unclear.
Unfluenced by trailblazers such as of Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse (SF) and Gene Kahn of Cascadian Farm (OR), organic food rose to prominence in the 1970’s. By their standards, the definition of “organic” encompassed a broad spectrum of meaning: natural, fresh, healthy foods grown on small local farms. Now, the organic business is a $7.7 billion dollar industry, with a growth rate of 22% in 2007 alone; organics finally match conventional agribusiness in economies of scale. Sadly, the special nomenclature and labeling of organics results in organic Oat O’s being sold for $2 more than their conventional counterpart, because conventional farmers receive farm subsidies and organic farmers still do not. How are we, as consumers, to know what’s better for both us and the environment? Continue reading Food Fight: Organic Vs. Conventional…
Posted on May 23, 2008 |
Can Organic Farming Feed the World?
By Anita M. Burke
Filed Under Green Living, The Big Picture | 1 Comment
Organic farming is now the fastest growing component of world agriculture, with farmers in 110 nations cultivating certified organic crops. In the US, more than a million acres of certified organic cropland and pasture were added over the last four years. The growth has been triggered by multiple factors. Many family farmers are discovering organic farming provides more economic stability than conventional farming. Consumers are buying more organic products as they are witnessing an increasing number of scientific studies revealing the dangers (to human health and the environment) of pesticides and genetically engineered crops. Consumers also support organic farming, because it’s more likely to support family farmers. According to the USDA, this upsurge brought the total acreage to over 2.3 million acres. Sad to say, as vast as that sounds, it’s actually less than 0.3% of the total farmland in the United States. We’ve got a long way to go.
With today’s global food security starting to heat up, this transformation can come none to soon. Scientists, agricultural experts and even longtime enemies of organic farming, big agribusines, are taking a hard look at some recent field studies by a University of Michigan research team. Their well-constructed model showed that a transformation to organic farming worldwide would yield 4,381 calories per person per day! That is 75% greater than the current availability…a quantity that could theoretically sustain a much larger human population than is currently supported. Continue reading Can Organic Farming Feed the World?…
Posted on April 17, 2008 |
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