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Jenny’s at the Green Room!

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Last Thursday, my friend Jenny wrote a really great opinion article for The Daily Cardinal’s Green Room. Thought I would take a moment to congratulate her on a piece well written and share it with you all.

Here’s a bit to get you going…

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Make your meals meatless

Reducing the amount of meat in our diets can help our health and the environment.

image by: Caitlin Kirihara

By Jenny Lynes

“Help stop violence?”
“Not today,” you said.
Gruesome images of upside-down, bloody, feces-stained cows litter animal rights and environmental literature. They’re on the pamphlets you’ve rejected on State Street, too.
It’s disconcerting to read studies about the negative effects of red meat and belching cows ruining the atmosphere, to be sure. Still, surprisingly little of it actually translates to a change when we’re standing in the lunch line. The answer to why most of us don’t oblige and cut down? Simple: Meat tastes good.
Though I won’t deny an occasional urge for my favorite sausage-filled breakfast sandwich, I’m proud of the changes I’ve made in cutting out meat to improve my health and help out the environment. So what did it take?
For me, it wasn’t until I left my urban home to work on a small family farm in Maine and asked the farmer what he thought about “industrial meat” that I realized how simple the choice really is. “I would never eat that shit,” he said. That pretty much settled it….

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To continue reading Jenny’s article, click over to her blog or to The Daily Cardinal.

A Greener Valentine’s Day

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

We all know that red, pink, and white are the traditional Valentine’s Day colors. Red for roses, pink for hearts, and white for…diamonds? This year, try adding green into the mix. Sure, green may clash horribly with the other three colors, but if your sweetheart has an environmental conscious, he/she will surely appreciate your thoughtfulness as much or more than those dozen roses.

To ease your worrying over the perfect gift, we are providing you with some fabulous ideas to make this Valentine’s Day one to remember.

1) Jewelry–The slogan of Brilliant Earth Jewelry says it all: Jewelry with a Conscience. Many have heard of the widespread conflicts and violence surrounding the diamond industry. Diamonds and gems from Brilliant Earth are gathered via socially and environmentally responsible practices, utilize recycled gold and silver, and can be custom made to order.

2) Green Meals–The winter months often provide a challenge for those of us who prefer to appease our taste buds with local, sustainable, and organic foods. Fortunately many restaurants, such as L’Etoile in Madison, WI,  strive to offer the best seasonal cuisine all year round. To find a green restaurant in your area, visit the Green Restaurant Association. But first, one cautionary tale: Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, so be sure to check for restaurant hours to avoid an embarrassing situation.

Courtesy of Inhabitat

3) Sustainable Chocolate–Chocolate-y indulgences seem to be a staple of this holiday. We certainly won’t judge if you choose to please your sweetheart’s sweet tooth, so long as it is done properly. Consider finding a chocolatier in your area for a unique mix of delicious delights or seek out companies with solid track records, such as Equal Exchange, Dagoba, or Endangered Species chocolate products.

4) Seeds–It’s no secret that roses, lilies, and orchids are not fond of the cold. Instead of giving imported or greenhouse-grown flowers, consider a few seed packets of his/her favorite types. While the effect is not the same as walking into a room with a dozen roses, seed packets will provide hours of couple time as you plant, care for, and enjoy your flowers. If you’re still not convinced, consider this: flowers that remain in-ground last much longer than flowers placed in a vase. Try to find organic seeds, like the ones at the Organic Seed Alliance. And if y’all are wondering, I am quite fond of sunflowers…

5) Poo Paper–For the writer in your life, Mr. Ellie Pooh’s paper is a fantastic idea. This relatively new company was Co-op America’s 2008 Green Business Leader Award Winner. The Poo Paper is 100% recycled: 75% of the product is animal dung with the other 25% made from post-consumer paper. Its wide variety of sizes, patterns, and colors guarantees that you can find the perfect poo product. You know what they say, Mr. Ellie Pooh’s paper is as organic as it gets.

The Next Step

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Eat_Local_ChallengeLocavore [also known as localvore].

1) the 2007 Oxford American Dictionary word of the year 2) one who consumes products from within a specific radius.

I had never heard of the 100-Mile Diet until I stumbled across it on MotherJones.com, a nonprofit news organization. Sure, I was familiar with the benefits of local foods, but being the curious person that I am, deemed it worthy of further investigation. In short, the 100-Mile Diet is exactly what its name implies: everything consumed must be from within a 100-mile radius of one’s home.

Everything consumed. That seems like a lot to ask, doesn’t it? Already, I strive to be a locavore and a conscious consumer, frequenting farmers markets and co-ops. The Willy Street Co-op makes my life easier by labeling all local items with a purple tag, from produce to pastas, breads to beverages. Recently, Willy Street started labeling their bulk food items with the country of origin, or if possible, providing more specific information.

As I perused the aisles a few days after stumbling upon the 100-Mile, I had a shocking discovery: many of my favorite bulk items were not local. I thought that I was doing my part just by buying in bulk—I never stopped to think about where these grains and beans came from. Sadly, the closet ones came from Minnesota, a fact that disturbed me given Wisconsin’s farming culture. This is in no way a bash on Willy Street—they do a phenomenal job and are without a doubt one of the best grocery co-operatives in the country. Rather, I was disappointed in myself for not having realized sooner that local extends beyond products with a purple tag.

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be taking the next step in my local eating efforts. As of yesterday, I’m on a quest to find rice, beans, and other grains grown within 100 miles of Madison, WI.

At Powered Green, we are challenging you to take the next step.

- If you are already a locavore, ask yourself if there are additional ways to do so. You might be surprised by what you discover.

-If you’re not eating local, first ask yourself why not and then check out the links below for additional information.

Best of luck in your efforts! Keep us updated, and we’ll do the same for you!

Eat Local Challenge. Even though October is halfway done, it’s not to late to join the October Eat Local Challenge. Check it out at http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/.

A bit more about the 100-Mile Diet from the duo that started it. http://100milediet.org/.

Want to be a locavore but not sure where to go? Look here to find sustainably grown food in your area at http://www.localharvest.org/.