Every Day Is a Chance to Live Green

I strive to live every day by my motto that "less for me means more for others."  By this I don't mean that people should take more than their share of resources because others are doing without.  I mean that if each and every one of us made small changes to our lifestyles, we could save countless resources for others. 

• According to Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe, if you sit down to an 8 oz. steak, the "feed cost" of that steak is 45-50 people with empty bowls in front of them, bowls that could have been filled with a full cup of cooked cereal grains.
• If we recycled 100 million unused cell phones, we could save enough energy to power 194,000 homes in the US for a year.  
• We go through 100 Billion plastic bags per year in the US, less than 1% of which get recycled.  An estimated 12 Million barrels of oil is required to make them, and the annual cost to US retailers of giving them out is estimated at $4 Billion.  
• The chopsticks that you get with your Chinese takeout cost China approximately 25 Million trees a year to make.
• Americans consume an estimated 70 Million+ water bottles a day, and only 14% get recycled. 
• Each person in the US uses an average of 700 pounds of paper products per year.

So I don't eat a lot of red meat.  I do eat it, though, I won't deny it.  I know being a vegetarian would be even better for the planet, though. I have had the same cell phone for a little over two years.  It is only the second one I have ever owned (I lost my first cell phone).  When this phone finally does need to be replaced, all I have to do is return it to AT&T, because the carriers recycle used cell phones.  

I carry a reusable bag with me absolutely everywhere.  They make them to fit on your belt buckle or key chain.  

My boyfriend and I rarely if ever order takeout.  It is environmentally disastrous, not to mention lazy and bad for your waistline.

I rarely drink bottled water.  On occasion I have bought a bottle of water or juice while out, but I ALWAYS recycle the bottle.  

We do not keep paper towels or paper napkins in our apartment.  I use sponges and old socks for cleaning, and we simply wash our hands after a messy meal, or if really necessary, wipe our hands on a cloth towel.  

We swapped out all of the regular light bulbs in our apartment with CFLs.  I turn off the lights when I leave a room, and I shut off and/or unplug appliances I am not using.  

For every bag of garbage we make, we make 2-3 bags of recycling.  

We eat as local and as healthy as we can afford to-organic as much as possible.  

We don't own a car.  We both own a bicycle, though.  And we both walk a lot and use a fair amount of public transportation.  

We don't have an air conditioner.  We have a ceiling fan and a window fan, and we turn them off when we are gone.

I just live this way because I feel it is the right thing to do.  I don't feel like I am sacrificing anything.  I feel blessed by what I do have and feel that everyone should have the chance to experience abundance in their lives.  If everyone on Earth consumed the way we did in the US, we would need 5-6 Earths just to satisfy the demand for resources.  I personally think that says that we, as a country, are thoughtless and greedy.  The Earth is not ours to plunder.              

Why Are There Genetically Modified Organisms in My Food?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are found in six out of ten processed foods at the supermarket.  Genetically engineered crops became available to farmers in 1996.  70% grow in the US.  81% of soybeans, 71& of cotton, and 40% of corn grown in the US is genetically engineered.  

Corn, soy, canola, and some cottonseed turn up in processed foods as oils.  Biotech soy binds hot dogs and is in some nutritional supplements such as protein extracts and Vitamin E.  Ground corn is in foods like taco shells and chips.  Other corn-based ingredients include cornstarch, flour, dextrose, maltrose, baking powder, and high-fructose corn syrup.  Most corn and soybeans end up in animal feed, so meat and poultry comes from animals raised on biotech feed.  

Buying organic is one way to avoid genetically engineered foods. Another way is to shop at the three chains that refuse genetically modified ingredients in their private-label products-Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe's.  Yet another is to shop local.  Go to Farmer's Markets and get to know the people producing your food.

Check out these websites to become better informed about your food:

Environmental Working Group

Food First

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

Organic Consumers Association 

If you want to download a Shopper's Guide listing non-genetically engineered foods, go to http://www.TrueFoodNow.org.        

Tips When Shopping for Food

Shop the perimeter of the supermarket and ignore the middle.

Go directly to the sections devoted to organic produce and natural products.

Buy organic foods.  However, if that is not possible or affordable, you can cut your exposure to pesticides by 90% by buying the following foods organic only :

• Apples
  
• Bell Peppers
  
• Celery
  
• Cherries
  
• Grapes
  
• Nectarines
  
• Peaches
  
• Pears
  
• Potatoes
  
• Red Raspberries
  
• Spinach
  
• Strawberries
  

Buy organic versions of the foods you eat the most.

Shop at natural food stores such as Whole Foods or Wild Oats.

Buy locally produced foods and fresh local produce in season, whether they are organic or not.

You Are What You Eat

This is as true today as it has always been.  But today we have so many options now that it seems overwhelming at times to pick the right foods for your body.  So it makes sense that the more natural your food is, the better it will be for you-but also the planet as well.  

We should all be concerned about where our food is coming from-we should be more aware of the process from planting to picking, from birth to slaughter and even in the handling and transportation. There was the spinach scare of 2006.  The on-going recalls of products coming in from China-but most especially the contaminated seafood.  Then there was the meat plant that got shut down in California for torturing its animals.  Now there is the tomato and now bagged lettuce recalls going on right now.  It is enough to make you want to stop eating. However, all you have to do is know how your food was treated before you bought it.  Greater care=greater nutrition.    

Going to Farmer's Markets is the best way to get to know your food. You can actually talk to the people who own and work the farms to find out what practices they use to grow and cultivate your food. There are a few websites to check out to find one near you.  

• http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets
  
• http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets
  
• http://farmersmarket.com

If there is not a Farmer's Market near you, then check out the Local Harvest website.  You can have food delivered right to your door, or you can find a grocery store in your area that sells locally farmed products.  The Land Connection can connect you with local food as well.  

Buy organic.  If the product is organic, then you know it is better for you.  Studies are being done to bear this out.  Organic foods are free of the harmful chemicals, but they are loaded with more of the nutrients than their non-organic counterparts.  Organic foods just taste better too.  If you are unable to find organic, look for all-natural, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, cage-free. When shopping for seafood, look for sustainably harvested.  Check out Seafood Watch for more information. 

Remember, you are what you eat.  The better your food is treated, the better it is for you and for the planet.  And companies that treat their food well will be proud to tell you about it-in person, on their packaging, on their website, etc.  Get to know your food.