Daily Loaf

We’ve packed so much good green stuff into this one item that you’ll have to get a barrel, not a basket, to carry it all. Luckily, that’s the first item on the list:

• Rain barrel: Is keeping your lawn lush and green taking a toll on your water bill? Quit wasting the city’s water supply and get this 55-gallon rain barrel (named Best of the Bay’s “Best Green Trend”) from Rising Force Construction. Comes complete with attachments and ready for setup so you can start collecting rain water runoff right away to keep your petunias perky. (Actual color will be black.)

• One-of-a-kind set of eco-friendly holiday greeting cards (created just for this auction): A set of 12 flat cards with envelopes, designed by Tweeprints especially for this auction. Tweeprints uses recycled eco paper, enclosed in 100 percent post-consumer recycled content envelopes and packaged using biodegradable clear bags manufactured from plants. This exclusive design won’t be sold anywhere else!

• Recycled juice box sling bag: Keep those non-biodegradable juice pouches out of the landfill and wear them on your shoulder instead. The bag from GoGreenItems.com is primarily blue, 7”H x 7”L with a 19.5” strap.

• Green gift basket from Tampa Street Market: A green grab bag with such goodies as an Envirosax reusable, foldable shopping bag; a wirebound Papergeist journal made by a local artist group in Tampa from reused paper with a cover made from record album covers; a bottle opener repurposed from a bike chain; and a clean-burning soy candle.

• A Jimi Hendrix T-shirt that’s literally green: A made-in-Alabama organic cotton tee (adult XL) dyed in clay and emblazoned with an image of Jimi Hendrix as a tree, from It’s Our Nature.

Estimated value: $300.

Current High Bid: $35.

Place your bid below:

This week’s episode of Top Chef Las Vegas had three very important elements: kicking off another schmo so we can get to the finale already, it was the last episode in Vegas, and (drumroll, please) Thomas Keller appeared as a guest adjudicator. It sure took for damn long enough to get him to do the show! What, 6 seasons?! I’m glad that Keller finally learned from his famous chef peers, sold out, and jumped on the gravy train that is Top Chef (because who knew who he was before this show, right?).

In their Quickfire Challenge, the chefs were greeted by Gavin Kaysen who competed in the 2007 Bocuse d’Or – the equivalent of the Olympics in the culinary world. He challenged them to a ballotine (bah-lo-TEEN) challenge (not to be confused with the mispronunciation of “ballontine” used almost the entire episode), which is basically a “protein inside a protein inside a protein” – a protein explosion!

Redbeard (Kevin) called the V Brothers “not smart” for trying to do too much in such a short period of time, though they seemed to pull it off, and Redbeard’s dish was then put down as being “too simple”. Angry Bro (Mike) got whiny about not winning (claiming to not have understood the challenge), and Ceveech (Jen) took the win with her sushi-esque calamari/scallop/salmon roll. It’s nice to see this once sassy and confident woman finally get her groove back and get back in the saddle. (Though I definitely think she was on something, be it natural or prescription, this episode – she seemed so much calmer, with a touch of joie de vivre about her.)

The cheftestants had to become culinary Olympians for their Elimination Challenge, as they were to perform in a Bocuse d’Or style challenge. To put it in layman’s terms: They had to cook a kickass dish with extremely intricate “garnishes” in only a few hours for some of the biggest names in the culinary world- Thomas Keller (the giant pictured at right), Daniel Boulud, Jerome Bocuse, and Gavin Kaysen, among other renowned names in food.

I thought that the comments made by Hot Bro (Bryan) about not being sure if he’d finish on time and Kevin saying how he was attempting something he’d never done before was foreshadowing and spelled doom for them. Ceveech, despite some minor issues, seemed pretty comfortable with her dishes (plus, she’d received an extra 30 minutes to cook from her Quickfire win), and Angry Bro seemed overly confident (as per usual) and well prepared because of all the culinary competitions he’d performed in about 10-11 years prior (”Best Teen Chef”?).

During judging, they were all raked against the coals, mostly being chastized for having over- or undercooked dishes. Turns out Angry Bro’s took his artistry too far and overcomplicated his dish, missing the mark, and forgetting to season properly. Even though he didn’t exactly follow the guidelines like the other chefs did (listen to the podcast below to hear our reasoning), Redbeard ended up taking the win, which also included $30k and a spot on the American team for the next Bocuse d’Or. And Eli “Bonaduce” got sent packing (no surprise there).

Highlights: Hate mail, Jeff gives us the 411 on the Bocuse d’Or, comments on the fabulous makeovers as seen in the finale preview, and we surmise our picks for the top three finalists.
 
Bonus: Jeff gives information on an exciting culinary event taking place next month in Orlando where Angry Bro (Mike Voltaggio) will make an appearance, as well as many other big names in the food world. Listen to the podcast for more info.

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Tampa Downtown Market- Fridays October-May; 10 am-2 pm. The vision of the Tampa Downtown Market is to provide local residents and businesses of the community with the freshest, highest quality, most nutritious, and most reasonably priced food & gourmet products. The mission of the Tampa Downtown Market is to serve as a community-gathering place where local farmers, producers, and artisans can offer fresh agricultural and related products to generate a sense of local pride and further the economic development of Downtown Tampa. With a strong focus on sustainability, the Tampa Downtown Market intends to provide a vehicle to educate the community on the importance of good health as we create more business opportunities and residential benefits. Located in Lykes Gaslight Square- Tampa St. & Kennedy Blvd., Downtown Tampa.

22nd Annual Hillsborough River and Waterways Cleanup and Picnic- Saturday, November 21; 8 am-1 pm. Free breakfast, lunch, and t-shirts for volunteers. Rollin’ on the River Picnic at 11 am. Environmental education booths from 11 am-1 pm. Bring a canned good for America’s Second Harvest Food Bank to help us help families in need. To volunteer, contact the Mayor’s Beautification Program: 813-221-8733, volunteer@mbptree.org. Lowry Park boat ramp- North Blvd. at Sligh Ave., Tampa.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

St. Pete Saturday Morning Market- Every Saturday; 9 am to 2 pm. Downtown St. Petersburg in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot / 1st Ave. S and 1st St. Open October 3 through May 29.
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Yesterday, the Nature Geoscience Journal released a report saying that global carbon emission levels are still rising – 29% since 2000 – and they continue to rise 2-3% each year.

These findings that come from the researchers at the Global Carbon Project who report that the cause of the steadily rising carbon levels is due to the lack of absorption by the Earth’s natural carbon sinks. They believe there is a decrease in the efficiency of the natural land and sea carbon sinks.
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On this week’s episode of Top Chef Las Vegas we’re down to the Final Five: Hot Bro (Bryan), Angry Bro (Mike), Redbeard (Kevin), Eli “Bonaduce”, and Ceveech (Jen). (Even though I finally learned their real names a few weeks ago, I still like to refer to them as the nicknames we made up for them in our podcast. Deal.)

If you saw the sneak peek of this episode then you already know that this week’s guest judge is none other than American culinary deity Thomas Keller. (If you don’t know who he is, you might want to look him up before watching this episode and then beat yourself up for not being a devoted enough foodie.) It looked as if even the V Brothers were sweating when they learned that Keller would be gracing them with his presence. Surprisingly enough, Ceveech looks a heck of a lot better this week – she even laughs! Should we credit Valium or is she smokin’ the good stuff?

In the preview videos below, we get a peek at tonight’s Quickfire and Elimination Challenges. For their Quickfire, the chefs have 90 minutes to create a ballotine. Yes, I even had to crack open one of my old textbooks to look this one up. (It turns out, the chefs were actually mispronouncing the word.) According to Epicurious’ Food Dictionary, a ballotine (bal-lo-TEEN) is “Meat, fish or fowl that has been boned, stuffed, rolled and tied in the shape of a bundle. It is then braised or roasted and is normally served hot but can be served cold. Often confused with galantine, which is poached and served cold.” As Ceveech put it, it’s a “protein in a protein in a protein”. Or, as I like to think of it, a protein explosion. I like that Ceveech decided, “To hell with all this fancy schmancy gourmet crap!” and went renegade, Paula Deen-style, by making a Turducken.

For the Elimination Challenge, I’m still not quite sure of the actual challenge. It looks in one shot as though they’re making a ton of amuse bouches. In the video below, it seems that Angry Bro and Ceveech are both cooking with the same protein. All I know for sure is Thomas Keller is finally guest judging, which is enough to get me to watch.

In the video below, there is some major foreshadowing going on: Ceveech’s risky salmon dish; Hot Bro is attempting a 10-hour braise in 4 hours and remarks, “I hope that it doesn’t get me in the end.” (*cough*Thatswhatshesaid*cough*); and Redbeard is actually going out on a limb and attempting something he’s never done before, saying it is “one of the edgiest ones [challenges] for me to try and do something that I never do.” (Um, isn’t that no-no number one in Top Chef and has been the downfall of so many cheftestants?) Could a heavy-hitter (someone other than Eli) end up going home tonight? Watch what happens!

Tune in to Bravo tonight at 10 pm EST/9 pm C, check out our own live Tweets during the show (Jeff: @TheStew, Katie: @culinarypirate), and listen to our podcast here tomorrow! (You can now download on iTunes and check out Jeff’s Top Chef Flickr page.)

See videos after the break:
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The Tampa Green Business Designation Program is a partnership of the Sustany Foundation and the City of Tampa designed to highlight green and sustainable businesses in Tampa. Their website states:

“Businesses seeking to participate in the program will be reviewed against a list of criteria that evaluate their organization’s level of sustainability including green policies and practices. A business can achieve one of three distinct levels of green designation depending on the number of points achieved through the evaluation. Businesses that receive the designation will be provided an item to post at their business location that recognizes their achievement. Additionally, the organization will be included on the City’s green web page as part of Tampa’s “Green Pages” for businesses.”

The program has just given its first three Green Designations to Florida Business Interiors, Bayside Engineering and The Children’s Cancer Center.
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Now that the temperatures have finally dropped here in Florida, it won’t be long before you’re turning up your home’s thermostat at night. Did you know that you can save energy and money on your utility bill just by properly using your thermostat and keeping your house sealed from outside air? This video from National Geographic’s Green Guide site gives some very valuable advice on keeping the heat in and the cold out.

Some of the information includes:

-How to properly use your thermostat to save money and energy.

-Sealing cracks and holes in your house that let in outside air, as well as checking the seals on your doorways.

-How installing storm shutters can minimize heat loss up to 50%.

-Why to buy windows with the Energy Star rating.

-Alternative, eco-friendly insulation options, like recycled cotton, cellulose and soybean foam.

Video after the break:
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After all the efforts from people around the globe to get our world leaders to listen up and take action against climate change in December in Copenhagen, it looks like things aren’t going to be changing any time soon.

Yesterday, President Obama and leaders from the rest of the world’s top economic powers finally fessed up that they don’t believe major progress concerning climate change can be achieved by the end of the year.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

The Temple Terrace Preservation Society’s next meeting to feature local author Dr. John Henry Fleming and his book Fearsome Creatures of Florida – Dr. Fleming will do a reading and signing of his latest book that’s mystical, magical and funny, with an environmental theme about preserving what’s left of Florida.

Tampa Bay Area farmers’/green markets guide - Here’s your guide to finding the freshest, locally produced foods and goods (and an all-around good time) at weekly fresh markets in the Bay Area.

Sustainability and spirituality – Eric Stewart’s speech on sustainability for a local Unitarian Universalist church in Odessa.
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MyGreenBuildings, the Sarasota-based green building company owned by Steve Ellis and Grant Castilow, has recently won an award in the Qualified Remodeler Master Design Awards Contest for the Green Remodel category.

The yearly Master Design Awards, sponsored by Qualified Remodeler magazine, is the premier national design contest that recognizes outstanding achievement in residential remodeling projects in 22 categories. Some of the other categories include: Whole House over $500,000, Outdoor Living, Historic Restoration, Bathrooms over $50,000, and Universal Design.
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 At the beginning of this episode, we were pleasantly surprised to find Padma and Nigella Lawson in bed (not together, but one can dream) wanting a hot breakfast served to their room from the cheftestants. Eli gave us a great background on Nigella, saying, “She’s like a less French version of Julia Child; she’s kinda legit.” Right, Eli, because Julia Child was definitely from France and Nigella Lawson is from England (very close to France, though- close, but no cigar). I’m even confused on the logic there.

The ladies were presented with some interesting (to be polite) dishes, like HotBro’s (Bryan) vanilla scented seafood medley with a soft egg and Eli’s reuben inspired benedict with Thousand Island hollandaise (I gagged upon hearing that one). As for Ceveech’s (Jen) S.O.S.: I would have thought Nigella would’ve been into that sort of thing; maybe if Jen had arranged it with a bit more care and didn’t just throw it on the plate. But then I guess then it wouldn’t look like shit, which might’ve been what she was going for. Eli took the won and his Quickfire dish will now be featured in the new Top Chef cookbook (as if Top Chef didn’t have enough to sell).

For the Elimination Challenge, the cheftestants each had a different hotel on the Las Vegas Strip to draw inspiration from for their dishes. It seems they all interpreted this challenge differently: some taking it literally with elements that were supposed to remind one of the particular hotel, while others took it more figuratively by pretty much just making whatever they felt like. For example: I don’t understand how Redbeard’s dish said “The Mirage”: was it the hidden spice underneath the salmon? And the fact that HotBro used the aquarium from his hotel (which had nothing to do with the ocean) to model his dish just perplexed me. Are there not rules to this sort of challenge? I guess not because those who took the challenge literally ended up on the bottom this week.

I’ll give it to Ceveech for doing a play on ‘The Sword and the Stone’ element from Excalibur, though her beef was literally like gnawing on a stone. Eli’s Caramel Apple Peanut Soup with Popcorn Raspberry Froth looked like someone vomited after eating too much at the fair. I couldn’t believe he came up with that. Robin’s panna cotta didn’t “quiver like a courtesan’s thigh”, but at least it was edible and non-offensive. We discuss in this podcast the fact the judges have claimed that they judge on a week-by-week basis and don’t look at the chef’s portfolios overall- but we disagree, especially in this case.

Highlights: Drooling over Nigella, the dishes that made us queasy, Hot Bro stalking, and our bets for the finale.

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Tampa Downtown Market- Fridays October-May; 10 am-2 pm. The vision of the Tampa Downtown Market is to provide local residents and businesses of the community with the freshest, highest quality, most nutritious, and most reasonably priced food & gourmet products. The mission of the Tampa Downtown Market is to serve as a community-gathering place where local farmers, producers, and artisans can offer fresh agricultural and related products to generate a sense of local pride and further the economic development of Downtown Tampa. With a strong focus on sustainability, the Tampa Downtown Market intends to provide a vehicle to educate the community on the importance of good health as we create more business opportunities and residential benefits. Located in Lykes Gaslight Square- Tampa St. & Kennedy Blvd., Downtown Tampa.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

St. Pete Saturday Morning Market- Every Saturday; 9 am to 2 pm. Downtown St. Petersburg in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot / 1st Ave. S and 1st St. Open October 3 through May 29.
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Here at Creative Loafing’s Green Community, we often post articles on ways to green almost every aspect of your life. From food and beauty, to pets and decor, we’ve listed a myriad of ways to become eco-friendlier. This time, I’ve decided to focus on home-related issues and ways to make your home greener, inside and out. Here are some of my favorite green home tips, finds, and all-around great information.

Let’s start outside:

-Solar panels are so last year. Why not install these stylish solar tiles to your roof instead?

-Want a plush lawn but hate the thought of using harmful pesticides? Check out this post on safe and sustainable lawn care solutions.
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As most of you have seen from last week’s preview and from the pictures being passed around the ‘net, Padma and Nigella Lawson (popular English cookboook author and TV chef) are in bed together for this week’s Quickfire Challenge. Okay, maybe not in bed together, but in beds that are right next to each other (I’ll leave it up to your imagination as to what’s under those robes though). They’re demanding breakfast in bed from the cheftestants- they want it hot, and they want it now.

From the looks of the preview video below, Eli is attempting some god-awful sounding sauce concoction, Robin makes like eggs and frantically scrambles her way around the kitchen, and AngryBro (Mike) curses up a storm (surprise) and blames Robin for wasting 5 minutes of his precious time.

For the Elimination Challenge, each cheftestant has to cook a dish inspired by one of the big hotels in Las Vegas. It’s great to finally see them do a Las Vegas-themed challenge because I think many of us forgot where they were this season.

In the preview for the Elimination Challenge, we get to see HotBro (Bryan) and AngryBro (Mike) visit the hotels that will serve as the inspiration for their dishes. AngryBro states that he will be paying homage to firefighters (his hotel is New York, New York) with his dish but still “cooking it his way”. I hope that means he’s going to light something on fire – that would surely blow his brother’s creation out of the water (you’ll get the bad pun if you watch the video below).

Tune in to Bravo tonight at 10 pm EST/9 pm C, check out our own live Tweets during the show (Jeff: @TheStew, Katie: @culinarypirate), and listen to our podcast here tomorrow! (You can now download on iTunes and check out Jeff’s Top Chef Flickr page.)

Videos after the break.
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Seeing as this Sunday is America Recycles Day, I’ve been in the recycling mood and racking my brain for different ways to do so. Then I stumbled upon something wonderful: cash (or swag) for recycling! We could all probably use some extra dough these days, and just for the act of recycling you can make a profit.

RecycleBank is a website where you can register to earn points toward gift certificates for food and other goods just by taking out your recycling every week. After registering, you receive a chip to be placed on your recycling bin. That chip is then scanned when the recycling is picked up and your items are weighed. The information then gets transmitted back to RecycleBank and you receive 2.5 points for every pound of items you recycled. You can earn up to 450 points per week and 5,400 per month. Those points can then be used to get certificates for items from over 1,500 participating businesses, like CVS, Chick-fil-a, Kraft, Kashi, Foot Locker, and Kohl’s. Points can even be redeemed for passes to museums and can be donated to organizations and charities like the Ocean Conservancy.
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This Sunday marks the 12th anniversary of America Recycles Day, a nationally recognized day dedicated to recycling and purchasing recycled and repurposed items.

America Recycles Day is working in partnership with Keep America Beautiful and the National Recycling Coalition to support local communities and raises awareness by educating citizens about the benefits of recycling. The ARC website states: “The purpose of America Recycles Day is to continue to promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling and encourage more people to join the movement toward creating a better natural environment.”

What can you do? First of all, if you don’t already recycle on a regular basis, this Sunday would be a great day to start doing so. Maybe you could make every Sunday your official recycling day (if you don’t receive the pick up service in your neighborhood).
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Here’s your guide to finding the freshest, locally produced foods and goods (and an all-around good time) at weekly fresh markets in the Bay Area.

Gulfport Tuesday Morning Fresh Market- Every Tuesday; 9 am-3 pm. The Tuesday Morning Fresh Market is a weekly gathering in the Gulfport, Florida Waterfront District offering fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood in a festive environment with local art vendors. Speakers, vendors, artists are welcome to join in each Tuesday in the Gulfport Waterfront District. An all ages event! 2914 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport.

Oldsmar Downtown Fresh Market- Wednesdays (through April); 8 am-1 pm. 100 State Street West, next to City Hall.

Downtown Clearwater Farmers Market- Every Wednesday (through May); 9 am-2 pm. Providing Clearwater’s residents, business people and visitors with the freshest produce, baked goods, gourmet foods, unique gifts, crafts, flowers and plants has been our passion and our pleasure. Located on the 500 block of Cleveland Street between Garden Avenue and N. Ft. Harrison Avenue.

Safety Harbor Farmers’ Market- Every Thursday (through May); 8 am-1:30 pm. Fresh and organic produce, plants and fresh flowers, gourmet foods, baked goods, handmade jewelry, light snacks. Located at the Gazebo at John Wilson Park- 401 Main Street, Downtown Safety Harbor

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday (through April); 8 am- 1 pm. Featuring fresh, local produced goods such as baked good, ready-to-eat-foods, organic plants and herbs, coffee, honey, seafood, clothing, and so much more. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.
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The Temple Terrace Preservation Society’s next meeting on Thursday, November 19, will be featuring local author and Temple Terrace resident, Dr. John Henry Fleming, and his newest book, Fearsome Creatures. Dr. Fleming will do a reading and signing of his latest book that’s mystical, magical and funny, with an environmental theme about preserving what’s left of Florida.

As CL writer Shawn Alff reviewed, “In Fearsome Creatures of Florida, Tampa author John Henry Fleming serves as taxonomist of Florida folklore, producing a wildlife handbook that could have been published by National Enquirer. This book breathes new life into real creatures and popular myths like the Skunk Ape and the Chupacabra.”
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

City of Seminole recycling and sustainability discussion - A local activist held a discussion on recycling and sustainability at the Seminole Community Library on Monday, November 9.

1890s Ybor City: Green and sustainable (plus vintage postcards) – Grant Rimbey explores the green and sustainable nature of pre-urban renewal Ybor City.

BPA in plastics linked to aggressive behavior in children – Did you know that exposure to the BPA in the “bad” plastics has been linked to aggressiveness in children, as well as other diseases in humans?

Energy systems 2.0 – We are currently in an energy crisis, yet continuing to rely on old, out-of-date systems of provision that are no longer viable, economically or ecologically.
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With the holiday season coming to a start and the year already coming to an end, why wait until the new year to start living a greener lifestyle? Get into the swing of the holidays by putting some eco-friendly practices to use. Bonus: They’ll help you save money as well.

Here’s a list of some sites that offer great tips and advice on how to green your holidays this year:
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Talk about recycling with a purpose: The new Navy Ship, USS New York, came into New York harbor this week sporting more than just 361 crew members – contained in the ship is 7.5 tons of recycled steel from the World Trade Center.

The 25,000 behemoth was built in Virginia and is the length of two football fields. Written on the bow above its crest is written “Never Forget”. Built in Louisiana, it made its way into New York harbor earlier this week, performing a 21-gun salute in front of Ground Zero and docking until November 11 so that the public can climb aboard and get a firsthand glimpse of it.
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For a big budget, Hollywood-style disaster film, 2012 probably wouldn’t come to mind as an “eco film” to most people. But not only does the movie serve as a message (or warning) of the effects of impending climate change, the director, Roland Emmerich, and producers took great strides to be as green as possible when making it.

Roland Emmerich, known for directing and producing other big budget disaster movies such as The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day, has been living a green lifestyle himself – driving a Prius and using solar energy to power his home – and wanted to carry over some eco-friendly practices into his filmmaking. He stated to MNN at the Environmental Media Association Awards, “After making The Day After Tomorrow, I said to myself, ‘From now on my movies should have a green footprint’.”
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Tampa Downtown Market- Fridays October-May; 10 am-2 pm. The vision of the Tampa Downtown Market is to provide local residents and businesses of the community with the freshest, highest quality, most nutritious, and most reasonably priced food & gourmet products. The mission of the Tampa Downtown Market is to serve as a community-gathering place where local farmers, producers, and artisans can offer fresh agricultural and related products to generate a sense of local pride and further the economic development of Downtown Tampa. With a strong focus on sustainability, the Tampa Downtown Market intends to provide a vehicle to educate the community on the importance of good health as we create more business opportunities and residential benefits. Located in Lykes Gaslight Square- Tampa St. & Kennedy Blvd., Downtown Tampa.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

St. Pete Saturday Morning Market- Every Saturday; 9 am to 2 pm. Downtown St. Petersburg in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot /1st Ave. S and 1st St. Open October 3 through May 29.

Land O’Lakes Saturday Market- Every Saturday; 9 am-2 pm. The Land O’Lakes Saturday Market is a weekly community event with live music and a threefold mission: 1. To foster a healthy and productive lifestyle of “buy fresh, buy local” by facilitating the connection of local food producers with local consumers.; 2. To promote the development of local green businesses, as well as artists and craftsmen.; 3. To bring our community together for networking and fun in a relaxed atmosphere. Land O’ Lakes Saturday Market donates profits to the Heritage Park Foundation and the Suncoast Harvest Food Bank. We are located at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, on the west side of US 41 – Land O’ Lakes Blvd., three miles north of SR 54 (across from the Land O’ Lakes Post Office- Directions). website: www.lolsaturdaymkt.com; email: lolsaturdaymkt@aol.com
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Sadly, there will be no new Top Chef Las Vegas episode tonight – how will I get my Bryan Voltaggio fix? Luckily, we will be graced with a Top Chef All Stars Reunion! That’s right, now we get to catch up with some of the most loved (and loathed) cheftestants from seasons past.

First of all, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Italian stallion, Fabio (season 5), but why did they choose him to host the show? Yes, his mispronunciation of most English words and phrases is adorable, but we could barely understand him the first time he was on the show. Maybe they chose him to host because of his innocence and aloofness when pushing peoples’ buttons (see videos below) when asking why they were such jerks on their seasons and bringing up past rivalries. That way he might have a lesser chance of getting punched in the face, perhaps?

Be sure to check out the clip (below) where he interviews the biggest jerks (and least favorite contestants) from seasons 1 through 4: Tiffany, Marcel (still sporting the Dragonball Z hairdo), Hung, and Stefan. This is obviously just the beginning of tonight’s drama.

Also notice in the dinner party clip that all of the aforementioned jerks and hot heads from past seasons are seated at the center of the table and the nice guys, like Richard Blais, are at the very end. Who wants to hear from the people who stirred up the least drama anyway? (And why is Dale there at all?)

Finally, I’d just like to say that I’d pay to see Fabio put the smackdown on Marcel. As Bravo’s catchphrase goes: “Watch what happens!”

Tune in to Bravo tonight at 10 pm EST/9 pm C, check out our own live Tweets during the show (Jeff: @TheStew, Katie: @culinarypirate), and listen to our podcast when we return next week! (You can now download on iTunes and check out Jeff’s Top Chef Flickr page.)

Videos after the break:
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Earlier this week, I wrote a post about BPA (Bisphenol-A) being found in plastic bottles and food containers and its harmful effects on humans, it also being linked to causing aggressive behavior in children. Use of this chemical has been banned in Canada and in some parts of the US.

Now you don’t have to look much further to get your daily dose of BPA – just open a can of soup or tuna! Tests recently performed by Consumer Reports showed traces of BPA in almost all of the 19 name-brand cans of soup, tuna, vegetables, and juice. There were even some cans labeled “BPA-free” that contained the chemical. And don’t think your organic canned foods are safe either – the chemical showed up in some of those as well.
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We’ve all heard about the “bad” plastics- those that contain carcinogens, toxins, and BPA (Bisphenol-A). But did you know that exposure to the BPA in the “bad” plastics has been linked to aggressiveness in children, as well as other diseases in humans?

A first-of-its-kind study done by the University of North Carolina linked behavioral problems in children from women that were exposed to BPA during pregnancy.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Tampa Bay planning tip: Learn to swim (video) – Grant Rimbey explores what rising ocean levels could mean for the Tampa Bay area by 2100.

Green Visions Series: Water conservation and the revival of local economies - Eric Stewart proposes how we can create an ecologically-based way of living in Florida.

Tampa takes part in International Day of Climate Action – This past Saturday marked the International Day of Climate Action, a global call for an active, scientifically-minded approach to climate change. With 4,000 simultaneous demonstrations taking place in over 180 countries, it was the most widespread day of environmental action in history.
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Earlier this week, the UK’s climate chief and leading authority on global warming, Lord Stern of Brentford, released a report on the raising of cattle and pigs, and how its production greatly affects greenhouse gases and climate change. Bentford said that, “Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world’s resources. A vegetarian diet is better.”

Stern reports that meat production at about 18 percent of global carbon emissions. He also hopes that “a successful deal at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December would lead to soaring costs for meat and other foods that generate large quantities of greenhouse gases.”

This is proving to be yet another topic to send Glenn Beck on a tirade. Beck plays the meat-loving victim and asks, “Are we going to stand for that? Are we going to put up with this?” He also goes on to mock the Meatless Monday movement and makes it sound like more of a punishment for school children than something that would help teach them to make healthy food choices.

Video after the break:
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Last week’s episode sure got my hopes up. I hate to keep complaining about what a snooze-fest this season is, but seriously, it is. Is it the contestants? Is it the editing of the show? Why can’t someone cut themselves or make out with another contestant like last season? Oh, it’s supposed to be about the food – right.

This week’s Quickfire consisted of creating a TV dinner (in a plastic tray, even) inspired by a classic television show. Redbeard (Kevin) gets The Sopranos, so he makes meatballs. Okay. Eli gets Gilligan’s Island, so he makes macadamia nut-crusted shrimp. Fitting. Ceveech (Jen) gets The Flintstones, so she makes a chicken roulade. Huh? And Jersey Mike has never even seen Seinfeld so he just pulls something out of his ass. I understand that most of the shows are a bit before their time, but seriously, who isn’t familiar with them? Maybe I expected some of them to be a little more cultured and up-to-date on their classic television (excluding Jersey Mike). Anyway, Redbeard takes the win. Big surprise, though I was a little amazed that he didn’t use pork in his dish.

For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs were let loose in Tom’s restaurant, Craftsteak, where they go apeshit over all of the choice proteins they think they’re going to use. Then their guest judge is introduced: Natalie Portman! And guess what? She’s a vegetarian! (Didn’t we see this in Top Chef Masters?) The cheftestants’ faces then immediately took on the “oh shit” look and they all turned white.

Jersey Mike claimed to be an expert on vegetarian cuisine, Redbeard said he doesn’t eat meat during Lent (meaning: he doesn’t eat pork products), and Eli proceeded to give vegetarians a lovely compliment by saying that they’re “lower human beings”. In the end, Jersey Mike tries to pass of undercooked leeks as a protein and gets the axe, while Redbeard takes the win with his “manly” veggie dish.

More fashion foibles this season: Padma’s tube top/pant suit atrocity, Ceveech’s tube top dress and open-toe ankle boots ensemble a la Pretty Woman, and Gail Simmons’ green prom dress circa Dynasty ‘86.

Podcast highlights: Natalie’s colorful language at the dinner table and her lack of ethnic friends, Ceveech’s “Philly Camaro” hair and falling self-esteem, and a plethora of ”That’s what she said” jokes.

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Tampa Downtown Market- Fridays October-May; 10 am-2 pm. The vision of the Tampa Downtown Market is to provide local residents and businesses of the community with the freshest, highest quality, most nutritious, and most reasonably priced food & gourmet products. The mission of the Tampa Downtown Market is to serve as a community-gathering place where local farmers, producers, and artisans can offer fresh agricultural and related products to generate a sense of local pride and further the economic development of Downtown Tampa. With a strong focus on sustainability, the Tampa Downtown Market intends to provide a vehicle to educate the community on the importance of good health as we create more business opportunities and residential benefits. Located in Lykes Gaslight Square- Tampa St. & Kennedy Blvd., Downtown Tampa.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

St. Pete Saturday Morning Market- Every Saturday; 9 am to 2 pm. Downtown St. Petersburg in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot / 1st Ave. S and 1st St. Open October 3 through May 29.
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Nestlé Waters North America announced it has teamed up with Keep America Beautiful to provide $10,000 “Recycle On The Go” grants to 12 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, including Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful. These efforts are being done in hopes of encouraging and empowering local communities, like Hillsborough County, to make away-from-home recycling more convenient.

Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful was selected from over 55 other KAB affiliates for its “innovative proposal to tackle public space recycling at four major Hillsborough County park facilities. Between tournaments, sports leagues, and every day use, these locations each see approximately 75,000 residents and visitors per year. The sites chosen to start this campaign are Northdale Park, Shimberg Park, Ed Raddice Sports Complex and Lake Park. The bins, provided by Conex Recycling, collect plastics 1-7, aluminum and tin.”
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As we saw in last week’s episode of Top Chef Las Vegas, the stakes and drama are getting higher and it’s getting harder to predict who will be going home next (with the majority of the weak links now gone). We’ve seen some of the heavy-hitters, like Ceveech (Jen), slipping up and some of the underdogs, like Robin, excel. I’m just excited that we’re finally getting to the meat of this competition, after cutting away the fat like Phranc (Preeti), Mary Kay Letourneau (Eve), and cleaner of Picasso’s paintbrushes, Ash.

Tonight’s episode looks entertaining because the cheftestants are getting all kinds of curve balls thrown at them. Their Quickfire Challenge is to cook a TV dinner (complete with plastic tray) inspired by a classic television show, i.e.: M*A*S*H, Gilligan’s Island, etc.

After viewing the preview video below, it looks as if some of the chefs are out of their element, like Eli who claims to have never eaten a TV dinner. And why would he when he lives at home with his mother who probably waits on him hand and foot? Our one-time favorite, whom some of us had in their top three, Ceveech, looks like she’s drowning in self-doubt again this week as well. Will this affect her power ranking or even her spot in the finale? (I know I’m changing my bet on the finale trifecta.)
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I know that people who make environmentally-friendly inventions have the best intentions at heart, but sometimes they take it a bit too far and come up with things that are, well, weird. Just in time for the creepiest holiday of the year, TreeHugger has compiled a slideshow list of some of the most unusual (to put it politely) green inventions out there.

And what, you ask, is on this strange list? Take, for instance, a luminol-filled lamp that runs on – you guessed it – blood. It’s the same stuff that forensic analysts use to find traces of blood at a crime scene and now you can light up your home with that same eerie blue glow.
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Last Saturday (October 24) was the International Day of Climate Action — the biggest day of grassroots action on global warming ever. People from over 180 countries participated in different ways to show our world leaders that we want them to establish stricter rules on global carbon emissions when they meet in Copenhagen in December to reach an agreement on a new climate treaty.

There were over 5,200 events staged internationally and over 19,000 photos taken of the various events that day — from the US to India, Australia to Iceland. See photos submitted to Greenpeace, the Huffington Post, TreeHugger, and check out 350.org’s page for photos and current updates of the movement.
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Like me, most of you Top Chef fans probably get a little anxious by this time of the week – it’s been how many days since the last episode?! Well, I’m here to give you a Top Chef fix to help you get through the next few days. Since the Restaurant Wars episode aired last Wednesday, I have come across some very exciting news about  future seasons and a few stupidly entertaining videos from the current season.
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The inaugural Tampa Bay Green Business Summit, hosted by Mayor Rick Baker, will be held tomorrow (Tuesday, October 27)  at the Progress Center for the Arts at the Mahaffey Theater in Downtown St. Petersburg. The event will allow the business community to share ideas, strategies and best practices to invest and grow business in the emerging clean technology and green industries.

The Green Business Summit is a free event open to the public that targets members of the business community seeking to learn about opportunities and risk management of green business in the wake of impending climate change legislation and litigation. The green business revolution offers businesses both challenges and opportunities. This event will identify business strategies for coping with the challenges and taking advantage of the business opportunities.

There will be three panel discussions on green investment and the economy; understanding regulation and carbon markets, and managing sustainable businesses.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Tampa joins International Day of Climate Action to take a stand for a safe climate future- On October 24, people from Tampa Bay joined Greenpeace to hear the importance of acting now for the climate and gather together to take a stand for the climate and a clean energy future as part of the largest global day of climate action ever.

Which big name food company is behind your organic food? – Did you know that some of your favorite organic food brands are owned by some of the biggest names in the food production business?

October 24 is the International Day of Climate Action (videos) – The biggest day of grassroots action on global warming ever.

The Age of Stupid showing at USF St. Pete campus (video) – The Student Environmental Awareness Society is starting their Environmental Film Series with the question, “Why didn’t we stop climate change when we had a chance?”
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Wow. I have to say this has been the first episode of Top Chef Las Vegas where I was actually on the edge of my seat and cared about who won or lost. It also showed us that maybe nice guys do finish last.

For the Quickfire, we saw the cheftestants divided into two teams of four and they had to compete in a blindfolded and gagged (no talking) relay race to complete a dish. Though the blue team, lead by Ceveech (Jen), didn’t really work cohesively for their dish they seemed to pull it off and take the win. I’m sure this added fuel to Angry Bro’s (Mike V.) fire to kick their asses in the Restaurant Wars Elimination Challenge.

At the beginning of the Restaurant Wars challenge, I really believe it was up in the air as to who would take the win. Though by service time, we had a much better idea of who would be on the chopping block. The red team, though led by a cruel tyrant, Mike V.,  bickering like school children, took their heated passion and directed it into their food – coming out on top and taking the win. Success stemmed from the leaders this episode and Ceveech’s stressing out (again) really took a toll on her team. Everyone on the blue team were just too nice and agreeable, leaving no one really in charge and a line of dishes that were ill-prepared.

In the end, Whatsherface (Laurine) was spared another grueling week on the show – as the majority of Top Chef fans probably wanted and/or predicted at the beginning of the episode. And then there were seven.

I hope that the action and excitement carries over into next week because this season has been blander than Jersey Mike’s dish that he served to Padma last night. Next week we get to see the cheftestants’ “oh shit” faces when they receive their orders from Natalie Portman – Super Vegan Challenge! What will Redbeard cook – tofu bacon?

Podcast highlights: We rag on the show’s fashion foibles, comparing the V. Brothers to characters in a Jane Austen novel, the Top Chef Las Vegas drinking game, and Jeff gives us more intriguing information as to the possible winner (no spoilers, though).

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Dialogue on Climate Change and Coastal Conservation- Friday, October 23; 9 am-12 pm. On October 23rd, participate and be part of a lively discussion on climate change adaptation strategies and ways to maintain our coasts as places where people and wildlife can thrive. The Dialogue on Climate Change and Coastal Conservation will explore what we must do to prepare for the challenges of a changing coastline. The Dialogue will build on and increase cooperation for protecting natural resources and the economy in response to the effects of global warming. Free event. Seating is limited so please reserve your seats now. Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, 950 Lake Carillon Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716.

Tampa Downtown Market- Fridays October-May; 10 am-2 pm. The vision of the Tampa Downtown Market is to provide local residents and businesses of the community with the freshest, highest quality, most nutritious, and most reasonably priced food & gourmet products. The mission of the Tampa Downtown Market is to serve as a community-gathering place where local farmers, producers, and artisans can offer fresh agricultural and related products to generate a sense of local pride and further the economic development of Downtown Tampa. With a strong focus on sustainability, the Tampa Downtown Market intends to provide a vehicle to educate the community on the importance of good health as we create more business opportunities and residential benefits. Located in Lykes Gaslight Square- Tampa St. & Kennedy Blvd., Downtown Tampa.

2009 Audubon Assembly- Friday and Saturday, October 23-24. Come and enjoy two days of Audubon fellowship. Connect with nature and birds on expert-led and self-guided field trips. Celebrate Audubon chapter milestones, too: St. Petersburg Audubon turns 100 and Clearwater Audubon is 50 this year. Deepen your knowledge at exciting learning sessions. And share your stories of how climate change is affecting your life and the places you care about. See the full Assembly schedule. Register here. Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park, 950 Lake Carillon Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716.

Green Halloween- Friday, October 23; 3:30-6:30 pm. Who says Halloween has to be unhealthy? And who says healthy can’t be fun? Green Halloween® is about making Halloween happy and healthy and about creating community traditions we can all be proud of. Divine Events will host Tampa’s inaugural Green Halloween on Friday, October 23, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Hyde Park Village. Event activities include a pumpkin patch cake walk, bobbing for organic apples, make your own Halloween bag out of old TBPM magazines, “best green costume” contest, and much more! National Sponsors Cascadian Farms, Glee Gum, Larabar & Surf Sweets will be providing healthy snacks for kids. Divine Events will also be collecting used children’s Halloween costumes, in good condition, to donate to The Alpha House of Tampa for use by less fortunate children. Local sponsors include Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine, Seedlings, My Green Home, and Nicole Geller Photography.  To read all about Green Halloween® and find fun events near you, visit GreenHalloween.org/Tampa. You can learn how to get involved locally, sign up for the super nifty newsletter, and share DIY costume ideas, recipes, and more on the new discussion board. There’s even a trick-or-treat bag design contest for kids! For more information visit www.greenhalloween.org/tampa or contact Barbara Keskiner at barbara@divinetampa.com or 727.403.5868.
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Drama! Action! Blindfolds! (Sounds kinky.) I know we’re going to see at least two of those in tonight’s episode of Top Chef…hopefully. It’s that time of the season again: Restaurant Wars! We’ll get to see who works fairly well together for the win and who gets the blame for having the losing restaurant, thus going down in flames.

Yet again, we see drama surrounding Robin and apparently she and Angry Bro (Mike V.) are the ones going at it this week during Restaurant Wars. It looks like, from the video below, that the V. Brothers and Robin are on a team working together in the kitchen for this challenge. With Angry Bro as the apparent team leader, it seems that he thinks it gives him an excuse to give Robin hell this week. I’m very much looking forward to her finally losing her cool and cursing him out, and also interested in seeing how the V. Brothers work together for this challenge, Will Mike will try to throw Bryan under the bus? Twenty bucks says he’ll try to do that to Robin.
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We’ve been hearing about the plethora of environmental films and docu-dramas out today that preach about changing our ways concerning our food, climate change, pesticide use, and so on (Food Inc., The Age of Stupid, Fresh, A Chemical Reaction, etc.). But did you ever look at Mad Max as an “eco film”? Its portrayal of a dystopian future where fuel is scarce and society collapses as a result, thus leaving humanity with a ravaged Earth and living in anarchy. (The scenario now sounds more and more like a possible future of our own.)
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This Saturday, October 24, 2009, is the International Day of Climate Action - the biggest day of grassroots action on global warming ever. Why are people speaking out on this day, you ask?

People are trying to make their voices heard over wanting stricter regulations on global carbon emissions, so we can try to curb global warming before it gets out of hand. This December in Copenhagen, many world leaders will be attending the Climate Conference to reach an agreement on a new climate treaty. Environmental activists want them to know that they mean business and want things changed now, before it’s too late.

That’s where 350.org comes in:
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You’re buying more organic food these days, maybe for health reasons or just because it makes you feel like you’re making a difference. But did you know that most of the organic brands you find in the grocery store, like Cascadian Farm, Kashi, and Back to Nature, are owned by some of the biggest names in the food production business? That’s right, Cascadian Farm is owned by General Mills, Kashi is produced by Kellogg’s, and the number one food producer in the US, Kraft, owns Back to Nature. (Check out this chart from GOOD to see which organic brands belong to which big food company.)
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Connecting of tribes at the Campus and Community Sustainability Conference at USF- Contributor Eric Stewart gives an overview of the seminars at the event and what Florida students are doing to make others aware of sustainablity issues.

USF Green Expo panel discusses high-speed rail- A speaker at the USF Going Green Expo, Nazih Haddad, Manager of the High-Speed Rail Program at the Florida Department of Transportation, said that demographics, geography, and growth management needs to create a perfect niche for high speed rail technology.

Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful receives $10,000 grant award as part of nationwide competition to “think green”- KHCB received a $10,000 cash grant for being one of 15 winners nationwide in a competition to present proposals for ambitious projects representing a wide array of stewardship, community outreach and educational projects.

Participate in ‘No Impact Week’ to lighten your carbon footprint-  Starting Sunday, October 18, use the No Impact Project guide and learn to gradually reduce your carbon footprint, step-by-step.
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A report released earlier this year by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works claimed that green and clean energy jobs were lower paying than similar non-green jobs. For instance, it said that workers in renewable energy manufacturing facilities were making around $7-$10 an hour less than their non-green manufacturing counterparts. But a report from Clean Edge and PayScale released this past week says it may be quite the contrary for green collar jobs, which comes as good news to all of those who have lost their prior jobs due to the recession.

According to this Green Inc. article: “The median earnings found in the survey range from $36,100 a year for an insulation worker to $112,000 a year for design engineering managers in alternative energy, according to Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis at PayScale.” Mr. Lee also went on to say that several entry-level positions — including jobs as solar-energy system installers and solar fabrication technicians — require only high school or associate’s degrees and pay more than $40,000 annually.
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Forget the term ‘recycle’, these days people are turning everyday found objects into pieces of usable art by ‘upcycling’. According to the Sustainability Dictionary, upcycling is “the process of converting an industrial nutrient (material) into something of similar or greater value, in its second life. Aluminum and glass, for example, can usually be upcycled into the same quality of aluminum and glass as the original products.”

For some great examples of unique home decor made from upcycled items, check out this article from The Daily Green. It features items like a chair made out of those old ‘Walk/Don’t Walk’ lighted street signs, one-of-a-kind baskets that are woven from scraps of insulated copper telephone wire, chairs and a table made from a wine barrel, and a wall clock made from bicycle parts. I’d have to say the most ‘out there’ piece featured is the oil lamp made from an old surplus military grenade – a surefire conversation piece for your coffee table.

For more great upcycled home decor ideas, see the article One-of-a-Kind Recycled Home Decor, which features items that utilize easier to find mediums to repurpose. (Because I’m sure it’s easier to come upon reclaimed wood and old storage boxes than it is to find old grenades.)

Is it episode 8 already? Well, we’re still here, still podcasting about Top Chef Las Vegas (no, this isn’t the Hell’s Kitchen podcast). Unfortunately this week we are sans our resident wine guru, Taylor. Fortunately, Jeff provided us with a different form of bubbly to enjoy during our gab session this week- Stella Artois (whose commercials play during Top Chef- coincidence?).

 At the beginning of the episode we learned that Angry Bro (Mike V.) thinks he’s the Babe Ruth of Top Chef and that Eli still lives at home – he’d admit this on national television, why?

The Quickfire revealed that Charlie Palmer is the guest judge and former boss of the V. Brothers (and swore he won’t play favorites), and their secret ingredient is a potato chip. Classy, Bravo.  They’ve already had to pair shots with dishes, so why not snack food this time around? Personally, I’d pair my Funyuns with a braised lamb shank in a lovely sherry demi glace. Ceveech was a nervous wreck again this week and it looks like she didn’t use her Macy’s gift card from last week’s win to get herself a makeover (your roots are showing, girl). Eli ends up taking home this challenge (cough*finally*cough) and represents for ATL. He also muses that he can be the first to win a Quickfire and Elimination Challenge in the same episode. Right.

For the Elimination Challenge, each cheftestant had to use a different cut of pork for their dish and pair it with the pinot noir they chose to use.  Who knew Eli was such a wino, I mean- wine connoisseur? They then had to cook for 150 guests at Charlie Palmer’s fundraiser event, Pigs and Pinot. Of course, the V. Brothers, Redbeard (Kevin), and Ceveech got great reviews, while Ash, Robin and Whatsherface’s (Laurine) dishes were not so popular at this event.

Much to our surprise (hint of sarcasm), Redbeard won with a pork dish again, and Ash ended up getting the boot. (Top Chef Rule #3: Don’t tell the judges that you didn’t cook the dish that you had originally intended to.) It was good that they put Ash out of his misery, though - after learning that he could no longer clean Picasso’s paintbrushes, he felt that the Top Chef life just wasn’t worth living.

Looks like it’s Restaurant Wars next week, so maybe we’ll finally see some action that will have us on the edge of our seats. Well, enough action to keep our interest, at least.

Highlights: Laurine makes cat food, Robin being “passive-aggressive” and at the center of the drama in the house (seen here), asking: “What Would Carla Do?”, our predictions for Padma’s baby-daddy, and the best “That’s What She Said” line of the episode.

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Tampa Downtown Market- Fridays October-May; 10 am-2 pm. The vision of the Tampa Downtown Market is to provide local residents and businesses of the community with the freshest, highest quality, most nutritious, and most reasonably priced food & gourmet products. The mission of the Tampa Downtown Market is to serve as a community-gathering place where local farmers, producers, and artisans can offer fresh agricultural and related products to generate a sense of local pride and further the economic development of Downtown Tampa. With a strong focus on sustainability, the Tampa Downtown Market intends to provide a vehicle to educate the community on the importance of good health as we create more business opportunities and residential benefits. Located in Lykes Gaslight Square- Tampa St. & Kennedy Blvd., Downtown Tampa.

Screening of Fresh Film- Friday, October 16; 7 pm. FRESH is a film that celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are reinventing our food system. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision of our food and our planet’s future. FRESH addresses an ethos that has been sweeping the nation and is a call to action America has been waiting for. FRESH empowers us to realize that our individual actions in fact do matter. Throughout the film we encounter the most inspiring people, ideas, and initiatives around the US. And thus, FRESH showcases real people first and foremost, connecting audiences not with facts and figures or apocalyptic policy analysis, but with personal stories of change. For more information visit http://www.freshthemovie.com/. Wings Bookstore- 4500 4th St N, St Petersburg.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

North Shore Clearwater Beach Cleanup- Saturday, October 17; 9 am. The SPC Environmental Club and the EGB adopted a mile of beach (Lot 36) on North Shore Clearwater Beach, running from Rockaway St. to 880 Mandalay. We have scheduled our next beach cleanup Saturday, October 17, starting at 9 am. We will be meeting on the beach at Rockaway Street, right in front of Frenchy’s restaurant. Bags and gloves will be provided, but please remember to wear a hat, sunscreen, closed toed shoes and pants for the dunes, etc. Spend a few hours picking up garbage and the rest relaxing on a clean beach.You can park in the public beach parking or go past Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill and find residential parking further down the road then just walk back. Click here for driving directions.
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As we’ve been discussing the last few weeks in the Top Chef Podcast, there seems to be a lot of tension between Robin and Eli. Well, between Robin and almost everyone, it seems. Is it because they don’t respect her as much as some of the cheftestants that were booted before her? Or are they just being childish and disrespectful? Tonight’s episode will give us more drama, as Robin and Eli get to smack talkin’ again and Robin proves that she is not Eli’s mother, as seen in the preview clip below.

Also, the V. Brothers (Hot Bro- Bryan, Angry Bro- Michael) have got their panties in a wad over this week’s guest judge, Charlie Palmer – a famous chef and restaurateur. You see, Charlie used to be both of the V. Boys’ boss, and it makes them quite nervous to be cooking for him in the Quickfire Challenge (or rather, heating up some frozen potato product, as it looks like in the video below). Ceveech (Jen) even looks to be losing her cool during this challenge. I think it’d be really hilarious and ironic if Robin took this win.
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If you’re interested in clean energy solutions, climate change, and the environment, be sure to attend the Repower America event tonight in St. Petersburg:
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I’m sure many of us have all tried in one form or fashion to become more eco-conscious and tread a little lighter on this planet. Most of you have heard about the concept of the carbon footprint (greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product) and probably practice recycling, conserving water and energy in your home, etc., to try to reduce your carbon footprint. But we can always do more.

Take, for instance, No Impact Man, Colin Beavan, and his No Impact Project where he and his family tried to live with no environmental impact for one year in New York City. Think: making no trash, only eating food grown within 250 miles, using no carbon producing transportation (cars, subway) and finally, and using no electricity in their home. Of course, they didn’t go cold turkey and omit all of these things from their lives all at once, they did so through phases – and so can you.

Huffington Post is hosting No Impact Week, starting Sunday, October 18, to “give people the opportunity to examine and reduce their ecological footprint by taking part in a short and intense period of conscious consumption supported by local and online communities”. They’ve even created a day-by-day guide to help you go greener gradually and learn practices that make less of an impact on the environment. Each day will focus on a different theme (i.e.: trash, energy, food, transportation) and give you tips on simple practices you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. This doesn’t mean you have to stop driving your car or turn off your electricity – it gives simple, achievable goals for each day.
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The non-profit organization Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful has been recognized for their green efforts by the national nonprofit organization Keep America Beautiful, Inc. as part of a nationwide effort sponsored by Waste Management that encourages local solutions to improving community environments.

KHCB received a $10,000 cash grant for being one of 15 winners nationwide (out of 575 entries from other KAB affiliates) in a competition to present proposals for ambitious projects representing a wide array of stewardship, community outreach and educational projects.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Eco Chic: Bracelets and cuffs from recycled vinyl records- These bracelets are a great way to enhance your favorite outfit while showing your love for music and the environment all at the same time.

700 people pose nude in a French vineyard for Greenpeace- Stripping down for a good cause.

Stylish, eco-friendly yoga mat totes- Check out these new eco-friendly yoga bags made from recycled items such as recycled juice boxes and feed sacks.

Ed Begley Jr. to talk about sustainable living in Tampa- The actor, also the host of the cable channel Green Planet’s Living With Ed, said that one of the things he’ll be talking about at USF is GreenSwitch, a new concept developed by Magnum Energy Solutions. GreenSwitch uses wireless technology to turn off electrical outlets and light switches, helping home owners to reduce energy consumption by as much as 25 percent.
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Yes, we here in Tampa Bay may live in a highly populated metropolitan area with a huge carbon footprint, but you can now rest a little easier when I tell you that we didn’t make the list of The 15 Most Toxic Places to Live (courtesy of The Mother Nature Network). This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to live greener lifestyles – let’s just start taking notes now and learning from some of the locations on the Toxic 15 list on what not to do and why we should be more conscious of the environment.

Some of the cities that did make The 15 Most Toxic Places to Live were Chernobyl, Ukraine (I’ll let you guess why); the Citarum River in Indonesia – the most polluted river in the world; Linfen, China – the city with the most air pollution (laundry turns black when hung out to dry); the Yamuna River that flows through Delhi, India – used for waste disposal, drinking and bathing; and Lake Karachay, Russia – named the most polluted area in the world by the Worldwatch institute on nuclear waste because, thanks to the nuclear dumping by the Soviet Union, one hour of exposure at this spot will guarantee you a lethal dose of radiation.

Video after the break.
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

4th Annual Campus and Community Sustainability Conference and Expo- Thursday & Friday, October 8-9. Presented by Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas at the University of South Florida in Tampa. This is the state’s premier forum to explore sustainability efforts in the private, public and academic sectors of Florida. This year promises to be bigger and better as the conference is joining forces with Going Green Tampa Bay Expo. The Expo is designed to focus on sustainability issues and opportunities that face the Tampa Bay region, showing the nation and the world that this is a viable place to grow a sustainable business or industry.

Tampa Bay Green Expo- Friday & Saturday, October 9-10. Check out the Going Green Tampa Bay Expo 2009 — starting at 1pm Friday Oct 9 and running all day Saturday Oct 10. Exciting exhibits and events focus on sustainability issues, showcase sustainable products and services, and show how we can each contribute to a more sustainable Tampa Bay area. Come meet Ed Begley, Jr. at the GreenSwitch booth! Nearly 80 exhibitors throughout the main exhibit hall, a kids area, and a small-business Marketplace for local vendors. Come see solar exhibits and eco-vehicles around the beautiful Marshall Student Center grounds. Attend a free workshop — including rain barreles, composting, organic certification, greening your business, and more! Fun activities, fun ways to learn about new products, and it’s all FREE! http://www.goinggreentampabay.com/

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Operation Bon Appetit: White House State Dinners at Whole Foods- Friday, October 9; 6:00-8:00pm. $5.00. Sample delectable food and fine wine with fellow conspirators in the plot to bring conviviality (feasting and drinking) and conversation to world change. The University of Tampa will be on site with a tablescape art installation. $5.00 per person with 100% of the proceeds going to Earth Charter USA and UT. Event is limited to 125 people. Reservations are required and can be made at sherell.white@wholefoods.com or at store exit lobby. Whole Foods Market Tampa- 1548 North Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa. 813.874.9435.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).
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This week, we’re back in the Champagne Room (aka: the podcast bunker) to kvetch about episode 7 of  Top Chef. (What did you think this was, the Project Runway Podcast?)

Was this episode painfully boring or was it just my short attention span? I’m going to sum it up much like the cheftestants had to get the specs for their Quickfire dish, Cookstr-style: Tired, bland, and contrived. Tyler Florence (insert Applebee’s sellout joke here) didn’t even add to the excitement as the guest judge:  he lacks the street cred that the majority of the prior guest judges this season had.

For the Quickfire Challenge, the chefs had to create a dish using the three description words that the Cookstr slot machine gave them. What is “stressed” food, by the way? ‘Stress food’, as in, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s? Or maybe a lobster that was just dropped into a boiling cauldron of water. I digress. Ultimately, we learned that passing off a Middle Eastern dish with Indian curry to Padma just doesn’t fly, Jersey Mike really knows his Asian food- note the sarcasm, and Ceveech sure loves her scallops (maybe we’ll start calling her ‘Top Scallop’ from now on).

For the Elimination Challenge, the players drew knives to see who they’d be teamed up with to cook a potluck-style dinner for Tyler Florence and Macy’s Culinary Council (some great chefs they gave no background info on)…in their own home kitchen. 10 chefs + 1 home kitchen = madness. Each team got a mystery bag of ingredients they had to use in their dish, along with whatever was in the pantry. The only major drama in this part of the episode was the pairing of Jersey and Robin, Angry Brother (Mike V.) losing power to his electric wok, and Ashley’s over salted gnocchi.

Ceveech ends up taking the win, getting a $10k gift card from Macy’s, which hopefully she’ll end up spending on a new wardrobe and on an entire makeover (too bad you can’t buy class). Much to my delight, greaseball Ben Folds was sent packing for her salty gnocchi and all-around bad idea for a dish. The show will feel much cleaner now.

Highlights: The horrid clothes this episode (namely Padma, Tom, and Ben Folds), Ash sure knows how to set a table (is this Top Tablescape Artist?), Hot Bro (Bryan) gets all sassy and puts everyone in their place for ragging on his lil’ bro, and where the heck is Whatsherface (Laurine) this episode?

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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It’s finally Fall which means it’s the start of the growing  season, and you know what that means- Sweetwater Organic Community Farm is back open for business! They’re going to kick off the season with their 7th Annual Planters Ball on Saturday, October 17, which is open to the entire Tampa Bay community.

The Planter’s Ball is a potluck dinner and fundraiser to kick off the official start of Sweetwater’s growing season. Enjoy a pleasant evening outdoors with great food, entertainment by the Urban Gypsies, and dining and dancing under the stars. Bring your family, a covered dish to share, and enjoy a farm-fresh, organic salad and bread provided by Sweetwater.
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We’ve recently seen an influx of environmental themed films that deal with what we’re putting into our bodies. Food, Inc. and Fresh dealt with the mega industrial food industries, and the results of the hormones and chemicals that enter our bodies from the overprocessed foods we eat. But what about chemicals and pesticides that enter our bodies from the upkeep of our prized lush, green lawns?

The new documentary, A Chemical Reaction: The Story of a True Green Revolution, addresses the health risks and side effects of synthetic lawn pesticide and herbicide use and human and animal illnesses, and what a small town did to be the first place in North America to ban the use of these toxic chemicals.

See the film’s trailer after the break
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Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that raises money and builds homes for the less fortunate. This Saturday, the Pinellas County chapter of Habitat is throwing the “Hammers and Heartstrings Ball” fundraiser so that more projects in Pinellas County can be funded and built.

The culinary students from the Art Institute of Tampa are preparing the food for the VIP cocktail party, dinner, and dessert; The Sassy Jazzy Band plays live, and live and silent auctions round out the evening.

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Join the Audubon of Florida on October 23 and 24 in St. Petersburg for the 2009 Audubon Assembly and Dialogue on Coastal Conservation and Climate Change. See below for more information:

Celebrated oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Ph. D., is the Assembly’s keynote speaker. The two-day program brings together conservation leaders and scientists—as well as policy makers, and business people from across Florida to discuss strategies to protect our coasts, birds, and wildlife, and secure our quality of life.

Come and enjoy two days of Audubon fellowship. Connect with nature and birds on expert-led and self-guided field trips. Celebrate Audubon chapter milestones, too: St. Petersburg Audubon turns 100 and Clearwater Audubon is 50 this year. Deepen your knowledge at exciting learning sessions. And share your stories of how climate change is affecting your life and the places you care about. See the full assembly schedule. Receive a discount for early registration.
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Many groups are trying to make their voices heard over the issue of climate change, trying to get world leaders to attend the United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December. Some groups are taking more extreme approaches than others. For instance, a group of 700 volunteers in Burgundy, France, stripped down and posed for the photographer Spencer Tunick to illustrate the threat of global warming, especially its effects on wine and agriculture in France, through art.

I’m guessing that living in a tree for months on end or chaining themselves to heavy machinery wasn’t getting the message across. According to Greenpeace’s website:
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The Florida Aquarium’s  ‘Brews by the Bay’ event made quite a splash Saturday night. Creative Loafing was the media sponsor of the festivities, which started at 8 p.m. with a line that wrapped around the building (tickets having sold out before the event even started), full of partygoers who were eager to sample the many brews offered and the appetizing food from local restaurants.

The party went on throughout the aquarium, with Four Star Riot playing downstairs, a DJ outside on the deck, and an acoustic musician playing inside the Coral Reef Gallery room, as well as scuba divers who interacted with the onlookers by writing messages on Etch-a-Sketch boards and performing acrobatics. Visitors were greeted by two live mermaids who offered photo opportunities (although it looked like most people were more interested in getting inside and downing their first beer). Guests had the chance to roam around the building to find all the food and drink spots while admiring the aquatic scenery.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Builder goes green with their eco-friendly homes in Terrace Park, Tampa- One company, Rising Force Construction, has undertaken the task of creating affordable, energy efficient homes that promote sustainable living in Terrace Park, an established neighborhood just south of the University of South Florida.

Two more screenings scheduled for Fresh: New thinking about what we’re eating- You now have two more chances to see this new film about what’s wrong with the mega-industrial food industry.

Hope springs from tragedy: A city rebuilds to become better, stronger and greener- Greensburg, Kansas rebuilds to be an all green city. Vote in their green home design competition!
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Check out this hilarious clip from the Colbert Report where Stephen sticks it to environmentalists who are against 3-ply toilet paper. It highlights the environmentalists main arguments, such as comparing what quilted toilet paper is to the paper industry what a Hummer is to the car industry.

According to Colbert, the “best, fluffiest toilet paper is made from old wood,” (meaning it’s made from trees that are decades or even centuries old) and environmentalists are taking action against the production of this commodity.

Colbert threatens to start wiping with a spotted owl if the environmentalists take away his precious plush toilet paper.

See the video after the jump.
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Dunedin Green Market- Every Friday; 8 am- 1 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs every Friday.

Screening of Food, Inc.- Friday, Oct. 2; 7 pm. How much do we know about what we eat? How much do we want to know? Documentary filmmaker Robert Kenner explores surprising and shocking truths about the American food industry, and considers what we as consumers can do about it. Showing in the Miller Auditorium at Eckerd College: http://www.eckerd.edu/ic

Women Taking Care of the World Conference & Concert- Saturday, October 3, 8am-5pm. A celebration of women coming together to unite for peace and a better tomorrow. Visit 100+ exhibitors of products and services for women, listen to inspiring keynote speakers, incredible performances by female musicians and vocalists, and the opportunity to help raise money for several deserving charities. Progress Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater. Concert starts at 7:45 p.m. Visit: http://www.iammoxywomen.com/

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

St. Pete Saturday Morning Market- Every Saturday; 9 am to 2 pm. Downtown St. Petersburg in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot / 1st Ave. S and 1st St. Open October 3 through May 29.
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(Check here for more on the food and wine pairings at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.)

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to indulge in Disney’s International Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT Center. This marks the 14th year of an event that promises the chance to eat and drink your way around the world without ever having to break out your passport.

After attending this event for the past few years, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a majority of the regional menus had changed (after being exactly the same for the past few go-arounds) and that they’d added a few new cuisines, now up to 25 different international marketplaces. There were also more culinary classes and wine tastings to attend this year, many involving well-known food and wine celebrities like Iron Chef Cat Cora (who has a new restaurant, Kouzzina, that just opened at Disney’s Boardwalk), Andrew Zimmern (host of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel), the Deen Brothers (yes, Paula’s boys) and lying TV chef Robert Irvine.
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In May 2007, the city of Greensburg, Kansas, was hit by an EF5 tornado that wiped out 95 percent of the city and killed eleven people. Now, the city is working on becoming better, stronger and greener.

Greensburg is now being rebuilt as a “green” town, with all city buildings being LEED certified platinum (the first city in the country to do so) and residents being educated on how to live greener and more sustainably. These efforts have been made possible with the help of Greensburg Greentown, a non-profit organization, and by charter supporters like Ben & Jerry’s, Brighter Planet, Clif Bar, and Stonyfield Farm, who have purchased ten wind turbines for the city.
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Just in case you missed the first run showing of Fresh in the Tampa Bay area, you now have two more chances to see this new film about what’s wrong with the mega-industrial food industry.

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.
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This week, we’re back in the Champagne Room (aka: the podcast bunker) to rag on episode 6 of the new season on Top Chef.

I have to admit that the “Angels and Devils” theme for the Quickfire Challenge was a bit cheesy (and so were some of the dishes, and I’m not talking dairy here). The cheftestants had to create a duo dish using one main component two ways. Some of the chefs were a bit peeved at Robin’s win with her apple salad and apple crisp. Was Eli right to mock her for playing the cancer story card? No. But I do have to say that Penn and Teller were awesome. Anyway, we welcomed back the lovely Michelle Bernstein from Miami (a past judge on Top Chef) as guest judge this week.

For their Elimination Challenge, the chefs had to deconstruct a classic dish but keep the same flavors of the original dish. The judges table was very- how shall I put this – bitchy this week. The claws were out with Padma and Michelle and it was no-holds-barred with the critiques to the chefs on the bottom of the barrel this week. It was also great to see Michelle put Toby Young in his place concerning the pronunciation of “paella” (and the city of “Barthelona”).

We also got to see Ben Folds (Ashley) on top again this week (surprisingly), as well as Redbeard (Kevin) and Angry Brother (Mike V.). From all of the flack and hate comments we received over last week’s post/episode, I won’t reveal the winner or loser. (But, seriously, why listen if you haven’t seen the episode yet?)

Highlights: Eli hates on Robin for pulling the ‘cancer card’, Ron “The Chowder King”’s not-s0-deconstructed paella, how to pronounce “paella”, Jeff’s new bell, Katie’s thing for married chefs, and our response about the spoilers from last week’s episode.

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Sock Hop and Wine Tasting at Whole Foods- Friday, September 25; 6:30-7:30 pm. Happy Days are here again! Come celebrate back to school with a blast from the past. Tampa Whole Foods Market will be hosting a mid century sock hop and wine tasting. Customers will be treated to dance instruction with June Kittay as they twist and shout, mambo, and swing. So come on and do the locomotion with us! Registration required at store exit lobby or sherell.white@wholefoods.com. Event is limited to 75 people. Free Event. Whole Foods Market Tampa- 1548 North Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa. 813.874.9435.

Yoga Groove- Friday, Sept 25; 7-9 pm. Step into your unlimited potential, and express the unspoken hunger to move. Use the wisdom of yoga and the ancient rhythm of the breath to free your mind and body. Unleash your spirit. $20 advance registration required, $25 at the door. The Lotus Pond, 6201 Lynn Rd, Tampa. 813-961-3160; www.yogalotusroom.com

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).
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We all want to save money on energy and utility bills during this time when money is tight. Some people have the misconception that going ‘green’ and putting energy efficient installations in their home can be expensive, but it’s quite the contrary. Why not learn how these solar powered/energy efficient components work and see them in action in homes and buildings around the Tampa Bay area?

The Tampa Solar Homes tour will show you how to go ‘green’ and save money on your utility bills by installing photovoltaic systems, solar hot water heaters, back-up batteries and solar attic fans. Listen to some solar power experts, get a solar photovoltaic system tutorial, and check out the numerous homes and businesses around the Bay that are using these practices- for free! Bonus: There will be a free shuttle to tour participants around to see all of the sites on this tour.

Read more:
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Hillsborough County receives $7.6 million federal energy efficiency grant- The county plans to use these funds to undertake energy efficiency and conservation projects on its facilities and vehicles.

The pursuit of sustainable happiness- Sustainability in relation to happiness here is used to denote something that is generative, something that will complete us and not deplete our energy levels, something that would inspire us to be better.
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This week, we’re back in the Champagne Room (aka: the podcast bunker) to rag on episode 5 of the new season on Top Chef.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the theme of this episode, cowboy/ranch-themed cookery, and that the Quickfire and Elimination Challenges went along with the main theme. I do wish, though, that the viewers would’ve chosen rattlesnake as the Quickfire ingredient over cactus. Rattlesnake “ceveech” anyone? It was also nice to see “What’s-her-face” (Laurine) pull out from the middle and get recognized for her food. Is she the next Carla? I don’t think so, but we have yet to see.

For the Elimination Challenge, I thought it was great/hilarious to see that the chefs had to not only cook outdoors on a camp site, but sleep there as well. We really got to separate the chefs from the line cooks when we saw who utilized their makeshift kitchen properly and who didn’t get that raw fish and 150-degree weather don’t mix. And Ron “The Chowder King” will now be referred to as “The Voodoo King” after voodoo ritual he performed on his tent.

Highlights from our Podcast: Angry Brother’s incessant cockiness and whining, Ben Folds (Ashley), really needs a shower, Padma’s “cowgirl chic”, Frenchy (Mattin) makes the judges sick (literally), and Chef Tim Love’s p-p-p-poker face.

Check out season 4’s Richard Blais’ post on his thoughts about last week’s episode and on the Wonder Brothers, Bryan (”Hot Brother”) and Michael (”Angry Brother”) Voltaggio.

(Editors Note: There is a spoiler concerning the gender of the winner of this season of Top Chef in this episode of our podcast. It may or may not be correct, but don’t listen if you don’t want to hear our speculation.)

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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Current’s Green site is hosting a Weird Green Film Festival, showcasing the craziest, funniest, most interesting (to say the least) green-related short films. You can go on their site to vote for your favorites or get creative and submit your own.

You want to do good. You really do. You want to feel like you’re making a difference. Everywhere you turn you see evidence of climate change and the 6th mass extinction and you can’t handle it anymore. You want everyone to know about what is happening, and you are shocked that more people aren’t paying attention.

And then it hits you, if only people were laughing about climate change, then more people would get involved. It’s like when they teach you if you are attacked never yell “Rape” because people will run away, but if you yell, “Fire” then people will come towards you. So you decide that you want to make people laugh about climate change. So you make a video. Because you want people to laugh. Only problem is, in some of these cases, we aren’t laughing with you, and in some of these cases I’m not sure we’re laughing as much as smirking. But gosh darnit, you did it. And so today, we honor you. The makers of weird green videos.

Check out my favorite weird green films after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

PARK(ing) Day- Friday, September 18th, 10 am-6 pm. Mini-parks will be sprouting up in parking spaces in Downtown Tampa as part of PARK(ing) Day – an annual global event where parking spaces are transformed into parks for the day. These temporary park installations aim to transform urban environments designed for vehicle use into a communal space for public use, promote green initiatives, and bring awareness to civic processes and policies that directly impact our landscape and environment. The Tampa Downtown Partnership, in conjunction with SuperTest, a local arts organization, has planned a dozen PARK(ing) space installations throughout the N. Franklin Street corridor, from Café Hey (just north of I-275) to Madison Street.  The PARK(ing) installations will line this pedestrian friendly route designed to highlight independent businesses and promote civic engagement. Visitors will be encouraged to walk, bike, or utilize the free electric cart shuttles to tour and relax in the Tampa PARK(ing) Day spaces. Park installations will be accessible from 10am – 6pm, Friday, September 18th.

Guided Canoe Trip at Weedon Island- Friday, September 18; 12:30-3:30 pm. Take this opportunity to explore a portion of the south canoe trail at Weedon Island Preserve. This trail offers a rare look at some of the aquatic ecosystems that make west-central Florida so special. Trained canoe guides lead you through mangrove stands and over seagrass and oyster beds, while pointing out various flora and fauna that live here. If you have never explored the Preserve from the water, this is an exciting opportunity you don’t want to miss! The cost for this unique experience is $14.02 per person plus tax ($15 total) or $28.04 per canoe plus tax ($30 total) (maximum of 3 people per canoe). Spaces fill quickly, and pre-registration is required. Minimum age: Children must be 6 years old or older and all minors must be accompanied by an adult. Weedon Island Preserve- 1800 Weedon Drive N.E. St. Petersburg, FL 33702. (727) 453-6500.

Nosh with the Cheese Mavens at Greenwise- Friday, September 18; 4-7pm. Stop and enjoy a bite and you might learn something new about Kosher cheese. Publix Greenwise Market- 2403 W. Azeele St., Tampa. 813-250-0129.

Experiencing Inner Power and Protection Workshop- Friday, September 18; 7 pm. Join us for a Magical evening as we explore this theme of Power and Protection through: beautiful music, cultural performances, inspiring conversation, an unforgettable interview with Sister Mohini, and soothing meditation. Sister Mohini is a practicing meditator and spiritual leader for over 50 years. This event is organized by the Brahma Kumaris (www.bktampa.org), Students of India Association, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers Student Chapter at NO CHARGE as a service to the community. For further information about the evening, please call us at 813-987-2525 or email us at bktampa@gmail.com. USF Marshall Center Oval Theatre 4202 E Fowler Ave., Tampa.
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Downtown Tampa is going green this Friday by participating in the national event, PARK(ing) Day, where ordinary parking spaces are transformed into mini “parks.” Yes, you may be thinking, “Isn’t parking there bad enough already?” or “Where am I going to park?” Well, the purpose for this event is to get people to not drive their cars to work for a day and use other modes of transportation —  bikes, buses, free electric cart shuttles, etc.

So go green that day, if you work downtown, by finding an alternative ride to work, and enjoy those parking spaces instead by having a picnic lunch on one (weather permitted). Read more:

On this Friday, September 18th, mini-parks will be sprouting up in parking spaces in Downtown Tampa as part of PARK(ing) Day – an annual global event where parking spaces are transformed into parks for the day. These temporary park installations aim to transform urban environments designed for vehicle use into a communal space for public use, promote green initiatives, and bring awareness to civic processes and policies that directly impact our landscape and environment.
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According to this press release from Hillsborough County:

Hillsborough County has been notified that it will receive $7,665,200 in federal stimulus funds to undertake energy efficiency and conservation projects on its facilities and vehicles. The award is the largest energy grant awarded to a County government in Florida to date. The funding comes from $2.7 billion set aside as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions by governments around the nation.

The County plans to use the grant money on the following improvement projects:

-A solar photovoltaic system on the original County Courthouse on Pierce Street, $1.307 million

-Energy-saving lighting retrofit to two County warehouse buildings on Falkenburg Road, $300,000
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Eco-adventurer takes ‘Plastiki’ expedition to the Pacific Garbage Patch- Eco-adventurer David de Rothschild plans to sail 11,000 miles from San Francisco to Sydney by way of the Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch on his 60-foot catamaran called the Plastiki.

The truth about Van Jones: Communist? Nope. Revolutionary? Hope so. – From what I’ve known about Jones as a person and his work the past four years, I would say it’s pushing it to call him a communist. As for being a revolutionary, he is indeed a leader in the Green Revolution.

What we need to form Florida’s green economy- A green economy, based upon ethics, entrepreneurship and decentralization, would be the way to move forward for this state and our country.
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Join the Seminole Heights Community Garden to plant a garden in honor of 9/11- Saturday, September 12. The Seminole Heights Community Gardens has teamed up with Green Florida to plant a native and edible garden for a local community member in honor of those lost eight years ago on 9/11. The event will take place this Saturday, September 12th and SHCG are looking for volunteers to to help with setting up the garden and asking for donations from local community groups. If you know of anyone who would be a good candidate for a donated garden or you would like more information about volunteering,  please contact Robin at  robin@greenerpixels.com.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

Dunedin Green Market- Saturday, September 12; 8 am- 12 pm. The Dunedin Green Market is located in Pioneer Park at the cross streets of Douglas Avenue and Main Street in Downtown Dunedin and runs the second Saturday of every month until October.

Saturday Summer Market- every Saturday through September 19; 9 am-1pm. Brought to you by the Saturday Morning Market, this market features the same great vendors (food, crafts, art) as the original market, but this one’s in the shade of the Mahaffey Theatre parking garage. 400 1st St S., St. Petersburg. (which is just 2-3 block south of our current location at Al Lang stadium).
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This week, we’re back to rag on episode 4 of the new season on Top Chef. I do have to say, since they’ve been cutting the fat (2 people went home this week) it’s been getting better.

This episode had French written all over it: a Quickfire judged by Daniel Boulud featuring escargot (snails), an Elimination Challenge involving pairing classical French sauces with French-related proteins (i.e.: frog’s legs, rabbit, lobster), and a dining table filled with some of the most famous French chefs of our time: Joel Robuchon (The “Unicorn”), Daniel Boulud, Hubert Keller, Laurent Tourondel, and Jean Joho.

Highlights from our Podcast: We slip into French accents to set the mood, Jeff describes how dirty “Ben Folds” (Ashley) is, the debate over Frenchy’s (Mattin) sexuality and if he has a thing for Jersey Mike, Katie thinks “Ceveech” (Jennifer) and “Angry Brother” (Mike V.) are ‘banging’ out a lot more than dishes, “Jack Black” (Jesse- pictured at right) finally gets set free, and we take a stab at predicting our trifecta for the finale.

Check out season 4’s Richard Blais’ post on his thoughts about last week’s episode, and about the common ingredient used last week: mustard (plus a great recipe for agave nectar mustard).

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:

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The Age of Stupid is an eco docu-drama directed by Franny Armstrong (Mc Libel, Drowned Out) and will be shown as a “first of it’s kind” worldwide live event- simulcast live from a solar tent in New York to only 440 movie theaters in the nation, in conjunction with UN Climate Week.

The film stars Pete Postlethwaite (The Usual Suspects) as a global archivist in the future who is wondering why the heck people didn’t get the clue about global climate change and stop it when we still had a chance. It also interweaves six dramatic stories of people from around the globe facing different ecological crises and features present day news clips that are featured in this future media archive.

See the trailer after the jump:
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This week, we’re back for round 3 of the new season on Top Chef. (Editor’s Note: Our podcast was more exciting than this episode, so listen to it even if you haven’t seen the episode yet.)

The quickfire challenge was to make and “out-of-this-world” potato dish and the cheftestants served up some interesting spuds. I was very impressed with Ashley (”Ben Folds”) for pulling off gnocchi in 45 minutes. But Jennifer (”Ceveech”) ended up taking the win with mussels in a potato broth (I did not agree with this win, but you’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear my reasoning).

For their elimination, the chefs had to cook for 300 airmen and their families at an Air Force base. The catch- they had to use some canned items and their kitchens had no burners, just large ovens and tilt skillets. For some reason, the chefs decided to pair up into teams, even though they were not instructed to. This, obviously, became the demise for a few of them. Highs: The Atlanta “fat kids”, Eli and Kevin (”Redbeard”), pulled off some delicious-looking pulled pork and Southern potato salad and the less hotter brother (Michael V.) did some slab bacon in a lettuce leaf – because bacon makes everything taste better, even salad). Lows: Laurine and Preeti’s dull pasta salad and Michael I.’s (”Jersey Mike”) Greek oil-poached shrimp salad. After not getting why she was in the bottom three again (and arguing about it), Preeti (”Phranc”) was sent packing.

I am disappointed in this episode yet again. The dishes in the elimination challenge weren’t that impressive – as we said in the podcast: “If you (the viewer) can cook one of these dishes at home, you’re (the cheftestant) probably packing your knives.”  Maybe when they start knocking more people off we’ll be able to get down to the more talented contestants and also get to know their cooking styles better.

The only highlights from this episode: Padma’s “desert skank” wear and massive amounts of cleavage at the air base, Ron the “Chowder King”, and all of our Top Gun jokes (bonus: Jeff sings some more).

Check out season 4’s Richard Blais’ post on his thoughts about last week’s episode, discussing the simple vs. contrived dishes (cooking for the diners vs. for the judges).

Hear the Top Gun Chef podcast after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Grand Opening of the Achievement and Relaxation Center- Friday, September 4; 6-9 pm. Free Belly Dancing, Yoga, Biomat/Energy Sessions. Vegetarian Potluck. Meditative Art and Jewelry Show. 813-784-2023. 2510 South MacDill, Tampa, FL 33629. www.achieveandrelax.com, Sheryl@achieveandrelax.com

Screening of Fresh at Studio@620- Friday September 4th; 7:30 pm.  FRESH is a film that celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are reinventing our food system.  Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision of our food and our planet’s future. FRESH addresses an ethos that has been sweeping the nation and is a call to action America has been waiting for. FRESH empowers us to realize that our individual actions in fact do matter. Throughout the film we encounter the most inspiring people, ideas, and initiatives around the US. And thus, FRESH showcases real people first and foremost, connecting audiences not with facts and figures or apocalyptic policy analysis, but with personal stories of change. For more information visit http://www.freshthemovie.com/. 620 First Avenue South, St. Petersburg, 727-895-6620; info@studio620.org.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

Saturday Summer Market- every Saturday through September 19; 9 am-1pm. Brought to you by the Saturday Morning Market, this market features the same great vendors (food, crafts, art) as the original market, but this one’s in the shade of the Mahaffey Theatre parking garage. 400 1st St S., St. Petersburg. (which is just 2-3 block south of our current location at Al Lang stadium).

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Gulf Restoration Network report reveals poor water quality protection Gulf-wide:

TAMPA, FL – Today the Gulf Restoration Network released its “Clean Up Your Act!” report card, which grades Gulf of Mexico states on how they implement the Clean Water Act and protect their state waters and public health. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas all received disappointing and unsatisfactory grades for their failure to fully incorporate the Clean Water Act into state policies. The report grades the Gulf States on issues such as establishing water quality standards, policies to prevent Dead Zone-causing pollution, public health protection, and facilitating public participation in the policy-making process.

“Florida’s economy and future depends on our waters, and Florida’s failure to successfully implement the Clean Water Act continues to hurt our environment, public health, and our economy” stated Joe Murphy, Florida Program Director of the Gulf Restoration Network. “It’s time for Florida, and for Governor Crist, to step up and protect the lifeblood of our state’s future.”
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The Grand Central Sunday Market is back!

Grand Central District has restructured its Sunday Market. It now takes place the first Sunday of every month from 11am-3pm, 2400-2500 Central Avenue. The next Green Market will be taking place on Sunday, September 6, from 11 am to 3 pm. Grand Central will be celebrating an “End of Summer Bash” with sales, a BBQ, and a lot more to look forward to. Patrons can take advantage of the vendors’ end of summer clear-outs. Vendors are getting ready for fall which means great deals for everyone!

Once again the Green Market will be featuring the African Drum Group, Repercussion. The streets of Grand Central will be filled with beats with a tribal flair.

This month the Grand Central Green Market and Street Fair is working with Localshops1.com to bring to the community a children’s clothing swap. Bring your gently used clothes the kids no longer wear and you can swap them out for other gently used clothes that someone else brought to exchange. We are also accepting adults gently used clothes, shoes, purses and belts for the clothing swap. Any clothes left over will be donated to a charity that is to be determined.

The Grand Central Green Market and Street Fair is a place for local farmers, vendors and crafters to sell their wares while drawing residents and visitors to the Eclectic Grand Central area. Grand Central District is a destination location for residents and visitors alike.
If you would like more information visit the website at http://www.grandcentraldistrict.org/ or
e-mail events@grandcentraldistrict.org.

For more information, please contact:
Aviva Bowman
Coordinator
2433 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
727-328-7086
gcda@grandcentraldistrict.org

Recycled Innovations Contest:

Eco-Innovators are those who think outside of the can to create treasure out of trash. The City of Largo’s Recycled Innovations Contest encourages innovators to make a useable creation for photo submission in their online event.

All entries must be made of 75 percent or more recycled or material that would otherwise be discarded. Contrary to a recycled art show, Recycled Innovations are items that may be reused in daily activities. Accepted entries will be functional items made of materials that can be diverted from the waste stream.

The City of Largo’s Recycled Innovation Show will give participants the opportunity to get their designs noticed across Tampa Bay and beyond. Innovative prizes will be awarded to the greatest innovators in various age categories: Tiny Innovators, Junior Innovators, Tween Innovators, Techie Innovators, and Macgyvers.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Finding an emotional connection with our planet- Doing so allows us to look at what our needs are in life and what is of the highest and greatest importance to us and our environment.

Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll 2009: The race for Greenest Politician has Linda Saul-Sena in the lead- Who do you think should take the title of this year’s Greenest Politician in the Bay?

Clean energy and anti-offshore drilling rally in Ybor this Thursday- Thursday, August 27th, join Sierra Club, 1Sky Florida, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and other environmental groups for a real grassroots rally outside Big Oil’s staged gathering.
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So you’ve installed CFL bulbs in all of your light fixtures, low-flow shower heads and toilets, and use eco-friendly paint for your walls. That’s pretty green, right? That’s just “light green” compared to this house in Venice, CA that was renovated and is now green – literally.

As more people get turned on to sustainability and try to make more environmentally responsible choices, the usual starting point from which they begin is in their own homes. To be certain, they are varying degrees of ‘green’ homes. Some people install CFLs and call it a day, while others create 100% off-the-grid earth shelters built into the ground. Unfortunately, those attempting to further embrace sustainable ideals and lifestyles usually go ‘light green’ when it comes to their own home constructions/renovations. The bamboo floors, low flow toilets and the recycled glass countertops are nice gestures at sustainability, and can be components of a sustainable design, but in the grand scheme of things these features and fixtures by themselves do little environmentally speaking.

The newly renovated and retrofitted Brooks Avenue house in Venice, CA is one example of a home addition where the only thing that is ‘light green’ is the foliage of the vegetation growing on the exterior walls and roof. Designed by Bricault Design, the 1700 square foot addition was done out of need for more space to accommodate the owners’ growing family. Attaching to the original cottage, the addition almost takes up the entire lot.
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This week, we were fortunate enough to get Jeff Houck back in the studio to join the old gang so we could rag on the new season on Top Chef.

This season we have 17 fresh faces, many of them with titles and accolades under their belts – not to mention all of the tattoos and piercings all over their bodies. During episode one, we meet the new cheftestants, get to see the new Vegas style twist to the show (winning $15k and/or immunity for every Quickfire Challenge), and learn that a seitan-filled chile relleno just doesn’t cut it to stay on this show.

During episode two, the remaining 16 got to have a battle of the sexes challenge and cater for a bachelor/ette party. While the girls talked a big game, it turns out that they just couldn’t stand up to what the guys dished out and another female got sent home.

Personally, I’m somewhat disappointed with the females this season, besides “Ceveech” (Jennifer C. – but she annoys me anyway). I wanted to see some more Jamies (last season) or Elias (season 2). Luckily, we have some really talented male chefs (3 from Atlanta) who are all executive chefs and sous chefs – with awards out the wazoo – who are rockin’ it out every week.

Highlights: Todd English’s sex appeal, the Gay List (we’re up to 3 now), Rule #1 in Top Chef, the Cain and Abel of this season, and the chefs get all wet.

Check out season 4’s Richard Blais’ post on his thoughts about the episode and cast (he’s totally blogging for us now).

Hear the hilarious podcast after the jump:
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Caribbean Night at Greenwise- Friday, August 28; 4-7 pm. Join us for this storewide event and sample the food, wine and music from the Caribbean. Publix Greenwise Market- 2403 W. Azeele St., Tampa. 813-250-0129.

Kayak/Yoga Outing- Saturday, August 29; 7-10 am. Roger McKeever guides a 45 minute kayak trip to an island where he leads a yoga flow practice on a beautiful, secluded beach. Bring lunch and enjoy a picnic upon return to shore. $55 (w/ kayak), $45 (if you bring your own kayak). Meet at Fort DeSoto Causeway. Space is limited; reservations required: 813.961.3160.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

Saturday Summer Market- every Saturday through September 19; 9 am-1pm. Brought to you by the Saturday Morning Market, this market features the same great vendors (food, crafts, art) as the original market, but this one’s in the shade of the Mahaffey Theatre parking garage. 400 1st St S., St. Petersburg. (which is just 2-3 block south of our current location at Al Lang stadium).
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It’s a tight race so far for the title of Best Organic Food Store in the Bay. So far, our leaders are Rollin’ Oats of St. Pete and Tampa, Nature’s Food Patch in Clearwater, Publix Greenwise Market in Hyde Park, and Whole Foods Market in Tampa. It looks like it’s going to be a fight between the local stores versus the big chains.

Who do you think deserves the title? You have less than a week to vote (the poll ends Aug. 31). Vote now!

[About Daily Best of the Bay: Creative Loafing is posting writers' and editors' picks for Best of the Bay 2009 each day until the BOTB issue is released on Sept. 16. Vote now for your own BOTB choices in our Readers' Poll!]

Would you like to stand up against the Big Oil and Big Energy companies and oppose offshore drilling of the Gulf Coast? Would you like to support Clean Energy and green jobs in the Bay area? Then help make a difference and make your voice heard by attending this Clean Energy rally on Thursday in Ybor:

The American Petroleum Institute, a lobbying front group for Big Oil and other energy industries, is orchestrating staged “grassroots rallies” to try and stop the Clean Energy and Climate Bill from passing the U.S. Senate. The press calls these rallies “astroturf”: manufactured grassroots. This Thursday, August 27th, join Sierra Club, 1Sky Florida, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and other environmental groups for a real grassroots rally outside Big Oil’s staged gathering.

WHEN & WHERE: Meet beforehand at 9:30 am at La Tropicana Café, 1822 East 7th Ave. for some for great cuban coffee! The “Energy Citizens’” event begins at 11:00 am at The RITZ YBOR theatre, and we will counter rally out front at 1503 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605 (there is a shady area where we’ll be).
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The race for the title of Greenest Politician in the Bay area is neck and neck so far, with Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena of Tampa just two votes ahead of Councilman Karl Nurse of St. Petersburg. Behind them are Councilwoman Mary Mulhern and Rep. Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg; Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and Gov. Crist bring up the rear of this race.

(Editor’s Note: Ralph Nader and Al Gore are not residents of the Bay area, thus not qualifying for this race – so please don’t bother voting for them again.)

Who do you think should take the title? You have less than a week to vote (the poll ends Aug. 31). Vote now!

[About Daily Best of the Bay: Creative Loafing is posting writers' and editors' picks for Best of the Bay 2009 each day until the BOTB issue is released on Sept. 16. Vote now for your own BOTB choices in our Readers' Poll!]

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Fixing sprawl and redesigning suburbia- Grant Rimbey CNU explores a possible strategy towards improving existing sprawl. Fixing the sprawl that we have, along with sprawl demolition and recycling, are strategies that could be employed in the future as a new green industry.

Nation’s largest solar facility to be in DeSoto County by next year- Florida Power and Light is currently building the nation’s largest photovoltaic plant in DeSoto County, a $173.5 million, 25 megawatt solar generating facility.

Fresh: New Thinking About What We’re Eating screening – What’s wrong with the mega-industrial food industry- Struggling small farms, problems with food safety rules and the mega-industrial food industry, and a film about all of the above.
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

Saturday Summer Market- every Saturday through September 19; 9 am – 1pm. Brought to you by the Saturday Morning Market, this market features the same great vendors (food, crafts, art) as the original market, but this one’s in the shade of the Mahaffey Theatre parking garage. 400 1st St S., St. Petersburg. (which is just 2-3 block south of our current location at Al Lang stadium).

Guided Hike at Weedon Island Preserve- Saturday, August 22; 9 am – 11 am. Guided hikes through coastal mangrove and upland ecosystems of the Preserve are held on most Saturdays of the month. Join us to learn about the coastal environment and the early residents of Weedon Island Preserve. Be sure to bring water and a snack for this 2-hour hike. A hat and closed-toe shoes are also recommended. Reserve your space by 2 pm on the Friday prior to the tour of choice. This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. Recommended ages: 6 and up. Weedon Island Preserve- 1800 Weedon Drive N.E. St. Petersburg, FL 33702. (727) 453-6500.
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This is it — the final episode, where we learn who is the Master of the Top Chefs.

I was quite impressed with this episode because they did away with the drama and really focused on the food (well, there was some nail-biting drama at the final judging). The chefs had to cook a four-course meal that told a story about their culinary career: Their earliest food memory, the experience that made them want to become a chef, their first restaurant, and where they’re heading in the future with their career. Their dishes were gorgeous (except for Michael’s whole fried fish) and made me want to reach through the screen to taste them.

Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi and the five former Top Chef winners joined the judges to feast upon the cheftestants’ dishes (yes, Hosea is still alive). We also got to see some old pictures of the chefs, from childhood to their early career days — not pretty pictures, these guys definitely were late bloomers.

Highlights: Rick Bayless’ orgasmic mole (mo-lay, as in, the sauce) which took Jay Rayner’s “mole [mo-lay] virginity”; our fantasy Padma-on-Kelly chick fight; Keller’s former life as a dirty hippie; Chiarello’s diss at James Oseland; Jay wanting to bathe with Gail in Chiarello’s food; and the revelation of the winner.

At the end of our podcast, we discussed the new season of Top Chef and ragged on the newbies (and their crazy body art), but tune in next week to hear our rants on the first and second episodes of the season. Yes, we’re continuing this podcast — much to your delight.

Hear the exciting podcast after the jump:
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Tampa Bay Green Drinks is relaunching and their first networking event is being held Wednesday, August 19 in Ybor at 6 pm.

Tampa Bay Green Drinks is relaunching! Join us on August 19, 2009 at 6:00pm at the Roosevelt, a green building in Ybor City located at 1812 N. 15th St.

The Roosevelt showcases a multitude of environmentally sustainable and preferable construction techniques and systems. Meet other professionals in various “green” businesses for networking and discussion. We encourage you to bring anyone interested in green building to check out the progress being made at the Roosevelt to see just what is possible. Wine and beer will be provided.

What is Green Drinks?

Green Drinks is a social networking group that brings together corporate, government, ngo, non-profit and interested people who want to learn about environmentally responsible practices and other related topics. Our goal at Tampa Bay Green Drinks is to bring together the Tampa Bay community to keep “green” moving forward in our community.
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

Sustainable beer 101: A guide to growlers- Benefits of refillable beer jugs far exceed the lure of fresh tap beer.

Refresh your mind, body and spirit by reconnecting with nature- Living in such a busy world these days overloaded with technology leaves little time to get back to the basics and connect with the planet we live on. Take some time out of your busy schedule and reconnect with nature, which will balance you physically, mentally and spiritually.

Ronald McDonald gets a pie in the face from PETA protester- Ronald McDonald takes one in the kisser from a PETA protester who is against McDonald’s “controlled-atmosphere killing” of chickens.

St. Petersburg College and Tampa Bay green building chapter announce partnership- St Petersburg College’s Corporate Training Office announced a partnership with the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter (FGCC) of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide a comprehensive sustainable building operations training course based on the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system.
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What’s the hottest green trend in Tampa Bay? Rain barrels. With water restrictions still in effect in some areas, Bay area residents are buying or building their own rain barrels to harvest water to use for watering lawns and washing cars.

For every inch of rain that falls on a roof catchment area of 1,000 square feet, you can expect to collect approximately 600 gallons of rain water. Why not make use of all of this rainfall and save some dough on your water bill?
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Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar.

World Cafe- Fridays, 7:30-9:30 pm. This week’s question: “How has being the change I want to see in the world changed me?” For more info, visit the World Cafe website. Starbucks Cafe- 4th St. N. and 89th Ave N., St. Petersburg.

Ellenton Farmers Market- Saturdays; 8 am – 1 pm. Ellenton Farmers’ Market will be the largest year-round market in florida that specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Located just North of the Prime Outlet Mall in Ellenton, Florida (exit 224, Old Exit 43, off I – 75).

Guided Hike at Weedon Island Preserve- Saturday, August 15; 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Guided hikes through coastal mangrove and upland ecosystems of the Preserve are held on most Saturdays of the month. Join us to learn about the coastal environment and the early residents of Weedon Island Preserve. Be sure to bring water and a snack for this 2-hour hike. A hat and closed-toe shoes are also recommended. Reserve your space by 2 pm on the Friday prior to the tour of choice. This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. Recommended ages: 6 and up. Weedon Island Preserve- 1800 Weedon Drive N.E. St. Petersburg, FL 33702. (727) 453-6500.
Read the rest of this entry »