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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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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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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Yesterday, the USDA announced a new initiative — called “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” — aimed at linking consumers with local agricultural products. The organization said that there’d be $65 million in funding for the program announced within the next week.
Impressive? Sure, but keep that number in perspective. The USDA’s 2010 budget will likely top $134 billion, making KYFKYF a meager .5% of total expenditures. And that’s only if we assume that $65 million will be spent in a single year, which, likely, it won’t.
Perhaps the most exciting quote from the press release, however, is a promise to Read the rest of this entry »
What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:
Living with the land: Florida’s first Earthship (video) – Eric Stewart gives a firsthand look at Florida’s first Earthship in Manatee County, and gets his hands dirty while helping out.
Not getting a million-dollar bonus this year? Think local stimulus- Scott Milinder shows us a real stimulus package that will work for us: we all commit to “Buying Local First.” According to recent economic studies, shifting your buying habits to locally owned businesses creates more circulation of money, more economic activity and more jobs in the local economy.
Eco-friendly summertime fashion accessories- Are you searching for a unique and beautiful purse to enhance your summer wardrobe? Then why not consider one of these recycled handbags that are made from recycled items that help to promote a cleaner and healthier world, reports Jen Meier.
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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- Saturday, July 25; 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).
People’s Use of Plants Through Time- Saturday, July 25; 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Join us for an engaging ethnobotany class and hike to learn about native plants and their many uses. Humans have traditionally used plants for food, shelter, tools, and medicine. Learn about the natural and cultural history of common Florida plants. Call us for more information and to register. This program is free and open to the public. Recommended for adults. Weedon Island Preserve- 1800 Weedon Drive N.E. St. Petersburg, FL 33702.
Gulfport Green Market- Saturday, July 25; 10 am-5 pm. Gulfport Goes Green is Tampa Bay’s premier monthly street fair and expo focused on green and healthy living, eco-consciousness and sustainability. It is a free public gathering in the Gulfport, Florida and welcomes all ages on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10AM through 5PM in the Gulfport Waterfront District. This July 25 activities will include:computer recycling by the Gulfport Technology Center, clothing swap hosted by LocalShops1.com to benefit Salvation Army, book swap coordinated by Small Adventure Books, green vendors and informational presentations, household battery recycling at The Outpost, Herbalwise offering information on herbal remedies and how to start your own backyard herb garden. Gulfport Florida Waterfront District (Beach Boulevard south of 28th Ave S).
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For the past year, I have read and re-read Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, which is basically about where out foods comes from and how it gets to our tables. Having grown up in my parent’s grocery store – slicing lunchmeat for our customers standing next to my father’s butcher block – I have had an intimate relationship with our food choices. At the age of 16, I rebelled against veal and so began my food activism.
Pollan’s writing so well describes our dilemma. In his most recent book, In Defense of Food, he provides the simplistic of advice: eat whole foods, eat mostly plants, and don’t overeat. There are so many questions to sort out, like, ‘How slow is my own personal slow food movement?’ ’Is something labeled “organic” really organic?’ As I try to squeeze some more production from my backyard garden, I wonder how far away can a food source be to still be considered “local” and what are the conditions? What impact do my food choices have on this planet? Is raw really better than cooked? So many issues go into our choices. Can we sit down to a meal content with our decisions, and for that matter, can we afford what we philosophically know is best?
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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this past week:
Reconstructing a historic bat tower in Temple Terrace and how to build your own bat roost- Grant Rimbey investigates efforts in Temple Terrace to reconstruct an historic tower for bats, discusses a large community bat roost he designed for the Florida Bat Conservancy, and tells how you can purchase (or build) your own bat roost for your yard.
Summer Solstice: A brief history- Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, occurs this Sunday- June 21st. Here are a few facts you might not have known about it, from Linda Taylor.
Organics: How to eat well without breaking your budget- With the increase of demand over organic food in the last ten years you would think that a wide range of these products would be easily accessible. Here’s some some advice from Kelly Rothwell on purchasing healthy, organic food in this region without breaking your budget.
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With the increase of demand over organic food products in the last ten years, you would think that a
wide range of these products would be easily accessible to most Americans, but this unfortunately is not the case yet. Many of the large companies are beginning to see the need for organic products and are beginning to expand their offerings in an effort to appease these needs. In the mean time, until organics are widely available at an affordable price, what are we to do? I am writing to offer some advice on purchasing healthy organic food in this region without breaking your budget.
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In my travels in the rural parts of our counties, I meet all kinds. Among them are two ladies that have reached back to their roots to do something even I didn’t think was still going on. Thank God they are!
Pam Lunn started Dancing Goat after losing her job and we’re the beneficiaries of her efforts. But goat’s milk isn’t the only thing she produces. She turns this milk into kefir, whey and cheese. Very few communities in Florida can say they have this available to them!
Quite honestly, I really wasn’t exposed to these products until I visited the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in San Francisco. Now, I’m addicted. Saturday night’s supper isn’t complete without some goat cheese and a little honey (local, of course!) while we sip some nice wine. Pam’s efforts can be found at the Saturday Morning Market in St. Pete, the Downtown Tampa Farmers’ Market (Fridays) and Nature’s Patch in Clearwater. When you want the real thing, you need to check this out. You can find out more at their website.
Lori B. lives in Sarasota County. She asked not to use her name and as you read further you’ll understand why. Read the rest of this entry »
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St Pete City Council’s Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee went to work last Thursday towards adding language to their zoning regulations about community gardens. Given that more and more people want to grow their own food and green up their neighborhoods these days, it may come as a shock that technically speaking, right now community gardens are not actually allowed.
Like most cities in Florida, St Petersburg’s zoning doesn’t have any provisions for community gardening at all. Happily, in St Pete this appears to be an oversight — unsurprising given how few long-term community gardens have existed in the state of Florida. City staff have readily provided temporary use permits to the Bartlett Park Community Garden over the last year (the Azalea garden on 22nd Ave. N is on city park land and doesn’t require permitting). But more garden projects are in the works all over the city and it will help a great deal to have a more standardized process for getting them established.
If the city can move fast, St Pete could be on the upside of the curve. Similar ordinances are in the works in places like Safety Harbor and Tampa (Tarpon Springs already passed theirs last year). In fact, these others are looking at adding community gardens to their comprehensive plans as well as their zoning regulations, which could be really helpful as community gardens become recognized as both a necessity (for food during a recession) and a desirable neighborhood asset (studies show they raise property values and stabilize residency). Read the rest of this entry »
When you decide to start the journey of eating nutritionally, locally-grown should be your quest. As I have stated before, the only way to insure you’re eating nutritionally dense food is to find food harvested within 3 days. Since most people don’t have the time or resources to do what I do everyday, your local farmers’ market is the best source for good stuff.
The number of farmers’ markets has soared in the last 10 years. Recent data states that there are over 4,500 around the country. This research also shows that over 30 million people visit farmers’ markets every year. Kinda mind blowing numbers if you think about it.
In Florida, we have over 100 farmers’ markets. I haven’t found any numbers for attendance, but I would estimate that it would be in the 500,000 range. Respectable.
But let’s not get bogged down in the numbers. The key is finding the food you desire. In the Tampa Bay area there are some great markets, but also some that miss the mark. Read the rest of this entry »
In my journey to find local food for my family and business, eggs were high on the priority list. At the time, my wife was still vegetarian (now she’s considered a ‘pescatarian’) and eggs are a common food that we both could enjoy. A friend turned me on to some of his backyard eggs. He suggested that I crack open one of my ’store-bought’ eggs and one of his, then look at the difference, which I did.
The yolk from his egg was darker — almost orange — signifying freshness and higher Omega-3 content. The ’store-bought’ egg was yellow. He said I would see this and understand the benefits of fresh eggs. Which was true, but what really got me was the taste! My goodness, I made the best omelets the following Sunday morning that I had ever made! My wife and I were hooked.
Then the problems ensued. Read the rest of this entry »
Hello Locavores!
Almost 2 years ago, as I was reading more and more about eating habits, I was handed the Time article titled ‘Local vs. Organic‘ (March 7, 2007) by a fellow Florida Association of Community Farmers’ Markets Board member (Thanks TA!). This well-written article told of the debate between the two, with sometimes converging and sometimes differing goals. It explained the benefits of organics (nutritionally and environmentally), but mentioned its weakness (trucking the products around the world to meet the demand). Eating locally often means eating more nutritionally, as produce is the most nutritionally dense within three days of harvest, but the weakness is the use of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals that may be used.
So what’s a forager to do? Well, here are the guidelines I use — in order of importance — when shopping: Read the rest of this entry »
Wondering what are going to be the next ‘it’ things in the food world in 2009? Here’s the scoop:
New (and Unusual Flavor) Pairings
Toasted sesame and rootbeer? Tarragon and beetroot? According to the spice mogul McCormick, these are just some of the flavor combinations slated to be “hot” this year. Through their research, McCormick’s sensory analysts, trend experts, and chefs predict by keeping their “finger on the pulse of flavor”. Many of these combinations blend tastes from completely diverse cultures, which is also a growing trend in the food and restaurant world. To see the rest of their predictions, and recipes to accompany them, go to the Flavor Forecast 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
I love Alice Waters as much as the next worshipper of good food and local ingredients, but she’s best as an inspiration. An icon of a movement. Whenever she gets her hands dirty trying to foment grassroots change in the way America eats, Waters comes off a bit lofty.
She’s in DC this week with a cornucopia of big name chefs to try to get the word out about keeping it local. How? $500 dinners cooked by the chefs in the homes of Washington’s power elite: Read the rest of this entry »
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