Author Jennifer Margulis talks about her new book The Business of Baby and offers up some sustainable alternatives to all that baby paraphernalia.
Don't count on a butter knife or spoon to get the last little bits of food (think: peanut butter and applesauce) out of the container. When you think you've gleaned the last of the tasty goodness from the jar, grab a spatula
(those pictured are silicone with bamboo handles) and give it another go. Surprise! You've stretched that jar of peanut butter one sandwich further.
Author Jennifer Margulis talks about her new book The Business of Baby and offers up some sustainable alternatives to all that baby paraphernalia.
Changing how we do things - even just a little bit - can make a huge impact on our environment and the sustainability of this planet.
Blah, blah, blah, GMO. Blah, GMO, blah, blah, blah. A friend recently told me that “GMO” has become a buzzword to her, something she tunes out when she sees it come across her computer screen. It was when she saw Robyn O’Brien’s TEDxAustin video that it kind of clicked for her. Banned in so many other countries? Potentially causing disease? Making us sick? If you live in the USA, these scientifically altered crops are in the food you eat and you might not even know it. Buzz word or not, it’s time we all started paying attention. So what exactly is a GM seed? GM seeds (also called ‘GMO’ – genetically modified organisms – and ‘transgenic’) are often confused with hybrid seeds. In fact, some people claim that hybridization is just another form of genetic modification. Not exactly. In a nutshell, here’s the difference: Non-hybrid seeds (think: heirloom or open pollinated varieties) can be saved and replanted from year to year and the resulting fruit remains “true to seed.” In other words, that funny little tomato you remember from grandma’s garden? If you planted seeds saved from that tomato, you’d get the same fruit today. Hybrid seeds are the product of cross-breeding two...
My son posted a link on Facebook to an NPR article, with his own commentary: “How much did Monsanto slide you for this one, NPR?” In Top Five Myths of GMOS, Busted, NPR addresses some of the misconceptions we might have about genetic engineering. I’m not going to go so far as to accuse NPR of biased reporting and I can imagine the kind of glossing the whole GMO debate is getting from Monsanto’s public relations division these days. Indeed, based on what I’ve read, Dan Charles offers solid facts in his story. And yet… 1. Seeds from GMOs are sterile. NPR points out that while the patent on “Terminator” technology is owned by Monsanto, it’s not currently in use. What if we keep allowing Monsanto and Dupont and other scientists to genetically engineer our food crops until the majority of foods are GMO or GMO tainted? And what if, at that point, Monsanto decides to fiddle further with Mother Nature, injecting the Terminator gene into those seeds? Guess who can no longer save seeds from year to year? Not just farmers, but every single backyard gardener will be forced to buy new – genetically engineered – seeds every year. Sure, this scenario is...
If you’ve been around for awhile, you might recognize this from last year. Indulge me in my annual rant. I’m no fan of breast cancer. I’ve watched friends and family suffer the emotional roller coaster, the pain and suffering of breast cancer and its treatment. With Breast Cancer Awareness month in full swing, I appreciate that the manliest of sports is acknowledging and supporting a mostly female disease in stadiums and on countless TVs across the nation. And raising funds for breast cancer research is certainly admirable. But hello NFL! The pink chin straps, the pink cleats, the pink padding around the goal posts? By commissioning such nonsense, you are contributing to the problem rather than helping to solve it. Plastic products containing bisphenol A (BPA) have been linked to the development of breast cancer. An article in The Atlantic states: “BPA is everywhere, with the CDC concluding that more than 90 percent of Americans are chronically exposed. Such pervasiveness is, in the words of one of the study’s seven authors, Dr. Frederick vom Saal, “nothing short of insanity.” The University of Missouri endocrinologist also does not hesitate to use the word “scary,” comparing today’s use of BPA to...
Over on Facebook, Tricia asked, ”What do the environmentally aware do to pick up dog poo in their backyards? I’ve always used plastic grocery bags, but I feel guilty! I have three big dogs and no shortage of poo to clean up!” I don’t have a dog, so I posed the question to dog owners. I learned some things. Not a dog owner? You might enjoy reading about composting for the lazy person. Several people, including Roxanne Hawn from Champion of my Heart, mentioned a dog poop composting system. There are a number of models available commercially, but it looks like they’re also easy to make. Rather than use plastic bags to pick up and transport the poop as shown in the video below, I’d use a bucket and shovel combination and I’d certainly toss in a handful of worms to help with the decomposition process. Rex elaborated, saying, “After it’s composted, feel free to add it back to non-edible plant areas.” Sherry says that her mom uses newspaper bags, which would certainly allow the waste to break down, rather than remain trapped in plastic in a landfill. A number of people suggested simply digging a hole and burying it –...
We’ve already addressed the fact that I tend to try ridiculous crazy potentially clever ideas with abandon. So it will come as no surprise to many of you that when I finished peeling and juicing tangerines for my Tangerine Triple Sec, instead of composting the waste, I decided to try making vinegar. Tangerine vinegar? Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. Ick. But worry not – I didn’t want to use it in the kitchen; my goal was to create a natural weed killer. In Wild Fermentation, Sandor Katz has a recipe for fruit scrap vinegar and, well, these were surely fruit scraps. I mixed the tangerine peels and the pulp in a big plastic container with about a gallon of water (enough to cover the fruit scraps) and one cup of sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolved. (Katz suggests 1/4 cup of sugar for each quart of water.) I covered the container with cheese cloth and set it out in my garage for about a month. Fruit flies managed to get into the container, but I since I didn’t plan to use this vinegar for cooking, I didn’t worry too much about them. After a month or so, the concoction...
Let’s face it: we throw away too much stuff. I don’t think I’ll get any argument there. Disposable products, packaging, electronics that seem to define planned obsolescence, it all ends up in the landfill. Shop Smart. The first and most obvious way to stop throwing away so much trash is to stop bringing trash into your house in the first place. If it has a package, consider other alternatives. Can you make it yourself (bread, ice)? Can you choose a different product with better packaging (loose tomatoes instead of those in plastic packages, spaghetti sauce in glass rather than plastic)? Can you do without or get it second hand? Compost. If you’re not composting yet, consider this little challenge the nudge you need to do so. Divert your kitchen scraps from the landfill, make garden gold. You can compost if you’re lazy. You can compost with worms. You can compost with your blender. Figure out what works and do it. Donate items you don’t need. I once worked for a woman who threw the clothes her daughter outgrew away. I doubt anyone here is doing that, but think about what you toss. The local preschool might be able to...
Ah, winter. It’s all snow and cozy and hot tea, until you get the monthly energy bill. You spent HOW MUCH on electricity?? This month, I challenge you to lower your electricity bill. (This is where you off-grid folks can fold your arms across your chest and smile smugly…) For many, heating is a huge expense this time of year. For me, it’s not heat – we don’t actually have a heater; when our temp hits 55 degrees, our only option is more blankets – but our bill is inexplicably rising. So, let’s work to depend less on the electric company. If your electric bill reflects the need for heat this time of year, consider these easy to implement options – no home renovation required: Turn down your thermostat. Even one degree will make a difference. If you’ve got a drafty door or window, roll up a towel and use it to block the cold air. If you’ve got rooms that aren’t really in use, close the heating vents to the rooms and close the doors. No sense heating unused space. Got sunshine? Open the blinds to let in the warmth. If you use your dishwasher, open the door...
Watch this. Really.
