Monthly Archives: May 2009

Food, Inc.

Posted on May 31, 2009 by melissawest| 3 Comments

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Filmmaker Rober Kenner exposes the truth about America’s food industry–what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are headed.  The film includes interviews with Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food) and Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg.   While Food, Inc. is every bit a horror film in the same manner as SuperSize Me, it goes a step further by suggesting solutions to the deplorable problem of food production in America.

Click here to learn more about Hungry for Change Cafeteria and reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act.

Opening June 19th, Food, Inc. will have a limited release–but hopefully audience demand will help this film to more screens.

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Posted in food, health, issues

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Buzz off!

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Jen| 7 Comments

By Recycla

bugRecycla was in her garden the other evening, as she is most evenings after dinner, when she heard an unwanted, but all too familiar sound in her ear — the whine of a mosquito.

Ah yes, the little blood suckers are back.  Bummer.

Like everyone, Recycla hates mosquitoes, but her loathing goes a bit further:  Her younger daughter is actually allergic to mosquito bites, which swell into painful welts on her sensitive skin.  Rather than consign the child to a life of indoor living, Recycla has researched various options to see how she can keep mosquitoes from biting her daughter — but without resorting to such pesticides as DEET.

Most people don’t give mosquitoes a second thought. They just douse themselves in a spray that has DEET as the active ingredient and go on their merry way. However, studies show that, in the short-term, DEET can cause headaches and, in the long-term, neurological and other health problems. These are not chemicals you want to put on yourself or on your children.

What can you do?

rosemaryLuckily, there are plenty of natural mosquito repellents available. Look for sprays or lotions that contain plant oils such as geranium, citronella, tea tree, catnip, marigold, lemon balm, lavender, and peppermint. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend oil of lemon eucalyptus or picaridin, which is considered just as effective as DEET, but much safer.  Recycla has heard that eating garlic will repel mosquitoes and if you are looking for a stronger variation, you can rub garlic on your skin. Bananas, on the other hand, attracts them.

Beyond spraying yourself, there are a few other things you can do to keep the blood-sucking little monsters at bay:

  • Standing water makes perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Empty water from all buckets, kiddie pools, spare tires, or whatever else you might have hanging around your yard.
  • Planting herbs in your backyard may help too. Basil and rosemary tend to repel mosquitoes.
  • Encourage animals that eat mosquitoes to live in your yard.  Install a bat house, hang a birdhouse for purple martins, plant butterfly-friendly flowers and bushes that will also attract dragonflies.  If you have frogs living nearby, rejoice, as they love mosquitoes!
  • Don’t use pesticides or bug-zappers. These indiscriminant killers are likely to kill more beneficial, mosquito-eating animals than mosquitoes.
  • Stay away from scented shampoos, deodorants and perfumes as these tend to attract pests.

If you follow these guidelines, you should have some relief and hopefully won’t hear the dreaded whine of a mosquito in your ear.

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Posted in gardening, health, personal care

Cluck cluck

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Jen| 4 Comments

By Recycla

eggsHow would you like to wake up in the morning and eat farm-fresh eggs with your breakfast?  If you had chickens in your backyard, your eggs couldn’t be of a more recent vintage.

Yes, you read that correctly:  The Eco Women are suggesting that you might want to build a coop and start raising your own Chicken Little and Henny Penny.  Long thought to be the domain of country dwellers, keeping chickens has become more popular with urban farmers in recent years, as people are realizing the benefits of having their own source of free range hens and organic eggs.

Chickens not only offer up eggs and the potential for the occasional Sunday dinner, they can be fantastic weed pullers while at the same time ridding your garden of pests.  They’re also omnivores who love leftovers, so you can feed them your kitchen scraps.  And, think of the free manure!

henRumor has it — and Recycla is getting this information from people in her community who raise chickens — that becoming a poultry farmer is relatively easy, although you will need to do some research in advance, as well as prepare a home for your flock.  Also, if you’re considering keeping poultry, check your local ordinances for restrictions (if any) and definitely check with your neighborhood association.

If becoming a poultry farmer seems a bit daunting, you might consider going in with some of your neighbors.  That way, everyone shares the responsibilities and costs.  And think of the community-building experience!

For more information on keeping chickens, check out these resources at Organic Gardening and this article on Chickens 101 at Mother Earth News.

Tell the Eco Women: Do you have chickens?  If not, are you thinking about it?  None of the Eco Women have poultry, so they’re curious about other people’s experiences.

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Posted in food, gardening

lake fly love

Posted on May 26, 2009 by melissawest| 1 Comment

The strong hum and foul stench and cloud of blackness in the air is not a nearby factory or coal plant–it’s a force of nature.  It’s the Lake Winnebago lake fly.  Every spring, around Mother’s Day, these flies hatch out and fill the air so thickly that you can barely breathe.  Even driving alongside the lake requires using your windshield wipers.   Every house in the area requires power washing after they’ve died off because their decomposing carcasses are gross and stinky.  Fortunately, lake flies don’t bite people since they have no mouth.  They’re looking for a place to land, rest, mate and die–trillions do so within 10 days.  The second batch hatch out later in the summer and then they disappear for the year.

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As much of a pest as these flies are twice a year, they’re an essential part of the ecosystem.  The fish love the larvae, as do frogs, bats and birds.  The famed Winnebago Lake Sturgeon gets over 65% of their nourishment from the lake fly larvae.

What a fascinating creature–the lake fly only eats while in the larvae stage and hatches into a mouthless fly that lives for about a day–a day that involves having sex and then laying eggs which sink into the water.  The larvae play a role in the lake’s ecosystem since they are filter feeders in the water, doing their part to keep it clear of algae and other plant cells.

Lake flies also thrive in a few lake ecosystems in Africa–Enviro-Girl read an unconfirmed rumor that they were imported by a Chicago professor in the 1930′s to encourage the sturgeon population, but other sources indicate the lake fly has been around for over a hundred years.  Wherever they came from, the lake flies do their part in their short life to eat the algae and feed the sturgeon.  Even pests play a role in nature’s health, and that’s an important thing to remember before screaming for an insect’s eradication.  Besides, the lake flies number in the trillions every spring–they’re measurable on radar!  Imagine the challenge of getting rid of them–far worse to imagine the lake without them.

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Winner: Piggy Paint giveaway

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Jen| 1 Comment

Through a completely random drawing, the winner of the Piggy Paint nail polish giveaway is…

[drum roll please]

…Auntie M (actually, her granddaughters)!!!

Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone for your comments.  The Eco Women promise to give something else away soon!

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Posted in contests

Grilling Green

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Jen| 4 Comments

vegetable-grill-bbq-lgBy Recycla

Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. — the traditional start to the summer season.  All across the country, people are cranking up their grills and charring various kinds of foods.

Cooking food over an open fire is part of our D.N.A. and it’s no surprise that most of us enjoy burgers, BBQ, roasted veggies, and more.

Whether you use a gas grill (Recycla) or a charcoal grill (Enviro Girl, Captain Compost) or both (Eco Lassie)  is a matter of personal preference.  Charcoal is more eco friendly (see Enviro Girl’s post from last year on this), but many people prefer the convenience of gas and Recycla does not believe that it is a horrible eco choice.

What IS very important is that you skip traditional beef from a CAFO (concentrated animal feed operation)and chickens raised in a cage and instead go organic.  Choose beef from cows that were grass fed and not pumped full of hormones and antibiotics.  (For more on this, click here.)  Make similarly informed decisions on your

The Eco Women have compiled their favorite grilling recipes to share with you today:

Salmon Burgers (for 4)

  • 1 ¼ lb skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1” pieces
  • 4 thinly sliced scallions
  • kosher salt and black pepper

Pre-heat your grill to medium high and oil the grate or spray with cooking spray.  In a food processor PULSE the salmon four times until chunky and coarsely chopped.  Add the scallions, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.  Pulse again to combine.  Divide and press mixture into four patties.  Grill, turning only once after a nice crust sets, about three minutes a side.  Don’t press on these!  Serve on nice rolls with maybe a slice of avocado and a squeeze of lime juice.

Veggie Burgers (for 4)

  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 15 oz can lentils
  • 1 carrot, grated coarsely
  • ½ onion, finely chopped (red is but not mandatory)
  • ¼ cup couscous
  • 1 T fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Drain the lentils.  Mix couscous and ¼ cup hot water in small bowl and set aside.  Fluff with fork after 5 minutes.  In your trusty food processor, puree together the seeds, egg, and ¾ cup of the lentils to make a paste.  Put paste in a medium bowl, mix in the carrot, onion, lemon juice, the rest of the lentils and the couscous.  Add ½ tsp salt and ¼ pepper or to taste.  Make mix into four patties.  These are better if you refrigerate them for at least ½ hour before grilling.  Preheat grill to medium and oil grate.  Grill and turn once, about 4-5 mins a side. They will char up nicely.  They’re great on English muffins with feta cheese!

Turkey Burgers (for 4)

  • 1 ¼ lb ground turkey
  • ¾ cup grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese (the Gruyere is more expensive but adds a real nutty flavor)
  • 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • ½ tsp either cumin or chili powder
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Heat your grill to medium and oil or coat with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, mix the turkey, cheese, and garlic quickly, not overworking.  Divide and form into four patties and make a shallow well in the top of each.  This keeps them from ballooning up — trust Eco Lassie, it works!  Season with salt, pepper and your choice of spice.  Grill, turning once 6-8 mins a side (if you use an instant thermometer, it should register 160 degrees).  Serve these on grilled buns or focaccia bread with lettuce and tomato and ketchup!

If you want to grill veggies, the simplest thing to do is lightly brush your zucchini, peppers, etc. with a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinke with salt, and grill until done.  The Green Mommy is also partial to grilled pineapple, which Recycla has never had, but thinks it sounds potentially wonderful.

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Posted in food

Great Green Websites

Posted on May 22, 2009 by melissawest| 3 Comments

For your long weekend, here are a few web sites for your enjoyment and edification:

Planet Green — supported by the Discovery Company and the internet counterpart to Planet Green’s 24/7 television broadcasting,  this site is slick, full of categories (including travel tips, scads of recipes and even the bizarre like Gutter Gardening).  Loads of content, which makes sense — it hast corporate backing!

Green.org is like Facebook and CNN meshed together — it’s a bland site and would probably be better defining itself as “news” or “networking,” but it’s one of the few websites that covers news as it affects the environment — so if you’re an issues Eco-Hero, check them out!

National Geographic’s web site, Green Guide, is a bit like the online eco-version of Ladies’ Home Journal.  The categories and stories abound in short, readable online articles.  From health to food to kids to local, the site is easy to navigate.

The Nag–a sassy British take on environmentalism — they have tips and a crap prize draw, but more importantly, they’ve established a great model for social activism.   Enviro-Girl is still trying to figure out how effective this approach is, but gosh, it’s a fun site!

On the London Front, Guerrilla Gardening is both inspiring and fun to read.  Social activism in action, it’s incredible to see what this group has managed to achieve all over the world by getting their hands dirty.

Fake Plastic Fish – Beth Terry has declared a one-woman war against plastics.  Check out her site — she makes you think and she’ll make you change.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

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Posted in websites & blogs

Piggy Paint (+ a giveaway!)

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Jen| 12 Comments

By Recycla

picbottlesA few weeks ago, Recycla won a giveaway at Trying to Be Greener, which is the Green Mommy’s main blog.  The prize was a gift certificate to Piggy Paint — safe nail polish for children.  Recycla’s daughters are 8 and 10 and they were THRILLED by this turn of events.  They looked at the color choices — so many amazing, fabulous, wonderful colors! — and decided on the Little Miss Firecracker set.  The pretties arrived last week and, suffice it to say, last Friday night was mani/pedi night at Recycla’s Eco Warrior lair.

Piggy Paint colors are a lot of fun and there’s a whole rainbow from which to choose.  But there are four reasons why Recycla really likes this nail polish:

  1. Piggy Paint is non-toxic, odorless, and kid friendly.
  2. Piggy Paint goes on easily and isn’t messy or too sloppy.
  3. Piggy Paint dries quickly, which is great for impatient young ladies (and their mothers).
  4. Piggy Paint lasts for a while and doesn’t chip off as soon as those freshly-painted toes hit the ground running.

giftpack_firecracker_bWant to try Piggy Paint?  The Eco Women are giving away the Little Miss Firecracker set set (pictured at right), courtesy of the nice folks at Piggy Paint.  Just leave a comment here from now until Monday evening and the Eco Women will randomly choose a name.  You don’t need to have children to enter — Recycla can promise you that Piggy Paint looks equally awesome on adult toes too!

The Eco Women are not employed by Piggy Paint, nor were they paid to do this review.  Photos courtesy of the Piggy Paint website.

[UPDATED:  COMMENTS CLOSED AS OF 9 P.M. ON MONDAY, MAY 25.]

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Posted in personal care

The Paper Alternative

Posted on May 20, 2009 by melissawest| 2 Comments

Plastic or paper? Enviro-Girl hears this question every time she’s at the grocery store–and the answer is obvious: she brought her own bags, thanks. But if one were to choose, paper is the way to go. Why? Paper is a renewable resource and a biodegradable material. Paper bags can be cut apart to wrap packages mailed to far-flung relatives. Paper bags can hold paper for curbside recycling. Paper bags can be used a dozen helpful ways in a garden. Paper ALWAYS trumps plastic when it comes to bags.
What are some other products or packaging where one might choose paper over plastic?

1. Tampons–choose the cardboard applicator over the plastic applicator.
2. Q-tips–don’t buy the kind with the plastic sticks between the cotton ends.
3. Opt for popcicles and ice cream treats wrapped in paper with cardboard or wood sticks.
4. Paintbrushes made of natural fibers (wood handles, hair bristles) instead of plastic handles and nylon bristles.  Ditto for hairbrushes.baby brush
5. Disposable picnic items, like plates and cups.  Check out Bare by Solo at Target for a whole line of cups and plates that are compostable or made from recycled resources!plate_3_lg
6. Choose cardboard or glass packaging for juice and milk. By simply switching to buying milk in returnable glass bottles, Enviro-Girl’s recycling bin requires emptying once every 3 weeks!
7. Buy powdered goods in cardboard boxes–baking soda, Bisquick, baking powder, salt, detergents.300_39442
8. Buy bars of soap packaged in paper instead of liquid soap in plastic bottles.
9. Skip the plastic bags for grocery produce–onions and apples, potatoes and heads of lettuce will be JUST FINE without the extra layer of plastic covering them!
10. Wrap gifts in paper, not plastic. Not cellophane or saran wrap. Paper gift wrap. Or baskets. Or reusable tins.

What other household products can you buy wrapped up in trees instead of petroleum? brown-bag-full

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Posted in 3 Rs, house stuff, personal care

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Confessional: Enviro-Girl’s Eco Sins

Posted on May 19, 2009 by melissawest| 7 Comments

confessionalMy name is Enviro-Girl and I commit Eco Sins. It’s true. Sometimes they’re little things and sometimes they are deplorable acts against the planet. Why am I telling you this? I want you to know that even Eco Women aren’t perfect. We try our hardest, but sometimes the battle is too overwhelming at the moment and we take the lazy way out and quit. I confess that I’m not super-crunchy-granola, but I’m trying not to be hypocritical either.  But I digress,  I’m not making any excuses or trying to justify my actions–I believe that undermines the purpose of a confession.  Some of these are one-time sins, others, habitual.

Forgive me, Mother Earth, for I have:

used Maybeline Great Lash mascara without a care about the parabens.  And tinted foundation, eyeliner, lip balm and several eye shadows in ill-advised shades.
bought disposable Overnights for my children.
purchased baby carrots in plastic bags.
driven next door to the elementary school.  And driven just about anyplace else you can imagine, too.
cleaned my toilet bowl with bleach.
put plastic wrap on leftovers in my fridge.
given party guests disposable juice boxes.

filled my trash can with plastic bags, plastic wrappings and plastic plasticky stuff.

condoned the building of a swimming pool in my back yard, filled it with 20,000 gallons of water and enjoyed swimming in it.

left lights on when I’ve been in other rooms.

thrown away recyclable containers into the regular trash.

invested money in eco-enemies like Monsanto.

knowingly used chemicals to improve my health when I could’ve used natural remedies.

been unwilling to change my schedule to carpool.

bought conventionally grown produce when the price of organic freaked me out too much.

bought mainstream bread products.

tossed plastic into a bonfire without regard to the chemicals released into the atmosphere.

They say confession is good for the soul and I must agree.  Seeing some of my horrendous acts in black and white make me more aware of them–and I hope to change my behavior, perhaps not on every count, but a few.

If you’re brave enough, leave your confession in the comments.

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