Monthly Archives: June 2009

A berry good time

Posted on June 18, 2009 by | 3 Comments

By Recycla

sberriesIt’s berry season in Recycla’s native Virginia. Strawberries are just finishing and blueberries are just coming in, to be followed soon by raspberries and blackberries. If ever a person wanted to be a locavore, now is the time to do it.

Local berries taste so. much. better. than the stuff shipped great distances to your grocery store.  Go to your farmer’s market and find out for yourself.  Even better, find out where the nearest pick-your-own patch is and get there posthaste.

Pick pounds and pounds of the stuff.  Feast on berries for days.

Once you’re done feasting and still have about 11 pounds of berries left, what are you going to do?  You’re going to freeze them, of course. Here’s how:

  • Wash the berries and air dry.  Remove stems and leaves and other non-berry parts.
  • Put them in a single layer on a tray and stick them in the freezer.
  • Once the berries are frozen, store them in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag.

bberriesYou now hopefully have enough berries to last you for a while.  Recycla suggests saving them for the chilly days of fall and cold nights of winter when your fresh fruit options are limited.  Some cold night in November, defrost some berries and make a cake or muffins.  Or how about fruit smoothies in February, when it seems like winter will never end?

Recycla’s husband makes pancakes on Sunday mornings and they taste SO GOOD with blueberries added.  She plans to pick enough berries this year to keep her in pancakes until next June.

Now you don’t have to buy bland, tasteless berries from your grocery store!

Tell the Eco Women:  Do you preserve food during the warm months to eat during the cold months?

→ 3 Comments

Posted in food

Green Policy

Posted on June 16, 2009 by | 4 Comments

Taxes and death are a certain thing–and sometimes it does Enviro-Girl’s heart good to see a tax raised. In her home state (go Cheeseheads!) the legislature recently decided to raise tipping fees from about $6 a ton to $13 a ton. What’s a tipping fee? It’s the charge for dumping garbage in a landfill. Because Wisconsin’s tipping fee was the lowest in the Midwest, one-quarter of the trash entering our state’s landfills was coming from border states–Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan.
Landfills actually fill–and cost money to maintain and build. Providing a cheap garbage disposal means a) people don’t think about generating trash and b) people take advantage. Raising this fee is a small price to keep other states’ garbage out of our landfills and it starts to provide an incentive to cities and counties to address waste. Because the tipping fees only apply to nonrecycled waste, Enviro-Girl hopes this will inspire her fellow citizens to start recycling even MORE–and consider what they’re tossing in the trash each week. Clean air, clean water and clean soil are a few benefits of less waste being hauled to landfills. Fewer seagulls and less road damage from dump trucks are other bright spots resulting from the fee’s increase. And hauling waste costs money, the tipping fees should more accurately reflect that cost.

The benefits of raising the tipping fee means less out of state trash, in addition to the environmental benefits. Call it a sin tax if you will, but increased tipping fees can hopefully lead to decreased waste to haul and manage.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , ,

Milk, it can do a body good

Posted on June 16, 2009 by | 3 Comments

By Recycla

milkRecycla’s family are milk drinkers.  They love the stuff and go through about four gallons of organic, hormone-free, antibiotics-free skim milk every week.  Recycla’s daughters are growing kids whose bones need the good white stuff, while Recycla is a 40-year-old woman who wants the calcium so that her bones stay healthy.

If you’re a milk drinker — and Recycla recognizes that not everyone is a fan — milk is one of those foods that should be on your “must buy organic” list.  Look for the words “no artificial hormones or antibiotics used” on your milk carton the next time you shop.

Why is this important?

In 1993, the FDA approved the use of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in cows. Farmers inject this synthetic hormone into their animals to increase their milk production. This practice has been banned in Europe, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Australia, yet somehow, the U.S. continues to think it’s okay.

According to the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, cows injected with rBGH tend to have a higher instance of udder infections.  Yep, cows get mastitis, just like nursing human mothers do.  As a result of the infections, the cows are treated more often with antibiotics. This increase in drug use can contribute to the growth of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, a major public health concern. Since milk from treated cows is not marked as such, dairy farmers who do not use rBGH pretty much always  label their products with such wording as “no artificial hormones or antibiotics used” so as to differentiate from the hormone-laden stuff.

Yes, organic milk is more expensive, so Recycla understands it’s not something everyone can easily afford.  Where Recycla lives, organic milk costs about $1.25 more per gallon, which comes up to an extra $5/week or around $20/month.  That starts to add up, so Recycla has made some changes elsewhere in her grocery shopping to save money.  Two examples:  1) she grows some of her own food every summer and 2)  she buys almost no pre-packaged foods these days and instead does most of her cooking from scratch.  Believe her when she tells you that the raw ingredients for, say, cookies, cost less than a package of lame factory-baked cookies.

[For more info on eating organic on a budget, click here.  And here's a post on Recycla's tips for navigating Whole Foods so that it doesn't become "Whole Paycheck."  Also, take a look at all the reasons why slow food is good food.]

So guy the good stuff a try.  Your body will thank you, the cows will thank you, and Planet Earth will thank you too.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in food, health, issues

Shop Local, Buy Local!

Posted on June 15, 2009 by | 4 Comments

MainStreet Galena

Why is buying local a greener choice? Local commerce reduces emissions and pollutants. Local commerce means more personal, individualized services and goods are available. It means more local color and diversity lining Main Street. Money you spend with indepent small businesses stay in your community, making a sustainable economy. Locally owned businesses support their communities and contribute more to local causes. They make decisions bearing their location in mind–because they’re invested in the long term health of their community, they give employees a chance that bigger, distant employers may not.

Shopping local helps employment remain a constant. It means less miles between raw materials and manufacturing and point of sale. Less miles means less packaging and waste, increased accountability and less traffic. Shopping in your local downtown alleviates sprawl, which means less driving, less habitat loss, less pollution. Walkable downtown environments make better use of land and require less infrastructure and public services than strip shopping malls or big box stores.

Buying locally grown means family farms stay viable. It means fresher, healthier food for YOU! Buying locally grown protects diversity–the tomatoes grown for Walmart are bred for a long shelf life and a shiny red skin–NOT for taste. Locally grown food often provides variety you’ll never find in a supermarket.

And buying locally made and sole means increased entrepreneurship and innovation. When we all put our money in the pot of a monopoly, we lose power and that’s not healthy for competition or for keeping prices and services reasonable. A healthy economy means a healthier environment in so many ways. Next time you shop, invest your money in your hometown by keeping your purchases local. It’s your choice, consumer.   Your choice helps determine what your town looks like.

west_market_facades_04-500x346

→ 4 Comments

Posted in 3 Rs, food, issues

Tagged , ,

You’re kidding, Coca-Cola, right?!

Posted on June 12, 2009 by | 7 Comments

The Washington Post reported last week that Coca-Cola, Campbell’s, Del Monte, and other manufacturers of canned foods and beverages, met to come up with a public relations and lobbying strategy to stop the government from banning the use of Bisphenol-A, or BPA, from being used in the linings of metal lids and cans.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor which mimics estrogen. It has been shown to cause impaired brain and neurological functions, testicular and breast cancer, chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, early puberty, adult-onset diabetes, and obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. It can be found in some plastics with recycling code “7″, the lining of canned drinks and foods except for Eden Organic’s canned beans, canned baby formula, the lining of baby food jars, some plastic reusable water bottles, and some baby bottles (for a list of BPA-free baby bottles and other plastic baby items, click here). Canada and Suffolk County in New York have banned BPA in baby bottles and other states plan to follow suit.

The Washington Post obtained internal notes from the meeting which reported executives’ strategies on how to halt public concerns over BPA. Here are some of their ideas:

  • Use fear tactics: “Do you want to have access to baby food anymore?”
  • Highlighting costs of food with and without BPA: choosing the more expensive product that is frozen or fresh or foods packaged in cans
  • Using a public relations campaign: “Their ‘holy grail’ spokesperson would be a ‘pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA.’”

The Environmental Working Group, a group that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective policies, is asking us to speak up to Coca-Cola and Del Monte about this issue. Here’s what we can do:

  • Call these toll free numbers to protest: Coca-Cola 1-800-GET-COKE, ext. 2 and Del Monte 1-800-543-3090
  • Use this sample script if you’d like: “Hello, My name is ______________. I’m shocked and disappointed in your unethical approach to business when it comes to BPA – placing profits ahead of my family’s health and using fear tactics to placate consumers about a clearly dangerous chemical. BPA needs to go – NOW. Thank you.”
  • Send EWG an email describing the conversation to:     ewg@ewg.org
  • Get your friends to call.

There’s power in numbers. Let these big companies know that their customers have a voice that they should actually hear.

Photo from Flickr by Lepti

Photo from Flickr by Lepti

→ 7 Comments

Posted in eco baby, food, health

Tagged , , , ,

Fast Fact: Grill it!

Posted on June 11, 2009 by | 1 Comment

The next time you’re cooking kebobs on the grill, skip the lighter fluid, which is like pouring chemicals on your grilled veggies.  Instead, use dry twigs or newspaper.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in fast facts, food

Quick Link: Rooftop honeybees

Posted on June 11, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The Fairmont Hotel in Washington, DC now has bees on their roof.  Read this interesting article about what’s buzzing in our nation’s capital.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in gardening, issues, quick link

Tips for the farmer’s market

Posted on June 11, 2009 by | Leave a comment

By Recycla

farmmartThe Eco Women are huge fans of their local farmer’s markets.  Where else to find the freshest of local produce, while also supporting local businesses?

In case any of you are newbies on the farmers’ market scene, the Eco Women have some tips to make your visit more enjoyable and productive:

  1. Go early — Farmers’ markets can open as early as 6 or 7 a.m.  Get there in the first couple hours in order to get the best produce.
  2. Be prepared — Wear sunscreen and a big floppy hat to protect you from the sun’s rays.  Comfortable shoes are a must!  Have a backpack, cloth shopping bag, or some other vessel in which to carry home your purchases.  And bring cash — not too many farmers have credit card machines in the back of their pick-up trucks.
  3. Walk a lap first — Scout out everything before buying.  Take note of who’s selling what and for how much.
  4. Talk  to the farmers — Find out where the food came from, if the farmer uses organic or conventional methods, and even what his/her favorite recipes might be.
  5. Don’t rush — Take your time and savor this experience.  Most farmers’ markets have so much more than just produce — homemade cheeses, baked goods, freshly pressed apple cider (in the fall), and more.  This is food at its finest and you should enjoy your excursion.

Tell the Eco Women:  Do you go to your local farmer’s market?  What are some of your favorite things to get there?

→ Leave a comment

Posted in food

Wash Less!

Posted on June 10, 2009 by | 2 Comments

Enviro-Girl bought a new washing machine a couple weeks ago and in the midst of her consumer research, she noted the Energy Star rating for each machine. After selecting a very efficient front-loader and having it delivered, she read the fine print on the sticker:
“Your cost will depend on your utility rates and use. Estimated operating cost based on eight loads a week and a 2007 national average electricity cost of 10.65 cents per kWh and natural gas cost of $1.218 per therm.”
EIGHT LOADS A WEEK???
The average family size in America is four people. Enviro-Girl has five in her household and runs five loads of wash a week.
This begs the question: where are those extra three loads of coming from? Enviro-Girl assures readers that she is NOT a slob–her house is immaculate (well, as much as possible with three young boys using the bathroom). Her husband wears a tie to work and between his baseball uniforms and her sons’ baseball/soccer/karate/playing in mud clothes she sorts and washes plenty of clothes every given week.
The difference, she suspects, lies in the towels and sheets.
She’s said this before: drying off clean dishes or clean bodies with a clean towel does NOT a dirty towel make. You can re-use your bath towels for days before tossing it in the wash.  By hanging that towel on the rack every other time you bathe, a household can eliminate ONE load of  wash each week.  Hang that towel for three showers/baths and use it again, you’ll reduce your laundry by TWO loads each week.  Wear a pair of jeans a few days in a row and a sweatshirt more than once before tossing it on the laundry pile and you can have LOADS of free time like Enviro-Girl.
Enviro-Girl implores you: wash less. You’ll save yourself time, water, energy, labor and money. She doesn’t know about you, reader, but she’d just as soon sit down with a good book than run a load of once-used towels.

To learn MORE about all the money and resources you can save, click HERE.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in 3 Rs, house stuff, Uncategorized

Tagged , ,

Take a look around you

Posted on June 9, 2009 by | 5 Comments

By Recycla

Every now and then, Recycla likes to step back from the larger eco issues and take a look at the small things that can make a difference in saving Planet Earth.  Here’s a short list of some the small, easy-peasy ways you can do your part:

  • candlesBurn soy or beeswax candles — paraffin candles contain toxins, while soy and beeswax do not.  Find them locally at your farmer’s market or online at Etsy.
  • Eat meat-free at least once a week — producing a pound of beef consumes 145x more fossil fuels than a pound of potatoes.  (Bonus points if you grow your own potatoes!)
  • Use bar soap — most liquid soap comes in nonrenewable plastic packaging.
  • Get off of junk mail lists — save trees and produce less garbage and recycling.
  • napkinsUse cloth napkins — they look prettier and keep trash out of landfills.
  • Take reusable bags to the store — keep one in your car so that you always have it when you need it.
  • Put recycling bins near your trash cans — make it easy for everyone to recycle.
  • Use your dishwasher’s air dry cycle — skipping the heated dry cycle can cut your energy use by up to 50%.
  • laundryHang your laundry to dry — if you don’t have a clotheslines, at least hang a few things on a drying rack.
  • Consolidate your errands — take your car out less and then make it count.

Talk to the Eco Women:  What are some other simple ways to make a difference?

→ 5 Comments

Posted in 3 Rs, issues, living green on a budget