As we quickly approach Food Independence Day, I ask what you’ve considered about your own food consumption habits?

*I spent last weekend in lovely Manchester, TN at the Bonnaroo Festival. Bonnaroo does more than most festivals in trying to lessen its footprint, which got me thinking about what a little citizen action could do at ANY event!

1-Separate bins for trash, recycling, and compost throughout the grounds.
2- A person called a “trash talker” posted at trash stations to help tell you whether you needed to recycle, compost, or trash. (I do wish they’d been dressed like scarecrows so the pointing would’ve been more theatrical…)
3- Water refilling stations throughout the venue that encourage the use of reusable bottles.

How easy would it be to incorporate these small steps into any community festival or even outdoor concert facility? How can we make this happen? Public events are monsters for trash generation, and I would argue the implementation of the “trash talkers” made a significant difference in making sure disposables got placed in the right container… just some thoughts.

**Do you eat soy? (tofu, edamame, soy milk… chances are you eat soy whether you know it or not!)

Our pals at the Cornucopia Institute have provided this guide to help navigate which companies are giving you the goods, and which ones are giving you the runaround. (Personally, I love their use of the word “charlatans.” Grrrr!)

Soy Report and Scorecard

[while you're there I also recommend checking out the "Who Owns Organic?" chart... it will make you choke on your wheatgrass to see how the food system is structured!]

***Want something to look forward to on Mondays?

Sir Paul McCartney (my third fave Beatle) has announced his MEAT FREE MONDAY campaign– just one day a week can help reduce world carbon emissions, your own carbon footprint, and with the recipes provided on his website, your waistline, too!

MEAT FREE? PASS THE TWO VEG!

**** And if you’re just looking for some healthier substitutes in your regular diet, MomCentral compiled this list of easy substitutes that improve your nutrient intake… frequently with yummier substitutions. (Admittedly, I’m biased– most days I’m convinced I could live on sweet potatoes and avocados.)

Mom says eat right!

Be delicious!
BB

Consume less, save more; bring your own bag; drive less; plant more trees – snowman will be happier! 

Words we can all live by…

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

I’ll post as often as I can while I am there as well – about anything I can find that is remotely environmentally-related (which, come to think of it, is damn near everything).  Hopefully I’ll have lots of fodder to blog about upon my return as well…

If any of my readers are in Hong Kong, let me know by leaving a comment – I’d love to meet up with you!

 Below is a blurb from the article above that piqued my interest:

In recent years, people have become more conscious of “organic living”.  Riding on this new trend and with the staunch support of Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre, a thematic pavilion entitled “HKBPE Organic Lifestyle Home” is set up this year.  Through an array of activities including product displays, organic cooking and farming, and products demonstrations etc, visitors will gain a better understanding of the extensive “organic” applications in our daily lives and of healthy living and environmental protection.