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

One of my favorite family members has asked for my help in her research (she is working on her doctoral degree in Texas), and I think you might be interested in helping out.  First, here is her request:

My neighbors and I are starting an informal project to evaluate and problem-solve about the amount of waste we generate. (I love having a creative & interdisciplinary house.)

Our project is inspired by this:

• Petroleum-based plastic was designed to last virtually forever.
• Almost every single piece of plastic ever made is still around, and recycling isn’t making a big enough dent in the amount of plastic in landfills and in the ocean.
• Out of sight, out of mind; but never gone.

Here’s how I need your help:
If you could, keep track, on a weekly basis, of how many plastic shopping bags and/or plastic bottles (water, soda) you use and email me the totals. OR, give me a count (estimation) of how many you currently have in your house. Also, if you have creative re-using ideas for these bags & bottles (that keep them out of the trash) we’d like that as well. And if this really excites you, weigh yourself when you take out the trash holding your trashbag, and let me know approximately how many pounds of trash you dispose of during the week. If you only can give me data once, that would be incredibly helpful.

If you are really hot for this project, you can get your friends to provide information as well.  We chose the Lenten season as our target time, since folks are trying to make life improvements and it’s easy to keep track for only 40 days.

We’re thinking about doing a more long-term initiative, but we felt this was a really good starting place, as plastic bags are our primary source of frustration. (Texas is windy, they get stuck in our trees and shrubs).

Thanks in advance & much love.

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

Yet another reason we should recycle everything we can, and find new ways to recycle what, right now, we can’t.  Maybe donate your old computers to schools or libraries or your less-fortunate neighbor, or a homeless shelter, or whatever!  Just keep it out of the landfill – and China!

Namaste,
A. Caleb Hartley

Simple Ways Episode 1:  Silverware vs. Plasticware 

Bring silverware from home instead of using plastic silverware provided at work. 

Think about this – each time you use a plastic fork and throw it away, you are adding .15 ounces or so of plastic waste to a landfill.  If you use plastic every day at work for lunch, that’s nearly two-and-a-half pounds of plastic being thrown away every year! 

How many people are in your office?  If each of them throws away a plastic fork every day as well, how many pounds of preventable waste is being added to landfills every year?  Let’s say ou have 100 people in your office – that’s nearly 250 pounds of waste, just because of plastic forks!

By simply carrying an actual piece of silverware with you every day, you can prevent your portion of the waste – and who knows, you may even encourage others to reduce their plasticware waste by your simple action!