Wikis tagged with Organic Food & Drink

The holidays are a great time.  Families come together.  Old friends come into town.  If you're into gift giving, here are some tips on how to give eco-friendly, local, and fair trade gifts.  For a great resource on the local v. fair trade dilemma, check out An Ethical Shopper's Dilemma from Global Exchange.   If you're looking to green the rest of your holiday season, check out this Huddler wiki on cutting down on waste during the holidays.   Green Gift Recommendations   Homemade coupons for low-impact activities (like hikes, bike rides, or back rubs) are always a good option. ...

  For maximum nutrition and to eat more "environmentally," try to buy fruits and vegetables during their specific peak season.   This 'vegetannual' is an imaginary plant created by Barbara Kingsolver (from her book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle") that "bears, over the course of one growing season, a cornucopia of all the different vegetable products that [one might] harvest" in a home garden.   You can 'read' this image from the bottom (May) all the way up to the latest harvestables like pumpkins (October).   It's a good start to understanding the seasonal nature of fruit and vegetable...

It’s about that time of year.  School is getting out.  It’s almost summer.  So don’t let father’s day slip by you!  For 2008 (in the US, UK, and a few other countries), it’s on June 15th.  Maybe this year instead of getting your dad, grandfather, husband, uncle, son, or other male in your life a pair of glow in the dark boxers or golf tees, try something with an eco-spin.    If he's a gadget-y guy, solar accessories are pretty sweet.  There's the Solio, the Soldius, foldable solar chargers from PowerFilm...the list goes on. If your dad needs some new duds, try picking out some...

Spring is the season for spring cleaning...getting ready for bathing suit season...and getting outside for a picnic!  While you're dining al fresco, make sure you not only enjoy your natural environment but make sure you take care of it too.  There are lots of things you can do to green your picnic and your picnic basket.   Green Picnic Basket Supplies Reusable plates, cups, utensils: One huge source of waste at most picnics are the disposable plates and utensils.  Green your picnic by going with reusable plates, cups, and, utensils.  It's much more eco-friendly to take stuff home...

With Mother’s Day coming up, how are you going to show your mom/grandmother/favorite aunt/etc. that you love her?  Why not do something that shows you care about her and the environment?    DIY Mother's Day Gifts If cleaning house isn't your mom's favorite activity, try doing it for her with some eco-friendly cleaning products! You could also make her a great set of homemade cleaners.  Check out these recipes! Make her homemade soap from natural ingredients or fill her home spa kit up with homemade face masks, lotion, and face scrubs. Making jewelry from recycled materials can be...

In 2006, wine sales totaled $26 billion and liquor sales totaled $17 billion. That same year, the average American drank 2.3 gallons of wine and 21.6 gallons of beer. That's a lot of alcohol. In 2005, 14785 tons of pesticides were used on wine grapes in California. It is also estimated that farmers spray hops (one of the primary ingredients in most beers) with pesticides 14 times per year. That's a lot of pesticide. In 2006, more than 208 million barrels (there are 31 gallons in one barrel) of beer, 673 million gallons of wine, and 425 million gallons of liquor were shipped across state...

These days, there's tons of stuff to avoid...seafood with mercury...produce covered in pesticides...chemicals in cosmetics.  But how do you keep it all straight?  Have no fear.  Green pocket guides (or wallet guides or cell phone accessible guides) can be your back up when you forget what's good for you and what's not.   Here's a run down of some of your (free) options for seafood, plastic, restaurants, produce, and cosmetics.       Format Guide Name & Source Description   Seafood Pocket/wallet (PDF) Pocket seafood selector from Environmental Defense Fund This pocket...

Whether you're just feeding yourself or feeding a family of 4, buying organic food stuffs can get pricey.  But there are some great ways to go organic without going broke.   Pay attention to sales in your local stores and stock up when you can. If you have access to a Whole Foods, consider signing up for their e-newsletter.  Twice a month, they send out their best store specials.  If you're a Whole Foods shopper, they also frequently offer discounts if you buy a case or more of something.  So if you just can't live without your organic whole wheat pasta, stock up!  And don't be afraid...

THE FOOD Start with food that is in season, local, and organic when possible.  Check out your local Farmer’s Market.  Sometimes local farmers may be growing organically without paying to be certified- ask around. When you buy food at the grocery store, check the labels and avoid palm oil. Don’t forget to bring your own bags when grocery shopping!   COOKING When it comes to energy consumption, a gas stove requires less energy for stove top cooking.  Gas stoves with an electric ignition (piezo) will use 40% less gas than one with a continuous pilot light. However, when compared to...

Americans really do have it made when it comes to eating out. Whether it’s grabbing a burger at Wendy’s or sitting down to enjoy seafood and pasta at Red Lobster, people will always have a place to spend money during their lunch break.   But did you ever think about how much waste the burger wrappers, napkins and excess food create? Or about the greenhouse gas emissions that are produced when you drive to a restaurant? You should because all of these factors have a negative impact on the environment. That’s why it’s important to learn how to green your lunch. Greening your lunch will not...

The Environmental Impact Of Eating Meat   One major impact of consuming meat is its contribution to global warming.  A 2006 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that when all factors are taken into account, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18% – than transport.  Not only do ruminant livestock (like cows and sheep) emit methane through burps and dung, but they also require large amounts of land for pasture.  Land use change is the largest single contributor to human greenhouse gas...

  Today, our food is riddled with labels claiming this and that.  But what do all these terms mean?  Which labels are valid?  Which should you care about?  Well, here you go...food labels, demystified.  The Quick Guide Unfortunately, the U.S. government does not require third-party verification for any label except “organic.”  “Organic” means a lot of great things—but  unfortunately it doesn’t really tell us much about how the animals were treated.  If you care about humane animal treatment, your best bet is to go with “Certified Humane” or “Free Farmed” products. Both certify...

this is my most recent list of green freebies, coupons and other budget friendly sources. feel free to add your own!   __________________________________________________________   Green Mama on a Budget A blog about being a financially responsible, crunchy, stay at home mom on a very tight budget (less than 25k a year) With a break down our budget and tips to save $$$. While we purchase and pay off our first house and live as green as possible!   This is not targeted just at moms, it's written so most anyone can benefit., it's just titled that was because the writer is a...

We all need to relax and decompress sometimes, but how best can we be socially irresponsible, but environmentally responsible?   Dishes, utensils, and glasses - If you're inviting over more people than you have dishes or glasses, avoid the paper and plastic stuff. Try renting flatware and glassware (check out Rental HQ to find a rental facility in your area). If you absolutely cannot go the reusable route, opt for compostable options (check out the Biodegradable Store or World Centric)...and when you're done, compost them!   Food - Sure, everyone loves pigs-in-a-blanket hors d'oeuvres...

How To Make Your Own Solar Food Dehydrator Taken with permission from GeoPathfinder                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Not everything can be eaten fresh. Some food may need to be stored for later consumption. Reducing the amount of energy you use for food storage will further shrink the carbon footprint that you have already reduced by eating locally, growing your food biologically, and replacing your...

Between single-serving containers and non-recyclable plastics, there are few places that serve as better examples of wasteful behavior than  supermarkets. If you know what you're looking for and how to repurpose items, you can become an aware shopper and make the best choices for you and the planet. Clearly, recycled and recyclable packaging are your best options. Items that use as little packaging as possible are also much more environmentally friendly than, say, single-serving containers. When weighing packaging pros and cons, keep this hierarchy in mind: 1. Glass wins out over canned...

Nigiri. Maki. Sashimi. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who have jumped on the sushi bandwagon, then you know exactly what these Japanese delicacies are.   Sushi has quickly become one of the most convenient, hip and healthy ways to grab lunch or dinner, and everyone from college students to business professionals can’t get enough of it.   Even though it’s recommended that we eat fish at least twice a week because it’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids (which helps blood circulate in our bodies and reduces blood pressure), there’s definitely a dark side to eating fish that is far more...

These days lots of things claim to be organic or sustainable.  How do you know who to believe? About Organic Certification Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, food processors, retailers and restaurants. Requirements vary from country to country, and generally involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include: avoidance of most...

The “Dirty Dozen” is a list created by The Environmental Working Group meant to help consumers make smart and economically sound choices about their organic food purchases. The list tells consumers which fruits and veggies are the most important to buy organic. The dirty dozen themselves are the worst fruit and veggie offenders - i.e. the dozen fruits and veggies that contain the highest known amounts of pesticides. The group released their newest version of the list in 2009 and it’s available for download (handy for shopping trips). The current 2009 Dirty Dozen list; i.e. most...