Greening the way we eat

By Colleen Heenan

While more people are becoming locavores—or people who eat food that comes from a 100 mile radius of where they live—to reduce their environmental impact a new study suggests that subbing vegetables for dairy and red meat can be just as green.

A new study released in the April 2008 issue of Environmental Science Technology, states that switching intake of red meat and dairy proteins to chicken, fish and egg proteins cuts emissions equivalent to driving 760 miles in one year.

Switching to veggies one day a week can slash carbon by 1160 miles of driving per year, according to the study. A locavore, on the other hand, can expect to reduce their enviromental footprint by about 4 percent, cutting the equivalent of 1,000 miles of driving a year.

Though many people measure environmental impact by carbon emissions, this study puts methane gas, the harmful greenhouse gas released from cow waste, into the equation.

Cows, which have two stomachs to help digest cellulose, end up releasing a ton of methane gas through burping, passing gas and waste. Methane emissions contribute to about 30-40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions where as transportation of meat and dairy only produce about 4 percent of greenhouse emissions a year.

Also, their wastes which are put into lagoons continuously emit this potent gas into the atmosphere unless capped. When capped, the methane can be burned for fuel, which helps curbs its emissions.

But even though this study boasts significant environmental benefits for reducing dairy and red meat, eating local has other environmental and nutritional benefits, including higher vitamins and promoting local agriculture.

We need to rethink our current dietary habits and switch them to a more sustainable pattern. And with this study, we now know that switching to eating red meat (and drastically reducing dairy) only once a week can do wonders for the reduction methane emissions and hopefully even reduce the demand for cattle.

To read more about this study, check out:

Do Food Miles Matter?

Is it better to eat locally or eat differently?


Photo by Environmental Science and Technology

The high cost of bottled water

By Colleen Heenan

Barbecues, beach trips and hot, humid summer days may boost up your thirst, but before you grab that bottle of Evian, think again.

For the last few decades there has been an increase in buying bottled water as a convenient thirst-quencher. But buying a reusable water bottle could be an easy way to lower your environmental footprint.

By living in America we have something that not everyone in our world has access to: clean, drinkable water. And our water comes out of multiple faucets in each residence and business. We are so lucky to have such a vital non-renewable resource at our finger tips.

Buying bottled water is harmful to the environment and for some reason, many consumers don’t think of the environmental impact bottled water has and that many bottled waters come from a faucet and then is bottled in plastic, which is made from oil, and is then gathered and packed again with more plastic to be shipped across the country, to then be stocked in our fridges or a local store for our convenience.

If there is one thing that you can start doing today to green-up you life, it is to buy a reusable water bottle and keep yourself hydrated for free.

Here are some staggering facts that I came across from http://www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org that may change your mind about buying your drinking water in bottles:

• 74% of Americans drink from non-reusable water bottles and 1 in 5 of American only get their water from these bottles.
• Americans spent $100 billion in 2005 on non-reusable plastic bottles
• Over 4 billion pounds of plastic bottles end up in land fills every year (according to earth 911 it takes over 700 year for plastic bottles to start decomposition)
• “studies have shown bottled water is on average no safer than tap water and can sometimes be less safe”. Our tap water is more often regulated and tested. Bottling companies have their own regulation schedules.
• “To bottle, transport, dispose of, and even to recycle bottled water containers requires a massive amount of energy. Making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water required more than 17 million barrels of oil last year – enough fuel for more than 1 million U.S. cars for a year - and generated more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.”

Another recent “scare” about drinking from plastic bottles (reusable or non-reusable) is the potential exposure and accumulation of the chemical known as Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a polycarbonate chemical, and an environmental estrogen, used in many of the plastics we use today; typically they are found in baby bottles, plastic food containers from all grocery stores and shatter-proof reusable bottles.

According to the U.S. National Toxicology Program, potential concerns could attribute to “neural and behavioral effects of BPA to all humans”. They also warn against heating plastics which cause the plastic to break down faster.

If what I just told you about does not change your mind about where you drink your water from, then maybe a sweet new PBA-Free bottle will. It’s more fun to drink out of cool bottle designs especially if you know they are chemical free.

P.S. some of them are even recyclable. Check out my favorite eco-wise bottle company, Sigg, and drink Happy!

Small coffee company gets a buzz off of sustainability

By Lori Huskey

My office at Portland State University is situated between two main streets so when I need a cup of coffee I have two choices: take a right and go to Starbucks or take a left and go to Starbucks.

Although the Starbucks logo has a green-tinged mermaid, the Seattle-based company may not be as green as smaller, independent coffee shops.

With that in mind, I picked up Barista Magazine and began reading about specialty coffee businesses. While I expected to become an expert on heavenly frothed milk and why baristas are always covered in tattoos, I actually had to check the magazine cover a few times to make sure I wasn’t reading the Sierra Club Magazine.

Just about every article referred to sustainability and the environment.I read about small coffee businesses that worked directly with their farmers and often knew their coffee farmers on a first-name basis. I learned about young, working-class caffeine connoisseurs that took lessons on the art of the latte and donated their prize money from competitions to a bike organization in Rwanda. How cool is that?

Central America is a coffee plantation Mecca and it’s seeing a rebirth in organic farming. Because this is happening on a small scale through intimate business partnerships, coffee investors nurture both soil and relationships.

Some farms are being augmented with health clinics so the workers are treated well which results in better working conditions. Barista Kenneth R. Olson notes on his trip to Nicaragua that “a five-cent difference in the price of a pound of coffee could make real, tangible differences in the lives of the people who produced it.”

Another expert on the green details of the coffee industry is Kim Elena Bullock who enthusiastically agreed to an interview via email. Bullock works at Counter Culture Coffee in Durham, North Carolina. I was struck by Bullock’s job title because I didn’t even know it existed. She is the Sustainability and Producer Relations Manager and revels in her opportunity to speak the phrase “environmental, social and fiscal sustainability.”

LH: Why was your job created and what do you do?

KB: The current popularity of sustainability and green-ness has led companies to name sustainability and corporate social responsibility officers (and the coffee industry follow these trends like any other!) but most coffee companies still have yet to create a position like mine. We decided to develop this position at CCC two years ago in recognition of the fact that our business's long-term sustainability depends on the success of our grower partners and their coffee farms, and that consistent communication and open dialog are the foundation of strong partnerships. Because we also believe that minimizing our environmental impact here in the States and engaging with our local communities are as important as our work at origin to pursuing real sustainability, I simultaneously work on initiatives at home and abroad.

LH: Because of problems with fair trade in coffee, some coffee chains have developed poor images. However, Starbucks seems to be gaining a green edge by providing coffee grounds for gardeners, has developed a partnership with Conservation International and uses recycled content cups. Does there appear to be a large rift between local/cooperative owned and corporate coffee businesses? How might your company be different from others? Or more "green friendly" if at all?

KB: I do see a rift, but the rift I see has less to do with the differences between local and corporate coffee companies and more to do with the differences between those coffee businesses driven by values like quality, craft, education and transparency and those who aren't.

I have no doubt that the best, most progressive, green-edgiest coffee businesses in the country are independent and local-focused, not big corporate chains. That said, being a little, local coffee business doesn't automatically make you righteous, or make your coffee better than Starbucks' coffee or Maxwell House.

Buying great coffee, roasting and preparing it with care, serving customers well and telling the stories of the growers to coffee drinkers is what puts you on the righteous side of the rift.

Counter Culture Coffee is unique in our approach because we have made it our mission to get as involved as much as possible in the coffee chain and deliver more information from grower to consumer (and back) than anyone.

Combine this love of information with a sustainability vision and the coffee drinker ends up learning not only that his coffee is certified organic but that it was grown by a farmer named Jorge on one of the first certified organic farms in Guatemala that is home to fifty different bird species! That intimacy and connection to the source is what takes coffee from "green" to more real, holistic sustainability.

Most importantly, Bullock encourages green action on all levels even by carpooling to work. She suggests that as coffee consumers we should do our research about organic certification, fair trade and sustainability.

“Read a little bit about the standards and find companies whose values match yours,” she said. “Don't forget that you should enjoy drinking the coffee, too!”

Will Going Green Make your “Green” Disappear?

By Colleen Heenan

Since graduating from college and starting life in the “real world” lots of things have changed, but one thing has not changed: my limited funds.

Going from a poor college student to having an entry level job living in a new, more expensive city, only slightly improves my financial situation from my college days. One of things that I am experiencing in the “real world” is how to prioritize. My first priority is incorporating a sustainable lifestyle with being frugal.

Many people think that to lead a more sustainable lifestyle they have to spend more money on organic foods, recycled items and hybrid cars. And to some degree, that’s true. But what’s import is to recognize why you want to live a more sustainable life and rationalize the cost and benefits.

Purchasing cheaper furniture, cleaning products, paper, clothes or food may be better for your bank account, but ask yourself if it is better for our future children, vanishing forests and already polluted fresh water systems.

I know what your thinking, “why do I have to go broke trying to save the world while everyone else can save their money by shopping at Wal-Mart?” But it is not that black and white.

By purchasing things like Hybrid cars, front loading washing machines, or even solar panels for your house you will be spending more money initially, but saving money and resources in the long run.

But it is also the everyday obstacles such as eating, transportation and recycling that can also count towards a more sustainable lifestyle. And while these everyday decisions can benefit our planet, it can at times make us feel that we’re leaving our wallets with a little less “green” in them.

When thinking about my bills, I came to the conclusion that my second most expensive bill is for my groceries (second to rent). According to the USDA the average American spends about a quarter of their income on food. If you’re trying to save money on food I don’t think it really matters if you shop at a corporate food chain or a farmers market; food costs (parallel to increasing gas prices) are on the rise.

When trying to make more green choices in your life, where you get your food and what types of food you put in your body should be a main focus when grocery shopping.

If you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint you might want to switch to a low carbon diet by reducing your beef and dairy intake. New studies have shown that methane emissions from cows are one of the worst greenhouse gases. Reducing your intake of dairy and beef could help decrease the demands for it.

If you want to get more nutrients out of your food, you should be buying a majority of your produce at a local farmers market, where your produce is fresher than at most grocery stores, which will also help shrink you carbon footprint.

And when buying organic foods you’re not only benefiting from them, but you're also helping to create a greater demand for sustainable farming practices. Buying organic or local foods or both may cost you a bit more than conventionally grown produce and proteins, but one can balance the more expensive cost of food with other “sacrifices.”

One way that I balance my cost of food is to use public transportation whenever possible. Recently, my boyfriend and I downsized from two cars to just one. This is a wise decision if you live in a city that can support you via public transportation. By using public transportation I have reduced my transportation costs by half.

However, some people do not live where there are subways and buses and biking may be out of the question due to long distance commutes. But those people should look into carpooling and if there is not one available, start your own with your coworkers.

There are other ways that you can green-up yourself without spending excess money. Things like recycling, paying all your bills online, shopping at second hand stores and buying in bulk are all easy and positive adjustment we can make to start on a greener path.

By creating a demand for sustainable farming practices and more public transportation locations, people may start seeing these costs decrease.

Until then I think it is important to remember the costs of not making sustainable choices a priority in your life—remember those forests.

The Red, White and Blue: Not so Green

By Lori Huskey

When I landed in Holland ten years ago, I found myself in the same situation countless times. As I scarfed down frites with mayonnaise, my eyes darted around in search for napkins. Whether in a restaurant or the Dutch home in which I lived for a year, I couldn’t easily locate anything other than my clothes to wipe my hands with. In other countries years later, I had the same napkin dilemma while eating.

But is it really a problem?

As Americans, we come from a land of far too many paper products. We have tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, moist hand wipes, dampened face towelletes, baby wipes, baby wipes for grown-ups and about thirty-seven other useless variations of paper--or trees.

In Holland, the family I lived with used nothing or cloth napkins while eating. I have since banned paper napkins from my house and use only cloth napkins and clean up kitchen spills with used rags or t-shirts rather than paper towels.

In Thailand, food vendors on the street happily offered me a sheet of newspaper for my greasy hands and in Korea I was given toilet paper. After living with a Korean family for a month I can tell you this: not only do they use toilet paper as their signature omnipotent paper, they are also so environmentally conscious it puts my ‘progressive’ Portland, Ore. to shame.

South Korea has one of the most robust economies in the world. A large portion of its economic success depends on the tea, rice and barley grown in the south—via 100% organic farming. This province, Jeollanam-do is pioneering pesticide-free, organic farming with overwhelmingly positive results. In fact, Jeollanam-do is known for its “eco-friendly family villages.”

If you stay in South Korea for more than a day you will become immediately immersed in its environmentally conscious culture. Like the family I lived with in Holland (a country with bicycle commuters outnumbering motorists) Koreans have one car per family. A third of Koreans are Buddhist and the Buddhist principals play into their everyday life, Buddhist or not. That is, Koreans don’t waste food.

When I stayed at a Buddhist temple for three days we were instructed to eat everything on our plates and we couldn’t leave the table until we did. Although the Korean portions of rice, kimchi (pickled cabbage), and squid are the size of Texas, they clear their plates completely. This is also done out of respect to their ancestors who toiled in rice fields and risked going hungry.

I doubt that South Korea pompously prides itself as one of the greenest countries, but somehow I think it is. Every environmentally conscious move the country makes seems effortless. Small homes, solar power and modest consumption that make Costco look like Satan, South Korea is continuously going green. The city busses use CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) like some bus systems in the U.S., and most Korean stores discourage the use of plastic bags.
In the U.S. we’re slowly catching on. San Francisco is now the first city to ban plastic bags. But for now, other countries may have an edge on being eco.

Help yourself go green:

Using your own grocery bags is a groovy idea. To order green-friendly tote bags visit The Green Loop. You can check out various styles and prints with prices ranging from $6-41. Some of the bags are polypropylene, pesticide free and the proceeds benefit environmental programming for children. Several of the bags can even be planted when they wear out.

And if you can’t make it to South Korea you can at least re-use one of their rice sacks as a snappy bag: Gecko Traders, $27.

The Red Sox Go Green

By Margaret Scott
Everything about the Red Sox is big: the Green Monster, a few World Series Championships, Big Papi.

And so, true to form, the Red Sox entry into the green movement has made a big impression. Mainly, the team put together a five-year plan for the “greening” of Fenway Park by 2012, the ballpark’s 100th anniversary. The team has planned for and implemented numerous changes all over the park that incorporate innovative technology as well as common sense practices that are considerably more environmentally sound. For example:

Waste

• The Poland Springs Green Team: a group of volunteers at each game that walk around the park to collect recyclable items and direct fans to the nearest recycling receptacles
• Use of solar powered trash compactors
• Concessions stand: containers from recycled materials, recycled used grease
• Implementation of a water conservation system for grass (infield and outfield) watering
• Use of biodiesel powered lawn mowers

Energy

• Installation of solar panels behind home plate, used in order to heat water
• Installation of energy efficient (LED) light bulbs
• Use of recycled paper for main office use, publications, etc.
• Distribution of NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) literature (printed on recycled paper, for sure) with tips for a “greener” lifestyle

This list, although not exhaustive, is a fair representation of the variety of changes undertaken at the famed Fenway Park. Significant and laudable as these changes may be, this “greening” is bigger than even the Red Sox themselves, difficult as that may be to believe.

At every single home game, upwards of 30,000 fans make their way to Fenway Park. These fans represent a captive audience, not only to a well played game of baseball but also to the Red Sox’s efforts toward environmental stewardship. Of the changes listed above, many represent options that could be realistically and economically implemented in the homes of many fans (LED light bulbs, recycled paper, recycling bins, etc.). In this way, the Red Sox green initiative serves not only to lessen the impact of the park and its users but also to encourage “green” efforts by all fans, even after they leave the park.

As a fan, I wholeheartedly approve. It is precisely this sort of authentic, well-intentioned, and well-planned “greening” that needs to be made more visible and better understood to a wide range of people. In their fame, the Red Sox have power. They have the power to set an example of continued, careful responsibility toward the environment. The team has set (and continues to set) an example for fans, other ball clubs, and the entire sports entertainment industry.
As I see it, this is big.

For a couple of informational articles, check out:

A Green Fenway is a Better Fenway

or

On Earth Day, the Sox turn 'green'

Planet Green: A Green TV Station for All

By Carolyn Rose


Discovery Networks launched a new network dedicated to green living and sustainability earlier this month.

Planet Green, the only network that boasts 24/7 all-green programming, is an interesting way to boost your green I.Q. The network reaches a wide range of audiences through a variety of programming.

If you're an Entourage fan, you may be interested in watching Adrian Grenier and his group of activists in "Alter Eco." The show draws a younger audience, suggesting ways how to make your favorite local bar recycle, or by giving you "hip tips to go green while staying cool."

If you already know green basics and want to take other steps to become eco, you might tune in to "World's Greenest Homes." Here, you can get some ideas on how to makeover your house while helping the environment. One episode featured a beach house with a saltwater pool instead of a chlorine pool, which saves harmful chemicals from entering the environment.

Dubbed by some as “eco-tainment” the network boasts an a-list of celebrities, including Grenier, MTV’s SuChin Pak and CBS News correspondent Daniel Sieberg. There’s even a show devoted to environmentally conscious celebrities called Hollywood Green.

But without being too preachy, Planet Green has helpful and interesting content. Shows like Wa$ted make it easy to make your lifestyle greener. The best thing about the network is that it gives a lot of simple and easy ways to “shrink your ecological footprint.” Wa$ted is my favorite show on Planet Green because it not only helps people conserve energy and produce less waste, but it suggests ways to help viewers save money.

The Planet Green website has a nice overview of the shows. It also has various sections (Food & Health, Fashion & Beauty, Home & Garden, etc.) with articles and blogs with useful information. The network and the website are worth checking out, and a great way to spread green ideas.