The Red, White, and Green

Check out my blog today on The Huffington Post:

Antibiotic-Free Meat: Is the FDA Finally Catching Up to the American Consumer?

Would love to hear your thoughts — feel free to leave a comment on the HuffPost site!

–Jennifer Grayson

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In my never-ending quest to eliminate unnecessary packaging from my grocery shopping, I was intrigued when I recently came across Saint Benoît yogurt in the dairy aisle of my local Whole Foods. Packaged in individual ceramic crocks (and quite beautiful ones at that) that can be reused (makes a handy pencil holder!) or returned for deposit, the artisanal French-style yogurt looked too tempting to pass up. 

Now, these are tough economic times, and $2.99 for a 7.5-ounce yogurt plus $1.50 deposit does seem a bit steep, but you’ve got to hand it to a company that is determined nonetheless to pursue its vision of respecting the land and top-notch craftsmanship. 

Once I sampled the honey flavor I had purchased, I realized what I was paying for. The taste is out of this world — like nothing I’ve had outside of the homemade yogurt I once ate for breakfast at a tiny pensione on the island of Capri.

More like a dessert than the tangy yet somewhat flavorless product I’m used to, it’s hard to believe the Saint Benoît yogurt I tried is made from a mere three ingredients: whole organic Jersey milk, Marshall’s Farm honey, and living cultures. But then again, I’m a firm believer that outstanding food is the result of outstanding ingredients, prepared simply. There’s no need to mask the taste of a product with sugar (or high-fructose corn syrup) and fillers when the milk comes from lovingly raised cows and the fruit spreads (in the other flavors) are made from whole, locally grown organic fruit.

At present, the Sonoma County-based Saint Benoît is only available in California. Lucky for me, but I’m sorry to say that the current economy will make this but an occasional indulgence. It makes me sad — since I so long to live in a world where all food is this sustainable and this delicious — yet hopeful for the future that there are farmers working this hard to move us toward that world.

–Jennifer Grayson

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Photo via Flickr: NeilsPhotography

Thanks to the success of the movie The End of the Line, which is bringing the issue of overfishing into the mainstream consciousness in much the same way that An Inconvenient Truth did with global warming, sustainable seafood seems to be the buzz phrase everywhere these days.

Even in Door County, WI, where I just returned from a lovely respite, most of the restaurants I dined at featured ethically caught seafood, and never failed to make mention of it on their menus: local Lake Michigan perch for a fried fish sandwich I devoured post-boating, fresh lake whitefish for the famous Door County fish boils, and hook-and-line caught wild Alaskan salmon for our farewell dinner at the scrumptious Mr. Helsinki (not local, but still a “best” choice, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch).

But what should you do when you’re at a sushi restaurant that doesn’t highlight which items are, in fact, sustainable? And what about when you’re at the supermarket trying to remember if it’s Pacific or Atlantic flounder you should avoid? Unfortunately, you can’t always trust the source to give you an honest answer. Trader Joe’s, for example, may be known as a supplier of natural and organic foods, but it’s been given an “F” score by Greenpeace for its seafood purchasing policies and its very own “Traitor Joe’s” website.

Luckily, there are a couple of cool tech options for researching the right seafood choices on the go. FishPhone is the Blue Ocean Institute’s sustainable seafood text messaging service (it’s free, minus your cell carrier’s charges, of course); just text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question, and you’ll receive a message back with their assessment. For those with the iPhone or iPod touch, there’s the Seafood Watch free iPhone app, which includes a sushi guide that lists fish by Japanese name as well as the common market name. Wild-caught mirugai, yes; freshwater unagi, no.

–Jennifer Grayson

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Photo via Flickr: Di_the_huntress

Regular sun exposure is crucial to good health: Without it, you can become woefully deficient in vitamin D, setting yourself up for increased cancer risk, cardiovascular disease, and impaired immune functioning. In the summer months, however, spending weekends at the beach and outdoor picnics can lead to too much of a good thing. In addition to a wide-brimmed hat and a spot under a shady tree (or umbrella), the best way to protect yourself is sunscreen. 

But how do you know your sunscreen is actually working? And what’s more, how do you know the chemicals it contains are safe for your skin?

Luckily, the Environmental Working Group recently released its 2009 Sunscreen Guide. Astonishingly, of the 1,572 products it surveyed, less than 100 were found that offer adequate protection from the sun with ingredients that pose minimal health risks to users; even major brands like Neutrogena, Coppertone, and Banana Boat came up short in the investigation.

The guide ranks sunscreens as well as moisturizers and lip balms with SPF. Make sure you check it out (or use the tool below) before you head out for your fun in the sun this weekend!

–Jennifer Grayson

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Photo: Jennifer Grayson

After the post last month about reusable dry cleaning bags, which featured two different versions — one constructed from polypropylene (The Green Garmento) and one made from cotton canvas (the Clothesnik) — I received an email from the founder of Reuseniks, the company that’s been making the Clothesnik for the past 19 years:

I would like you to know that we are the original reusable dry cleaning bag [company]. I started this company 20 years ago when there was only red, white, and blue! Not only that, but generating a second use of polypropylene is just as destructive as a primary use. I am forwarding an article to you about polypropylene. It is bad stuff… 

Article: Grocery Carry Bag Sanitation

Now, I personally prefer canvas to polypropylene when it comes to any type of reusable bag — shopping tote or reusable dry cleaning — because I think it lasts longer, but I don’t think the choice between the two is black and white when it comes to protecting the environment.

The link above is a study that was funded by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council — a corporate lobby group for the plastic manufacturing industry, and as such, its interest is to discourage people from using reusable bags of any kind. I read the entire report, and while it focused on the health hazards of plastic-based reusable shopping bags, similar studies have been published that implicate canvas bags as well. Any bag will harbor bacteria and mold if it is not regularly washed. Polypropylene bags can be easily wiped down with a damp cloth and a little cleaning spray or white vinegar solution.

We’ve all heard that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world; the Italian island of Sardinia, for example, is home to some of the longest-living people on earth. But as with the introduction of most ethnic cuisines to this country, something always gets lost in the translation (General Tso’s chicken, anyone?).

My friend recently confessed that for years she thought she had been following a Mediterranean diet; then a month ago, she started the nutrition part of her nursing school curriculum and realized that she had had it all wrong.

“I always thought that the Mediterranean diet included lots and lots of fish,” she says. “After all, fish is good for you, right? Well, it turns out it’s actually a mostly vegetarian diet: whole grains, legumes, lots of fruits and vegetables, cheese, and, of course, red wine and olive oil. Fish is eaten occasionally, and meat even less often than that.”

Interestingly, recent research shows that it’s this “little meat” aspect that is partially responsible for the diet’s link to a longer life. In a paper published last week by the British medical journal BMJ, Harvard School of Public Health researchers trying to uncover the best parts of the Mediterranean diet reported that low consumption of meat and meat products accounted for 16.6 percent of the diet’s health benefits — and proved to be as important as consuming lots of vegetables (16.2 percent). (You’ll be pleased to know that the researchers discovered moderate alcohol consumption to be the most important factor.)

So for those who want to give Meatless Monday a try but can’t fathom a whole day without meat (or for those inspired by MM to embrace vegetarian eating the rest of the week), take a cue from our friends in Southern Europe: try thinking of meat and fish as a flavoring or side dish, not the main event. I always think of the panini I encountered in Italy: a few translucent slices of prosciutto in between a small crusty loaf. Contrast that to a typical American deli sandwich, which is piled with more meat than most Italians eat in an entire week.

Don’t forget the red wine!

–Jennifer Grayson

More Meatless Monday posts:
Meatless Monday catching on worldwide
Meatless Monday includes fish?
Meatless Monday: What’s for dinner?
Can’t afford a Prius? Try Meatless Monday

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Photo via Flickr: Max Wolfe

I’m heading off to Northern Wisconsin for a week’s vacation with my family. I figure it’s important to unplug once in a while and connect with nature outside the borders of Los Angeles County (I do write an environmental blog, after all). Besides, recent studies say it’s essential to good health.

And yes, I will be purchasing carbon offsets for my flight to get there, even though the jury is still out as to how effective these actually are.

Articles will be published this week, thanks to the technological genius of advance scheduling (though forgive me if I fail to comment on any particularly timely news, since these posts were written in advance). I’ll be back next week with a (hopefully) refreshed mind and a renewed perspective!

–Jennifer Grayson

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Photo via Flickr: dcJohn

Here at the RWG, we feel strongly that solving our environmental problems is directly tied to the future of this country (see clever tagline, above). So this July 4th, we’re beginning a new tradition: the Independence Day resolution. If the New Year’s resolution is all about self-improvement, then the Independence Day resolution is all about bettering our country. And you don’t even have to stop the barbecue; tonight, when the fireworks are over and the last beer has been drunk, take five minutes and think about one thing you can change — no matter how small — to green your daily routine.

Some easy ideas:

Switch one regular light bulb to a CFL. If every household in the US replaced just one incandescent bulb with an energy-efficient CFL, it would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road.

Give up the (plastic) bottle. At last tally, more than 113 billion beverage cans and bottles have been landfilled, littered, or incinerated in the US so far this year. Get a Brita pitcher or sink filter for home (just don’t forget to recycle the filters), and take a Sigg or other reusable canteen with you on the go. And if you’re a pop drinker, consider a home soda maker.

Try Meatless Monday. The movement is gaining momentum worldwide, with a former Beatle and The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health now among its proponents. If every American were to go meatless on Mondays for a year, it would be the equivalent of all of us switching from normal cars to Toyota hybrids — saving 12 billion gallons of gasoline.

Donate unwanted items on Freecycle. Instead of dropping that worn-out couch by the dumpster, why not post it on Freecycle (like Craigslist, except all items are by donation only)? You’d be amazed at how many thrifty, resourceful people would be grateful to turn your trash into their treasure.

Turn off the DVR at night. According to Energy Efficient Choices, DVRs use anywhere from 12 to 20 watts in standby mode alone. Unless you’re partial to taping informercials, why not turn it off at night? The representative I spoke with at Time Warner Cable says it’s absolutely fine to do this — since the DVR is essentially a hard drive, your programs will still be saved even when the power isn’t on.

And about that beer for your July 4th bash: Make the switch to a keg, and you’ll be keeping dozens of bottles and cans out of the trash (or the recycling bin — even recycling takes energy). Just don’t forget to use glasses instead of plastic cups!

–Jennifer Grayson

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UrbanWorks, a Chicago architectural firm renown for its socially and environmentally responsible designs, has brought a thought-provoking art installation to Michigan Avenue. The sculpture, entitled Green Revolution, is a series of free-standing transparent acrylic containers filled with waste (or “fill,” as it’s referred to in the description that accompanies the piece) from the nearby Marriott.

Photo: Paul Libman

Photo: Paul Libman

The contents of the sculptures will evolve as they continue to accumulate trash from the hotel, highlighting the impact of small items of waste over time.

I particularly connect with this sculpture because it draws attention to the power that each of us has as individuals to effect real environmental change. I just hope they have recycling plans for all that junk once those sculptures fill up!

–Jennifer Grayson

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I’ve always loved road trips. Once you’re outside the city, there’s nothing like the peace and quiet of the open highway, watching the scenery and having no obligations other than to the thoughts in your head or, if you’re blessed with a great traveling partner, to those of the person next to you. I’m always in awe of how spectacularly beautiful this country is, and how vast; every time I open an atlas (which I do more than most people, since my husband and I like to choose the scenic route when traveling), I find myself in a tizzy at the endless opportunity for exploration.

Alas, it’s going to be a while before our next road trip, but luckily I can now live vicariously though Nathan Winters at FollowNathan.org as he bicycles — yes, bicycles – from Maine to Washington state to raise awareness about land and nature conservation. Nathan started the ride on May 10, and is using social media to track his every pedal: blogging and tweeting and vodcasting as he meets farmers, park rangers, and other stewards of the earth along the way. He’ll also be raising money on his journey for The Nature Conservancy, with a goal of $50,000 by trip’s end.

It’s not too late to follow Nathan, who at last check just left Ithaca, NY. Consider it your carbon-neutral summer road trip!

–Jennifer Grayson

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