The Red, White, and Green

I’m often asked by people who want to go green but don’t know where to start what I think is the most important and effective change a person can make. Should I buy a Prius? Eat only organic? Get solar panels for my home? All of those choices are fabulous if you have the resources to make them, but I truly believe that joining the Meatless Monday movement is No. 1. Why? Because it’s a small, subtle change that is eminently doable. And isn’t doable what you want for your New Year’s resolution?

[Watch video on Vimeo]

I took the Meatless Monday pledge in May, and even though the week-to-week change has been barely noticeable, it’s seriously opened my eyes to how profoundly our food choices impact the world around us (even for me, a longtime environmentalist). As Michael Pollan says, eating is a political act.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: What else? Make Meatless Monday your New Year’s resolution. Happy New Year!

More Meatless Monday posts:
Meatless Monday: Your holiday reading list

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

Photo via Flickr: Nexeus Fatale

I’m a big Freecycle fan. With its “one man’s trash is another’s treasure” concept, it helps keep waste out of landfills and inspires goodwill in the community, since all unwanted items are given away for free, rather than sold. There’s also a “wanted” section of the site where people can post for items they’re seeking. This can be helpful, I suppose, if you’re trying to find a match for your gently used Snuggie, but I’ve always wondered if people ever took advantage and asked for, say, a gently used BMW.

Well, wonder no longer: Evidently with Christmas fast approaching and the economy in the toilet, some Freecyclers are getting greedy, turning the message boards into a personal holiday wishlist.

From the email I received last week via the Los Angeles Freecycle moderators:

With the holiday season upon us, we anticipate a surge in the list of
WANTED posts. We get many Wanteds for expensive items. Occasionally some member will be willing to part with a treadmill, iPhone, nice furniture, a nice camper. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with asking for something you can use. But perhaps it’s time to ratchet down our expectations…. Freecycle’s aim is to keep tangible items from filling up our dumps.

I’ll admit, it kind of makes me chuckle to think that someone actually believes he’s going to get a shiny new iPhone via Freecycle (but I suppose stranger things have happened). It’s not a laughing matter, though: The moderators who sort through all these postings work for free, and advertising for unrealistic items just clogs up the process and undoubtedly results in frustrated Freecyclers with no other alternative but the dump.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Aside from not posting for frivolous items, you can help your local Freecycle community by becoming a moderator for the site. Click here to learn how.

Related post:
Reduce, reuse, Freecycle

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

Photo via Flickr: Terren in Virginia

Looking for a bit of inspiration to join the Meatless Monday movement in 2010? Here’s a holiday reading list that will help jump-start you toward the cause. Don’t worry, though: This isn’t a compendium of scare tactic stories meant to ruin your Christmas dinner; in the nonjudgmental spirit of Meatless Monday, these books are fascinating reads for wanna-be veggies and hardcore meat-lovers alike.

So take a trip to your local library, download one of these to your brand-new Kindle (lucky you!), or buy a copy for a loved one as a last-minute stocking stuffer. Here, our Top 5 foods for thought:

1. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Michael Pollan journeys the US to uncover the environmental, political, and ethical impact of four different meals (fast food, industrial organic, grass-fed, and hunted/gathered) in this now-classic.

2. The Flexitarian Diet
Have a hankering for tofu stir-fry but still can’t imagine giving up that hot dog at a baseball game? You don’t have to, as registered dietitian and author Dawn Jackson Blatner outlines in this reasonable approach to (mostly meatless) eating that will help you lose weight and live a long, healthy life.

3. Eating Animals
Celebrated novelist Jonathan Safran Foer (Everything Is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) takes a profound and surprisingly entertaining look at the horrors of factory farming and his own meat-eating history in his first foray into nonfiction.

4. The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet
Anyone who questions the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet need only look at author Alicia Silverstone’s clear skin, shiny hair, and enviable figure. And while you might not be ready to embrace her full-on devotion to a vegan diet, this book is chock-full of inspiring ideas and yummy recipes that will help get you started.

5. Food Rules
Alright, so it’s another Michael Pollan book and it won’t be released until Dec. 29, but I’m jumping on the pre-order bandwagon for this much-anticipated guide to sustainable eating that I’m guessing will follow his “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” philosophy.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: After you’ve finished reading your book, don’t just stash it on a shelf: Pass it along to a friend or family member (unless it has to go back to the library, of course).

More Meatless Monday posts:
Meatless Monday: Sweet potato latkes
Meatless Monday: Crustless rainbow chard quiche

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

[Watch video on Vimeo]

Wolfgang Puck and Ferrari drivers, take note: The Los Angeles you know and love is changing.

A serious foodie culture (I’m talking Kogi, not Kobe) has exploded in the five years since I moved to LA. I credit the LA Weekly‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning food columnist Jonathan Gold, the proliferation of food blogs, and a diversely ethnic population’s scrumptious cooking that the city’s gringos are finally beginning to notice, thanks in part to the former two. A serious biking culture has also sprung up, owing to the expanding green movement and a dismal economy forcing people to reconsider the bicycle as a method of everyday transportation. So what do you get when you combine these two emerging counter-cultures?

Pure marketing genius, says Josef Bray-Ali, co-owner of the Flying Pigeon bike shop in the Highland Park district of LA. Last year, he and his brother Adam started hosting group bike rides to various Chinese dumpling houses in the area as a way to showcase the shop’s Chinese (and Dutch) commuter bikes. The Get Some Dim Sum ride, as it’s now called, has since taken off like fried rice cakes — as many as 50 people now show up for the gastronomical excursions, which take place on the third Sunday of every month.

Josef is quick to point out that the rides are more than a marketing ploy, however. He’s passionate about sustainability, and envisions commuter biking as a serious component of LA’s green future. “If [the city of LA] were to just focus on our streets, and move a greater percentage of people by rail and by bike — not by mandate, but because they want to, because it’s a comfortable, fun, nice thing to do, because the street is oriented for it — we could massively reduce the needs we have for all kinds of resources,” he says.

Comfortable and fun it is. The brothers were kind enough to let me test out one of their cruisers when I joined them on the dim sum ride, and I’ve got to say, this model was a welcome improvement over the converted mountain bike I use for errands around town. It’s sturdy, you can sit upright (no hunching over the handlebars with these), and the seat is cushy — heck, you could even wear a dress on one of these! I also managed to work up quite an appetite on the 10-mile ride, despite the leisurely pace.

Want to join Flying Pigeon on the next Get Some Dim Sum ride? All you need is a helmet, a bike (or call a few days in advance to reserve a rental for $10), and $15 per person to pay for the food. All ages and athletic abilities are welcome.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Biking is great for the planet, not so great for you if you get hit by a car. Click here to learn how to ride safely and defensively.

Related post:
Eco-friendly road-trip: Just Follow Nathan

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

Photo via Flickr: Terin.

Since the first synthetic Christmas tree was introduced in France in 1840, the debate has carried on: real or fake? Even without factoring in the environmental repercussions of either, there are valid arguments to make on both sides: Fake trees don’t shed needles all over the place and are more cost-effective in the long-term; real trees arguably look more elegant and fill the house with that wonderful woodsy smell.

I’m Jewish, so I don’t have a lifetime of piney sense-memory (save my family’s Chanukah bush experiment when I was in third grade) placing me firmly in the real-tree camp, but I have to be honest: I kind of cringe every time I see one of those polyethylene monstrosities. But it also seems such a waste to cut down a living tree every year, even if it does come from a farm and isn’t actually destroying real forest.

That’s why I think renting a Christmas tree — as profiled in yesterday’s New York Times – is pure genius. Check it out:

To rent a tree, a customer visits Mr. Martin’s website, livingchristmas.com, picks out a tree from among several varieties, and then awaits delivery. Delivery days are determined by geography, to save time and gas. Prices range from $50, for a two-to-three-foot number, up to $185 for something bigger. While two weeks is the recommended length of stay for a live tree in a house, Mr. Martin lets his customers keep them for three.

The tree is then picked up to join its evergreen cousins; they will summer together on industrial properties where Mr. Martin rents space for pennies on the dollar to house his inventory. People who want the same tree next year ask for it to be tagged with their name, so it might return next December, taller.

With the chopped-down variety going for roughly the same price, why wouldn’t everyone do this? And if you have ample property, I’ll go even one better: Buy your own potted pine tree from a nursery, decorate it and keep it inside for Christmas, then plant it on your property once the holidays are over. Your Christmas tree “forest” will help remove CO2 from the atmosphere, keep trees (real and fake) out of landfills, and will bring beauty to your home year after year.

Thanks to loyal RWG reader AD for passing along the NYT article.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: It may be too late this year to go with a rented tree, but you can make sure that the real one you bought doesn’t wind up in the landfill once the holidays are over. Click here to find composting/recycling information for your area (type “Christmas tree” in the search window).

Related posts:
How to give gifts without giving ‘stuff’
Meatless Monday: Sweet potato latkes

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

I’ll admit, I’m human: Today I didn’t have time to make a homemade lunch before I had to rush out to do errands, so I swung by Baja Fresh for a veggie burrito. I like that Baja uses minimal packaging for its smaller orders — usually the burritos are just wrapped in foil and placed in a tiny paper bag with a few tortilla chips — so imagine my surprise when I saw this waiting for me at the pickup counter. Does anyone see the irony here?

I’m sorry, Baja Fresh, but using plastic bags made from 50 percent recycled materials does not an eco-friendly company make. It may be a step in the right direction, but those single-use plastic bags still end up clogging our landfills and polluting our waterways — and less than 5 percent of them are recycled every year.

Quite curious to see what sort of green initiatives are underway at the company — since the franchise uses even more plastic (plates, cups, and utensils) for its dine-in customers — I went to the company website, thinking that maybe there would be a full environmental report. Nothing there.

It would be great if Baja Fresh switched to 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper take-out bags, but at the very least, don’t plaster that you’re a green company all over a plastic bag! Ridiculous. This is greenwashing, plain and simple.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Minimize the amount of packaging you consume by avoiding takeout whenever possible; or, at the very least, refuse that extra plastic bag if you’re only going to be traveling a short distance.

Related posts:
Taco Bell’s new ‘green’ menu?
Los Angeles moves one step closer to plastic bag ban

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

Put down those sprout burgers and sit your butt back on that couch — evidently, being fat and not exercising is better for the environment than staying thin and healthy. That is, according to the supposed eco-expert authors of a board game trivia question posted yesterday on the ever-hilarious FAIL Blog.

see more Epic Fails

In all seriousness though, it raises an interesting question: Is the up-to-a-decade shorter life expectancy of a seriously overweight person enough to offset a lifetime of consuming more of the world’s resources? (I’m not just talking about consuming as in eating; people who are heavier also place greater fossil fuel demands on their mode of transportation, whether it be by car or airplane.)

UK scientists estimate that a fat person is responsible for about 1 metric ton (1.1 US ton) more CO2 emissions a year than a fit person, so let’s do the math:

Average US life expectancy: 78 years
Average US life expectancy of an overweight person: 73 years
Average yearly CO2 footprint of an American: 27 tons
Average yearly CO2 footprint of an overweight American: [27 tons + 1.1 tons] = 28.1 tons
Lifetime CO2 emissions of an American [27 tons x 78 years] = 2,106 tons
Lifetime CO2 emissions of an overweight American [28.1 tons x 73 years] = 2,051 tons

Now obviously, this is a very rough estimate — especially considering that since one-third of Americans are obese, that segment of the population is figured into those baseline life expectancy and yearly CO2 emission estimates — but it looks like the trivia card is right: An overweight American will emit slightly less carbon over his lifetime — to the tune of 55 tons.

My guess, however, is that there’s probably not a person on earth who would want to meet an early grave in the name of reducing CO2 emissions.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: We all need to reduce consumption whenever and wherever possible, regardless of our life expectancy. So get in shape! Your body and the earth will thank you for the time you’re here.

Related posts:
High-fructose corn syrup lobby hits the airwaves
Meat lobby fighting Meatless Monday

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

Two weeks before you have to squeeze yourself into an Herve Leger bandage dress for your brother’s New Year’s Eve wedding is probably not the best time to be stuffing yourself with potato latkes, but what the hell: It’s the third day of Chanukah and I’ve got a glut of sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. Besides, latkes just happen to be the perfect Meatless Monday meal.

This sweet potato version is in season right now, packed with vitamin A and other powerful antioxidants, and aside from being fried, is actually quite nutritious. Instead of frying, you can bake them on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 40 minutes (flip halfway through), but I say in the spirit of Chanukah, why not celebrate the miracle of oil? Just feel free to chase them with a glass of red wine if you’re having them for dinner tonight.

Since I’ve got gluten-sensitive family members, I substituted rice flour for wheat in the recipe below. You can’t tell the difference.

Sweet Potato Latkes
3 medium sweet potatoes, coarsely grated
1/2 onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
canola oil

Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Using a box grater or ultra coarse grater, shred potatoes into a large bowl. Add onion, egg, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly until well blended. In a large skillet, add enough oil to generously coat bottom and heat on high until glistening. Drop potato mixture by rounded spoonfuls into pan; press with back of spoon to flatten. When edges appear brown and crisp, flip and cook for a minute or two more. Remove from pan and place on paper towels or a brown paper grocery bag (clever reuse!) to drain. Serve immediately, or place on a cookie sheet in a warm oven until you’ve fried up the whole batch.

My favorite is to serve them topped with crème fraîche and chives (especially glamorous for a holiday party), but they’re also delicious with sour cream or apple sauce. Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. B’tayavon!

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Need more inspiration for Meatless Monday? Sign up to have weekly recipes delivered to your inbox via Eater’s Digest.

More Meatless Monday posts:
Meatless Monday: Crustless rainbow chard quiche
Meatless Monday: Dr. McDougall’s BPA-free, vegan soups

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

Image via Paperless Post; www.paperlesspost.com

Last week, I received a truly beautiful online invitation to a holiday party. In fact, so stylish was this evite — complete with a shimmery virtual envelope that “opened” when I clicked on it — that it made me rethink whether you could send a wedding invitation via email.

The company is called Paperless Post, and even though the site is still in beta, it’s already received a boatload of press, including write-ups in Vogue, The New York Times, W, and Lucky. And no wonder; as I discovered while hunting down a suitably elegant evite for my brother’s bachelor party (I’m the best “man,” and he requested a nice dinner in lieu of the traditional debauchery), it’s slim pickings out there when it comes to online invites with any real aesthetics.

So if you’re a procrastinator and haven’t yet sent out that invite for your holiday party — or are scoping invitations for your next dinner party or whatnot — save some trees and design a custom evite with Paperless Post. It’s free to join, and you only pay for the invitations you send. The prices are incredibly reasonable, too: You get 25 free “stamps” when you sign up (each stamp is good for one invite), and 100 stamps thereafter will set you back a whopping 8 bucks.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: While you’re at it, do you really need to mail holiday greeting cards this year, just so people can take one look at your signature and then toss the card in the trash? Send an online holiday card via Paperless Post instead, and help save 2.5 million trees a year.

Related posts:
Green wedding: Give up the gift wrap
How to give gifts without giving ‘stuff’

Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed

My friend is up for one of the coveted internships at Polyface Farm, that near-utopian model of sustainable agriculture of The Omnivore’s Dilemma fame. He just returned from his interview at the farm in Virginia’s verdant Shenandoah Valley (he finds out about the internship in January — fingers crossed!), and forwarded me a couple photos from the hoop houses that are home to the chickens and rabbits in the wintertime.

He writes:

Here is a picture of one of the hoop houses with chickens and rabbits stacked together. The rabbit droppings fall through the floor and the chickens love to scratch through them so they are composted into the soil. Also, since their urine goes through the cage and into the soil it is not strongly ammonia and burning the rabbits’ lungs. Did you know industrially raised rabbits are the most heavily medicated of all CAFO animals?

Here’s a zoomed-in look at this closed-loop hoop house in action:

I was surprised to hear that about rabbits, since I didn’t even know there was a market for rabbit meat large enough to justify industrial production. I thought it could possibly be for their fur, since mukluks will be hot as long as Kate Moss is sporting one of her many pairs, but my friend informed me that there was, indeed, a year-long wait list at Polyface for rabbit meat before the farm stopped bothering with the list altogether. 

Could sustainably raised bunnies, cute as that sounds, be an abundant source of organic meat for the world? Think about it — they’re relatively easy to care for, are pretty darn tasty (I’ve been told), and reproduce like, well, rabbits. 

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: In the spirit of Polyface Farm, find your local meat producers and patronize them. Click here to read how.

Related posts:
WATCH: Backyard chickens in Los Angeles
Portland’s Urban Farm Store: One-stop shopping for backyard chickens

 Like this post? Subscribe to The Red, White, and Green RSS feed