I’ve worked hard to eliminate most plastics from my daily existence. Health concerns are a part of it; we really don’t know the cumulative effects of plastic packaging additives like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates. I also can’t reconcile using a material that is made from fossil fuels, or that takes thousands of years to break down in a landfill, or that pollutes Texas-sized swaths of the ocean — even if that material is recyclable. Thus, I’ve swapped plastic grocery bags for canvas totes, Tupperware for Pyrex, and the occasional bottle of water for my trusty Klean Kanteen. And at my next doctor’s appointment when I need blood drawn, I’m going to request glass collection tubes instead of the traditional plastic. (Kidding! There are some instances where plastic is still necessary.)

There is one plastic product, though, that I’ve recently started using, because I think the eco pluses far outweigh the eco negatives, and that’s Debbie Meyer Green Bags. I know they’ve been around for some time, but I never considered using them because: a) they’re made of plastic and b) I generally don’t trust anything sold via infomercial. But the last time I saw my stepmother-in-law, she showed me the still-crunchy two-week-old celery in her fridge courtesy of Green Bags, and I decided to give them a try.

What a difference they’ve made! How much money I’ve saved! I used to have to throw away half of my farmers market purchases. (The run-of-the-mill fridge that came with my apartment seems designed to turn carrots into rubber within hours, even in the “crisper” drawer.) Now, my produce lasts for weeks, and nothing ever gets wasted. I also find that I’m eating more fruits and veggies, since I can buy more and not worry about it all spoiling.

Yeah, Green Bags are plastic, but they are recyclable; you can also reuse each of them up to 10 times. And considering that 40 percent of all food in the United States is thrown out — making food waste one of the largest contributors to climate change (thanks to all that methane once it rots in the landfill) — I consider Green Bags a necessary trade-off.

Debbie Meyer, I don’t know who you are or why your name has to be on the box, but thank you.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Click here for more tips on how to stop wasting food.

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Photo via Flickr: Ivan Walsh

When it comes to eating clean for the planet, that glistening sashimi may seem more virtuous than a fast food burger, but here’s the ugly truth: As much environmental damage may have been waged to bring you that jalapeño hamachi as that Big Mac you guiltily stuffed in your mouth after hitting the drive-thru. But how can that be, you ask?

If you saw Food Inc., you’re probably familiar with the concept of factory farming (i.e., livestock pumped full of antibiotics and hormones and stuffed into crowded cages where they stew in their own excrement before being sent off to slaughter). Pretty disgusting, and pretty toxic for the environment: We’re talking mountains of pesticides used to grow feed corn for the animals; the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs; and areas of the ocean that are completely devoid of life, thanks to all that nitrogen-rich waste runoff that finds its way into our waterways.

Unfortunately, the same scenario is now happening with fish, except the factory farms are at sea instead of on land (FYI: hamachi refers to the farm-raised version of yellowtail): Floating sea cages are crammed with fish that are fed unnatural diets like corn and soy and administered antibiotics and other drugs. Their untreated waste is released directly into the ocean, spreading disease and parasites to surrounding marine life.

Unlike with factory farming for cattle, though, we can actually can do something about this, at present: There is currently a bill in Congress that would expand factory fish farming, for which you can take action to help stop. The bill is entitled the National Sustainable Offshore Aquaculture Act, but I’ve read the text of the bill, and I’m not convinced that sufficient measures have been taken to ensure true sustainability.

Click here to sign the Food & Water Watch petition.

While it’s likely that because of dwindling fish populations, the majority of fish we eat in the next decade will have to be farm-raised and not wild-caught, we can at least take steps to make sure that our first priority is protecting our precious coastlines, not appeasing our appetite for cheap sushi.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Want to know which farmed and wild seafood is actually good for our oceans? Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Super Green List.

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Photo via Flickr: Shavar Ross

Last night’s 82nd annual Academy Awards ceremony was an unmitigated snoozefest, but there was one image that made me and my fellow Oscar-watchers snap to attention: A strikingly svelte Forest Whitaker, who took the stage late in the evening to introduce Sandra Bullock for the Best Actress nomination. While Whitaker has yet to talk about his weight loss, I’m betting that a healthy meatless diet likely played a role. That’s right, folks — the Academy Award winning actor is a vegetarian.

Check out this video he recorded with his adorable daughter a few years back for the animal rights organization PETA:

[Watch video on YouTube]

Inspired by Whitaker? Going vegetarian can be a great way to lose weight, as well as lower your risk for diet-related illnesses like heart disease and diabetes, since research shows that vegetarians are significantly slimmer than meat-eaters. But foregoing meat alone won’t be enough to get you in movie star shape; healthy, balanced meals are still a must. One friend of mine packed on the pounds after switching to a “vegetarian” diet. Only later was it revealed that she was basing her meals around pizza, mac and cheese, and tater tots.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Want to know what other celebs owe their red-carpet figures to a vegetarian diet? Click here.

More Meatless Monday posts:
Spring clean your diet: This Blissful Chef eCookbook has arrived!
Your holiday weekend read: The Flexitarian Diet

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Photo: CowPots

It’s very rare to come across a perfect green product. In most cases, the inventions are an improvement on the original, but still have their own eco flaws: Compact fluorescent bulbs markedly reduce energy usage but contain mercury, a toxic chemical that pollutes the environment; canvas shopping totes cut down on paper and plastic usage but are often manufactured in China or India.

But once in a while, something comes around that is so sustainable, so ingenious, you have to wonder why no one thought of it before. I give you — CowPots.

You know those plastic pots that seedlings come in when you buy them at a nursery, that get thrown out (or sometimes recycled) right after you plant that seedling? Well, CowPots are made of composted cow manure, so you can just plant the whole thing — pot and all — right in the ground. Within four weeks, the pots biodegrade, nourishing the soil and the seedling at the same time.

Their brilliant design solves two environmental problems at once: What to do with all that waste on a farm that would otherwise pollute the water and land with excess nitrogen, and how to eliminate unnecessary fossil-fuel based plastic products that take thousands of years to break down in a landfill.

And no, CowPots don’t smell. The patent-pending manufacturing process eliminates all odors, as well as any harmful pathogens. They’re also super reasonable: A 12-pack of 3-inch pots will set you back about $6.99. Click here to buy.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: With spring right around the corner, now’s the perfect time to start off a summer of sustainable eating by planting a vegetable garden. Click here to find out what to plant in March.

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Photo via Flickr: Common Vision

Kind of hippy, but super cool: A veggie oil–powered caravan packed with tree-planting do-gooders is now touring the state of California, planting orchards at underserved public schools and performing a green theater extravaganza for the students. Started seven years ago by Common Vision, a nonprofit that brings environmental education programs to needy urban and rural communities, the Fruit Tree Tour now has some serious muscle behind it, thanks to an Emmy Award win in 2008 and a recent sponsorship by organic foods powerhouse Organic Valley.

WATCH:

[Watch video on YouTube]

The 70-day, 20-city tour will visit areas with some pretty staggering rates of childhood obesity: In Fresno County, for instance, where the group will be stopping, over 35 percent of children are overweight. The problem, for many, is simply gaining access to healthy eating options. These are regions packed with cheap fast food, where there aren’t weekly farmers markets and a local Whole Foods at which to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables. (Nor would it be economically feasible for most of the residents to shop at WF, even if there was one.)

Thanks to the work of the Fruit Tree Tour, though, schools will be left with orchards that can provide fresh fruit for their cafeterias and even their surrounding communities; to date, over 3,500 fruit trees have been planted, transforming more than 150 low-income schools into models of healthy eating and hope.

Click here to see some amazing photos from the tour.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Inspired by Common Vision’s message? Donate to this year’s Fruit Tree Tour.

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Photo via Flickr: Putneypics

This article was originally posted on Jan. 19. But with today being the last day to speak up about GM alfalfa to the USDA, I thought I’d republish.

While the United States has no labeling requirements for genetically modified (GM) foods, it should be moderately comforting that for now, there’s a lot the individual shopper can do to avoid them. I say for now, because all that could change very soon: The Department of Agriculture may be on the verge of approving Monsanto’s genetically engineered alfalfa.

Why is alfalfa such a concern? Well, one of the biggest fears about GM crops is the risk of contamination: Once a farmer plants a crop of GM alfalfa, who’s to prevent the wind from blowing pollen to a nearby organic alfalfa crop, or some hardworking honeybees from doing the same? For those who argue (read: Monsanto) that special precautions are taken by farmers to avoid this type of contamination, I would say that nature is not a controlled environment: Canada’s organic canola market was destroyed after being tainted by Monsanto’s GM canola crop.

The situation is getting complicated: In 2006, the Center for Food Safety sued the USDA for its approval of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready alfalfa, and won; the federal district court banned all GM alfalfa until the USDA conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) evaluating the potential risks of the crop to the environment and farmers. Now, the 60-day comment period for the EIS draft (which was finally released in December) is open until Feb. 16 has been extended until March 3. But in the meantime, Monsanto has pushed the appeal all the way to the US Supreme Court, which decided last Friday on Jan. 15 to hear the case.

You may not care for alfalfa, but organic dairy cows do — it’s their lunch of choice. If we allow the USDA to approve Monsanto’s GM alfalfa, and the forage for those cows becomes contaminated, then we’ll never again be able to trust a carton of organic milk. Or even worse, organic milk may cease to exist altogether.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Protect the future of organic food! Click here to tell the USDA to reject GM alfalfa.

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I’m a big fan of the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement that’s seen a resurgence since the US economy tanked, and especially, the home arts: sewing, knitting, gardening, cooking, etc. This type of know-how isn’t just financially beneficial, it’s good for the environment: Being able to mend your own pants at the first sight of a tear instead of running out to Target for a new pair, for example, helps reduce consumption. (Reduce — the first of the three R’s of the environment, remember?)

With the risk of sounding pessimistic, these DIY skills — the skills that our grandparents and great-grandparents and every generation before them had — may prove essential if and when the $%#$ hits the fan with regards to climate change. One day, we may not be able to rely on industry to produce an endless stream of food and goods; our individual survival may hinge on our ability to be self-sufficient.

And what could be more self-sufficient and DIY than knitting (and crocheting)? You take a couple balls of yarn, a pair of kneedles, and presto! You have a hat on your head, or a blanket to keep you warm, or a cute outfit for your best friend’s new baby.

You’d think that the innate sustainability of knitting would mean more eco-friendly yarns out there, but I actually have a hard time finding a good selection at local knitting shops, even in Los Angeles. (Admittedly, I also kind of hate the shopping experience at most of them, thanks to the holier-than-thou vibes I usually get from the knitting gurus who work there.)

That’s why I’m so excited that the Green Sheep Shop has finally opened its online store, with beautiful yarns in all manners of eco-friendly: organic, fair-trade, vegan, naturally dyed — even a glistening multicolor one made from recycled Indian saris (not up on their website yet, but available soon).

I got a chance to check out the Green Sheep Shop’s goods in person at the Go Green Expo in January, and all the yarns are absolutely sumptuous — something that’s a bit hard to feel through the website, but the vivid colors and clear photos make the online shopping experience a breeze nonetheless.

To celebrate the opening, the Green Sheep Shop is offering 10 percent off all orders through March 15 (use coupon code GSS10 at checkout). Sharpen those knitting needles!

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Want to learn how to knit? Check out the free tutorial videos on KnittingHelp.com.

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Since this was my first time making these, I think I was a little overzealous with the sauce and cheese. (Still delish, though!) The amount in the recipe listed below should be just right.

I’m a big fan of leftovers. It’s one of the best ways to extend your vegetarian eating beyond Meatless Monday, since you can make a big pot or casserole of something yummy one night, and then stretch it out over a couple of dinners or lunches during the week. If I’m having a particularly leisurely weekend (which I did this past one — yippee!), I find that late Sunday afternoon is the perfect time to do this. That way, I can start the workweek fresh, knowing that I already have a healthy, home-cooked dinner waiting for me.

Loyal RWG reader Andrea Duwel sent in this recipe for vegetarian enchiladas, and I thought it was the perfect dish to whip up last night, since I had shopped a little too overzealously for produce at the farmers market the week before and had a bunch of leftover veggies that I needed to get rid of. Below is the combo that Andrea suggested (coincidentally, I had all of these left in the fridge), but you can substitute any other vegetables you like — zucchini, onions, and corn also work nicely.

Farmers Market Enchiladas

Serves 4-6

12 corn tortillas
1 can black beans (You can also use refried — they spread nicely inside the tortilla)
8 oz. Mexican blend shredded cheese
2 cups enchilada sauce (If you’re in a hurry, use a canned version; it’s nice to make it from scratch if you have time, though, since nearly every store-bought version out there uses cottonseed or soybean oil, both of which are likely to be genetically modified)
2 cups washed spinach
2 carrots, shredded
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 chopped bell pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan, saute veggies on medium-high heat for two minutes, adding the spinach in the last 30 seconds and cooking until leaves are just wilted.

To fill the tortillas: Spread a small spoonful of sauce inside each tortilla; add veggies, black beans, and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll tortilla gently and place seam side down in a casserole dish. Continue with remaining tortillas. Cover tortillas with enchilada sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is crispy. Garnish with your favorite toppings (guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, green onions) and serve with Mexican rice.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: A whopping 40 percent of all food produced in the United States is thrown out. Help fight food waste by discovering creative recipes (including plenty of vegetarian ones) for your leftover ingredients at Lovefoodhatewaste.com.

More Meatless Monday posts:
Spring clean your diet: The Blissful Chef eCookbook has arrived!
Feel like a kid again! Fun Meatless Monday meals

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The Mertz Glacier, from which a giant iceberg broke free after collision with the B9B iceberg on Feb. 12 or 13. Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Jacques Verron

Hold your hats, climate change activists: A colossal iceberg about the size of Luxembourg (read: Rhode Island) broke off an Antarctic glacier earlier this month after being clobbered by another giant iceberg. It’s a monumental event — the new iceberg is one of the largest recorded in several years — but as of now, the calving isn’t being blamed on global warming.

From Reuters:

“The calving itself hasn’t been directly linked to climate change but it is related to the natural processes occurring on the ice sheet,” said Rob Massom, a senior scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Center in Hobart, Tasmania.

But despite the collision’s apparently natural cause, the two icebergs now floating side-by-side could have serious impact on the world’s oceans, since the area they’re located is of crucial importance to global ocean circulation.

From AP:

This area of water had been kept clear because of the glacier, said Steve Rintoul, a leading climate expert. With part of the glacier gone, the area could fill with sea ice, which would disrupt the sinking ability of the dense and cold water.

This sinking water is what spills into ocean basins and feeds the global ocean currents with oxygen, Rintoul explained.

As there are only a few areas in the world where this occurs, a slowing of the process would mean less oxygen supplied into the deep currents that feed the oceans.

“There may be regions of the world’s oceans that lose oxygen, and then of course most of the life there will die,” said Mario Hoppema, chemical oceanographer at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany.

Undoubtedly, climate researchers will be studying these icebergs closely to help us understand what may happen if and when more icebergs break off as global temperatures rise over the next several decades.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Fascinated by icebergs? Still deciding what you want to do with your life? Here’s how you can become a climate scientist (hint: hope you like physics!).

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So when the folks at Activeion Cleaning Solutions were kind enough to send me a brand-new Ionator HOM to try, I really wanted this to be the miraculous breakthrough in chemical-free cleaning that the company avowed it to be. After all, who wouldn’t want a device that ionizes tap water to become a mean, green, degreasing machine, allowing you to sparklingly clean every surface of your home, not to mention kill 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria and the H1N1 virus? So I used it to clean my apartment not once, but twice — waiting a whole week in between cleanings (and for my place to get dirty again) so that I could give the thorough review this kind of cutting-edge technology deserved.

So after all this, how did the Ionator do? Well, let’s just say it had a less than stellar performance. Here’s the lowdown:

Along with the Ionator, I used two other “cleaning” solutions to act as comparisons: my favorite store-bought green cleaner, and a spray bottle that I filled with regular tap water. While the Ionator did an adequate job cleaning surfaces like my kitchen table (lacquer), my bedroom nightstands (wood), and the bathroom sink (tile), here’s the rub: In every instance, the results were identical to that of the spray bottle filled with plain tap water.

What’s more, neither the Ionator nor the control bottle were as effective as the green cleaner at these simple tasks, and mysteriously left behind a trail of lint from my cloth rags with every wipe (something the green cleaner doesn’t do). And when it came to tougher tasks, the Ionator didn’t stand a chance: Mirrors were left a foggy, streaky mess; soap scum didn’t budge from the tile in the shower; and my glass nightstand lamps still felt dirty to the touch once the water had dried.

Of course, third-party lab testing shows that the Ionator, in fact, is a highly effective sanitizer, but you would never know it from the sight of your home after you’ve cleaned with it. I’m sorry to say, but if you want a cheap, chemical-free, highly effective cleaning solution — not to mention one that doesn’t require electricity and isn’t made of questionably recyclable materials — pass on the Ionator and its $169 price tag, and invest in a box of baking soda, a bottle of white vinegar, and some lemons.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Baking soda and vinegar to DIY for your taste? Look for cleaners that are free of ammonia, chlorine, triclosan, petroleum, phosphates, and artificial fragrances.

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