Written on
September 21, 2009 by
DianaP
Victory Garden Bounty Circa 1941-1945 on Flickr
The fall garden used to be something that only experienced backyard growers took on. Those that had a few good summers filled with ripe tomatoes and wax-free bell peppers still warm from the sun. In a throwback to the era of Victory Gardens and self-sustainability spurred by eco-consciousness however, fall gardens are rising in popularity almost as much as their summer counterparts. In fact, the word on the street is that this year even the White House will have a fall garden. And if the White House can do it, so can you. Even if you do lack gobs of more-than-qualified staff to do your dirty work.
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In the never-ending quest to find the best food possible–healthy for both people and planet–it seems like there’s a pitfall around every corner. Farmers’ market or supermarket? Buy organic, or not? Is buying local always better? What if the farmers bringing food to the market use unsustainable practices, or dump loads of herbicides and pesticides on their crops? What if they have driven a hundred miles to bring those fat bell peppers to the stall?
Of course, you can always do research, or ask the vendors questions. Some markets have standards in place governing vendors’ growing practices or limiting the distance they can drive to bring their wares to the table.
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Written on
April 28, 2009 by
SusanC
Are you still cold, too? Someone told me that it is spring, but I get all confused when I read stories of snow in April like the mid-west recently experienced.
That used to not matter to me much, but now that I have traded my west coast roots for a more four season environment, everything I do has more purpose. I wear a coat not as a fashion statement, but because it’s cold. I wear shoes, not because they match my outfit, but rather because it’s cold. I eat soup, not because I absolutely love soup and could eat it 365, but because it’s cold.
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Written on
April 27, 2009 by
SusanC
So, you participated in Earth Hour and you went to an Earth Day celebration. Perhaps you’ve tried taking the bus or bringing your own bags to the grocery store, or maybe you’ve started recycling. And that is GREAT!
What a wonderful start, or addition to your already eco-friendly lifestyle! Whether you’re an eco-newbie or an eco-veteran, it’s all about taking it one step at a time.
But what step should you take next?
Once people start to “get it” I have exactly one suggestion for their next eco-move: “Put your money where your mouth is.”
Make sure your purchasing power is used, as much as possible, to support a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.
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Written on
March 26, 2009 by
SusanC
It’s probably pretty safe to say that there are more people on this planet eating chocolate, than fighting climate change. Sad but true. A more encouraging statement would be that there are definitely a lot of people out there that want to do more of both.
Although there are many brands of organic and fair trade chocolate on the market (just browse the candy aisle at 
any natural grocer) and many of them are using their yummy products to promote good things, from the protection of endangered species to saving the rain forest, very few do more to impact their cause then spread awareness…until now.
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Written on
March 25, 2009 by
SusanC
(This is article #3 in MacKenzie’s series What’s Up with Cloth Diapering? Read article 1 and article 2.)
So, after the last couple of posts on cloth diapering, you are probably wondering how you clean the sure to be nasty cloth, right? Do you have to dunk them in the toilet? Are they REALLY sanitary? Are they all stained? Do they stink? What do you do with them when you aren’t at home?
Well, I will tell you!
First of all, washing cloth diapers isn’t nearly as laborious or burdensome as everyone seems to think it is. Honestly, I spend as much time washing diapers as I did emptying the darn Diaper Genie!
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Written on
February 26, 2009 by
SusanC
Until I met my husband I didn’t like coffee. I was a tea person and maybe the occasional whipped cream topped, syrup flavored something, but even that was rare. Now, I’ll go through three or four cups in the morning and I almost always have another pot brewing by afternoon.
Have you really looked at all the “green” factors that can go into a truly green cup of coffee? I’m not going to throw facts and figures at you and try to scare you. That’s just not my style; I like to blog about what I learn and how I understand it.
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Written on
February 25, 2009 by
SusanC
Surprisingly, many of us don’t.
The tuna you had on the salad last night may have been from waters off the coast of India. Your farmed raised tilapia may have been raised on a farm in Indonesia. At the end of the day, what safe fish options do we actually have?
I know there are many of you that do not eat any kind flesh, including fish, but many of us enjoy the bounty of the seas.
So what is a greeny to do?
There are quite a few things we can easily do, the most obvious of which is reading labels.
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Written on
February 13, 2009 by
SusanC
Let’s face it, in this economy nearly everyone is having to cut corners and eliminate things from the budget. Sadly, it has come to my attention that one of the big things people are cutting back on are eco-friendly and organic products, in favor of cheaper, run of the mill alternatives.
Well, in this little post I would like to show you just some of the small ways that being green can save you those hard earned pennies to put toward the things that matter most!
Ditch the paper towels and paper plates (if you haven’t already)! By simply using dishcloths for your everyday messes and your actual dishes for dinner, you can not only contribute to a healthier environment with less garbage, but save a hefty little sum over a years’ time.
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If I were to ask you how eco-friendly the food you buy at the grocery store is, you would probably dutifully point out the “organic” label on the fruits and vegetables and perhaps even some cereals and crackers.
