Local Potlucks are Eco Friendly!

The act of simply sharing your meal has been a favorite form of conserving energy, reducing waste and thereby lessening the environmental impact for as long as man has walked the Earth. Dating back to the time of hunting and gathering, communities found the long day's work culminating around a shared meal where the fruits of their labor were enjoyed by all, nothing was wasted, and the energy put in was returned with the energy from the meal. It was a beautiful cycle, and in today's world of over-consumption, over-production, and fast-food culture, it is a cycle that is not used enough.

We obviously no longer live in the time of hunting and gathering, unless you fall into that group of people who spend their weekends hunting mushrooms and gathering wild fruits like Michael Pollan describes in his book Omnivore's Dilemma, but otherwise we now mainly live in a world where the energy put into our food exceeds the energy it provides, the disconnect between where our food comes from and how it is produced is so large that it is not even thought of when we sit down to eat, and we often eat alone and on the run, thereby not really appreciating our food. Not to mention the waste that is produced and the environmental impacts of the corporate food industry and the individual consumption lifestyle we have become accustomed to.

Well the wonderful world of local, hippie potlucks changes all of that. If most ingredients are local, then you know exactly where your food came from. If dishes were made by a friend or neighbor, then you know where the meal was produced. If meals are shared among your community of friends and neighbors, then the energy put in is conserved and the energy put out is spread among the group.

Local potlucks not only conserve on energy, kind of luck carpooling does, but it brings people together around a locally grown, healthy meal, and nothing beats a meal with friends! Start a weekly potluck today and enjoy meals from a variety of cultures, grown in neighbors' gardens or local farms, and trade cooking tips and recipes too. You could even give a purpose to your potluck, like discussing environmentalism or trading composting tips.

Best of all enjoy the company of your community and break bread together for the celebration of local food and the energy it provides us.

Corporate Food Culture

Corporations Control Our Food..

• In the U.S. four companies pack 83.5% of beef, 66% of pork, and crush 80% of soybeans
• Two companies sell 58% of all seed corn
• Corporations produce 98% of poultry in the U.S.

Which Promotes Industrial Agriculture..

• In 2006, farms larger than 2,000 acres made up 4% of all farms receiving government aid, but they got 27% of the money
• In 1935, the average farm was 135 acres. In 2002, average was 441 acres, median was 2,190
• 2% of farms produce 50% of all agricultural products in the country

Corporations Also Control Our Farming Methods..

• U.S. farmers use 2 billion kg of pesticides per year. World-wide use is 10 billion kg
• Genetically engineered herbicide-resistant crops have led to a 122-million pound increase in pesticide use
• In 2000, 25% of corn and 54% of soybeans grown in the U.S. were genetically modified. In 2008, the numbers were 80% and 92%

And Control What Foods We Eat..

• Iceburg lettuce, frozen and fried potatoes, potato chips, and canned tomatoes make up almost half of U.S. vegetable consumption
• In 1967, U.S. per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup was .03 pounds per year. In 2006, it was 58.2. Total consumption of all sweeteners went up 23% in the same period.
• 75% of the world's food is generated from just 12 varieties of plants and five animal species.

Making Us Sick and Creating Food Insecurity..

• In 2007, before the current recession, 36.2 million people in the U.S. lived in food-insecure households, including 12.4 million children
• Global food prices increased almost 50% in 2008
• Americans generate roughly 30 million tons of food waste each year
• 66% of adult Americans are overweight or obese

And environmental Disasters.

• The "dead zone" at the mouth of the Mississippi River is now 8,000 square miles - about the size of New Jersey
• 38% of agricultural lands worldwide are designated "degraded".
• Livestock production creates 18% of greenhouse gases globally.
  

Facts compiled from Yes!Magazine

FOOD INC

It is a shame, yet not surprising, that this film is only playing in the "underground" theatres here, and in most places around the U.S. This means that only the open-minded, non-mainstream, (most likely)non-fast food eating people will see this movie; those that may already know a bit about the information discussed in the film. In fact, when I went to see the movie, I saw a bunch of my environmentalist friends in the row behind me, and there were only about 20 people in the theatre to begin with.

Such is the case with many great films that all people should see. It's those movies and documentaries that no mainstream theater will ever show that need to be seen most by those same mainstream consumers in order to wake them up and make sure they are at least aware of their choices while giving them the freedom to choose. Eating certain foods is a choice, and we all have the right to know where our food comes from. If we all knew what happened behind closed doors, we'd be demanding a change. For those that don't want to know, or those that choose to eat McDonald's every day- that's fine- it is everyone's right to choose. However, some of us, like one of the families featured in the movie, are making that choice because it is the cheapest caloric investment we can make to feed our families; it is the only option that's affordable and easily available, that we know will fill us up.

And that is a crying shame.

And of course the mainstream theatres aren't playing this movie. Their consumers would never visit the concession counters again after watching it and finding out that 90% of what's behind the counter is made from corn; corn that's being forced down our throats and the throats of animals that were born to eat grass, or algae (yes we are even feeding corn to fish these days) because of the surplus of this crop that we are subsidizing like crazy, a crop that is pretty much owned by Monsanto, an over-farmed crop that is hurting our farmers, our land, and our climate.

Please go see this movie. Even if you have to hunt it down in the alternative theatres- ask your mainstream theatre why they aren't playing it. Pay attention to what you put in your body, where it comes from, and how its production is affecting our environment, our health, and our animals' health.

CoMpOsT

Compost. It is not gross. It is not messy. It can be done no matter what your living situation is. It is nature at work!

I had a run-in with one of my housemates tonight. She confronted me about the food scraps container I started since moving into my new place. It is a simple sealed green Tupperware container where I deposit vegetable and fruit scraps (peels, broccoli stems, etc); it is kept out of the way and pretty much out of sight. However, she insisted that it was gross and must be kept outside. Although there are no foul smells emitting from it, no fruit flies circling it (as there are hovering over our trash bin), and it is just naturally decomposing produce, she still insisted it was the grossest thing she's ever seen.

This is when I promptly realized the reason we need more environmental education in our school system. If kids grow up learning that the decomposition of food is natural and in fact part of nature's cycle to feed the earth, they wouldn't grow up thinking composting is gross! They would instead come home from school to ask their parents to start composting in order to feed their garden of home grown herbs and vegetables, or in order to avoid throwing banana peels away so that they can sit useless in a land fill somewhere; defying their purpose in life. I want to see a future of people who have grown up with sustainable and healthy environmental practices that have been a part of their life since childhood, so that when they move into a group house with someone who wants to garden and compost they can at least not think it's the weirdest thing they've ever seen!
OK, now that I'm done venting about that, I will give you some information on how to compost, how composting works and why it is a great thing to do! Even if you don't have a garden to use the compost in, or you don't have a composting bin, you can still save your food scraps and donate them to a neighbor that is composting. There are all kinds of social networks, like Craigslist, CouchSurfing, and Meetup.com, that make it easy to find people in your area that may be gardening or part of a community/urban garden where a composting system is established and your food scraps would be much appreciated. Otherwise if you do have a garden and would like to feed your soil in the most organic and healthy way possible, or you want to reduce the impact of waste on the environment- compost!

To start visit the EPA's Create Your Own Compost site for some of the great tips below:

Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin.

Add your brown and green materials as you collect them, making sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded.

Moisten dry materials as they are added.

Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches of compost material.

Optional: Cover top of compost with a tarp to keep it moist.

When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use (this is usually occurs in two months to two years).

The environmental benefits are worth the effort!

The environmental benefits of composting include less water usage on your garden because compost increases the soil's water retention, no need for chemical fertilizers that are toxic to the environment because compost naturally fertilizes, and most significantly it reduces methane, a greenhouse gas that is created by yard clippings sitting in landfills (which is where it all ends up if not composted!)

Take this Quiz now to see which scraps you can throw in your compost pile and which you shouldn't. Then check out all of these links to help you get your compost pile started!

• Creating Your Own Composting Pile
• How to Compost
• Domestic Composter
• Composting Tips

D.C. Council to Charge for Plastic Bags!

It's as if my internal wishes are coming true! If you've read my previous blog about the bane of my existence- plastic bags- you'd know why I am so ecstatic to read the news of yet another place in the States that is cracking down on plastic bag use. Plastic bags are the source of river pollution, street litter, and are used and wasted by the millions Everyday! Not to mention petroleum is used to create them, and we all know how we feel about our over-use and addiction to petroleum.

So to have cities, like San Francisco, that have banned plastic bags all together and other cities, including D.C. according to this article, that have or plan to charge retailers for every plastic bag used, is a great relief and a sure sign of progress!

Check it out : DC Council to Charge for Plastic Bags

Re Use! - Alternatives to Buying New

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. This should not just be a mantra, we've gotta walk the walk. Maybe you are reducing your energy and vehicle use by turning off the lights, switching to fluorescent light bulbs, biking and walking or taking public transit, and maybe you are recycling all of your plastic, glass and paper, buying recycled products (like PrioriTcheck tote bags made from 100% recycled plastic bottles), but what about reusing? This may not be such an obvious option.

I like to resuse any plastic bags I end up with, like the small plastic produce bags which I use to take my lunch to work in, or reusing plastic containers like hummus or yogurt containers to pack my lunch in. I also get most of my clothing, furniture or other household knick knacks as hand me downs from family, friends or strangers - via yardsales & thrift stores.

Yardsale and thrift store shopping is often over looked or viewed through the wrong lens. Items found at these hidden gems for shopping unfortunately get labeled too frequently as "junk", but this couldn't be farther from the truth. Most yardsale and thrift store items are just a collection of ordinary - a lot of the time still new - things that ordinary folks just don't want or need anymore, and sell for extremely cheap prices! I have found a two person tent in mint condition for only $10, two great Indian-themed canvas lamps for $6, wine glasses for $1, books for $.25, and pants and t-shirts that I'd find in the stores now at a price of $20 for only $2! You just have to know which yardsales to bypass and which you can score at, and this is easy to do. You don't have to dedicate your Saturday to planning a strategy for the best bargain hunt. You just have to think about the fact that thrift stores in wealthy areas will have great, modern day items for super cheap, while yardsales in a retirement community may not produce that perfect pair of stilettos you've been looking for. (although they may produce some funky antique earrings)

Yardsale and thrift store shopping is the perfect way to reuse, therefore avoiding the purchase of new products that, not only cost more, but contribute to the harmful production of new items with new plastic packaging and more waste.

It's better for the environment and cheaper for you. Also a great way to get to know your community! Check out this handy link to search for thrift stores and yardsales in your area, and don't forget about the ever-useful craigslist to find garage sales near you.

Teaching our kids about Sustainability-by Greening Schools!

OK so I'm going to try not to do too much cross-posting with news from my day job and here at PrioriTcheck( my night job!). Especially because my day job happens to be a project of a large progressive political think tank and much of the work is policy focused, where as PrioriTcheck is all about raising awareness and giving tips on how to live lighter on our planet.

That said, this piece put out by CAP is great potential news for greening schools and the benefits it will provide, not only for the health of our environment, our students, and our teachers, but for the overall education and awareness of sustainability for children. It is something I feel very passionate about and hope to personally pursue one day because I think starting with children is vital in ultimately changing the way we live on our planet. Check out Schools Remodel for Sustainability:

..fostering a generation of truly eco-conscious individuals. Students who grow up immersed in an environment built around sustainable living will accept these practices as habits and carry sustainable values with them in their lives beyond the classroom. Students will also learn valuable first hand lessons about environmental responsibility, preparing them to enter the new “green economy.” Starting young is crucial to crafting the wider cultural mindset necessary to preserve our planet for generations to come.