Monthly Archive: November 2011

Fresh Pesto

Latest Green News: November 30

  • November 30th, 2011

Here’s your weekly round-up of the latest green news, in all its depressing glory. Actually, I only wanted to spit nails a couple of times this week, so chalk this one up to a win for the environment. Latest Green News That Made Me Want To Spit Big food and big media joined together this week to try to stomp on a proposed list of guidelines around marketing junk food to kids. It’s going to wreck the economy, they screamed, backing up their claims with a self-funded a study (aka some mostly made up numbers). Apparently, the totally voluntary guidelines would kill 75,000 jobs. To me, killing jobs…

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Vegan Cupcakes

Should I Become A Vegan? 5 Secrets Only Vegans Know

  • November 28th, 2011

When I was a vegetarian, I spent a lot of time wondering “should I become a vegan?” I read up on the subject and talked to my vegan friends until I thought I knew all there was to know. Finally, I decided to go for it. Turns out, you don’t know what you don’t know. Lots of unexpected surprises come your way when you make any change in your life. Becoming a vegan is no exception. So if you’re trying to decide whether giving up animal products will work for you, here are 5 Secrets Only Vegans Know. Vegan Secret 1: Becoming A Vegan Is Totally Easy I…

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A frying pan full of tasty food

Vegan Weekend: Stuff In A Pan

  • November 26th, 2011

Leftover turkey is the highlight of the holidays for a lot of people. Just this morning my (now vegan) husband was getting all nostalgic over turkey sandwiches of his youth. All I remember from Thanksgivings of yore is everyone at home getting So. Sick. Of turkey. I guess other people feel that way, too, since according to the USDA, 35% of perfectly edible turkey meat is wasted at this time of year. And what about all the other leftovers? Do they just sit idly by in your fridge until you notice a funky smell or something growing? This happens in our house, too. This year, we’re trying our…

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Shopping Mall

Shop Green By Not Shopping At All

  • November 24th, 2011

Ahhh, The Friday After Thanksgiving, the day that everyone in the US is thinking about one thing: shopping. The day that more than 200 million of us will spend about $50 billion on sales that are “too good to pass up” or stuff we “can’t live without”. And this is a good thing, right? The President is always urging us to shop more and he is ably backed up by the thousands of ads we see daily. Our friends are major motivators too, always looking at us like we’ve gone mental just because we don’t have the new iPhone or we’re wearing last season’s shoes. Shopping makes the…

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The Grand Canyon

Green News for November 23

  • November 23rd, 2011

These are the green news stories that caught my eye this week. Wanted to Punch Someone Did you hear the one about the mega-corporation stepping in at the last minute to quash a ban on plastic water bottles in America’s most treasured natural environment? The NYT reports that Coca-Cola prevented a plastic bottle ban from going through at Grand Canyon National Park because “You’re not allowing people to decide what they want to eat and drink”. Wow, does this mean Coke will be giving up their exclusive beverage contracts at universities, arenas, and airports around the world? Speaking of corporations controlling government organizations, the FDA says the seafood…

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No Climbing

How To Take Action

  • November 21st, 2011

Trying to figure out how to be a little greener or live a little better can be mind-boggling at times. For every action you decide to take, there is an argument to be made for NOT taking that action. Want to switch from paper coffee cups to a travel mug? Is it really better, considering how much energy it takes to manufacture a travel mug? Thinking of giving up meat? Are soy products and meat substitutes actually worse for the environment? Switch to an electric car and you’re adding to coal emissions, making solar panels uses non-renewable energy, cutting down on waste seems pointless when industry wastes so…

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Vietnamese Noodle Bowl

Vegan Weekend: Vietnamese Noodle Bowl

  • November 18th, 2011

I went to Vietnam a couple of years ago with my mom and my sister. Their lives don’t completely revolve around food the way mine does (something I will never understand). There was no hunting for great hole-in-the-wall joints or going miles out of our way to find the only vegetarian restaurant in town. I ended up accidentally eating lots of meat. The one dish I found to be relatively animal-free was bun, which is just a big bowl of Vietnamese noodles topped with lots of fresh veggies and a tasty sauce called nuoc cham. Nuoc cham has fish sauce in it, so ever since I got home,…

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tiny house

Green News Links for November 16

  • November 16th, 2011

My picks of the best and worst green news of the week in one handy post. Accompanied by lots of slant and a large helping of rant. Made Me Want to Punch Someone Good reports that Burger King launched a barfy campaign to kids, pretending to “give back” to the environment. Their whopper of a donation? One cent per kid’s meal. That is so generous! Of course, the kid has to go to BK’s marketing-to-kids website before they will make the HUGE donation. Want to really help the environment? Don’t buy that meal in the first place. From Switzerland comes just one more reason we should leave dolphins…

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Reusable Drink Containers

11 Quick Actions (You Can Do Today) To Save The World

  • November 15th, 2011

Psst. Whatcha doing right now? Wasting some time surfin’ the net, huh? Wanna spend a few minutes like a superhero, saving the world? You do? Awesome! Start by scanning the 11 simple actions below. Give yourself a pat on the back for all the ones you’ve already done. Now, think about the ones you haven’t done? Why not? Pick one, throw those excuses out the window, and get going. As a superhero bonus, the actions marked with $$ will save you money, too! Green Action 1: Invest in a Travel Mug $$ My leak-proof travel mug goes with me everywhere. To work, to the beach, and even on…

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A Lazy Guy Sleeping

The Lazy Guy’s Guide to Going Green

  • November 11th, 2011

I know we green freaks have a reputation as non-stop powerhouses of energetic do-goodness. If we see a piece of trash we’ll sprint across a five-lane highway to pick it up and scold the litterbug while we’re at it. If we hear a tap dripping, we’ll immediately get out our toolboxes and set about making repairs. I know what you’re thinking. Where the hell do they get the energy? I’d save the world too if only I wasn’t so sleepy! Great news. Even though you’re too lazy to lift your TV remote, you too can save the world. With your laziness! What could be more awesome? Lazy Way…

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