Week 4: Environmentalism, Egalitarianism, & Things We Are Called To Care About

I didn't blog Week 3 because I had no idea what to say. Or, rather, I had too much to say. I still do. This past week - the first week of the new administration - has been very worrying, from environmental deregulation to immigration/refugee bans to unprecedented conflicts of interest, and I am struggling with staying aware and alert about what is going on and not going crazy with concern for my neighbors, clients, and home (that's earth). There are 1000 things that many of us want to get involved with, but that is not only unrealistic, it's fatigue-inducing. My #1 concern, as is probably evident by the fact that this blog exists, is the environment. Without a healthy environment, nothing else exists - not civil rights, immigration benefits, healthcare, or a viable economy. So I will continue to fight - with my daily habits, free time, and MONEY - for environmental protection and a sustainable future.

If you're ever called yourself a nature lover, mountain/beach person, hippie, etc. - YESTERDAY IS WHEN THE EARTH NEEDED YOU. Today is good too. Stop defining yourself by your deeply held ideology, and start living out your ideology in real life. Our planet needs you. Earth doesn't have 4 years to wait.

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard "The weather is so lovely, but it scares me a little" over the last 2 months, I might have enough to become Education Secretary. IT SHOULD NOT BE THIS WARM IN JANUARY.  THIS IS ALARMING.  2016 was the hottest year on record. 2015 was the second hottest year on record. 2014 was the third hottest year on record. If you don't believe that climate change is real, or is a direct result of human activity, please look at this graphic by the EPA (which was, not coincidentally, muzzled by the Trump administration last week):

There is nothing "natural" about this. This is a result of irresponsible industrialization and unsustainable consumption. This is our fault, which means it is also our responsibility to fix. 

Someone told me last week that anger is not a helpful emotion to have. I disagree, wholeheartedly. I think anger is a very powerful motivator. I'm angry about what kind of world my children and grandchildren will inherit if we continue to ignore what we're doing to our planet. I'm angry that the environment is not a top concern to most voters, both Democrat and Republican. I'm angry that we have an administration that believes environmental protection is bad for the economy, but is preparing to build a $15-20 billion wall between us and our southern neighbors (which, by the way, will cause serious ecological damage by cutting off the flow of water and wildlife between the US and Mexico).

Our country was founded on anger - anger at a government that did not represent them, at an overlord the people did not appoint, anger by immigrants and children of immigrants that led them to fight and die for the freedoms that we take for granted every day. Freedom of assembly. Freedom of the press. Freedom of religion.

Anger is an extremely powerful emotion, BUT - it is what we do with it that matters. Anger does not necessitate hate. Anger should lead to constructive action. Don't just fume quietly (or loudly) at home. Don't post on Facebook and think that's enough. DO STUFF. Get involved with local environmental organizations. Join the Sierra Club. Go vegetarian. Carpool. Turn down the heat and put on a sweater. Call your representatives and tell them that climate change is NOT a hoax (I am devastated that this is a discussion we are having in 2017), that environmental protection is a priority, and that Scott Pruitt must be held accountable. Start a vegetable garden. Plant a tree (or 10). Teach your child that everything she has, and everything she needs, comes from the earth, which must be protected at all costs. Volunteer with the Department of Natural Resources. Go Zero Waste. Give your money to people who are fighting everyday to keep Earth green.

Here are some organizations that really need a boost right now, because they are on the front lines in the fight for climate science and environmental sustainability:
The National Resources Defense Council
Environmental Defense Fund
World Wildlife Fund

My usual thoughts on our ZW week, which seem small potatoes to me right now but I will post anyway:

1. We went to the farmer's market last week and got 7 sweet potatoes, 7 apples, and 7 tangelos for $5. Honestly, I don't know how anyone can afford NOT to shop at the farmer's market! It's kind of slow right now since it's winter, but I can't wait until the spring when we can buy most of our food there.

2. Since we are doing so well with our incremental trash goals this month, I treated myself last week to these bad boys. There is nothing I miss more than prepackaged vegan "meats." If you are trying out vegetarianism for the first time, these are a great way to ease into it.

3. I made tempeh this week from scratch and it was the coolest I've ever felt in my life. The most common way to seal it for fermentation is with ziplock bags, but I used banana leaves as wrapping which means zero waste. Tempeh is SO MUCH easier to make than tofu (which is cool since tempeh tastes better than tofu IMO). I will post my tempeh recipe later this week because I drew from several different recipes to get what we have here.




4. Common Question: What are my snacks? POPCORN. I buy popcorn kernels in bulk and make popcorn on the stove. If you're still eating microwave popcorn, please stop - it's terrible for your health. Without even going into the chemicals and additives in the actual popcorn - the bags contain a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which is the same toxic ingredient found in teflon. When heated, it's linked to infertility, cancer, and other diseases, which is why the EPA classifies it as a carcinogen. This is a real fact, not an #alternativefact.

5. We've unplugged the dryer. On average, dryers account for 12% of household energy consumption. They're just not necessary. Austin is making a drying rack for us to use in the future, but in the meantime, I have clothes, blankets, and linens hanging up all over the house. We made our four-poster bed into a fort as we dried our sheets. It was fun. Everything dried. No electricity required!

6.  Things I miss: Salt and vinegar chips, Mitt Romney.

7. This is our trash for the month of January. Wanna know a secret? It is not hard. We rarely feel deprived (see: Things I Miss), and when we do it is a stark reminder of just how privileged we are. Our "deprivations" (if you can call them that) cannot begin to compare to the very real deprivations experienced by the 3+ billion people around the world living in poverty. This is what I meant in my very first post about re-thinking our needs, and it is changing our perspective in ways we did not anticipate. It is extremely humbling. 

January trash.

I've talked a lot about trash as waste, but you know what else we waste so much of? Electricity. Gas. Water. Time. These bear addressing just as much as physical trash, and I will be addressing all of them throughout this year with mini-initiatives designed to make us more aware of how we use these resources, as well as the challenges faced by people without adequate access to them. But for now - How much time do you spend watching TV, or even just having the TV on? It's a significant source of energy waste. My family didn't watch much TV when I was a kid, but over the years I've had it on more and more, to the point that over the last year or so my husband and I would put on old sitcom episodes every night to "wind down" with. The result? We didn't talk as much. The time passed quickly, and dully. We didn't spend as much time sleeping, or cuddling, or reading, or playing games. For the past few weeks, we've kept the TV off unless there was something specific we wanted to watch (THIS IS US, you guys) - no more spending a half hour on Netflix trying to find something decent. We've been talking, reading, listening to music, snuggling with our animals, doing yoga. Life is nicer this way. Life has more life in it this way.

This is what family time looks like AND IT'S ADORABLE

Environmentalism is not an isolated ideology. By its nature (no pun intended), it goes hand in hand with egalitarianism. In a broader sense, this is why environmentalism and vegetarianism are linked. No one can own the earth or any part of it. No one can own another person; no one can own any living being. We are caretakers, only - Stewards of the earth and all its bounty, including all people - the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoners, the foreign-born, the homeless, the orphans, the widows, the depressed, the weary. We are meant to take care of each other. To reject this call is to reject our human purpose and pursue a course of disharmony and desolation.

Most who know me know of my love of the fantasy genre, and Lord of the Rings in particular. As I am turning off the TV in favor of books, I plan to revisit Tolkien's WWII-era classic this year. While the world we live in is not quite so dualistic as Middle Earth, I am reminded of a Tolkien musing that the greatest danger to the world is not Sauron, evil incarnate who wants to destroy the world for his own gain. The greatest danger is Saruman, the "wise" wizard who found it politically expedient to join Sauron, thinking he could ally himself with evil for his own ends and then later discard the Necromancer. Through his alliance with Sauron, Saruman led a campaign of deforestation, industrialization, and fascism in service of great evil. He was eventually brought down by nature itself - Ents - because, in Tolkien's own mind, nature joined with man has the greatest power for good (@AltNatParkSer, I SEE YOU). Environmentalism (and by extension, egalitarianism) is an important theme throughout Tolkien's work that is often overlooked, but it shouldn't be. It's one of the most important messages of this timeless saga that follows the path of small people joining together to defeat evil forces against great odds.

From Finding God in the Lord of the Rings (Bruner/Ware):

Living by faith includes the call to something greater than cowardly self-preservation.

Environmental protection, education, healthcare, immigration, refugees - everything we are debating on an international scale - this is not just about us. We should not be thinking about politics and policy in terms of "What's good for me?" This is cowardly self-preservation, and it's exactly the opposite of what every single public servant from Christ to Nelson Mandela to Gandhi to MLK to Pope Francis preached. We're better than that - or we should be. WE HAVE A HIGHER CALL.

That higher call challenges each of us every day and sometimes pisses us off because we are self-interested creatures. But a love greater than us compels us to be more, to search beyond the reflexive defensiveness of our lifestyles and personal politics.  We all have work to do. We all suffer from a lack of awareness that stems from our disconnect with the earth. We are broken. We've forgotten that we are all linked; we are all one. Environmentalist living heals this divide.

Zero Waste DIY Toothpaste

What's in your toothpaste? Do you know? I didn't think about what was in my toothpaste until recently because I figured if my dentist told me to use it, that means it's OK. Not necessarily. The American Dental Association is partially subsidized by private manufacturers like Colgate and Crest, and has put their seal of approval not just on toothpastes but on sugar-free gums like Trident which contain aspartame, phenylalanine, and artificial colors and flavors. That stuff is very bad for you.

Many of the chemicals present in store-bought toothpaste are banned in the EU, which has more stringent chemical guidelines than we do here in the USA. These products are typically tested on animals, and many of the chemical tests are inconclusive.  These chemicals simply haven't been around long enough for scientists to determine their long-term toxicity.  The types of chemicals that are present in your toothpaste include: 

Carrageenan, an additive that causes intestinal inflammation.

Diethanolamine, the foaming compound that has been linked in animal studies to liver cancer.

The contentious fluoride, which has been linked to bone cancer, skeletal fluorosis and impaired brain function.

Preservatives that release formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

Parabens, which disrupt endocrine function and can lead to cancer and reproductive issues.

Abrasives, flavorings, detergents, and whiteners that are linked to  numerous health problems.

For all those reasons, and to reduce our product consumption and waste output, I use the following recipe to make toothpaste that has none of these chemicals and still gets our teeth clean. The main ingredient is coconut oil which stops bacterial growth in the mouth and prevents tooth decay.

• ½ cup coconut oil
• 2-3 tablespoons baking soda
• 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil

Melt the coconut oil and mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate to harden. 

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature. When you're ready to use your toothpaste, just scrape out some of the mix onto your toothbrush (no need to wet the brush as the mix will melt in your mouth). 

When we tried this mix for the first time, we thought it was a little odd, but now it tastes totally normal to us and it gets our teeth feeling REALLY CLEAN. 

Our toothbrushes are compostable and recyclable from The Mother's Vault and the bristles are also BPA-free, unlike mainstream brands.

Give it a try! 

Week 2

We had an interesting week this week, and spent some time reflecting on what we are doing here and how we hope to make a change, even though it doesn't make sense to a lot of people.  The criticism we've received is interesting - most of it is based in cynicism rather than apathy. It reminds me of an episode of How I Met Your Mother when Barney says, "I know a lost cause when I see it. Same reason I don't recycle." When you are faced with a huge and seemingly insurmountable task like, say, correcting our use of the planet's resources, it's easy to think that there's nothing we can do about it - this not only absolves us of individual responsibility, it also requires exactly ZERO effort on our parts to work for something better. I don't believe that cynicism is a helpful attitude, whether it's applied toward the earth or the younger generation or politics. Believe that you can make a difference; that is the only way you will.

Here's how we incorporated our Zero Waste principles into this week:

1. I made muffins at the beginning of the week (without paper wraps) so each morning this week, I had a muffin and a piece of fruit for breakfast. No plastic wrapped breakfast bars required! A whole foods breakfast also keeps me fuller for longer.

2. We eat Asian food a good bit and have a few sets of chopsticks, so we brought our own to the sushi restaurant that we went to for Austin's birthday this week. We also brought our own to-go container for leftovers. We got called "weird" by our dinner companions (endearingly?), but saying no to Styrofoam is important. Styrofoam is the devil. Styrofoam is a petroleum-produced product that is toxic to the workers who make it, and it creates huge amounts of hazardous chemical waste. The chemicals leach into your food, it harms wildlife,  it does not decompose, etc. Say no to Styrofoam.

3. We bought second hand chairs off Craigslist for our dining room table (we were previously using borrowed folding chairs because we couldn't find chairs that we liked within our price range). The chairs are better quality than anything I looked at online, and are exactly the Danish style we were looking for. Before you buy new, look at lightly used options! There is some great stuff out there for a fraction of the cost.

4. We also bought a second hand rug from a FSWF group on Facebook for our living room. It was hardly used by the original owner, and we ended up spending $80 on something that would have cost around $400 if we bought it new. Great second hand finds this week :)

5. Many cultures have "dump" dishes that are intended to use all of the leftovers you have in your house before they go bad (stir fry, quiche, rice bowls, etc). Earlier this week I made curry with all the stuff in our fridge that was on its last leg. Remember to plan your meals around what you have! We spent less than $20 at the grocery store this week because we primarily used what was already in our house from the week before.

6. Things I miss: tempeh, salt and vinegar chips.

7. My first batch of kombucha was finally ready after 14 days of brewing! I added a cup of strongly steeped blueberry tea to the finished product and it now tastes like GT's ginger berry. I may never buy store-bought kombucha again. Thanks again to my sister for the SCOBY and brewing canister!

I haven't taken a picture of this week's trash, because all that was added were our old toothbrushes and another kombucha cap from a bottle I bought before my batch was ready. I'll report back at the end of the month to show what will hopefully be 1/12 of our trash for the year.

I am planning to write a post in the near future about plant-based eating as it relates to environmentalism. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or questions about plant-based eating that should be addressed! This is a very important topic that deserves much more time than it gets within the realm of environmental advocacy. Animal agriculture is a massive contributor to climate change - some studies say as much as all transportation systems combined. It has been said before that you cannot eat meat and be an environmentalist, but I don't think this is necessarily true.  I think all of us, across the board (carnivores, vegetarians, vegans) need to be more conscious about where our food comes from and how its production affects the environment. A vegan who eats strawberries in the winter may be doing more damage to the earth than a carnivore who eats locally raised poultry.  Think about where your food comes from, the resources used in its production, and the (often long) journey that it took to get from the farm to your plate. Eat locally, eat seasonally, and eat less (especially meat).

I hope everyone has a great week, with as little waste of time and resources as possible! :) If you are upset about what is about to go down on Friday, remember to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Be the kind of person you want our leaders to be - and hold them accountable - by becoming aware, active, and helpful in your community.

Week 1

We're one week in and since we started transitioning into this last month, it honestly feels like not that much has changed! We communicated our intent regarding waste to our families and friends before the holidays, so we received only extremely useful gifts for Christmas, which is wonderful! I am actually waiting on my first batch of kombucha to finish fermentation from the SCOBY my sister gave me for Christmas. It's a week into fermentation and it tastes delicious. More on the booch later.

So far, the place that we feel the most difference is in the kitchen. It's easy not to buy new clothes or household items; changing our eating habits is harder. It took us most of December to phase out all of the packaged foods in our kitchen and resupply with bulk ingredients. We have to start most things from scratch. I probably say "I can make that" about 3x a day. It takes extra time to cook from scratch, but you end up getting better food (with no preservatives and chemicals) as a result. It's a fun and productive way for me to spend my time, but I've always loved to cook. If you don't like to cook, come over and I will try to convert you because it's an extremely useful skill for a person to have! :)

General thoughts about Week 1, most of which seem to pertain to food:

1. This week I had to break my snacking at work habit. My work kitchen is full of delightful chocolates that I indulged in way too much over the holidays. Not anymore - personal trash at work counts toward our quota too.  I fully expect to lose some weight during this challenge, if only because I can no longer indulge in pre-packaged food (both at work and home). Everything I eat is coming directly from the earth or made from bulk scratch ingredients. I have started bringing oranges, apples, and nuts to work to munch on when I'm hungry. This was not intended to be a weight-loss challenge, but if that's what gets you going, use it!

2. We are also restricted from using paper products (paper towels, napkins) outside the house. On Day 2, I starting bringing a cloth towel to work to dry my hands after washing and to use as a napkin at lunch. We went to The Good Life for dinner on Friday (if you're in Columbia, try this yummy vegan restaurant!) and asked for unwrapped silverware so we didn't have to use paper napkins. Little switches are easy and if you ask nicely, most people are happy to help. On that note - make sure to ask your servers NOT to bring you a straw! Why you ask? Please check out this video that shows what one seemingly harmless piece of trash can do to a sea turtle.

3. Since we are not buying individually wrapped breakfast bars anymore, I am making them from bulk ingredients. It takes about 10 minutes in a food processor and is extremely cost effective. Since I'm making them myself, I can also add in extra nutritive ingredients that aren't in store-bought Larabars. Here's the breakfast bar recipe I used this week (you can either flatten them out and cut them into bars, or roll them into bites). Make sure to soak your dates first so they go a little easier on your food processor. I added in chia, flax, and dried cherries.  You can add in whatever tastes good to you!

4. Shout out to my partner in Zero Waste and everything else. I've been promising Austin more buck eyes since Christmas ended, but we haven't been able to find powdered sugar that isn't packaged in plastic. Yesterday he made his own powdered sugar from granulated sugar (I might be showing my ignorance, but I honestly had no idea this was a thing, kind of like when my college roommate told me that lamb is just baby sheep and I just about threw up my gyro.).  But seriously - we are learning new things since we have to be more resourceful.

5. We are going to have to buy a new bag of dog food soon and need to switch to a brand that is either sustainably packaged (no plastic) or available in bulk. I'll write a separate post soon about how we keep our animals waste-free, but in terms of dog food - we feed Luna about 70% dog food and 30% real vegetables like peas, potatoes, beans, and carrots. She always eats the veggies first; she loves them. Dogs are omnivores and in the wild eat both meat and plants. Supplementing your dog's diet with vegetables boosts their immunity and provides lots of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber to keep their insides healthy. Just like we shouldn't eat entirely dry, processed foods, neither should your pup!

6. Things I miss: Black bean pasta from Trader Joe's; Salt and vinegar chips.

7. Finally, here's our trash production for the week! The wrapping from a bottle of kombucha, two lettuce wrappers, the inside pull from a carton of almond milk, an apple sticker, and a little bit of plastic film from ???. Starting off strong, but next week we will be throwing out our toothbrushes as we switch to a sustainable brand made of compostable materials.

Thanks for following along!

11 Ways you can (easily!) reduce your waste production

You don't have do something as drastic as we are to make a difference! Small changes in everyday habits add up. Here are some simple ways to reduce personal waste:

1.Carry a reusable water bottle with you. Plastic water bottles are a classic representation of our single-use society. There is no reason for Americans to use 100 million water bottles per day (of which only 23% are recycled). It’s insanely expensive to keep up this wasteful habit. These bottles are also generally not BPA free and can leach toxins into your water. Buy a water bottle, refill it, and it will pay for itself within a couple of weeks. 

2. Stop using single-use coffee pods. Same principle as above. It’s terribly wasteful, expensive and K-cups are not even recyclable. If you have a Keurig and like the convenience of making a single cup of coffee, you can buy a refillable K-cup that you pour grounds into here. A French press is also a great option that is environmentally friendly and produces fresh tasting coffee. 

3. Look for products that come in sustainable packaging. While no packaging (bulk buying) is best, many people don’t have access to grocery stores that offer bulk options. When you’re looking at pasta, buy the pasta that comes in a paper box rather than a plastic bag. Buy the loose lettuce instead of the bagged (it’s so much cheaper, too). Buy eggs in the paper carton rather than Styrofoam. Look for the easy switches. You may not be able to avoid all packaging, but you can buy packaging that is compostable or recyclable.  

4. Bring your own bags to the grocery store. This one is so easy, and there really is no excuse to still be using plastic grocery bags. If you make an unanticipated trip to the store and don’t have your bags, say “no thanks” to the plastic bag and carry your groceries to your car in a basket/cart, then take it back. Or ask for a paper bag.

5. Take an empty container with you when you go out to eat for your leftovers. I felt silly the first time I did this, but it’s so simple. If you don't have your own container and the restaurant uses Styrofoam containers to package leftovers, consider declining. It’s not worth it.

6. Stop junk mail. The average American receives 30 pounds of junk mail per year, which is not just unnecessary, but annoying. Opt out at dmachoice.org

7.  Borrow rather than buy. Ask friends and family if they have a tool or product that you need to use, and welcome them to do the same with you. Everyone doesn’t need one of everything – we are humans on a journey together and we can share like we learned in preschool. This is called “community.”

8.  Compost what you can. Most of us think of food as biodegradeable, so it’s fine to toss it, right? Nope! When food waste goes to a landfill, it is quickly buried and does not receive oxygen, so as it undergoes anaerobic decomposition, it produces methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 72% more powerful than carbon dioxide.  Start a compost pile/bin in your yard, or find a community compost. Columbia people – you are welcome to share my compost bin, anytime!

9.  Reduce/eliminate food waste by eating the food you have. Plan your meals around eating what you have before it expires. The FAO estimates that 40% of food in America is wasted, which is a tragedy in itself as that amount of food could end world hunger here and now. It’s also a huge waste of your money. If you see something nearing expiration in your fridge, eat it now or freeze it until you’re ready.

10. Use what you have. You may not need the thing that you think you need. If you’re uncertain, think about it for a week before you take the plunge, and even then, check out secondhand options first (craigslist, goodwill, for sale/wanted/free sites).

11. Go outside and look at the trees, the birds, the creeks, the skies. Think about your favorite places on earth, the most beautiful landscapes and the sweetest smells of fall and spring. Remember that we are stewards – caretakers – of this beautiful planet and all the life it sustains. The earth was here before concrete, steel, and plastic. It was here before us. It has given us so much. What are we giving back?