My Food Revolution: Terminology is Tricky

One of the reasons participating in a Food Revolution is so difficult is because of the language surrounding food. It seems every way you turn the food industry is trying to trick the consumer into believing they are making healthy choices when they may not be. Maybe you're not into reading labels like I am, I know a lot of people avoid labels for their own reasons and I respect their decision to do that. Then there are the more neurotic types like me who want to know every ingredient that is in their food before they buy it. I'm sure the average person out there is a happy medium of the two, checking some of the food typically called 'junk food' and reaching for the 'healthy food' without even a second glance. But they come up to the egg aisle and they see all these different labels on the carton and thinking they're picking the right thing grab a cage free, all natural egg. It costs more, it makes them feel good, and yet it does nothing to ensure the chicken lives in a way that is beneficial to you or it. This article was sent to me by a friend and it deciphers the jargon written on your egg cartons.

So don't just buy the brown eggs because you think they're better; make sure they're pasture raised if possible and organic. If you can't find pasture raised eggs (as I'm having a difficult time doing) make sure you're getting free range not cage free. Most chickens live in a hut but that doesn't mean the hut is sanitary or safe but it's still sans cage. Make sure you know what things mean, otherwise you might as well just get the regular eggs rather than paying 50% more for something that isn't that much better for you.

Can Vespas Save the World?

I saw this article on Mashable about scooters and the reduction of gas consumption and emissions. Now reading this article it plainly reveals its bias as the company organizing the data and promoting it is Vespa. They have a vested interest, to say the least, in scooter/motorcycle sales and the accompanying policies that go with encouraging cities to become more scooter/motorcycle friendly. That being said, it doesn't detract from the fact that those numbers are staggering.

We all know that America is not necessarily built for mass transportation, it was built for a horse and carriage that then converted to cars (plus a bunch of other steps in between.) There just aren't enough people taking mass transportation to service varying routes if you don't work downtown. In fact it takes me ten minutes to get to work by car but an hour and fifteen minutes to get to work by bus. Even with the best intentions of trying to reduce my carbon footprint a two and a half hour commute compared to a half hour commute is just too big of a difference to take the bus. What Vespa is suggesting is to change some of our habits to help the environment, which is the same thing the bus suggests. The difference? Everyone can add a Vespa (well everyone who can afford it) whereas taking the bus just isn't an option for some of us.

Take my Uncle for example. He has an SUV and lives on the Lake. During the winter months he uses his snowmobile, during his summer months he uses his Vespa. The SUV gets approximately 12 mpg. The Vespa? 75 mpg. He takes it to the grocery store, the gas station to grab a newspaper, or basically anywhere that doesn't require a highway. He loves that the Vespa is not just beneficial for the environment but also economically beneficial.

We should all care about the one planet we have and want to save money. It's just smart to save money by practicing environmentally friendly actions, period. Whether it's introducing a scooter to your household or simply walking more often, the end result is money saved.

Yay For Earth Day

What is it about Earth Day that gets some people's blood boiling? For my part, I know many democrats and moderates who fully appreciate Earth Day. I also know many, many Republicans who are anti-Earth Day. What is making this happen? As far as I know the same Republicans who are hating on Earth Day are also recycling, cutting energy costs, etc. What is it about the title that makes so many people so hostile?

Exhibit 1: The debate over "Greenhouse Gas Effect". Here's the thing, unless you're a scientist studying the effects you probably don't know exactly if there are or are not Greenhouse Gas Effects that are causing the polar caps to melt, etc. etc. And even if you are a scientist working on this case, you probably know the competing argument that this has happened before. However, as we all (should) know our history, those around at the time are now extinct. So lesson to be learned? We are still up in the air about GGE (I'm lazy and my argument is I'm using the computer less if I abbreviated therefore using less energy, see?) but emitting pollution, littering, etc. are not good for the Earth, we just aren't sure how awful it is yet. So recycle, turn off the lights when you leave, and try carpooling every once in awhile. Most of these things don't cost money (some even save you some cash) and even if 50 years later we find out we were not creating GGE, cutting your energy usage down probably didn't hurt you that much. So turn the water off while you brush your teeth, turn off that light, unplug that toaster while at work, and recycle all those plastic bottles. Chances are, you'll end up saving yourself money, and that's a Green effect we all can enjoy.

Exhibit 2: Being energy & money conscience is not Republican nor is it Democrat, it's just plain intelligent. And if you refuse to do something that will ultimately save you money with little effort you are the only one losing out. Politics aside, there is no reason for you not to care for your home, and the Earth is your home. Now if there is a financial incentive to get you to care for your home (lower electric and water bills) then what's stopping you other than politics?

This has been my rant on how silly people can be. I hope everyone remembers we only have one Earth, one planet, and once it's done, we're done. Now go save some dollars and turn off your computer!