Electric Use

It's strange, this electric bill I'm looking at. I have installed power strips so I can reduce phantom loads, removed a energy-sucking beer fridge, and have not used the A/C in months. Yet somehow, I used more electricity than I did for the same period last year. I have no idea what I was doing last year that used so little electricity. It's not all bad, as I did use less electricity than I did last month, but I was hoping to reduce my electric use by 10% over last year. I just have to try harder.

I discovered another hurdle in my new vegetarian ways. Although I am by no means a vegan (yet), I was determined that no animal would die for me to eat. I was doing well, but I was experiencing pain in my elbow joints. I decided to take glucosamine to help my joints recover... even though it is made from the exo-skeletons of shellfish. I took it for three days while I searched local drugstores for vegan glucosamine. I know they make it, but I have been unable to find any locally. I asked a pharmacist, and was told to try a specialty vitamin store or buy them on-line. Am I really the only person in Tucson that doesn't want to take a glucosamine pill derived from shellfish?

Vegetarian

I haven't eaten meat in about a week and a half. I don't really miss it. I have had to get a little creative with my menus, but I've discovered some really great recipes that I likely would not have tried while I was still eating meat. So far, I haven't even attempted to go vegan, as I have learned that animal products are in almost everything. I bought some veggie cheese slices, only to find out that they contain milk protein. Of course, it doesn't say "milk protein," it says "casein." Kind of sneaky, don't you think? I have also learned that sugar isn't necessarily vegan. Who would have thought that bones from cows are used to whiten sugar??!!?

So for now, I am simply refraining from eating meat, and trying to greatly reduce other animal products. I will continue to educate myself about animal products that are in food, and hopefully I can save the lives of a few animals.

Eco-tourism

I love to travel. I love to experience new cultures and see animals in the wild I normally would only see in a zoo.

In November, I traveled to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada to see polar bears in the wild. I went with Natural Habitat Adventures (check them out here), the world's first carbon neutral travel company. The entire trip was amazing, and I think about the trip frequently. Even though that was only a few months ago, I am already thinking about my next trip. I believe in eco-tourism, and I think that showing people that travelers will spend lots of money to go look at nature is a good way to convince people to protect nature. So imagine how ecstatic I was when I read this: Natural Habitat Adventures is proud to be the innovator of an arctic adventure vacation that not only allows wildlife lovers an incredibly moving experience, but also helps to protect baby harp seals through ecotourism. There’s no better way to experience this great migration and see harp seal herds in their natural habitat (NatHab.com). Yup, that's right, NatHab is taking a small group of travelers to the Magdalen Islands to see those adorable fluffy little white baby harp seals! I am so there!!!!!

Seal Watch 2011 here I come!!!

Pulling Weeds

I know that weeds are not something that most of the Northern Hemisphere has to worry about right now, but in Tucson, where I live, weeds grow year-round. When I noticed that I had some quick growing weeds on the side of my house this past weekend, I knew I had to take care of them.

When I first moved into my house, I always pulled the weeds. If I went more than one week without pulling, I would likely have to spend a few hours the next weekend trying to get rid of all of them. When The Husband moved in, he took over weed duty and began spraying. While I may not have been thrilled that he was spraying Round-Up, I was just happy to be relieved of the chore.

But this past weekend, when I saw the weeds growing, I knew that I could not in good conscious let The Husband spray Round-Up again. While Monsanto, the makers of Round-Up say that it is perfectly safe, studies are raising questions:

1) Could Round-Up be lethal to amphibians? A University of Pittsburgh study found that Round-Up caused a 70% decline in "amphibian biodiversity." During monsoon season, we have small frogs all over the area naturally keeping the bug population down; Do I want to risk killing these cool little frogs, and throwing off the natural balance in my neighborhood? I don't think so!
2) Could Round-Up hurt a fetus? A University of Caen (France) study found that the herbicide could “induce reproduction problems” in humans by damaging placental cells and hormones. My biggest weed problem area is right next to a public sidewalk. Am I putting the lives of the unborn babies in my neighborhood in danger by trying to kill a few weeds? I'm not willing to risk it.

But that's not all... Monsanto has been labeled as one of the most evil companies on the planet. Why, you ask? Read this article and you'll see why. If that one doesn't convince you, read this. Or just Google "Monsanto is evil" and you'll see what I mean.


And do you think the FDA will try to protect us from the onslaught of GM foods? Well considering that the former vice president of public policy and chief lobbyist at Monsanto Company is the new senior advisor for the FDA, I wouldn't hold my breath.

So, with all this in mind, I happily went outside and pulled those pesky weeds out of the ground. I won't support Monsanto as it poisons our ground, harasses our farmers or screws with the genetic make-up of my food.

Before spring rolls around and weeds start popping up in your area, do some research about what you might be spraying on your lawn and the companies you're supporting.

Image from Heyokamagazine.com

The Green Lilly Seal of Approval

Hello Everyone!

Since I have made the decision to go green, I have been doing a great deal of research on different products. Some so-called green products turn out to not be so great, but I have also discovered some products that are doing a lot for the environment that I've never heard of before. So, in order to introduce my readers to some of the green products that I now know and love, I would like to introduce "The Green Lilly Seal of Approval"!

I think that it's important for people to support green companies and their products. If we request and buy green products, we can show retailers that the public REALLY cares about this stuff, and we will encourage them to carry more green products. Vote with your dollars!!!

The first company that I would like to showcase is Boulder Canyon Foods. The company makes some really good natural potato chips, which are made with ingredients I can actually pronounce. (My favorite are the Malt Vinegar & Sea Salt and the Hickory Barbecue.) The company purchases Renewable Energy Credits covering 100% of their operations to support clean, green energy. They are also a corporate partner of American Rivers, the leading national organization standing up for healthy rivers so communities can thrive. American Rivers protects and restores America’s rivers for the benefit of people, wildlife and nature. So, Boulder Canyon Foods, you are awarded the first Green Lilly Seal of Approval!

Do you know of any products or companies that are deserving of The Green Lilly Seal of Approval? Let me know in the comments!

Moving towards vegetarian

I am seriously thinking about becoming a vegetarian. The more I learn about how the food is processed (and how the animals are treated), the less I want to eat. I have already eliminated all mammals and seafood from my diet, but I still continue to eat birds. I was given a cookbook several months ago that has mostly vegetarian recipes in it, and the more I use it, the more I realize that I can be satisfied without meat.

I am having a hard time giving up cheese, though, even though I won't drink milk anymore. (I have switched to vanilla almond 'milk' which is actually REALLY REALLY good!) It really doesn't make sense to me that it is perfectly acceptable to drink the milk from a cow, but wouldn't everyone freak out if you drank dog's milk? But for some reason, I don't think about where cheese comes from when I eat it. Since I like cheese so much, I think it will be hard to give it up without a good substitute. Can anyone recommend a good soy/vegetable based cheese?

To anyone who has made the switch from carnivore to vegetarian, I would love to hear from you! I'm going to need recipes that will satisfy my steak-loving husband!

TTFN!

(Picture from bluediamond.com)

I'm Back!

Hello! I just spent the past week in a National Forest. I've been working 14 hour days, so I haven't been able to hug that many trees. It's OK, though, because in Arizona, a lot of the trees are rather prickly. Why does everything in Arizona have to be so thorny?

In the course of my work, I wave been able to see deer, fox, and a ton of birds. But do you know what I've seen the most of? TRASH. Yup, tons of refuse. Mostly aluminum cans and water bottles. Not only are people throwing trash into our National Forests, they're throwing RECYCLABLE trash into our National Forests.

It irks me. Do people think that the good people who work for the Forest Service really have the resources to pick up trash? (They seem pretty busy to me already.) I wanted to pick up a ton of the trash, but due to an unfortunate run-in with a cactus, I spent one of my clean-up days trying to pull cactus needles out of my arm. But I did manage to spend a few hours cleaning up, and I was appalled at the ridiculous amount of plastic I gathered. Plastic bags snagged in trees. Water bottles tossed into bushes. I actually had to stop collecting trash because I filled all of the trash bags I had brought with me. It was very sad.

Next time you find yourself in a National Forest, pick up and recycle that bottle you find on the ground, OK?