Not just coffee

Archive for category Environment

Bottled Water Dues

Oct 31

Posted by admin in Environment, news

IMG00239Everyone’s been talking about it for a long time. Some places have even tried to implement such a program, but now it looks as if New York State has stopped the conversation with a weekend fait accompli: 5 cent tax, starting on the 31st, on each water bottle under a gallon. OK, mini reprieve: Law does not go into effect until November 8.

The question always is the same: Who benefits? Is there any proof that the extra nickel helps people put the bottle into the recycling bin? Or is this just an easy tax that the state collects? All those food vendors lining the city streets are probably ready to hike the water cost to $1.25 rather than go up just a nickel and waste time fishing for change instead of filling food orders.

I’ve always appreciated these guys who do just charge a dollar for water as so many other cities demonstrate the spiral effect: Let’s see how much we can charge for a bottle of water that costs us 14 cents when we buy it by the case at Costco! We see these vendors everywhere with the $2 water signs!

San Francisco has a new law that demonstrates the value of recycling. Their original ordinance gave buildings plenty of time to comply. They have the statistics to demonstrate that building recyclables and compostables are going to the right places. They are collecting an extra 100 tons of product than at the outset!

Yes, everyone knows the effect of all those mountains of plastic bottled water, but grabbing water on the run is still a far better option than most other beverage choices.

The irony is that bottled water sales are down. It may be the economy or the environmental truth. A new Harris Poll finds 36% of respondents switching from bottled water to tap water and refillable bottles!

Wonder what tax is next?

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Swimming with the Fish

Aug 22

Posted by admin in Environment, health, lifestyle

Every time I think we have a path to clarity about fish–such as in which fish to eat–a new, troubling report comes out. This one sounds like a planet: Yes, Mercury is back into the headlines once again. Maybe it never left, but the latest study indicates that if we try to eat fish, thinking that is a healthy alternative to beef, and we try to focus on the sustainable variety, we are still left with a crisis. The focus again is onone-fish-thumb
mercury contamination. Not just a single kind of fish, but it seems almost all fish.

Once again there is a handy fish guide (A Mercury Calculator) directing us to safety and telling us what to avoid. The big question is simply: Is fish safe? Well it depends. Assume there is mercury contamination present in all US-water based fish. Then decide if you are asking about a young child, a pregnant woman, or a healthy adult. Recognizing that some fish contain less mercury than others and some should be avoided all together helps minimally. You need to know which fish to eat; some, such as canned light tuna, you can have multiple helpings of each week. One that is particularly high in contaminants is swordfish, a fish small children and women of child-bearing age should avoid altogether. The EPA even has this “One Fish…Two Fish” poster available as a reminder.

The most recent announcement from the US Geologic Survey says mercury contamination is higher than expected and almost impossible to avoid.

Know what you eat. It just gets harder to find safe, healthy foods.

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Composter Love

Aug 10

Posted by admin in Environment, coffee, gardening, lifestyle

This has been quite a year: I’ve learned to use very few paper towels, I’ve stopped scrubbing dishes clean before putting in the dishwasher, and I’ve become E, the Environmental woman. Yes, it’s true, as with everything I do, I do it wholeheartedly. All or nothing; it’s all.

I’ve been trying to figure out the whole composting ritual. I know New Yorkers who take their scraps in little Ziplocs on the train from the outlying boroughs into Manhattan to the GreenMarket composter. I know someone out in the country who has been swearing by these little green machines. He’s right. I’m sold.

I’ve had it two days and become a master. After all, you know how much coffee I drink and how I revere my espresso, and that coffee grounds make the soil thrive. Am convinced if I just composted the coffee grounds, my soil would be smiling and writing thank you notes. In the two days I have been in love with my new toy, we’ve been to the Farm Market and bought plenty of fresh veggies and fruit. The composter gracefully accepted the tops from the fresh beets, the peach pits, and the inners from the tomatoes.

The important wet-dry balance enabled me to shred all the class Z mail and feed it into the composter. Now we’re talking.

Maybe the best is I’ll no longer have to warn people about olive pits going into the garbage disposal (Yes, I know, we still use the disposal, but use it far less). The composter does not want meats, fish, and dairy, but loves egg shells.  Olive pits get composted, and we all appreciate the quiet.

Step aside, coming through with my kitchen counter gleanings.

This is a perfect solution for hard-rock soil and my newly minted environmental attitude.

thankyou

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Salad Wars

Jul 17

Posted by admin in Environment, food, lifestyle

It’s hard to believe that we are midway through July, and the interminable humidity has literally just arrived on the East Coast. Anyway you slice it, these are salad days, and several new companies are sprouting up ready to accommodate. Some blocks have them positioned within eyeshot of each other so you can watch the parade of new fans.

I like the new salad bar concept–not pre-made, nor open double-aisled lines where customers create their own salads, but the new counter version where you choose the type of lettuce you want, the ingredients, the dressing, and all the extra toppings. These new places are different from the first entrant, Cosi, which stepped out into this terrain several years ago. These new companies have dedicated themselves to being green or organic and in the process have elevated the overall appearance of the experience and attention to ingredients.

Sweetgreen should be credited with starting the new concept in the Washington DC area with their yogurt and salad menu. Now they travel the city with what they affectionately call Sweetflow Mobile to reach out to more yogurt fans. The concept was created by 3 Georgetown U students (yes, they did eventually graduate), and they have successfully targeted the community’s love for freshness.

Their major new competition is from Organic to Go (OgoBethesda) which had a less pleasant ride into the marketplace including a shift in management and strategy. Their Bethesda, MD location is directly across the street from Sweetgreen and serves as the model for the company’s future expansion. Both have outdoor tables so you can just sit and watch competition in action. It’s a fun game. Yogurt’s not the second focus here but pizza and sandwiches make this concept a favorite for those looking for more than a salad.

Let’s break it down: Both Sweetgreen and Ogo tout their environmentally friendly approach to products (all compostable and recyclable, ecologically sound dining). We should feel good about their purchasing power and supportive of their efforts.

As for the taste test, I prefer the organic approach and the breadth of possibilities at Ogo. So many choices to personalize my meal. I did salad:salad matching of ingredients and preferred the end result at Ogo. Pricewise they scored high as well. They both offer pleasant outdoor dining, so that’s a draw, but Ogo wins the indoor contest as their space is more ample and less claustrophobic. The fact that it is less chaotic makes the overall experience more pHomePg1_02leasant.

I have never eaten this much salad in my life. It’s seldom of interest to me, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the new salad experience.

I could grow to like arugula!

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Environmental Sense for the Novice

Jun 22

Posted by admin in Environment, news

It seems I have been a real sluggard in upping the environmental ante. There’s so much more I can do besides eliminating over rinsing (wasting water) and using detergents that just do not work. I’m still such a novice in this game.

I can stop running the water endlessly and just turn it on when I really need to rinse a plate. Making major strides with this one!

I can use the garbage disposal a lot less. Seriously, who knew that the garbage disposal was creating more problems than it was solving in the food disposal discussion. I always hated seeing New York apartments which, at one time, were restricted from having disposals. I felt they were so unlucky, but it turns out that was the better environmental solution.

Every time we use the garbage disposal, besides wasting a lot of water making certain everything gets ground up, we are putting a load on the system: The wastewater treatment plants. In our mind we see ourselves shrinking the amount of garbage, but in reality we are creating more harm than good. The impact of our cleansing is so much greater. It’s like a doubling of everything: Stress the system, and we need to build more plants.

If we just put the garbage into garbage cans, it goes to the landfills and reduces the overall water load.

I can continue to research the composter issue until I find one that a) I can afford, b) has the ability to let me churn away, and most importantly, c) does not take up too much room so I don’t have to tangle with my neighbors. My soil will be happy, and I will be able to continue my campaign to be smarter about my decisions.

Easy for me to start composting my coffee grinds, and the rest will be gravy.

I can do better.

What about you?landing_title_pic1

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What's Good for the Goose

Jun 16

Posted by admin in Advertisers, Environment, grocer, health, life

..may not really work for everyone. Trends are like that–they come; they go. No matter how many superfoods, aka, miracle ingredients or products that get special label marketing can survive the reality test. There is no cure-all for life’s realities: Aging and all its precursor cousins. Sure some fruits and vegetables are particularly healthy in and of themselves, but we cannot live on them alone. No matter what. It’s becoming a challenge to separate the wheat from the chaff. Ok enough of that.

Realistically, confusion centers around the importance of antioxidants. It seems if you write high in antioxidants on the label, that almost guarantees high sales! How do these claims get tested? Who monitors reality? My favorite antioxidant claims are on products that are well known antioxidant fighters–fruits already high in antioxidants now jump out of the bins and off the shelves if they have the antioxidant banner.sunsweetantioxidant

What are these antioxidants and can we really get enough or the right amount from food? The foods that are naturally high in antioxidants are the easiest to take. If you’re going to concentrate on antioxidants and its benefits, summer is a wonderful season for you with its own natural bounty of antioxidants: BERRIES. Eat up, enjoy, skip the hype; it’s a natural occurrence. On the vegetable side, gardens are just beginning to produce the ultimate summer joy: TOMATOES. Sure there are numerous other foods high in antioxidants, and many antioxidant health claims may actually bear fruit.

Then there’s the whole beta carotene discussion. The old universe said eat your carrots. Limited explanation followed other than the statement: They’re good for you.  Now they are not just carrots but a food high in the all-important, necessary beta carotene, an important antioxidant. Don’t forget when you visit the farm markets, there are other easy choices: beets, cabbage, and kale, for example.

Then there is the new wonder product, the acai berry.  It seems to be touted everywhere. Unclear what it really does for you. It’s possible that no one knows the real answer, but when a product gets so heavily promoted so quickly, it moves into my suspect category.

Foods that promise can only promise more than they can deliver. Great skin, perfect eyesight, immune boosters, anti-aging, diet loss are just some of the claims that are part of the promise universe. We are looking for too many cure-alls.

What works is the same thing that has always worked: Smart eating. Not overeating.

That I am sure of.

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Bag It Up–My Bag, Please

Jun 13

Posted by admin in Environment, grocer, shopping

5b61_1All those times you are a bag short or even minus the recyclable bags which are overheating in the trunk of the car, you’ve been able to put your merchandise in a store paper bag as more places have phased out plastic. Some stores, like Ikea, charge for bags. Some shops even give you a small savings for each bag you bring. 

Change is in the air. A number of states or municipalities have tried to implement bag taxes, and they have gone nowhere.  The District of Columbia wants the belt notch that says first in the nation to implement bag tax. They say all those plastic bags are finding their way into the Anacostia River, and a true cleanup will never occur because of the sheer volume of plastic bags and the ultimate litter debris. 

Many citizens consider the implementation of a bag tax as a lazy solution to an overall River mess. They feel that less fortunate shoppers will be further penalized as their groceries or drugs or whatevers will now cost 5 cents a bag more. A lack of understanding does not create a true cause-effect relationship. Remember these are tough times, and consumers are already paying a heavy burden in helping cities move forward. Implementing this tax will not clean the Anacostia. 

The American Chemistry Council has started a major campaign to help cities and states understand the real environmental issues. They believe progress has been made in people’s awareness of bringing their own bags and recycling plastics. There are no shortage of places to drop off plastic bags. So many new, interesting products are being made from these efforts.

Skip the tax route. Be smart about this. The District does not have to be the FIRST for this type of program. There are better ways to win positive recognition than from this egregious program that solves little. 

It’ll take more than my nickel to solve this particular problem.

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The Shelves Are Alive

Jun 12

Posted by admin in Economy, Environment, grocer, news

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Yes, it’s true. Grocery stores, convenience marts, and even big box retailers have devoted sizable shelf space to 100-calorie boxes of whatevers. If you can make it fattening, the companies seem to say, we can also make it available in a lower calorie count.

Whether it’s chips, cookies, crackers, or candy, the 100-calorie boxes beckon. You name it, and it is probably available in mini-packs. BTW, they’re perfect for lunch boxes, desk drawer indulgences, and road trips. No one, not even Little Debbie Snacks, wants to be left out of the marketing game.

Not all is sweet news. Maybe we are using more paper and increasing our environmental threshold. Or, just maybe, we are overeating. Can you just have one? Personally, I think the gimmick gave you permission to overindulge. It’s just 100-calories, you convincingly said to yourself, as you grabbed a couple bags of Oreos. Sad news there, they didn’t have the filling that made you covet the product in the first place! Then along came Oreo Minicakesters–got ya! They solved that complaint!

Multiple bags. Hmm. Opposite of the original weight-loss approach; rather a weight-gain strategy that seemed to gain hold! 

Not just overeating, but maybe you’re not just adding to your waist but to your budget, too. They are hardly the economical way to shop in this cash-conscious environment. Phil Lempert, who calls himself the Supermarket Guru, has been questioning their longevity. He is quick to point out that Ziploc makes a snack bag size, a perfect container for your own variation of mini-snacks.

If you like nuts, a few of those, please. Add a few raisins, and a piece or two of your favorite dried fruit and you have a personalized trail mix. A million possible examples.

Smart marketing. For those who remain clueless, there’s even a cookbook!

Seriously.

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One More Thing to Worry About

May 31

Posted by admin in Environment, health

02_59139405If you weren’t germ-phobic enough already, then this may put you over the top.

We have been conditioned to bring in our own recyclable bags so we can save plastic and paper. Some stores, such as Ikea, charge for their bags. They are so big, you can use them to hold everyone else’s bag and then some. They are currently holding a contest (see website above) to judge who is using their enormous, recyclable Ikea bag in the most creative, innovative fashion. Bet there are far more clever ideas than the storage monster.

Other stores, often grocers, give you a 5-cent bag credit for each one you bring in and use. Hello, it’s free advertising!

Now here’s the rub.

A study just came out which said that these bags may be harvesting all types of germs. Like from spilled foods or products that have sweated into the sides. That they create more problems than they solve.

Are we to go home and pop these bags into the dishwasher? Can they sustain the temperatures? Will they lose their insulating functions?

What should we believe–trash our bags or clean them out? Recycle them?

There’s so much to be frightened of that my recyclable bag collection is way down on the list.

Now, salmonella, that’s a different story.

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The Shine is Back–A Reprise

May 30

Posted by admin in Environment, New York Times, life

OK, maybe it’s beginner’s luck, or first-load excitement, but my silverware is shining again. My plates are cleaner.

Thank you New York Times for that dishwashing article.

I made all the possible adjustments:

–bought powdered detergent, yes, Cascade 

–spent the big bucks on Cascade Complete

–did not scrub clean the plates, andT711.zoom.1

Got the results I crave: The Shine.

My silverware thanks you.

Anyone want a liquid gel?

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