Green Cooking December 29, 2008

Environmental friendly cooking involves making many choices that go beyond picking the right ingredients.  It includes green kitchen utensils, eco-cooking methods, efficient water usage and proper disposal of food leftovers.   Here are some simple green cooking tips to help you make more informed choices.

Shopping for a Green Cuisine

The best foods are local and organic since organic standards prohibit the use of synthetic fertilizers, toxic pesticides, and antibiotics. Growing and transporting food not only consumes a significant amount of water and energy, but also contributes to air pollution and global warming.  Therefore, buying locally and eating with the seasons promotes many environmentally friendly practices, such as reducing carbon emissions and supporting small farms.   To locate a farmers market near you, check out the local harvest website.  Also consider joining a CSA.

When shopping at the grocery store for your ingredients, your environmental impact can be significantly reduced by adhering to these basic rules:

• Buy as few things in plastic as possible– opt for metal or glass containers whenever you can (and don’t use a plastic bag for fruits or veggies – you’ll need to wash them anyway when you get home).
• Buy in bulk.   Remember that buying many little packages wastes paper and plastic.
• Use your own shopping bags (I know you’re heard this one many times, but it bears repeating).
• Buy less meat.

Green Kitchenware

Equip your kitchen with “green-ware” and utensils made from porcelain enamel, glass and bamboo.  When possible, purchase kitchenware that is reusable and/or made from recycled materials.   By using reusable housewares, you not only save money, but also conserve natural resources.    Examples of reusable kitchenware include:  cloth towels, cloth napkins, reusable baking pans, reusable lunch box containers, glass jars and cloth bags for grocery shopping.

Make sure your dinnerware is lead-free.  Plates and dishes now sold in the United States are subject to federal regulations for the maximum amount of lead they may contain. The federal standards require that plates contain no more than 3 ppm (parts per million) lead, and pitchers and other “hollow ware” that hold liquid can contain no more than 0.5 ppm.  If unsure of the lead content of your dishware, contact the manufacturer. Check out our kitchen gadgets blog for more thoughts on this.

Ovens

The best way to conserve energy in the kitchen is to use the smallest oven possible since it takes less energy to heat it to the proper temperature.   To ensure that heat is not wasted when the oven is in use, make sure that the burner fits the pan and use a lid when heating items on the stove. If you have a smaller item to heat or cook, consider a toaster oven – these use about a third of the energy of conventional ovens. Here are some tips for buying a new oven.

Water conservation

Reducing water usage in the kitchen before and after cooking has both financial and environmental benefits.  These are the easiest ways to conserve water:

• Don’t let the sink water run when rinsing dishes.
• Install a water saving aerator on your kitchen sink’s faucet.  Water saving aerators are helpful in reducing the amount of water you use when rinsing your dishes.
• Install a water efficient, Energy Star rated dishwasher.
• Repair leaky water faucets.  If your faucet is dripping one drop per second, you’ll waste as much as 2,700 gallons in a year!

Leftovers

If you do all of the above, but throw out your leftovers in the garbage, you are skipping one of the most important steps in green cooking.   Food debris has no access to oxygen once it reaches the landfills and therefore emits methane, a toxic gas.  The best way to get rid of food waste is by composting it – recycling food scraps by allowing it to naturally break down and turn into nutrient rich soil.  Donating your food waste is another option; there are food rescue programs that specialize in redistributing leftovers.

To test your green-cooking skills, take the following quiz, “How Green is Your Cuisine?” from the Sierra Club. So…are you a Green Chef?

Is your Christmas Tree Really “Green”? December 22, 2008

When purchasing a tree for the holiday season, which is more environmentally friendly: a real or fake tree? There is a tendency to think that artificial trees are eco-friendly since they can be reused year after year.

The truth though is that artificial trees are manufactured and shipped overseas and made from PVC, polyvinyl chloride. PVC usually contains traces of lead and is very difficult to recycle. For all these reasons – emitting high levels of greenhouse gases due to transport, PVC content and creating more waste at landfills – a plastic tree is anything but green.

Buying a real tree for the holidays is the best option but it’s important to keep in mind that many tree farmers use harmful pesticides. When purchasing a tree, buy from a local organic farm that uses “integrated pest management” (IPM). If this is not possible, the greenest alternative is to buy a living potted pine tree from your local nursery.

Here are some helpful websites that provide information on how to find a tree that has been certified as organic or chemical-free:

• Local Harvest, a national network of local products, in Santa Cruz, California, lists sources for Christmas trees and wreaths, both organic and conventionally grown;
  
• Beyond Pesticides, a nonprofit group in Washington, provides sources for organic and naturally grown trees, as well as up-to-date information on pesticides;
  
• Green Promise, a group in Pingree Grove, Illinois, distributes information about sustainable products, and lists sources for organic trees around the country on its Web site.

After the holidays, the best way to get rid of your tree is by recycling it into mulch or replanting it in your yard (make sure appropriate climate conditions exist). To find your nearest Christmas tree recycling program, refer to Earth911.com.

Have a great holiday!

Metal Poisoning December 17, 2008

The increased use of metals or their compounds in our day-to-day lives has made them poisonous. Some of these metals have no biological role and categorized as toxic metals. Examples include cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, chromium, aluminum, and many more. Radioactive isotopes of lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium have been proven to be carcinogenic. Toxic metals are the most commonly prevalent occupational hazard. The severity of the metal poisoning varies from metal to metal. The process of detoxification is difficult especially if metal or its compound is not water soluble. They can accumulate in the living bodies for long duration and can easily be the part of food chain.

Aluminum is the most abundant metal on the earth. The compounds of aluminum are used commonly in antiperspirants, cleaning agents, baking powder and water purification. Many of cooking and baking utensils are made up of aluminum. Aluminum is connected to breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease. It accumulates in bones and decreases the calcium absorption. High doses of aluminum can cause growth retardation. The compounds in antiperspirants and food are considered as the potential sources of aluminum poisoning.

Cases of lead poisoning are the most heard stories because of recent litigation and recalls of products containing lead. Lead had been used in paints and fuel as an antiknocking agent for many years. The exposure to lead and its compounds can occur through inhalation, ingestion and skin contact. The metal affects the central nervous system and causes learning disabilities and schizophrenia among kids. It can contaminate the fetus if the mother has been exposed to it for a prolonged period of time.

Similar to lead, cadmium exposure can occur through air, soil and water. Both of these metals are commonly used in batteries. Tobacco smoking is also a significant source of cadmium. The metal can affect the respiratory bones, tract, kidney and liver. Mercury is used in fluorescent light bulbs, medical equipments and imported cosmetics. It is also found in seafood and has been seen the most common cause of mercury poisoning. The exposure to this metal can cause sensory impairment, lack of coordination. Children can show severe symptoms such as discoloration of body, loss of hair, teeth and nails, dysfunction of kidney and brain. To avoid the mercury poisoning, pregnant woman are recommended to avoid seafood.

Some essential metals such as iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and zinc are desired for the proper functioning of human body, but excess of these metals can also be harmful. Even though U.S. government is putting in place regulations to control the toxicity of metals, this is still not being adequately enforced, especially with imported goods.

The term for the accumulation of toxins, including all toxic chemicals, not just metals, is ‘body burden‘. There are many studies that have shown how toxic chemicals accumulated in the body of adults and babies. Other studies focus solely on different types of toxins, such as pesticides. This is why a periodic detoxification program is important – it is not just the planet that is being affected, our bodies are as well!

Sustainable Flowers December 11, 2008

Fresh cut flowers can do wonders to liven up one’s home or add color to weddings and other celebrations, but unfortunately, they may not be as eco-friendly as you would think. Most conventional cut flowers travel thousands of air miles, require tons of pesticides and are grown in dangerous working conditions for farmers.

Conventionally grown flowers are loaded with chemical pesticides, which harm workers, the environment, and even consumers. Did you know that over 70% of all cut flowers sold in the United States are grown abroad and imported to the United States? Only a small minority of these international flower farms have adopted environmentally friendly methods, like banning toxic chemicals for pest control.

The good news is that there are a number of alternative, sustainable options available, including organic and fair trade-certified flowers. Two of the biggest organizations that monitor environmental and labor standards in the flower industry, Fair Trade and VeriFlora, certify and label flowers sold in the United States according to specific sustainability criteria. Both organizations impose strict environmental and labor standards on farms they audit, though they do not require them to be fully organic. Use of pesticides is limited, and workers must be paid fairly.

As for organic options, the USDA does offer an organic certification for flowers, but you may find that local flower shops, grocery stores, and other flower retailers do not offer organics or any of the other eco-labels. If that is the case, there are plenty of options for ordering organic and sustainable flowers online, but don’t hesitate to ask your local florist to start selling organics as well. By expressing your preference as a consumer for organic flowers, you demonstrate that there is a market for them and encourage their production.

However, the best option of all may be to grow flowers yourself. Buy organic bulbs or seeds and start an organic flower garden at home, then clip your own blooms to enjoy inside or give as gifts. If you are a member of a CSA farm or shop at a local farmers’ market, ask about the availability of chemical-free organic flowers to cut down on shipping costs and save energy. For those holidays and special occasions, you can also order from organic and Fair Trade flower providers online (though, of course, that doesn’t take into account other environmental impacts).

Eco-Friendly Coffee – Not Just Fair Trade December 4, 2008

How to Choose Between Eco-Friendly Coffee Certifications

If you find yourself overwhelmed with the competing eco-friendly labels on coffee at the local coffee retailer or grocery store, you might benefit from some background on the meaning behind various labels, and the benefits of each. Below is a list of some of the labels to look for when purchasing coffee.

USDA-Certified Organic

The USDA monitors this certification of coffee beans, guaranteeing that they are grown without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides. Organic farming practices protect not only the local ecosystem, but also the farmers and workers who would otherwise be exposed to harmful chemicals. Choosing organic benefits the environment, the farm workers, and your own health.

Fair Trade Certified

Another essential certification to look for is the “Fair Trade Certified” logo from TransFair, or the International Fairtrade Certification Mark from FLO International. The “Fair Trade Certified” logo indicates that importers pay farmers a living wage of at least $1.26 per pound. Evidence has shown that there is a connection between sustainable wages and environmental conservation. When farmers are paid fair wages for their beans, they are not forced by low prices to implement unsustainable farming practices, like cutting down trees to increase crop yield through harmful sun cultivation. In addition, many fair trade organizations offer assistance to their farmers in implementing environmentally sustainable growing practices.

Shade Grown
This is an important factor to look for if you are concerned about rainforest conservation, species preservation, deforestation, and pollution. Modern coffee growers cut down existing forest to grow beans in direct sunlight, destroying much needed habitat for migratory birds and other native species. The loss of forest canopy creates another problem as well: the biodiversity under a forest canopy helps naturally protect coffee crops from pests and invasive species, which means that without it, the need for fertilizers and pesticides increases. Shade-grown coffee leaves the original forest canopy intact while producing quality beans for your coffee.

However, be careful when selecting coffee that is simply labeled “Shade Grown” without an official certification seal, since no official internationally-agreed upon certification process exists to monitor the labeling of shade-grown coffee. Therefore, some coffee that is labeled “Shade Grown” may not truly be 100% shade-grown even if it says so on the package. The best solution is to look for a certification that covers shade-growing practices, like the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) “Bird Friendly®” seal, or the Rainforest Alliance label (described below.)

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Bird-Friendly Coffee
Under a program established by the Smithsonian Institution’s Migratory Bird Center to protect the habitat of songbirds in rapidly-deforested coffee-growing regions, “Bird Friendly®” coffee is shade grown as well as organic. In fact, according to their website, it is the only 100% organic shade-grown coffee certification available.

Rainforest Alliance Certified
This is another great all-encompassing eco-friendly certification. Coffee that is certified by the Rainforest Alliance must be shade-grown, produced with low or zero pesticides, and grown by workers who are treated in accordance with International Labor Organization standards. Farms must also maintain a minimum diversity of species and meet a number of other requirements to verify sustainable and responsible practices.

Always remember to bring your own reusable travel mug when you get coffee on the road, and seek out certified organic fair-trade, shade-grown coffee in the store and at the coffee shop whenever possible!

Learn More

Coop America has additional information on coffee and the environment. Also check out this article on the Nature Conservancy site.