Thursday, November 19, 2009

Take the Bruce and Betty local Thanksgiving Challenge


Every year 28 billion pounds of edible food goes to waste. Unbelieve, right? So this year, let's plan ahead, make less, and lower our collective impact by going local. Which means adding one or two dishes or localizing your entire T-day meal!! Then email your story to betty@betterworldbetty.org in 200 words or less and Brad of 1061 the Corner and Bruce of RSWA and Teri of Betty will pick the best one to air on the December 4th show (9am). We'll give you a free CD and reusable bag as well as 10seconds of Cville fame!!

1- Plan. Find out the per person amount of food to prepare. 1 lb of meat and 1/8 of a pumpkin pie beats guessing and overcooking!

2- TWEAK the main meal. Can you splurge on an organic turkey? Actually now there are all sorts of sophisticated designation according to what the turkey was fed and how it was treated (cage-free). Or like my friend Susan, serve FISH (check the Seafood Watch guide first, of course - they do all the pertinent research on which fish is friendly to take out of its home/water). You know, the pilgrims and natives likely served fish is what I read in a kids' picture book once!

3- Green clean your home. Put away the clorox and bleach and bring out the baking soda, water and lemon.

4- Use natural decorations. Holy berries, beeswax candles, rosemary twigs bring the outdoors in...

5- Leftovers. COMPOST them (without the meat and dairy, though) or DONATE to a local food bank or REPURPOSE items by making turkey tetrazzini or soup, etc.

Check out these helpful links: planet green 100-mile diet and these great links: http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_plan_a_green_thanksgiving
http://green.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/11/green_thanksgiving_day.php

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Greening up baby


Enjoy this article appearing in Abode magazine this month

“Babies just don’t need a gazillion things!” I couldn’t agree more with Dr. Dolly Garnecki, a local chiropractor and presenter of green mom workshops in town. This month we offer guidelines to help babies grow up green, which could end up saving you some green.

Paint: For your little one’s room, choose PVC-free wall coverings and paint without VOCs (volatile organic compounds). If your house was built before 1978, check for lead paint.

Furniture: Try local secondhand stores. For cribs, first verify the consumer safety guidelines for proper rail spacing and other safety considerations at cpsc.gov.

Buying new? Choose Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood. It’s harvested with care. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification is industry-led, less stringent, and possibly an illegitimate measure. See the National Resources Defense Council website for more.

Clothing: Choose secondhand or handmade clothing at farmers markets and craft fairs. Recycled fabric and organic cotton are lower-impact.

Toys: Less is more. Remember, babies and toddlers enjoy the box as much as the toy, so no need to overindulge. Embrace hand-me downs, both giving and receiving. If you decide to buy, choose domestic. I liked to rotate toys every two weeks, moving toys from one room to another. It keeps things fresh. Consider starting a toy-swap-rotation with other parents: Gather six toys your baby (and you) can part with, disinfect them with vinegar and hot water, and exchange at a monthly play date.

Keeping it simple will help you stay sane. And it’s O.K. to to give in to the occasional necessary bright pink plastic item!