Posts Tagged ‘environmentally friendly’

Source: The Green Guide

Responsible Choices
The choices we make and the products we buy test our commitment to maintain a healthy planet. When we burn fossil fuels—such as oil, coal, and natural gas—to run our cars and light our homes, we pump carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air. This thickens the heat-trapping blanket that surrounds the planet, causing global warming.

Choosing modern technology can reduce our use of fossil fuels and help protect the planet. These ten steps will help curb global warming, save you money, and create a safer environment for the future.

Drive Smart!
A well-tuned car with properly inflated tires burns less gasoline—cutting pollution and saving you money at the pump. If you have two cars, drive the one with better gas mileage whenever possible. Better yet, skip the drive and take public transit, walk, or bicycle when you can.

Buy Local and Organic
Did you know the average American meal travels more than 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate? Think of all the energy wasted and pollution added to the atmosphere—not to mention all the pesticides and chemicals used to grow most produce! So go to your local organic farmer to get your fruits and veggies.

Support clean, renewable energy.
Renewable energy solutions, such as wind and solar power, can reduce our reliance on coal-burning power plants, the largest source of global warming pollution in the United States. Call your local utility and sign up for renewable energy. If they don’t offer it, ask them why not?

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
Especially those that burn the longest each day. Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use about a quarter of the electricity and last ten times as long. Each switch you make helps clean the air today, curb global warming, and save you money on your electricity bill.

Saving energy at home is good for the environment and for your wallet.
Start with caulking and weather-stripping on doorways and windows. Then adjust your thermostat and start saving. For each degree you lower your thermostat in the winter, you can cut your energy bills by three percent. Finally, ask your utility company to do a free energy audit of your home to show you how to save even more money.

Become a smart water consumer.
Install low-flow showerheads and faucets and you’ll use half the water without decreasing performance. Then turn your hot water heater down to 120°F and see hot-water costs go down by as much as 50 percent.

Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances.
Replacing an old refrigerator or an air conditioner with an energy-efficient model will save you money on your electricity bill and cut global warming pollution. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances or visit their website at www.energystar.gov to find the most energy-efficient products.

Plant a Tree, protect a forest.
Protecting forests is a big step on the road to curbing global warming. Trees “breathe in” carbon dioxide, but slash-and-burn farming practices, intensive livestock production, and logging have destroyed 90 percent of the native forests in the United States. And you can take action in your own backyard—planting shade trees around your house will absorb CO2, and slash your summer air-conditioning bills.

Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!
Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70 to 90 percent of the energy and pollution, including CO2, that would result if the product came from virgin materials. Recycling a stack of newspapers only four feet high will save a good-sized tree. Please… buy recycled products!

Mount a local campaign against global warming.
Educate your community about how it can cut global warming pollution. Support measures at the national, state, and local level that:

• Make automobiles go further on a gallon of gas;
• Accelerate the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind;
• Increase energy efficiency and conservation; and
• Preserve forests around the world.

Interested in helping your city become a “cool city”? It’s easy! Click here for details and you’ll be on your way to helping your city be Cool!

 

Spring Rolls	General Tsao’s	Mushroom Cabbage Soup

 

Whenever my husband is in Chinatown in downtown Toronto he stops at the same Chinese bakery to get himself a Steamed Pork Bun. The bakery has been there since the 1960′s and still has the original hand painted windows in Chinese script. He was distraught a few weeks ago to discover that they are closing to renovate. Luckily he happened by on their very last day before closing and got his pork bun, because nothing is ever the same once you renovate.

Soup: I love Hot and Sour Soup and it seems to me that there are as many recipes as there are Chinese restaurants. I’ve tried a few different recipes in my time, and I like this one.

Main Course: The most ordered main course may well be General Tso’s Chicken. This recipe isn’t as sweet as some, which I personally prefer. This recipe works equally well with tofu if you want a vegetarian dish.
Another big favourite is Emeril’s Beef and Broccoli. I haven’t tried this recipe myself, but it has all of the classic ingredients for a fantastic dish.

My mother-in-law isn’t kosher, but she doesn’t normally eat pork. But one dish which often tempts her is Chinese ribs. Here’s Emeril’s take with Asian Style Ribs.

Noodle dishes are also popular and you can try Emeril’s Cabbage Lo Mein. This is a vegetarian dish as well.

Tofu is incredibly versatile because it has no particular taste on it’s own. It soaks up the flavour of whatever sauce you choose to cook it in.Tofu is one of those foods that people seem to love or hate. The people who don’t like it most often complain about the texture, but you can buy it in a variety of textures from silken to extra firm. If you have problems with a soft texture, give this Crispy Tofu dish a try.

If you want to have some fun making a bunch of little dishes, then make some Dim Sum. This summer at the cottage I made some pot stickers for a pot luck dinner I was attending. My daughter had a bunch of friends over so I doubled the recipe and made some for them as well. They were a huge hit and were gone in minutes.

Beef and Broccoli	Crispy Tofu	Dim Sum

 

An Indian Feast

 
Shortly after we were married my husband gave me a copy of Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sawni. I found it a bit daunting with the huge lists of ingredients that I’d never heard of. I didn’t even know how to begin to find some of them. Now, I love Indian cooking, and once you have the spices, it really isn’t difficult at all.

Appetizers: What more can I say than Onion Bahji? I loved this recipe and the taste of the fried onions melting in your mouth is spectacular.

Main Course: Probably two of the most popular take-out Indian dishes are Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. As with General Tso’s Chicken there are many recipes out there for these Indian favourites. I’ve made both of these dishes for pot luck dinners with great success. You can easily substitute tofu in either of these recipes.

There are lots of fantastic vegetarian recipes in Indian cooking, and no feast is complete without an Indian Dal.

Onion Bhaji	Dal	Butter Chicken

 

A Mexican Meal

 
Mexican cooking is a new interest for me. I’ve been trying out a number of traditional styled dishes, rather than the Tex-Mex variety that you get in fast food joints. I love the earthy flavour of Mexican cooking and I’m planning to do more of it in the new year.

Appetizers: I’ve never made Empanadas before, but Emeril’s version of Sweet Potato Empanadas looks like something I’m going to have to make. I like the smokey taste that chipotle chilies give to the Chipotle Black Bean Burritos, although I never know, do you pick them up and eat them with your hands, or do you use a knife and fork. When I pick up a burrito it just seems to end up disintigrating.

My son’s girlfriend Becca taught me how to make Tortillas, and she does a much better job of it than I do. Once you’ve got those tortillas made you can go ahead and make some Quesadillas with them, which is an incredibly versatile dish. You can pack pretty much anything into a quesadilla that you like, and you can change it every time you make it.

If you want a healthy Tex-Mex fix, try these vegan Nachos.

Black Bean Burritos	Tortilla Chips	Nachos

 

Try a Thai Meal

 
A number of years ago there was a sudden surge of interest in Thai food and there were Thai restaurants opening all over Toronto. I can walk to about 4 of them. Lemongrass, galangel, fish sauce and other exotic ingredients suddenly started appearing on menus, and now you can get them anywhere and have them in your pantry.

Soup: When I was growing up, one of the things I really disliked was any dessert made with coconut. As an adult, I discovered that I love the taste of coconut milk in dishes, especially in this fabulous Thai Mushroom Coconut Soup.

Main Course: Probably the most frequently ordered Thai dish is Pad Thai. This is a vegetarian version that is quite delicious.

Mushroom Coconut Soup	Vegetarian Pad Thai

 

A Trip Around the World for Some Other Dishes

 
My neighbourhood has a huge Jamaican population and you can go into any corner store and buy yourself a Jamaican patty. This is a vegan version. I have to admit I have never purchased a Jamaican patty, but my daughter tells me that this tastes just like the real thing. In any case, I thought it was pretty tasty.

Whenever I’m out for dinner, my husband, who doesn’t cook, takes himself over the the local Vietnamese Pho joint for his meal. This recipe is pretty close to the what he gets there.

Jamaican Patties	Pho

 

And Back Home Again

 
One of the problems with American take-out food is that it is often fast food full of preservatives, fat and salt. That is, of course, why people love it. So when my husband was out of town and unable to disapprove of any unhealthy eating, I made onion rings for my daughter and her best friend Julia.They were, in a word, fabulous.

I’m totally uninterested in take-out fried chicken, but real home cooked fried chicken is another matter. If you want to have a healthier version, try Emeril’s (Oven) Fried Chicken, which is actually baked in the oven. I’ve made chicken fingers this way for years and it’s delicious.

Onion Rings

 

But What About the Pizza?: Is there any more beloved or more frequently ordered take-out food than pizza? I have to confess that we have a fabulous mom and pop Italian restaurant a few blocks from us and sometimes I order pizza from them rather than making it myself because it is just so delicious. Even so, making pizza yourself is quite easy, and also delicious. If you like, try some really easy Individual Flat Bread Pizzas on your grill.

So there you have it: A bit of an overview of some wonderful and delicious recipes for take-out food that you can make in your own home. Here’s all the recipes we have here, for easy clicking:

Pizza	Naan Pizza

 

All 25 Take-Out Recipes

 

Chinese Food Take-Out Recipes

 

• Spring Rolls
• Steamed Pork Bun
• Hot and Sour Soup
• General Tso’s Chicken
• Emeril’s Beef and Broccoli
• Emeril’s Asian Style Ribs
• Cabbage Lo Mein
• Crispy Tofu
• Dim Sum

 

Indian Food Take-Out Recipes

 

• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Onion Bhaji
• Butter Chicken
• Indian Dal

 

Mexican Food Take-Out Recipes

 

• Sweet Potato Empanadas
• Chipotle Black Bean Burritos
• Quesadillas
• Nachos
• Tortillas

 

Thai Food Take-Out Recipes

 

• Mushroom Coconut Soup
• Pad Thai

 

Other Worldly Delights

 

• Jamaican patty
• Vietnamese Pho

 

American Classics

 

• Onion rings
• Emeril’s (Oven) Fried Chicken
• Pizza
• Individual Flat Bread Pizzas

Treehugger has been all over President Obama’s shocking announcement that he is willing to trade opening up more offshore drilling for support of a climate bill. Brian Merchant did a great run down earlier today that highlighted the breadth of Obama’s move–the East Coast, Gulf and Alaska will all be open for business for Big Oil. Many greens are feeling let down and confused, but take heart that some environmental groups are organizing efforts to express outrage. The incomparable 350.org, the group behind some of the largest climate mobilizations in history, invited its activists today to send a letter to President Obama or call the White House to express their outrage.

350 is inviting people to join a Facebook group to protest the decision. 350′s action alert is here. It reads:

Earlier today, President Obama announced a significant expansion of offshore drilling–it’s a move that is bad for the climate, bad for our coastal areas, and will not lead the United States towards energy independence.

Choosing to drill offshore is a huge concession to the oil companies, and a symbolic step away from a carbon-free future–a future with a safe climate, a future at 350. Let’s join together and let President Obama (and Senators from many of the affected states) know that we’re paying attention, and we’re outraged.

Take 2 minutes to send a letter and take a stand — together, we can deliver the call from tens of thousands of people accross the country that offshore drilling is not a solution.

Green Products and Ideas on April 21 will offer Central New Yorkers a chance to look at and ride in a GM fuel cell vehicle, expert advice on green-living tax credits and incentives, and much more. The Sustainability Fair will run 4 to 8 p.m. April 21 in SUNY Oswego’s Campus Center arena. It is free and open to the public, and parking will be available.

The one-day exposition will feature exhibitors displaying, discussing and demonstrating green products and services to enhance sustainable solutions for home, property and life. The Sustainability Fair will run 4 to 8 p.m. April 21 in SUNY Oswego’s Campus Center arena. It is free and open to the public, and parking will be available.

Among the features:
- General Motors will provide a fuel cell vehicle. GM reported last fall that its Chevrolet Equinox hydrogen-to-electricity vehicles have passed a million miles in testing, emitting only wisps of water vapor from the tailpipe. A GM representative will be on hand to answer questions and give rides.
- Chris Carrick of the state Energy Research and Development Authority will promote a range of environmentally responsible initiatives NYSERDA has in the works, and will provide information about home energy efficiency and tax incentives.
- SUNY Oswego’s Office of Facilities will display information about the new apartment complex, The Village, rapidly rising next to Glimmerglass Lagoon on campus, and all the components qualifying it for LEED Gold, a top U.S. Green Building Council certification for building design and environmental sustainability.
- A variety of vendors will have exhibits and information on such green services and products as wind and solar contracting, community farming and gardening, green cleaning, and much more.

The event is sponsored by SUNY Oswego as a part of the Quest Day of Research and Creativity. Underwriting is provided by the American Chemical Society and SUNY-Oswego’s Auxiliary Services. For more information about the fair, visit http://www.oswego.edu/sustainabilityfair or contact Thad Mantaro at 312-3492 or thaddeus.mantaro@oswego.edu. For vendor registration information, contact Thad Mantaro.

In many U.S. cities, the drinking water is perfectly safe, and across the country, municipal supplies are tested daily for some contaminants, weekly and monthly for others. But after hearing reports of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and other industrial contaminants in water supplies, people often turn to water filters for added peace of mind.

The best way to ensure clean and safe drinking water is to protect our watersheds, which act as natural filters absorbing chemicals, pollutants and sediments. In the meantime, a temporary solution is to filter the water in your home.

Always select filters certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), which tests products to ensure that they remove what the manufacturers say they do. NSF has an extensive searchable database on their website, www.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/.

No filter will remove every contaminant of concern, but here are the most common types and the major contaminants they can handle.

Carbon-filter models include carafes (pitchers), faucet-mounted models, undersink models (usually require a permanent connection to an existing pipe) and whole-house or point-of-entry systems (usually installed in the basement or outside). Carbon, a porous material, absorbs impurities as the water passes through.

What they remove: lead, PCBs, chlorine byproducts (chloramines and trihalomethanes), certain parasites, radon, pesticides and herbicides, the gasoline additive MTBE, the dry-cleaning solvent trichloroethylene, some volatile organic compounds, some levels of bacteria (such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia) and a small number of pharmaceuticals.

Reverse-osmosis systems push water through a semi-permeable membrane, which acts as an extremely fine filter, and they’re often used in conjunction with carbon filters. However, they waste four to nine gallons of water for every gallon filtered.

What they remove: perchlorate, sulfates, fluoride, industrial chemicals, heavy metals (including lead), chlorine byproducts, chlorides (which make water taste salty) and pharmaceuticals.

Ultraviolet light disinfects water, killing bacteria. Countertop units can be found for under $100, but most whole-house units cost $700 and up for NSF-certified models.

What they remove: bacteria; use with carbon filter to remove other contaminants.

Distillers, probably the least practical home method, boil and condense water. While countertop units are available, distillers use lots of electricity, generate excess heat and require regular cleaning. Explore filters or other alternatives to remove your contaminant, or, in a pinch, buy distilled water.

What they remove: heavy metals (including lead), particles, total dissolved solids, microbes, fluoride, lead and mercury.

Source: The Green Guide

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet. So sign up now and let’s make 2010 the biggest Earth Hour yet!.

It’s Showtime! Show the world what can be done.

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Earth Hour by WWF

Earth Hour is organized by WWF. With almost 5 million supporters and a global network in over 100 countries, it’s one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature.

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Earth Hour timeline

Turn back the clock on Earth Hour and discover why, how, where and when it all started.

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Why get involved?

Put simply, because our future depends on it!

Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of climate change issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a voice on the future of our planet and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future for our planet.

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The future can be bright

New economic modelling indicates the world has just five years to initiate a low carbon industrial revolution before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable. But it can be done, and the long term benefits will be enormous.

So now’s the time to take a stand and give world leaders the mandate they need to make the right climate deal.

Source: www.earthhour.org

Transition To Green Bi Monthly Community Event – Burbank / Toluca Lake

Date:	Sat March 27 2010   to Sat March 27 2010 Saturday, 2 pm – 4 pm
Where:	Mo’s Restaurant 4301 W Riverside Dr Burbank California, 91505 [ Map it!]
Event Type:	Other(see description)
Web Site:	www.transitiontogreen.org

Mark your calendars! The theme for for TToG’s next bimonthly meeting on March 27th is Spring Cleaning and Organizing.

We will learn about the difference between toxic and non-toxic cleaners and the effects on your health and home. Plus we will have a professional organizer from Under The Clutter come in and speak about cleaning, de-cluttering and organizing your home. We will also have someone from Got Junk? to help figure out what to with all the stuff you cleaned, organized and de-cluttered!

Let’s get together to learn, meet one another, play some games & win some prizes. TToG will pay for your refillable type beverages only. You may order & buy food if you are hungry. If you are a vegan or a vegetarian Mo’s has a great salad selection. The management is interested in learning more about making a transition to green, so let’s help them out. Remember your first meeting is free.

Transition To Green is a non-profit organization and all dues collected help cover expenses of the meetings.

We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information, see website linked above, or www.meetup.com/Transition-To-Green-Community-Clubs/calendar/ 12659088/

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The “Transition To Green” Community Club’s mission is to educate and help people to become more aware of all the green alternatives that exist in the marketplace today. To effect real change, we need to effect the supply and demand in favor of eco-friendly products. Our dollar votes going towards those choices will create a demand for manufacturers to switch out their practices and come on board faster. Individual transitions to green can happen over a period of weeks, while businesses and corporations tend to lag behind for years. So the sooner we make the changes in our lives, the sooner the rest of our economy will follow.

Source: Ecopalooza

What to Look For:

Plastics are classified by their “resin identification code”—a number from #1 to #7 that represents a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you’ll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.

Here’s a quick breakdown of plastic resin types:

#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
Examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles

#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/
Examples: Milk jugs, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles

#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)
Examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes

#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)
Examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags

#5 polypropylene (PP)
Examples: Cloudy plastic water bottles, yogurt cups/tubs

#6 polystyrene (PS)
Examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers

#7 other (plastics invented after 1987; includes polycarbonate, or PC, and polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources as well as newer plastics labeled “BPA-Free”)
Examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers

What To Buy:

#2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP: These three types of plastic are your best choices. They transmit no known chemicals into your food and they’re generally recyclable; #2 is very commonly accepted by municipal recycling programs, but you may have a more difficult time finding someone to recycle your #4 and #5 containers.

#1 PET: Fine for single use and widely accepted by municipal recyclers; avoid reusing #1 water and soda bottles, as they’re hard to clean, and because plastic is porous, these bottles absorb flavors and bacteria that you can’t get rid of.

PLA: plastics made from renewable resources such as corn, potatoes and sugar cane and anything else with a high starch content; although you can’t recycle these plant-based plastics, you can compost them in a municipal composter or in your backyard compost heap.

Plastics to Avoid:

#3 PVC: Used frequently in cling wraps for meat, PVC contains softeners called phthalates that interfere with hormonal development, and its manufacture and incineration release dioxin, a potent carcinogen and hormone disruptor.

#6 PS: Polystyrene-foam cups and clear plastic take-out containers can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, into food.

#7 PC: The only plastic made with bisphenol A, polycarbonate is used in baby bottles, 5-gallon water-cooler bottles and the epoxy linings of tin food cans. Bisphenol A has been linked to a wide variety of problems such as heart disease and obesity.

Shopping Tips
Plastics are classified by their “resin identification code”—a number from #1 to #7 that represents a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you’ll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.

When purchasing cling-wrapped food from the supermarket or deli, slice off a thin layer where the food came into contact with the plastic and store the rest in a glass or ceramic container or wrap it in non-PVC cling wrap.

Usage Tips
Avoid storing fatty foods, such as meat and cheese, in plastic containers or plastic wrap.

Hand-wash reusable containers gently with a nonabrasive soap; dishwashers and harsh detergents can scratch plastic, making hospitable homes for bacteria.

A “microwave-safe” or “microwavable” label on a plastic container only means that it shouldn’t melt, crack or fall apart when used in the microwave. The label is no guarantee that containers don’t leach chemicals into foods when heated. Use glass or ceramic containers instead.

Source: The Green Guide