Posts Tagged ‘green lifestyle’
VEGGIE PRIDE PARADE:
SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2010 info@vivavegie.org….•….212-242-0011
The fabulous program guide for the upcoming 2010 Veggie Pride Parade NYC is available online! Click HERE to download a PDF (3.2 mb). Everything’s there: A list of speakers, exhibitors, entertainers, donors of cash, food, and prizes, the latter for the costume contest. There are two articles, a list of volunteers, and, of course, the program of events! Oh, and many many ads from the generous sponsors of the Veggie Pride Parade. This is not to be missed. By Pamela R.
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- Eat healthier and tastier foods with more nutrients and vitamins.
- Avoid chemicals, hormones, artificial additives and genetically modified organisms.
- Help the environment by promoting better farming practices.
- Support organic farmers and enable them to continue farming in this environmentally safe manner.
- Organically raised animals are in conditions which limit stress and promote health. They are humanely treated and are fed naturally, without drugs.
- Organic farming reduces soil erosion and ground-water pollution, significantly reducing the impact on wildlife.
- Organic food production uses less energy than conventional food production.
- Organic farming practices maintain and enhance seed, crop and ecological biodiversity.
- Consuming organic products helps protect future generations.
Spread the organic word!
US Organic Standards
- Land on which organic food or fibers are grown must not have had prohibited substances applied (such as toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers) for three years prior to certification.
- Farmers and processors must keep detailed records of methods and materials used in growing or processing organic products.
- A third party certifier, approved by the USDA must inspect methods and materials annually.
- All handlers and farmers are required to maintain an Organic Handling Plan detailing their management practices.
Did you know?
The United States makes up only 5% of the world’s population, but we consume 30% of the world’s resources and create 30% of the world’s waste. If other nations were to consume at the rate of the U.S., we would need five planets… but, we only have this one!
By making simple changes in our everyday lives, we can make significant strides to improve the planet we all share.
Today is a wake-up call to enlighten and energize environmentally aware citizens to get involved.
Now is the time to take even a small step.
Take action: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and take a stand for the environment with your consumer dollars.
Make wiser and healthier choices for you and your family by supporting natural and organic options.
Simple ideas for a better environment:
- Walk, bike or use public transportation instead of using personal cars.
- Start recycling basic everyday items, such as paper, plastic and metal products.
- Eat organic food.
- Support organic and green production.
- Save water in every opportunity. (Especially in the bathroom where families waste the most.)
- Don’t let hot water run continuously when you shave. Close the drain and fill the basin with water instead.
- Try to run your dishwasher only once a day or when fully loaded and use the shortest cycle that will clean the dishes.
- Wash only full loads of laundry.
- Try to avoid hot water in the washing machine (Cold water is often better for your clothes.)
- Use only the necessary lights and get into the habit of turning off those that are not in use.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulb or LED.
- Try energy efficient products.
- Unplug appliances and other electronics when not in use.
- Switch to renewable energy (Most likely your energy supplier can do it for you upon request.)
- Support local businesses like farming, production systems, services, etc.
- Bring your own cloth or fabric bags when you shop.
- Bring your own mug to work for coffee.
- Stop buying new bottles of water. Reuse existing bottles.
- Print only what is necessary.
- Use lighter weight paper when printing.
- Try to copy on both sides of the paper.
- Consider purchasing eco envelopes for mailing.
- Use your e-mail and other tech-savvy alternatives whenever possible.
- Save trees by stopping unsolicited junk mail. (More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail. 42% of timber harvested nationwide becomes pulpwood for paper).
- Switch to paperless statements for credit cards, bank statements, etc.
- Support recycled paper products.
- Avoid requesting catalogs that are not needed.
- Purchase products made with recycled materials.
- Try natural cleaners.
- Use natural body care products.
- Consider buying a hybrid for your next car purchase.
- Consider stop buying things you don’t really need.
Please lead by the example!
Source: Gustorganics
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!
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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:
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| 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
Mexican Food Take-Out Recipes
Thai Food Take-Out Recipes
Other Worldly Delights
American Classics
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.
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Fill up on a robust chili that’s richly seasoned with chorizo, smoky chipotle chiles and fire roasted tomatoes.
Ingredients
Preparation Directions
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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.
Shopping Tips
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Your water may not need to be filtered at all. Read your water utility’s annual consumer confidence or “right to know” report, which you can get from your utility or online at www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo.htm, to find out if your water has contaminants. These can be difficult to interpret, so download a guide to reading them at www.safe-drinking-water.org/rtk.html
Usage Tips
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Change the filter cartridge as recommended by the manufacturer. Improper maintenance allows bacteria and other contaminants to build up.
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Lead can enter your water through old pipes. Pregnant women and parents of young children should have their water tested for lead. Tests run from free to $15. For a list of state-certified lead-testing labs, see www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/sco.html or contact your county health department.
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If your water comes from a private well, the EPA recommends that you have it tested annually by a state-certified lab for nitrate and coliform bacteria, more often if you live near farms or factories. For more information, see www.wellcarehotline.org or call your local health department.
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.
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.
Earth Hour timeline
Turn back the clock on Earth Hour and discover why, how, where and when it all started.
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.
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
Myth: The science of global warming is too uncertain to act on.
Fact: There is no debate among scientists about the basic facts of global warming.
The most respected scientific bodies have stated unequivocally that global warming is occurring, and people are causing it by burning fossil fuels (like coal, oil and natural gas) and cutting down forests.
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which in 2005 the White House called “the gold standard of objective scientific assessment,” issued a joint statement with 10 other National Academies of Science saying:
“the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. It is vital that all nations identify cost-effective steps that they can take now, to contribute to substantial and long-term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions.” (Joint Statement of Science Academies, 2005)
The only debate in the science community about global warming is about how much and how fast warming will continue as a result of heat-trapping emissions. Scientists have given a clear warning about global warming, and we have more than enough facts — about causes and fixes — to implement solutions right now.
Myth: Even if global warming is a problem, addressing it will hurt American industry and workers.
Fact: A well designed trading program will harness American ingenuity to decrease heat-trapping pollution cost-effectively, jumpstarting a new carbon economy.
Claims that fighting global warming will cripple the economy and cost hundreds of thousands of jobs are unfounded. In fact, companies that are already reducing their heat-trapping emissions have discovered that cutting pollution can save money.
The cost of a comprehensive national greenhouse gas reduction program will depend on the precise emissions targets, the timing for the reductions and the means of implementation. An independent MIT study found that a modest cap-and-trade system would cost less than $20 per household annually and have no negative impact on employment.
Experience has shown that properly designed emissions trading programs can reduce compliance costs significantly compared with other regulatory approaches. For example, the U.S. acid rain program reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 30 percent from 1990 levels and cost industry a fraction of what the government originally estimated, according to EPA. Furthermore, a mandatory cap on emissions could spur technological innovation that could create jobs and wealth.
Letting global warming continue until we are forced to address it on an emergency basis could disrupt and severely damage our economy. It is far wiser and more cost-effective to act now.
Myth: Water vapor is the most important, abundant greenhouse gas. So if we’re going to control a greenhouse gas, why don’t we control it instead of carbon dioxide (CO2)?
Fact: Although water vapor traps more heat than CO2, because of the relationships among CO2, water vapor and climate, to fight global warming nations must focus on controlling CO2.
Atmospheric levels of CO2 are determined by how much coal, natural gas and oil we burn and how many trees we cut down, as well as by natural processes like plant growth.
Atmospheric levels of water vapor, on the other hand, cannot be directly controlled by people; rather, they are determined by temperatures. The warmer the atmosphere, the more water vapor it can hold. As a result, water vapor is part of an amplifying effect.
Greenhouse gases like CO2 warm the air, which in turn adds to the stock of water vapor, which in turn traps more heat and accelerates warming. Scientists know this because of satellite measurements documenting a rise in water vapor concentrations as the globe has warmed.
The best way to lower temperature and thus reduce water vapor levels is to reduce CO2 emissions.
Myth: Global warming and extra CO2 will actually be beneficial — they reduce cold-related deaths and stimulate crop growth.
Fact: Any beneficial effects will be far outweighed by damage and disruption.
Even a warming in just the middle range of scientific projections would have devastating impacts on many sectors of the economy. Rising seas would inundate coastal communities, contaminate water supplies with salt and increase the risk of flooding by storm surge, affecting tens of millions of people globally.
Moreover, extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts and floods, are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity, causing loss of lives and property and throwing agriculture into turmoil.
Even though higher levels of CO2 can act as a plant fertilizer under some conditions, scientists now think that the “CO2 fertilization” effect on crops has been overstated; in natural ecosystems, the fertilization effect can diminish after a few years as plants acclimate. Furthermore, increased CO2 may benefit undesirable, weedy species more than desirable species.
Higher levels of CO2 have already caused ocean acidification, and scientists are warning of potentially devastating effects on marine life and fisheries. Moreover, higher levels of regional ozone (smog), a result of warmer temperatures, could worsen respiratory illnesses. Less developed countries and natural ecosystems may not have the capacity to adapt.
The notion that there will be regional “winners” and “losers” in global warming is based on a world-view from the 1950’s. We live in a global community. Never mind the moral implications — when an environmental catastrophe creates millions of refugees half-way around the world, Americans are affected.
Myth: Global warming is just part of a natural cycle. The Arctic has warmed up in the past.
Fact: The global warming we are experiencing is not natural. People are causing it.
People are causing global warming by burning fossil fuels (like oil, coal and natural gas) and cutting down forests. Scientists have shown that these activities are pumping far more CO2 into the atmosphere than was ever released in hundreds of thousands of years. This buildup of CO2 is the biggest cause of global warming.
Since 1895, scientists have known that CO2 and other greenhouse gases trap heat and warm the earth. As the warming has intensified over the past three decades, scientific scrutiny has increased along with it. Scientists have considered and ruled out other, natural explanations such as sunlight, volcanic eruptions and cosmic rays. (IPCC 2001)
Though natural amounts of CO2 have varied from 180 to 300 parts per million (ppm), today’s CO2 levels are around 380 ppm. That’s 25% more than the highest natural levels over the past 650,000 years. Increased CO2 levels have contributed to periods of higher average temperatures throughout that long record. (Boden, Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center)
As for previous Arctic warming, it is true that there were stretches of warm periods over the Arctic earlier in the 20th century. The limited records available for that time period indicate that the warmth did not affect as many areas or persist from year to year as much as the current warmth. But that episode, however warm it was, is not relevant to the issue at hand. Why? For one, a brief regional trend does not discount a longer global phenomenon.
We know that the planet has been warming over the past several decades and Arctic ice has been melting persistently. And unlike the earlier periods of Arctic warmth, there is no expectation that the current upward trend in Arctic temperatures will reverse; the rising concentrations of greenhouse gases will prevent that from happening.
In North America this time of year, when not much else is in season, winter squash is an easy vegetable to come by and prepare in an variety of different ways. You can steam, roast and bake them. You can enjoy winter squash in soups, salads, entrees or just all by itself, freshly baked right out of the oven — like this recipe.
Equipment
Rimmed cookie-sheet, unbleached parchment paper.
Ingredients
2 medium size butternut squashes.
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F, line cookie-sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash and dry squashes, and trim off top stem along with a little skin.
2. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and membranes with spoon.
3. Arrange halves on cookie-sheet cut-side down.
4. The time it takes to bake varies from 20 to 60 minutes depending on size, but begin checking after 20 minutes for smaller squashes, 30 for medium and 40 for large. Brown spots on the skin indicate it’s fully baked.
Notes
Bake squash until it has some brown spots on the skin when intended to eat right out of the oven or as puree for another dish, such as pumpkin pie.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes less when intended to be used in salads, so it can be peeled and diced into cubes. Poke skin with fork for doneness. The fork should poke trough somewhat easily.
Source: Vegetarian Organic Life
