photo: vaXzine, flickr Creative Commons

In many ways, Barack Obama is my hero. He’s a brilliant leader who is doing amazing things to reform health care, the economy and education. He and his wife Michelle sparked much excitement when they installed an organic garden at the White House. His Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, quickly followed suit and planted a tidy green plot in front of his office building. And, like the bean stalks growing in their yard, the excitement continues to swell as Michelle is periodically photographed in the garden and speaks about the need for healthy food choices for kids. The Obamas quickly ascended to be the most visible participants in the sustainable food movement.

But, like the sudden realization that your lettuce crop has been eaten by a furry friend, I was shocked  and disappointed by recent nominations by President Obama to key posts at US Department of Agriculture (USDA) of people from at Monsanto and CropLife, two agribusinesses.  These nominations severely undermine his campaign promises and efforts to reform our industrial food system (which the Obamas are already trying to do in their backyard!). His hero status has been lowered. Read the rest of this entry >>

My friends, Andrea and Aryeh, were planning their daughter Shachar’s bat mitzvah this past summer and wanted the event to be guided by their strong commitment to social and environmental justice. We, sadly, live in an era when bar and bat mitzvahs have become night-clubs at shuls with too many stories of mega-black tie parties hosted by NFL cheerleaders, world famous musicians and budgets that could be used to purchase a McMansion. It was refreshing that Andrea and Aryeh chose to host a religious event that infused their social values throughout all aspects. What also makes this bat mitzvah so special is the sustainable practices they chose to incorporate into Shachar’s bat mitzvah can be used for any type of event. And, the greatest lesson that came of their planning is that it involved, engaged and helped to build an already thriving little community in the heart of the Los Angeles megalopolis. The family didn’t do this on their own; all members of their tiny synagogue (myself included) pitched in. Here’s a list of their inspiring, eco-friendly actions:

1. Invitations were sent via email.
2. All food was vegetarian and prepared by local restaurants.
3. Guests prepared and brought their favorite dessert.
4. All paper goods, cups and utensils were made of compostable materials.
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Thursday is International Cephalopod Day which might not have enough gravitas yet to be printed on every Hallmark calendar like Halloween and Valentines Day. But, it could be on its way there. You might want me to back up and explain what a Ceph-al-opod is before I begin touting the benefits of them and the need to have an international day of celebration in their honor, topped off with the ultimate recognition of inclusion in your mass produced annual calendar. I’ll give you a hint-for most people, they’re probably more familiar with the creatures in its golden deep fried version, served with a lemon wedge or marinara sauce at your local Italian restaurant.

Cephalopods are more than just the dish consumed after garlic bread and before fettucini alfredo. They’re the wavy-gravys of the ocean. The undulating tentacle-strung invertebrates glide throughout the deepest depths of the oceans with delicate fluttering motions that defy their sophisticated systems of highly developed brains and nervous systems. While there are 800 of types of them, the most commonly known ones are squid, octopus and cuttlefish. An octopus in its whole, living form, is a bit like those fuzzy neo-teddy bears known as Ugly Dolls; bizarre shapes and colors that are so ugly they’re actually mesmerizing and enticing.

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photo: quimby flickr, creative commons

The anti-BPA movement, of which I’m a proud member, has received much deserved fanfare in the past week after Sigg, the metal water bottle company, disclosed that it’s pre-August 2008 bottles were lined with BPA, a known endocrine disruptor. As I’ve written about before, I, like thousands of other consumers purchased Sigg bottles as an alternative to plastic water bottles which are toxic to humans and our planet. However, unknowing consumers like me were really alarmed and disappointed to find out that Sigg bottles were lined with BPA despite previously denials.

It’s nice to read now that the company’s CEO, Steve Wasik, has admitted it was wrong of Sigg to not inform customers of the contents of their products, especially when they are toxic. After contacting the company last week to return my bottle, I received a form letter which reminded me (as has Steve Wasik) that I should “please know that your SIGG bottles are proven non-leaching, this means they do not leach anything [including BPA] into the beverages that have been poured into them. Extensive independent testing shows this and are located here for your discernment.” Sigg  is missing the point. BPA is a known endocrine-disruptor and it’s not for the company to decide whether or not consumers believe their product is safe (I never would have purchased the bottle had I known it had BPA). I know they’re trying to do damage control, rather than digging a deeper hole they should just stop with a simple apology.

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Photo taken when I visited a Seattle farmers market in July

Food, Inc., the widely celebrated documentary that continues to expand nationwide as quickly as GMO seeds infect organic crops,  is topping the box office in documentary sales. It is  more than just a great documentary, though. It is also helping to reshape our agricultural and eating landscape nationwide. The thoughtful analysis of our complex industrial food system is introduced to viewers in simple, bite-sized portions that make it easy for viewers to understand the issues. My analysis of the residual effects of Food, Inc. are not scientific and merely based on my informal discussions with people, combined with scouring twitter and blogs for anecdotes. But, there is plenty of evidence that people are leaving theaters and walking out with a determination to make significant changes.

#foodinc has become synonymous on Twitter with posts about sustainable agriculture and they are rampant. Following this phrase on the site brings up numerous postings from enthusiastic fans about new openings of the film and plenty of tweets about sustainable agriculture issues that have nothing to do directly with the film but everything to do with the subject matter. #foodinc now means sustainable, healthy agriculture to tweeters. The media coverage for the film stretches from one end of the spectrum to the other with accolades and condemnations from advocates and foes of industrial agriculture. It has become a default-topic in food discussions (see the recent Time cover story). Huffington Post devoted a special section with interviews of some of its food bloggers about the film. Read the rest of this entry >>

There’s a little town in Japan called Taiji which used to seem like an unremarkable place with Buddhist temples, a whale museum, fishermen and a verdant national park nestled around a small cove. It used to have a big secret, too. Through the award-winning documentary, The Cove, the bloody secret of this town has been exposed to the world. Beginning September 1st through March 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are slaughtered.

With the world watching,Taiji is now at the epicenter of an ongoing battle to stop this horrible practice. The thousands of dolphins are routinely rounded up by fisherman and driven into the cove. There, they are chosen by dolphin trainers for a destitute life in a tank somewhere around the globe or a swim-with dolphin program. The so-called less appealing ones are chopped up and found neatly stacked in styrofoam trays in Japanese supermarkets (often mislabeled as whale meat).  Most Japanese people are completely unaware of what is happening in Taiji.

While Taiji might be thousands of miles away, there’s much you can do right now to help stop this slaughter.
1. Send a letter to Obama Administration officials and the Japanese Ambassador to the US

2. Ask others to get involved.

3. As a tourist, think twice before you participate in a swim-with-dolphin program or visit a captive dolphin. There’s a good chance such an animal could be from Taiji.

4. See the Cove! It’s a beautiful, engaging, enthralling and fascinating film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The secret is out. The slaughter has begun in Taiji. We can all take action now to shut the cove down.

photo by Sterlic, flickr Creative Commons

I’ve always hated plastic water bottles and dutifully slug a reusable bottle with me everywhere. However, a few years ago, I decided to nix my supposedly environmentally-friendly Nalgene bottles because I found out they were made with a dangerous chemical, polycarbonate, which leached into my water. I ditched the dull gray wide-mouthed Nalgene in favor of the narrow-necked brightly colored metal Sigg bottle. The Sigg was not only designed with shimmering shades of blues artfully wrapped around with a cute little hook screw cap, it was supposedly better for me and the planet because it was made with aluminum, not yucky, leaching polycarbonate plastic. Read the rest of this entry >>

Editor’s note: I had the pleasure of interviewing 12-year old Orren Fox of Newburyport, MA who happens to keep 25 backyard chickens. In this interview, you’ll learn about how this aspiring NBA player is also an inspiring, eloquent kid who is a notable leader in sustainable agriculture on the ground and online on Twitter and through his blog. You’ll meet Snowcap, Macaroni, Butterscotch, Blueberry and all of the other animals he takes care of. Orren can be found on Twitter @happychickens and @happyhoneybees.

Sarah Newman: How old are you and where do you live?
Orren Fox: My name is Orren Fox (there is a fox in the hen house) and I live North of Boston in the littlest city in Massachusetts, Newburyport.
I am 12 years old and will be 13 at the end of December.

What grade will you be in this fall and where do you go to school and camp?
I will be in the 7th grade this fall at Glen Urquhart School in Beverly Farms, Ma. It is a great school, we have a huge greenhouse (I think it is 7,000 feet!) where we work with The Food Project to grow food for food pantries, and we also now have bees. You can see some blog entries here - http://bit.ly/19uPwp

My camp is named Kieve, in Darmiscotta, Maine. We don’t have chickens, but I am hoping that I have convinced them to start a garden for next year. I love it there because we are outside the whole time.

When did you develop an interest in chickens and why?
I’m not really sure. One day I went to my babysitter’s Lisa, nephew’s house and I saw his chickens. I was immediately interested in them. So we got every book available about chickens, I read them all! Then my neighbor Dorothy, who loves animals as much as I do, mentioned Julie and her farm, Oak Valley Farm. I went and met Julie then started working with her on her farm. She had many many chickens and I took care of them on the weekends. I loved it. I loved being at the barn. I loved hearing them talk. Actually I felt like I knew what each bird was talking about. I know this sounds odd. She has hens, roosters, ducks, turkeys, goats, and horses. She lives right next to a big beautiful hay field and peach trees. Then that spring of 2007 she said to me one weekend “I think you should have your own chickens”. I think it might have been one of the best days of my life. I was so excited to go pick out my baby chicks. I couldn’t stand being at school because I wanted to be with them. That year I also joined the American Poultry Association and I earned my Coop Tender Certificate and am trying now to earn my Flock Tender Certificate.

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There’s a seemingly quaint fishing town nestled into a mountainous coastal spot on Japan’s eastern coast that is going to become an international hotspot.  The innocuous-seeming village houses a national park, whale museum, Buddhist temples and lots of fisherman. Below the surface of this quiet place is a dirty secret that the fisherman and the Japanese government are trying to keep a secret.  Unless they’re testing nuclear weapons or building a top secret facility, why would a picturesque nook in a small fishing town off of Japan’s eastern coast be so intent on keeping what happens there a secret?

It turns out to be a government supported annual massacre of thousands of dolphins and porpoises.  These marine mammals are victims of international trade, economics, global fishing sustainability, world tourism and human health issues.  And, as a consumer, you might play a role in this intriguing international story, which is captured in the Oceans 11-esque gripping inspiring documentary, The Cove.

It has taken Flipper’s former trainer to expose the world to what is happening in Taiji. Ric O’Barry, the star of the upcoming documentary, The Cove,  explains his dramatic transition from being Flipper’s trainer to an activist intent on freeing captive dolphins worldwide.  The plethora of dolphinariums, swim-with-dolphin programs and aquariums with captive dolphins is personal for Mr. O’Barry who feels that this worldwide phenomenon is largely due to his training of dolphins and making it culturally appropriate.  Upon this realization, decades ago, he transformed himself into a unwavering activist globe trotter intent on freeing captive dolphins.

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fresh veggies from my recent trip to a Seattle farmers market

Don’t worry, this isn’t a promotion for the latest skin treatment or time-share deal. It’s less complicated but involves something that happens 52 times a year: Mondays. What do Mondays mean to you? Do you jump out of bed, excited to start a new work week? Or, are you a bit lethargic, seeing the world in shades of gray, with a bit of a gloomy attitude?

Monday’s root meaning is new moon. New moons are often treated like January 1st: a time for renewal, rejuvenation and change. It seems like most people relish the first day of the New Year as an opportunity to reset their intentions and change their behaviors. Gyms are suddenly packed, people forsake desserts and take lunchtime power walks. However, by February, most people, unfortunately, have reverted to their old ways. The buzz at gyms has returned to the normal levels, cupcake sales are back up and power walks have been replaced by power lunches. But, if we treat every Monday like January 1st, we can improve our nation’s health, save money on healthcare and have much happier Mondays 52 times a year. Read the rest of this entry >>