Green Daily

So, you know eating less meat is better for the planet and you've found a good place to get some organic veggies. Do you sometimes just wish you had some more good ideas on what to do with all those veggies you've been eating lately?

This week's veggie recipe hit list over at TipNut has 12 great ideas for a wide variety of veggies. Everything from Squash casserole to vegetable curry are there.

At my house we're making lots of Cauliflower Poppers lately. Put 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a bowl, add an entire head of cauliflower, cut into florets. Toss with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper (or other spices) to taste. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, turning halfway through. We make ours nice and spicy and it's a whole new way to eat cauliflower.

Back in October Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, wrote an open letter to the next president elect and it was published in the New York Times. Within the article, Pollan outlines why the next president may be looking at a food crisis and how next to automobiles, the American food industry is the biggest consumer of fossil fuels. Not only did Obama read the piece but he mentioned it in an interview with Time's Joe Klein.

Pollan outlines for the next president the connection between cheap oil, the food industry and the rising cost of healthcare. When Obama spoke with Klein about these topics he clearly understood how these subjects were interconnected as well as how they fall under a larger umbrella of how we use and produce energy and its impact on our wallets and the environment.

Energy is a massive undertaking but it's about time we change our ways. This is why Obama has made it his first priority (after straightening out the market, of course) to address this country's energy use.

Read the full Obama interview here.

The melamine found in infant formula caused kidney problems and even death in infants across China. Then melamine contamination was found in Chinese eggs and most recently, fish feed. All of this has justifiably frightened the residents of Hong Kong to pay a little extra for organic produce.

Whether people are buying organic because it's better for the environment or out of concern for their health, the high end produce market is thriving in Hong Kong despite global belt tightening. In fact, Three Sixty, Hong Kong's largest organic and natural foods store has seen a surge in sales since the melamine scares.

Though organic is perceived as better, China has no standard certification of organic foods. The country relies heavily on the certifications of other countries exporting the goods or from voluntary organic labeling within its borders.

Without strict oversight, there is no telling what is getting passed off as organic. Furthermore, who's letting the melamine get mixed into feed and infant formula in the first place?

What says "Stop eating meat!" more than a Playboy model wrestling a PETA model? If you guessed having them wrestle in tofu, you win a special (imaginary) prize for pervy thoughts!

In keeping with their practices of nudity, hyper-sexualization of vegetarianism and all around provocativeness, our friends at PETA are courting media attention with this moderately unsafe for work video.

The stars are Kayla Rae Worden, in the blue bikini, and Kira Eggers of Playboy "fame" in the white thong. Both ladies are also sporting large, fake breasts, which you can say at least are not made of anything animal-related.

I believe the stated goal of this piece is to raise "awareness" by way of raising other "things." I'm sure all of the dudes standing around watching them wrestle are totally thinking, "Yeah, there's something to this vegan thing after all!"

Enjoy the clip with caution. When the drumming stops, the scary animal cruelty videos start. It might have nearly naked ladies, but it's is still a PETA video, after all.

Which celebs got naked for PETA?

The Austrian government recently released a report claiming that genetically engineered (GE) corn crops affected the fertility of mice. This has prompted Greenpeace to insist in a worldwide recall of genetically engineered crops due to the possible impact on humans.

In the study sponsored by the Austrian Ministries for Agriculture and Health, one set of mice was fed natural corn while another group was fed genetically modified maize. The latter group had a marked decrease in offspring amongst the third and fourth generations of study "participants."

Madonna and Guy Ritchie's well publicized separation has only gotten stranger. When their boys Rocco, aged eight and David, aged three, met their father in the states, they came with instructions. Madonna has written a set of rules for Guy to follow while their sons are in his care. One of the stand outs on the list is that their boys are to follow a strict macrobiotic, vegetarian, organic diet with no processed or refined food.

A lot of parents choose an organic diet for their children. For one thing, it reduces the amount of pesticides that children are exposed to. Adding macrobiotic and vegetarian restrictions as well reduces the menu considerably. Unless Guy follows this diet himself, I imagine that the kids will witness some rule breaking while in the States.

Some more outlandish requests on the list were that Guy not be photographed with the boys. Are you kidding? With all of the paparazzi following this story, they would have to lock themselves in the house. Another request is that the boys only drink Kabbalah water, a packaged substance that is little more than holy water.

The Fred Meyer grocery store in southeast Portland, OR is getting a LEED makeover. The renovation, which started last fall, is aiming for a LEED Silver rating for the store.

It would be the first LEED certified grocery store in Oregon and the first in the nation for Kroger Co. which owns Fred Meyer. What does a LEED certified grocery store look like?

• more insulation
• increased water efficiency in kitchens and bathrooms
• energy efficient HVAC and lighting
• concrete floors that require no chemicals for cleaning
• more bicycle parking and special alternative-fuel vehicle parking
• changing rooms and showers for employees who bike to work
• composting and other waste reduction practices

I hope this first goes well for Kroger and I get a LEED certified store in my town soon.

[Via Green Building Elements]

Just when we -- and Greenpeace -- were about to go over the edge in our fight against the ubiquitous and evil palm oil, some good news appeared on the horizon: sustainably farmed palm oil!

I know I never expected to put those four words together, and Greenpeace isn't buying the story. Still, it could it be a good first step.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is an organization created by the palm oil industry, so they're suspect to start with. But they did create a certification system that requires participants to follow sustainable farming and fair trade practices.

The first batch of palm oil produced under these guidelines is about to be delivered to Europe, where it will distributed to buyers including Unilever and British grocer J. Sainsbury.

I think the quote from Fiona Wheatley of Sainsbury's sums it up best. To paraphrase, she subtly acknowledges that these guidelines aren't perfect yet, but they're better than the big fat nothing we've done to regulate palm oil production in the past.

So there you have it. Progress. Ugly, lurching and inelegant, but better than what we were doing before. I'll take it!

Just because summer is over doesn't mean that you have to give up on growing your own delicious, fresh produce. With a small investment and a little bit of space, you can move your organic garden indoors -- or at least part of it. Here are a few tips for starting your own winter garden.

• Buy some lights. Don't count on natural light. Chances are, no matter how sunny you think a room is, it's not enough for your plants. Invest in a lighting fixture that will give adequate light supply for maximum output.
• Water, water everywhere. The next thing that you might want to look into is going hydroponic. Growing without soil can produce a high yield crop in a cramped space.
  
• Fertilize. Your plant will need micro-nutrients to grow. If you are growing without soil, you will need to invest in some fertilizer to ensure steady growth. You can buy commercially or make your own.
• Do it all. If you are looking for a complete system, check out the AeroGarden which which will mist your plants for you and tell you when to add fertilizer for fresh veggies and herbs year round.

With these tips there is no reason to deny yourself a little freshness even in the dead of winter.

[via: The Vegetable Patch]

Did you know that one cow unceremoniously, we'll say, 'releases' hundreds of liters of methane per day? According to Ben Whitford of Plenty Magazine, cows comprise 18% of global emissions!

Scientists around the world are feverishly working on a solution that does not involve an international campaign to switch to Veganism.

Among the front runners are natural food additives, engineered grass, the clearly inspired tax solution, higher quality feeds, and even mass kangaroo stomach bacterial transplants.

The gas could also be "harvested" and converted into CO2, which in this case, is the greener option, as methane is more harmful.

Another proposal, although tough to swallow, is to switch from beef to kangaroo meat. These marsupials, despite a diet rich in plants, emit no methane. Australia already kills kangaroos for population control, and their meat is available for consumption, although the practice still has a poor image in the public eye.

In the future, cows will be gassy lassies no more! Unfortunately, your local farm isn't necessarily going to smell any rosier, as methane is naturally odorless. Still, less flatulent cows means greener air for everyone.

California had an interesting day at the ballots last week. They elected Barack Obama, that was a given, but it is the propositions that are generating the local (and national) talk.

Altering the constitution to outlaw same-sex marriages, Prop 8 is getting all of the headlines, and like a nasty kidney stone it is not passing quietly. It burns.

Prop 2, however, passed quickly and quietly. It was the issue regarding the treatment of animals raised for market and food production.

It is a weekly choice at my house on which grocery store we will go to. Usually,we see who has the most on sale items we'd like to eat in the upcoming week. There are at least 10 grocery stores within 15 miles of my home so there are a lot of choices.

I love to shop at Market Street, owned by HEB, which is full of beautiful produce, fresh seafood, sushi made right in front of me and brands I can't find at other stores. Unfortunately, it's a bit pricey so I can't go every week. What is the healthiest place to shop though?

CNN asked some doctors to rate a variety of grocery chains. It's no surprise that Whole Foods came out on top, but what were some of the other leaders?

1. Whole Foods - for it's commitment to healthy eating across the board
   
2. Safeway - called Tom Thumb where I live, for its O Organics in-house brand and an effort to have locally grown produce in stores.
   
3. Harris Teeter in the Southeast, for its healthy shopping tools like Your Wellness for Life.
   
4. Trader Joe's - for the in-store brands that are free of preservatives, trans fats and other unpleasantness.
   
5. Hannaford in the Northeast, a certified organic supermarket with over 50 locally grown organic produce options.
   
6. Albertsons - for the in store brand Wild Harvest which is about 15% less than other organic brands in the store.
7. FoodLion for it's offshoot, Bloom which offers fresh produce and nutrition kiosks where you can print healthy recipes to take home.
   
8. Publix - for a wide variety of family programs aimed at healthy eating.
9. Pathmark in the Mid-Atlantic is a large buyer or locally grown produce.
   
10. Super Target - for offering a wide variety of organic and healthy brands like Barbara's, Kashi and Sahala Snacks.
    

With a list like that, let's hope you can find a good, local choice for yourself.

Paul, Ray and Ricardo are PETA's andro-answer to the super popular Lettuce Ladies: the Broccoli Boys.

Don't call the Broccoli Boys beefcake, because that's not how they ride, but these veggie eating, animal loving, fur hating dudes are studly.

You can learn more about their likes (cruelty-free cologne, mountain biking and the films of Luc Besson) and turn-offs (blood sports involving unwilling participants, rude people and broccoli), as well as vote for your favorite Broccoli Boy, on PETA's Lettuce Ladies website.

We can hope that as the popularity of the B-Boys grows, their ranks will swell. The question is, can we expect nearly-nude public appearances, with just a head of broccoli obscuring their naughty man parts?

The Lettuce Ladies show up at gas stations and protests in their leafy bikinis all the time. Meat-free women demand equal eye candy!

Typically Beaujolais Nouveau wines are released the Thursday prior to Thanksgiving, which means many bottles of the fruity French vino can be found scattered around the turkey covered and pie-laden countertops of whatever house I happen to be dining in.

This year the red wine is going green, thanks to Boisset and Georges Duboeuf.

First, a quick study: Beaujolais Nouveau is a fairly light red wine created from Gamay grapes. As you may have guessed, it is from the Beaujolais region of France.

In case you need more fuel for your argument to not have a supermarket bird on your Thanksgiving table this might interest you. Supermarket birds are generally the broad breasted white breed. Bred to have the largest breasts possible, frequently the birds can't physically support themselves or breed. Unless you're into Hooters, skip the supermarket bird.