[Green Thursdays] Green Blog: Eco-Chick

Vartan, photo via Eco-Chick

I've just started following the Eco-Chick blog, which is all about living green and living fashionably (sound familiar)? They're girls after our own hearts. They've been doing what they do since 2005, which, you've gotta hand it to 'em, is a damn long time. The blog's author, Starre Vartan, also has a book that accompanies the blog. It's an informing, easy read, so take five minutes to check it out today!

[Get Involved Tuesdays] Volunteering at National Parks

Image via Conservation Corps

Fresh air, helping others, and being in some of the most beautiful land on earth: yeah, that sounds pretty good, doesn't it? And with so many people out of work and confused about where their lives are going, why not give a volunteer opportunity a national park a shot?

Find all the opportunities here.

If you can't just get up and leave everything behind, look at other ways you can do your part.

[Friday Link Round-Up]

1. Try upcycling your own furniture. For inspiration, check out this re-nest Furniture Facelift: One IKEA Dresser, Three Ways (not that I condone IKEA furniture. You could find something of much better quality to upcycle). Or check out this idea for creating your own picnic basket from an old suitcase.

2. Get scooting on that business idea you've kept on the backburner for so long with great articles from this week's Design*Sponge and paper n stitch. Check out this post on the difference between PR and marketing (a vital difference indeed). Or read the 3-part series on how to become influential and likable in business. I sort of take issue with the idea that women have to be "likable" to be successful in business, but the ideas in these posts are still totally legit even if gender relations aren't.

3. San Francisco just passed a law allowing people to sell their homegrown produce to restaurants, stores, and so on. This is a huge step for urban farmers. 

Photo via Michael Macor, The Chronicle

4. Today is Earth Day! Stage a rain dance! Kiss a tree! Roll in some grass! Or just look at pretty photos of how majestic the world can be.

Havasu Falls, AZ via here

[Green Thursdays] My Own Little Urban Garden

A few months ago, I said in defiance that I was planning to start my own backyard urban garden. I live in a postage stamp of a house in Bernal Heights, but my roommate and I (okay, mostly my roommate -- she has quite the green thumb) have succeeded in waiting out the winter months and have done our planting for the spring. Here are a few shots of what we've done with the place. It's all in containers right now, but we plan to use some raised beds soon, once things get a lil crazy back there. 

Right now, we're growing: 

• Strawberries
• Swiss chard
• Cherry tomatoes
• Thyme/Rosemary
• Mixed lettuces
• Potatoes
• And lots of other stuff that I can't even identify because my roomie has done some of her crazy magic back there, and I no longer recognize the plants I so lovingly picked out at Flowercraft.

The backyard entrance 

Flowers and herbs

Edible Weeds

Our Thriving Tomatoes

[Get Involved Tuesdays] CUESA

Photo via CUESA Website

Ever wonder who organizes the Ferry Building Farmer's Market or all those helpful recycling sheets inside of San Francisco offices? Why, CUESA, of course. CUESA stands for the Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture, and they organize everything from SF markets to classes on sustainable cooking, to beekeeping courses. They even have a handy seasonal eating guide on their website that helps you understand how your food got from a farm onto your plate.

It turns out they continually seek volunteers. So if you'd like to get involved in all the cool acts of political eating in and around the Bay Area, check out the CUESA Volunteer Page. They need people with skills ranging from photography to web design to administrative.

[Green Thursdays] How Sustainable is IKEA?

IKEA just released its yearly Sustainability Report today, and while it boasts that the company "reduces CO2" and no longer sells incandescent lights, consumers need to read these sorts of corporate marketing materials with a very large grain of salt. Or enough grains of salt to season beef stew.

The fact of the matter is that if you want cheap things, there is a trade-off. Of course, I recognize that this is coming from the girl who lusts after platform shoes but refuses to pay full retail. Everything in moderation, I say (instead of owning the 60 pairs I want, I have about 6).

But IKEA cannot possibly provide all of the furniture that it provides consumers with for such a low price without some societal trade-off. For instance, it harvests its wood in China and Russia, and we have all heard about the atrocities that happen at overseas manufacturers when low-cost is concerned. IKEA claims to have "forest patrollers", but they only have about six of these people for the entire company. Can you imagine six people overseeing all of the crap that gets produced at all of the manufacturing locations world-wide? You can read more about this topic in the book Cheap by Ellen Ruppel Shell, or in some articles by her in The Atlantic.

The further problem with IKEA, and I would say this is probably the most threatening to the environment and the idea of sustainability, is the mindset that the store instills in us. It encourages a throw-away culture. What, your BJURSTA kitchen table just snapped in half? Throw it in the dumpster, and buy another one. I mean, you only paid $200 for it anyway. Maybe you'll even upgrade to a more expensive IKEA model that will last all of five years, instead of two (unless you live in a frat house. Then I give all IKEA furniture a six-month lifespan).

Furthermore, I don't know if you've noticed, but IKEAs never seem to be located near your house. There's an explanation for that: IKEA puts its stores in places where property taxes are low, and the corporation therefore doesn't have to pay as much in taxes back to the community. But a trip to IKEA is usually a day- or half-day-long occassion. In college, I once drove an hour and a half in LA traffic to buy some barstools from the IKEA in Burbank. And how much did I waste in gas and time? I don't know if I could put a number on it. But I could have picked up some barstools from a neighbor on Craigslist or a local garage sale.

All I'm saying is that we need to hold IKEA's self-declaration as a sustainable corporation up for scrutiny. Don't believe everything you hear, and don't expect their couches to be comfortable either.

[News] Freeze to Affect Winter Veggie Production

Okay, so I know this isn't your typical news bit, but produce news is breaking news to me.

Last week, there were record low temperatures in the Imperial and Yuma Valleys, Mexico, and the Baja peninsula, so any vegetables that were not being grown in heated greenhouses have been damaged and might not see the light of the grocery store aisles this year. That means tomatoes and lettuce and radishes and spinach are all at stake here, people!

The good news is that kale, broccoli, chard, and cauliflower are all still safe and sound.

Read more about the "Great Freeze of 2011" here, and don't be surprised when the prices start rising on your favorite winter veggies. Plan accordingly!

[Food + Drink Wednesdays] Weekly Produce News Bites from Draeger's

These are from Peru, which is kiiiinda far.

Is it wrong that this reads like fine poetry to me?

It's also a shame that there is no RSS feed for the Draeger's Produce News Bites because I want daily updates on the quality and sourcing of my produce. No joke. Also, you've just gotta love the funny descriptions and puns that sometimes slip in.

I also love the Fruit of the Month postings.

Yes, there is officially something wrong with me.

[Green Thursdays] Why Eco-Labeling Isn't Good Enough

A Well-Rounded Meal, Of Course

Here is a prime example of why buying foods/clothes/basically anything marked "sustainable" or "green" or "organic" is not a sufficient way to eat sustainably. 

Think before you buy. Even if that Gap t-shirt is made of "organic cotton", it's quite possible that the cotton was certified organic, but the workers still weren't paid enough to eat a well-rounded meal. 

Just a thought.

[Get Involved Tuesdays] The Wide World of WWOOFing

I lived here for free for 4 weeks

For those who don't know, WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms. And if you don't know what it stands for, you're also missing out on a world of opportunity to learn how to milk goats.

Well, not just to milk goats. You're also missing out staying with families all over the world, taking care of their animals, plants, children, or whatever else you feel like doing, and learning about sustainability, farming, design, crafts, cooking, and secret recipes for Devonshire apple cake.

I WWOOFed my way around New Zealand for about 5 months, working four hours per day in exchange for a place to live and free meals. I stayed on the beach, near the mountains, and in the middle of nowhere and spent virtually no money.

Get involved in WWOOFing and give back to family farms who supply us with so much happiness with their wares at farmer's markets and specialty stores. It only costs about $40 to join each country's network (or join the US one because that's probably the best deal in terms of sheer volume of experiences) and that fee gets you access to all the farm resources you need.

WWOOFing tips and tricks after the break!